Norwich City target away league record at Southampton

Norwich City defender Steven Whittaker 's goal at Sunderland helped equal a club-record 12 games unbeaten on the spin away from home. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd ©Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222

Norwich City go in search of a club record at St Mary’s on Sunday that Alex Neil insists is a testament to his players rather than his methods.

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The Canaries will set a new unbeaten away league record of 13 consecutive games, topping a mark set in 1985/6, if they return from Southampton unbeaten.

Neil’s remarkable unblemished run on the road has been a hallmark of his successful tenure at Carrow Road.

“It is something for the group to be proud of, in terms of how well they have done in general, not just the away form,” he said. “The one thing you try to do is instil the mentality you want into your team and also the fact we are trying to attack every game that comes.

“The style of play is considerably different to how it might have been in the past, and the players have bought into that, and it probably lends itself to their strengths as players. That has always been my outlook and will continue to be the case. The lads enjoy it. They should be pleased with what they have achieved.”

City number one John Ruddy believes the Canaries have been rewarded for a bold approach.

“Every man knows his specific job the manager wants carried out. There are no grey areas,” he said. “After Sunderland I said you can see in the way we press and when we don’t have the ball how locked-in we are to give them limited space to break on us.

“We press high up the pitch, so if we get possession back we are further up the field in their half and then have nowhere to go. It gives us that incentive to carry the momentum forward.

“It is a different style to what I used to but it is definitely working.”