Norwich City: Chris Sutton's opinion on Canaries run in

From the outside, I don't think there is any expectation that this Norwich team will get into the top six. I'm yet to meet a fan who feels this group is destined to get back to the Premier League either; it's not being discussed at all. 

Without that expectation, the players have to believe that the pressure is off and they have an opportunity to prove their doubters wrong. That must be utilised if they are to get themselves on a run that will see them finish inside the top six. 

This season has been so odd to follow - the only consistency has been their inconsistency and there has been a real strangeness around this campaign since it started in August for a multitude of reasons. 

But, whilst there is still a possibility of finishing inside the play-off places, that has to be the objective, even if they are the only people left in Norfolk who believe that it's doable. Cultivating a siege mentality to prove people wrong should be their mission from here. 

If you were a betting person, I'm not sure you would be putting money on this group of Norwich players to get promoted because the division has better and more consistent sides. 

Blackburn are a well-balanced side, Middlesbrough are flying, Luton have done a remarkable job this season and Gary Rowett's Millwall are stubborn and awkward.

Then in around Norwich, you have Coventry who are nine unbeaten, West Brom have a game in hand and have shown progress under Carlos Corberan. I still wouldn't discount Chris Wilder's impact at Watford. 

That is the pack to either overtake or keep at arm's length, and there are a lot of willing, confident and capable runners - Norwich must prove they have what it takes to be amongst them come May. 

Norwich will likely need at least five victories - with four matches left at home to play, that is what David Wagner and the team need to be targeting. 

You could even distil it down further than that - the next four games will give us a rough idea of whether they will make the top six. They need to record at least two victories against Sheffield United, Blackburn or Middlesbrough. 

There is now no margin for error. They cannot keep conceding sloppy goals and making costly individual errors. This group is capable of producing quality moments but we haven't seen that this season and it's why the feeling has been so up and down all year. 

It is an eight-game shootout. Norwich's players need to take personal responsibility for their performance and manage it one game at a time. Every game is a cup final. 

It all starts this weekend in a game that feels really significant to their playoff aspirations. 

Despite their FA Cup exploits, Sheffield United's focus will be ensuring they complete the job and get back to the Premier League. They will come to Carrow Road on Saturday and look to bully Norwich. 

Anyone who watched the FA Cup game against Blackburn will have witnessed their resilience and capability to perform under pressure. They will attempt to rely upon those attributes this weekend with Middlesbrough on their coattails. 

That will give them a real drive and determination to put one on Norwich. 

Paul Heckingbottom has constructed an excellent squad. Norwich have to match their levels, and they haven't been able to do that against the very best teams all season. 

There will be teams out there who feel this Norwich group are a little bit soft and easy to dominate physically; they must prove people wrong in that department. They won't be the favourites. That could actually work in their favour. 

But Carrow Road will need to be vibrant and encouraging - all it takes is one 90 minutes to change the narrative and create some positivity. If they get beat Sheffield United, the mood is going to be radically different. 

Whatever happens, it won't be on Wagner. He faced an incredibly difficult job when he walked into the club, and most Norwich fans will be willing to show patience towards him. It will be next season when a judgement of him will be made. 

When he took over from Dean Smith, confidence was at an all-time low and he's been tasked with coaching a group of players that have underperformed this season. 

If he doesn't get them up this year, he will have to find the energy to go again. Just like he did at Huddersfield because, irrespective of what division they end up in, it does feel like a significant amount of change is on the horizon. 

But conversations about the size and scale of that can wait until the end of the season. 

There is no better time to produce a positive run of form than right now - if they do that then the momentum could serve them well in the playoffs. 

If I was being asked, I don't think it will happen nor do I know another Norwich fan who thinks it will. You can only base your analysis and verdict on what we've seen this season and that speaks for itself. 

This squad should have been good enough to get out of this league this season. It hasn't been good enough, but they can still dig themselves out of the hole they have placed themselves in. 

It really is now or never. 

Teemu Pukki is uncharacteristically out of goalscoring form at Norwich City. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

SUTTON EXTRA

Norwich City will need to find a solution to the goalscoring troubles among their strikers if this season is going to end successfully. 

Teemu Pukki has only scored one goal in 11 matches, Josh Sargent has only netted twice since his World Cup return and the debate about Adam Idah has continued throughout the break given he has only found the net on one occasion all season. 

Earlier this season, I wrote a column on Pukki that said he wasn't the problem at Norwich. I stand by that opinion. He has displayed throughout his time in Norfolk that if the chances are produced for him then he will find the net. 

With regards to Idah, he struggles to catch a break with his fitness and the five year-deal that he signed has been used as a stick to beat him round the head with constantly. 

That said, he does have to show his worth eventually. I'm not absolutely sure he has done that in a Norwich shirt yet. He would argue it's hard to do so when you come off the bench and have a limited opportunity to show your qualities. 

It's been difficult for Idah as he hasn't had a consistent run at centre forward and has been, at times, asked to play wide on the left. I don't think he enjoys that role and isn't effective enough there. 

There is a common thread - if you asked any of them, they would all say they want to play as a number nine. Often Idah and Sargent are asked to occupy other roles and that does hinder their ability to perform. 

Pukki hasn't been the same player since Emi Buendia departed but we haven't see anywhere near enough of those quality moments throughout this season. 

He is cutting a frustrated figure at points and there remains lots of speculation over his future but he simply isn't getting sight of the goal throughout matches. You only need a quick glance at his goalscoring numbers to see the possibilities if that existed. 

If you want to change the output then that supply line has to be fixed.