Ruddy eyes two wins

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Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at Carrow Road saw Norwich slip down to fourth place in the Sky Bet Championship table, two points behind Boro.

However, Ruddy has told Soccer AM there are still a number of positives to take out of this campaign, especially after the club won just once in nine matches back in October and November.

“When the new manager [Alex Neil] came in I think we were 11 points off top spot, and if someone had turned round and said ‘if you beat Middlesbrough in the third from last game you go top of the league’, I do not think even the most hardened of Norwich fans would have believed you,” said Ruddy.

“So it is a testament to the manager and us as players for the amount of effort we have put in during the last 12 months to get us in this position. And if we have to get promoted doing it the hard way via the play-offs, then so be it.

“There are more positives than negatives to take out of the last four months and we have now given ourselves every chance and like I said, had we won last night we would have been top of the league.

“Unfortunately that did not happen, but we have two games now and we need to win those two and see what else happens. Football is a funny game and anything can happen.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Bradley Johnson says new manager Alex Neil must take most of the credit for how Norwich have performed since taking on the role in January.

“Honestly, we did not know who he was when he came in, and we know who he is now and everybody knows who he is,” said Johnson.

“He has come in and done a terrific job for us, got us playing the way he wants us to play and we are enjoying our football.

“And you can tell from our past results from when he has come in, what he has done, to where we are now.”