The Robins go into their game against Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side seventh in the Championship, with only two points separating them and sixth-placed Coventry and nine games left of the season.
Norwich, meanwhile, are in the last chance saloon, languishing in 12th while desperately hoping to revive promotion hopes that have taken a number of significant blows in recent weeks.
They’ll go into a fervent Ashton Gate aiming for just their second win in eight, but Thorup wants his charges to embrace that challenge.
“Obviously a team where they are a little bit closer to the play-off positions than we are,” he said, asked about this evening’s hosts. “They are in and around it with a couple of other clubs, and I think that will be clear for us. The stadium will probably have expectations, and the stadium will be supporting those players as much as they can. They have the belief that they can make it.
“It’s down to us to create a game that will hopefully be a completely different picture, where it’s us on top, it’s us creating chances, it’s us who can again go away from home and dominate a game. Hopefully it’s us who will be the team with the best result after the game.”
Tactically the Dane expects something different to what many associate with Bristol chief Liam Manning. He’s often stereotyped as a possession-hungry head coach with eyes for the ball before anything else, but that’s not quite what Norwich have prepared for.
