With Norwich still just seven points adrift of leaders Burnley, it would be harsh on Dean Smith if he was to be removed from his position in the dugout at this stage.
However, after four defeats in six games and with the stakes so high regarding a return to the Premier League, the club’s supporters will possess a different opinion and view this upcoming fixture as a must-win.
Each of the quartet of losses have come by one-goal margins, but the disappointment is heightened having failed to prevail from winning positions at Reading and Sheffield United.
After a three-game winless streak at Carrow Road, that needs to change over the next week as Norwich play host to Stoke and in-form Queens Park Rangers.
Collecting at least three points from the upcoming double-header will keep Smith in a job, but the former Aston Villa manager’s position will be extremely insecure if Norwich extend their winless streak to eight games when they already have just one success to their name since September 17.
Smith will recognise that supporters hold greater expectations regarding Saturday’s fixture due to the return of former boss Neil, who enjoyed the best period of his managerial career at Norwich.
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The Scot’s current stock at Stoke is far more indifferent with just 12 points being delivered from the 10 matches that he has been in charge since leaving Sunderland for the bet365 Stadium.
The Potters were very much on a high when beating Sheffield United and Preston North End in successive matches, but back-to-back home defeats to Rotherham United and Coventry City without scoring a goal has significantly dampened the mood.
Stoke now sit just two points above the relegation zone and as many as seven adrift of the playoffs, a ratio which highlights the pressure that is on Neil and his squad as they look to kick-start their campaign.
For all of their inconsistency this year, Stoke have not suffered three defeats in a row in the Championship since the start of March.
