Bargain buys get the job done for Lambert

Norwich City boss Paul Lambert is delighted with how his young players are performing since their promotion to the Premier League.

The Canaries have taken 12 points from their opening nine fixtures, hitting back at the critics who marked them down as certainties for relegation following their off-season spending.

Lambert brought in a number of new faces before the transfer window closed in August, most from the lower leagues, and he is hoping that, with more time in the top flight, they will go on to improve even further.

He told reporters: “I saw (Anthony) Pilkington for Stockport when I was at Wycombe. I think him and (Elliott) Bennett the way they have come out of League One football is unbelievable. Marc (Tierney) was another I knew from his Shrewsbury days.”

“Ian (Culverhouse) and I knew a lot of lads who had played against us and it’s like anything – when a good player hits your eye he tends to stay there and if there is a chance to give him an opportunity you look at it to bring them into an environment with better players, which might bring his game on.”

“That is what has happened with a lot of lads. (Bradley) Johnson has quite rightly been talked about for the England thing but to get him for free and playing the best football he has for a long time is great.”

“Foxy (David Fox) cost us 25,000 pounds or whatever it was from Colchester at the time and he is another one.”

After stunning Liverpool by taking a point at Anfield last week, Norwich will be hoping to continue their good run when they host struggling Blackburn on Saturday.