Norwich City

Ashton eases Norwich quit fears
Norwich striker Dean Ashton has vowed to stay at the club and help them get promoted back into the Premiership. Ashton, 21, scored seven goals in 16 games after his £3m move from Crewe in January 2005 but he could not stop the club dropping into the Championship. There were fears he may be lured away by a top-flight side but he told the Carrow Road outfit's website: "Of course I'll be here. "I'm fully focused and concentrating on getting back fit for the new season." He added: "I haven't heard anything and I've managed to keep my head down and not seen too much transfer speculation. "If we can keep as many of the players as we can then I hope we can challenge for next season. I don't see why we can't do really well."

Pompey say they are keen on Green
Portsmouth could be ready to smash their club record transfer with a £3m bid for Norwich keeper Robert Green. Green, 25, made his England debut on the recent tour of the USA but dismissed speculation that Canaries' relegation would prompt a move. Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric admitted: "We have looked at Green and he is on our list. "He'd be an investment and if the investment is right, we would certainly spend the money." Pompey are looking to boost their goalkeeping ranks following the release of veteran Shaka Hislop. Jamie Ashdown ended the season as number one at Fratton Park after taking over from Kostas Chalkias who struggled to cope with the Premiership following his arrival from Panathinaikos. Pompey's only other keeper is 21-year-old Italian Andrea Gautelli, who has yet to make his first-team debut. If Pompey meet Norwich's price tag of £3m for Green, it would smash the £2.2m paid for striker Diomansy Kamara.

Louis-Jean joins up with Norwich
Nottingham Forest defender Matthieu Louis-Jean has joined Norwich, with Gary Holt moving the other way. "I am delighted to be getting such a quality right-back," said Norwich boss Nigel Worthington of the 29-year-old on the club's website. "He is a very quick player who has played at the very highest level with Nottingham Forest. He will add value to the squad. "The move also gives Gary Holt an opportunity to carry on his career." Worthington added of the 32-year-old Scotland international: "I would like to thank Gary very much for his contribution to Norwich City and wish him the very best for the future." Louis-Jean, Forest's longest-serving player, made 29 appearances for Forest last season. The Frenchman scored three goals during his seven seasons at the City Ground, where he made 188 league starts. The defender is Worthington's first signing of the summer.

Norwich deny Pompey's Green claim
Norwich have denied telling Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric they are willing to let 25-year-old goalkeeper Robert Green leave for £2.5m. Mandaric told BBC Radio Solent: "We were trying to see if Green would be available and for what money. "We asked Norwich and they told us they would sell him for £2.5m." But Canaries chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "This is totally inaccurate. We have had no contact with Portsmouth whatsoever about Robert." He added on the club website: "We have spoken to Portsmouth expressing our anger and disappointment about their claims, which are wholly without foundation. Mandaric insisted Pompey were happy with current keeper Jamie Ashdown but they are keen to sign a new keeper after releasing Shaka Hislop last season. The club's only other shot-stopper is 21-year-old Italian Andrea Gautelli, who has yet to make his first-team debut. "We're not quite sure what to do. We are thinking about maybe making some changes there," Mandaric added.

Thorne completes move to Canaries
Cardiff's clear-out is continuing with striker and top-earner Peter Thorne joining Norwich on a free transfer. The Canaries will have to pay Cardiff £200,000 if they win promotion to the Premiership in the next two years. The highly regarded 32-year-old Thorne signed from Stoke for £1.75m in 2001 and has scored 51 goals since then. Lee Bullock joined Hartlepool from Cardiff Thursday, and a contract offer to Darren Williams was withdrawn, but Willie Boland has signed a new deal. With the Bluebirds over £30m in debt, the club are desperate to reduce the wage bill from an estimated £6m, and they need to bring in over £2m in transfer fees. Cardiff owner Sam Hammam says it was a difficult decision to release Thorne, who scored 14 goals from 31 starts last season, but that new manager Dave Jones had his own ideas about players. "When fit, Thorney was undoubtedly the leader of our line, a tremendous player in every sense," said Hammam. "I believe a lot of Rob Earnshaw's success here was down to his partnership with Thorne. "But our manager has a different idea of how he wants our front line to work, a different style of approach. "Thorney is also easily the biggest earner at the club. We've got plenty of big earners, but he's at another level again. "To get players in we have to get players out. "We have to change because the team has stood still, clearly it wasn't a team that was going to get us promotion." Thorne will wear the number eight shirt vacated by Gary Holt at Norwich next season. "I'm really excited by the move, it's a great opportunity," Thorne told the Canaries' website. "I'm joining one hell of a squad of players and I have heard nothing but good things about the club, from top to bottom." Norwich boss Nigel Worthington added: "I'm absolutely delighted to get a player of Peter's experience and quality to add to an already very strong forward line at this club. "He'll be a valuable asset to us for the challenge ahead." Nottingham Forest defender Matthieu Louis-Jean and Wigan midfielder Jason Jarrett have also signed for the Canaries.

Norwich unveil three new signings
Norwich have unveiled their three new signings - with striker Peter Thorne joining fellow new arrivals Matthieu Louis-Jean and Jason Jarrett. Thorne, 32, has completed a free transfer from Cardiff - but City must pay £200,000 if they are promoted to the Premiership within two years. Defender Louis-Jean, 29, agreed to join earlier in the week, in a deal which saw Gary Holt join Nottingham Forest. Midfielder Jarrett, 25, is moving on a free transfer from Wigan

Perrin admits interest in Francis
Portsmouth boss Alain Perrin has revealed he would like to sign Norwich City midfielder Damien Francis. Pompey want to sign one more midfielder after completing the deal for Columbian international John Viafara last month. Perrin told Radio Solent: "Francis is the kind of guy I think can be a very good player in the Premiership. "So if we have some opportunity to take him then we will try to take him but it depends how the negotiations go between the clubs," added Perrin. The Portsmouth boss also confirmed the Premiership club had held negotiations with Dutch club Utrecht with a view to signing French defender David Di Tommasso. Perrin said: "Di Tommaso is also one that we've had negotiations with his club already. "He's a player that can play left-back or centre-back - he's left footed and that is mostly what we need."

Thorne shocked by Bluebirds exit
Norwich striker Peter Thorne says he expected to end his career at Cardiff. "I was shocked and surprised at what happened," the 32-year-old, who signed on a free transfer at Carrow Road last week, told the South Wales Echo. "I don't feel any bitterness towards anyone at Cardiff over this because we all know the club is in trouble. "But I don't know how to react because I love Cardiff through and through. I always knew it was a possibility but I didn't think I would be the one to go." Cardiff will net £200,000 from the move if Norwich win promotion to the Premiership in the next two years. But that is small change from the £1.75m they paid Stoke for the striker four years ago. New Cardiff manager Dave Jones says he was disappointed to lose Thorne but that the club had to move on. "I told Peter that it would have been nice to work with him, but I won't have that opportunity," Jones told Sport Wales. "I've taken on a tough job and we've lost players, but this club is alive and kicking. "The recruitment of Jeff Whitley shows our intent. I don't sell people things I don't believe in and I've told the players they have to buy into what I believe and expect."

Norwich agree to sell Dane Helveg
Norwich have agreed a fee with Borussia Monchengladbach for Danish captain Thomas Helveg. The German side will pay the Canaries an intial £135,000 and a further £34,000 once the 34-year-old makes 10 appearances for the Bundesliga club. Helveg will fly out to Borussia on Tuesday for a medical and to agree personal terms to seal the deal. The Dane came to Carrow Road in a free transfer from Inter Milan last summer and had one year left on his contract. But Helveg was understood to want a move away from Norwich following their relegation from the Premiership. The defender was concerned playing outside the top-flight might affect his chances of being included in Denmark's 2006 World Cup squad.

Norwich suffer Drury injury blow
Norwich will be without Adam Drury for at least two weeks after the defender damaged ankle ligaments in the draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The 26-year-old failed to re-appear after the half-time interval and was replaced by Simon Charlton. Meanwhile manager Nigel Worthington has denied reports linking him with a move for Wigan defender David Wright and Spurs right back Philip Ifil. "The stories are totally untrue," Worthington told the club's website.

MK Dons 0-1 Norwich After extra-time
Leon McKenzie's goal in the last minute of extra-time saw Norwich edge past a battling Milton Keynes side and into the second round of the Carling Cup. Jim Brennan's fierce low drive was spilled by home keeper Matt Baker and McKenzie bundled in the rebound. McKenzie also saw an 18-yard shot drift just wide and went close with a header. Gareth Edds shot just over for the Dons but their best chance saw Ben Chorley blaze an extra-time penalty over after Jason Shackell felled Malvin Kamara. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Milton Keynes Dons: Baker, McClenahan, Lewington (Carrilho 84), Morgan, Chorley, Edds, Small, McKoy, Puncheon, McLeod (Kamara 84), Wilbraham (Platt 66). Subs Not Used: Smith, Crooks. Norwich: Green, Colin, Charlton, Shackell, Fleming, McVeigh (Henderson 78), Brennan, Marney (Jarrett 105), Safri, Thorne (Doherty 101), McKenzie. Subs Not Used: Ward, Rossi Jarvis. Booked: McKenzie, Safri, Brennan. Goals: McKenzie 120. Att: 4,777 Ref: A Bates (Staffordshire).

Norwich defend boss Worthington
Norwich chairman Roger Munby has insisted manager Nigel Worthington is not in danger of being sacked following the club's poor start to the season. City, relegated from the Premiership last season, have yet to win in the Championship this term and are currently in the bottom three. But Munby said: "Looking for a new manager is just not on the agenda - it's unthinkable. "The fans have been behind Nigel. But they are curious at some decisions." He added: "But what they don't know, and what I sometimes don't know, is what happens up at Colney in training and the psychological preparations before matches. "When frustration breaks out they will attribute the things they see on the pitch as their only explanation."

Watford 2-1 Norwich
Marlon King and Ashley Young scored as Watford defeated struggling Norwich. The Hornets opened the scoring when Clarke Carlisle pumped a long ball towards King, who turned and shot past Robert Green from a tight angle. Young doubled the lead after 23 minutes, evading Adam Drury before beating Green from 25 yards. King then hit the post before Ben Foster's parry fell for Kevin Lisbie to pull one back and Dean Ashton then struck the woodwork with a header. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd: "It's always nice to win a game of football and it's being long overdue. "One good result doesn't make a season and I told the players that after the game. "This was a good result, a good three points, but it's history now and we've got to start looking forward." Norwich boss Nigel Worthington: "Two bad errors have cost us the game. You just shouldn't concede goals like that at this level. "Having said that I can't fault the players for their effort and they had a lot of attempts on goal. "We could easily have got something from the game but, as I said, we were guilty of some terrible defending in the first half and got punished." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watford: Foster, Chambers, Mackay, Carlisle, Stewart, Devlin (Doyley 63), Blizzard (Bangura 63), Spring, McNamee (Bouazza 80), Young, King. Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, DeMerit. Booked: Bangura. Goals: King 13, Young 25. Norwich: Green, Colin (Doherty 81), Shackell (Davenport 45), Fleming, Drury, Marney, Safri, Hughes, Brennan (McVeigh 45), Ashton, Lisbie. Subs Not Used: Jarrett, Gallacher. Booked: Ashton, Lisbie. Goals: Lisbie 62. Att: 13,502 Ref: Paul Armstrong (Berkshire).

Marney is hoping to lift Norwich
Midfielder Dean Marney wants Norwich to put their disappointing midweek defeat by Watford behind them, when they visit rivals Ipswich on Sunday. "We have to try and forget about Watford," he told City's website. "We have to try and block out that first half, as disappointing as it was, and take the positives from the second as we lifted it, but it was too late. "Once we lifted the tempo and closed them down, I thought there was only one team that was going to go on."

Ipswich 0-1 Norwich
Norwich substitute Darren Huckerby's strike just after half-time proved to be the difference between them and 10-man Ipswich at Portman Road. He scored six minutes after coming on, drawing keeper Lewis Price out of his goal before netting from a tight angle. Ipswich were reduced to 10 men after 18 minutes when Luis Sito saw red for a professional foul on Kevin Lisbie. Jay McEveley and Kevin Horlock both went close for Ipswich after the break but failed to hit the target. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ipswich manager Joe Royle on Sito's red card: "He (the referee) has made a mistake. I'm not even sure there was contact. "The ball was going through to our keeper so there was no danger. "The ref had a big decision. For some reason he looked across at the linesman and then made the decision." Norwich boss Nigel Worthington: "It's a big result against the local rivals and I'm delighted with the performance and delighted for the supporters and players. "It's always nice to win away. We have a great team spirit here and we need to build on that. "We played the diamond shape and the personnel came in and worked hard." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ipswich: Price, Sito, De Vos, Naylor, McEveley, Garvan (Richards 45), Magilton, Horlock, Currie, Bowditch (Peters 67), Parkin. Subs Not Used: Supple, McDonald, Juan. Sent Off: Sito (18). Booked: Garvan, McEveley. Norwich: Green, Colin, Davenport, Doherty, Drury, Marney (Huckerby 46), Safri, Hughes, McVeigh (Henderson 79), Lisbie (Brennan 70), Ashton. Subs Not Used: Ward, Fleming. Booked: Hughes, Lisbie, Davenport. Goals: Huckerby 51. Att: 29,184 Ref: L Mason (Lancashire).

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