BURNLEY boss Eddie Howe believes tomorrow’s FA Cup opponents Norwich City are a great role model for his players to look towards for inspiration. Paul Lambert’s Canaries achieved successive promotions to jump from League One to the Premier League, finishing second in the Championship behind QPR last season. The Norfolk club were the first side to achieve back-to-back promotions from the third tier to the top tier since Manchester City in 2000.
“From the outside they looked to have a fantastic team spirit and a fantastic togetherness,” Howe said. “They really were a side that never knew when it was beaten.
“Along the way they also played some excellent football, playing the diamond in midfield, which really worked for them and the personnel which they had.”
He added: “There are definitely things you can take from Norwich, and all the promoted sides. Swansea did it a different way and QPR a different way to that.
“I think you have to learn from successful teams that have gone by and say what parts of that can we take to our own game.
“Hopefully with our team spirit we’re on the right road in that respect and trying to build a team that never knows when it’s beaten, because I think that’s so important.
“Of course we have a little bit to go with it, but we’ve looked at the promoted sides and seen what they’ve done.”
Norwich have enjoyed notable success following their Premier League return, beating sides such as Newcastle and Sunderland, and earning a point at Anfield against Liverpool, on their way to ninth in the table.
And Howe insists he’ll name a strong squad in a bid to progress to the next round of the competition: “We’ll approach it in a serious way,” he said. “We want to win the game and progress and we’ll put out a team to try and do that.
“It’s a very difficult game. Norwich had a a fantastic year last year playing some fantastic football as well. A really good side.
“Whatever team they put out – it doesn’t matter if they make a couple of changes – they still have a really strong squad.
“Look at their bench. It’s full of players who excelled in the Championship.
“We know it’s not going to be easy if they do change their side, even though they have bigger priorities than the FA Cup this year.
“Whenever you go to Carrow Road you know you’re going to be in for a tough game, especially under Paul Lambert.”
Howe added: “Injury wise we do have a couple of niggles.
“We haven’t seen Marvin and Keith yet so we’ll have to wait and see how they come back.
“There are a few bugs going around and we’re hoping no-one else goes down with it.
“Kieran’s suspension gives us a problem as well so we’ll have to look at that and see what we do. Whether that means a change in system we’ll have to wait and see.”