Derby boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:
“I’m very proud of the effort of the group. I thought in the second half they were excellent.
“We said we would probably have to suffer at times against a really good possession-based team and I thought in the first half we suffered a bit too much, so to come in at 0-0 at half-time was great.
“The tweaks we made, change of shape and personnel, were perfect. We then went out on the front foot and that was pleasing.
“I’m just pleased for the group after Saturday and that performance, but the fight we showed tonight was excellent.”
Eustace, per Sky Sports:
“I’m very proud of the group. Obviously first half we suffered, more than what I thought we would.
“We said before the game we were going to suffer at times because Norwich are an excellent footballing team and are going to have a lot of possession.
“I thought the way we defended the box in the first half was excellent and then at half-time the changes we made and the slight change to the shape and personnel was great and we were much more on the front foot.
“I’m really pleased for the group. That second half was much more like us, we could have gone under (in the) first half so it just shows this group is one that is together and is still building and learning.
“I said we are going to grow throughout the season and it’s important that this group keeps building and getting fitter, we get more people back and available and just keep going.”
Norwich boss Liam Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk:
“Everyone wants results. I joined the club to drive and push it forward.
“I think there’s a realism of where we’re at and the (players who score) goals that left in the summer. It was never going to be a smooth, easy one.
“While we keep losing games, I’m going to keep being asked these questions (about his future), so until I’m told different, I’ll keep working and pushing the lads to get better.
“You have to come in ahead at half-time. The performance in the first half was outstanding, but you have to take your chances.”
Manning, per Sky Sports:
“Of course it needs to change, we are in a results business and we need to win games.
“I get that every time we lose a game I’m going to be asked similar questions, I’m not stupid on that front but my answer will always be the same. I’ll keep my head down and keep fighting, I’ll keep working until I’m told different.
“I have to live it 24-seven, I don’t escape where we are at the minute so it hurts me like it hurts the fans.
“It’s something I’m deeply passionate about and obsessed about, I work harder than anybody and I’ll continue to do that, like I said, until told differently.
“We lost a game I thought we performed really well in. In the first half I thought we were excellent but you have to score.”
Liam reflects on tonight’s defeat. pic.twitter.com/uXZdSIyL7l
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 21, 2025
Norwich captain Kenny McLean said, per the Pink Un: “We don’t shy away from what we want to achieve this season and what we are as a club. The position we’re in, again, is completely on us. I feel the fans’ frustration. I feel their anger and they’ve got every right to be. It’s their club.
“We’ve got the privilege of representing them, representing this football club. Right now, we’re not doing enough. That’s why we get the reaction that we’re getting. There’s nobody else to blame but us.
“There’s nobody else to blame but us. How they’ve been with us is just. Honestly, I think the players should get more. That’s my opinion,” McLean said.
“I hear a lot of things about other people at the football club. We’re going on that football pitch and not doing enough for this club. We’re not doing enough for this badge. It’s on us. Trust me.”
On Manning’s coaching not being the problem, and it being the players who need to show more character:
“It can’t be all their issues. I don’t see how it can,” McLean said. “When you see how we can perform in that first half, it was pretty good, but when you see what we can do and then we don’t do it when there’s a bit of pressure, I don’t get why that can be the manager.
“It’s not him putting that pressure on us. It’s us about, again, it’s about responsibility, but again, that’s just words.
“There’s not enough responsibility being taken at this moment in time. I get the frustration throughout the whole club. I get it. I’m not going to sit here and say who’s to blame. Everybody’s to blame. We all shoulder the blame. We all take responsibility, but players, we need to do better.”
Kenny gives his assessment. pic.twitter.com/E1mDqqiLYD
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 21, 2025
Here’s how Twitter users reacted, while Manning ‘fights on’, McLean says ‘blame us’ and Duffy hits out at fan as Norwich lose to Derby…
@SammieDI80: Had a funny dream that we’re going down to League 1 and that Shane Duffy called Emery a ‘knobhead’ and a ‘gimp’
@NCFCTyler: Shane Duffy tweeting Emery calling him a gimp is the most exciting moment of our season so far 😭😭😭 Deep for a second how bad we actually are. We are FINISHED
@scantmire: Sometimes I wonder why I bother with Norwich any more and then Shane Duffy comes along and reminds me #ncfc
@TulsaLange: All of these posts from Shane Duffy symbolise what’s been wrong with the culture of our club for so long. There’s not one ounce of respect for the fans. The disrespect from Duffy is disgusting. He’s beyond lucky to still be employed by #NCFC after admitting a drink-drive charge.
@rob_speers: Great to see the fan base has finally realised that Knapper is the problem.. don’t get me wrong Manning needs to go.. but it would be pointless if Knapper keeps his job and gets away with throwing a 3rd manager under the bus while protecting his own job
@DannySaunders77: That’s enough now. He wasn’t turning it around before the international break. He certainly isn’t now. GET HIM GONE.
@TheRug85: Head says, Shane Duffy, bad. Heart says, captain, leader, legend. #ncfc
@dan_brigham: So to recap, last night Norwich dropped into the bottom 3 for the first time since being relegated in 2009, Liam Manning tried to gaslight us into believing the aim was never top 6, and Shane Duffy took to twitter to call a fan a knob and a gimp. Truly an iconic day. #ncfc
@NWalesYellows: Very, very poor even with all the possession stats in our favour never really looked like scoring, too much square and backward passing from the two lads in midfield, simply battered off the ball at times, players signed by Knapper under a coach signed by Knapper! #NCFC
@Reecedcfc: Imagine losing to us
@darrylb1995: Don’t even bother posting his post match presser. We don’t care. He doesn’t care. They don’t care. Save it 👍🏻 We only need one post from you now. And it’s a picture of a corner flag!!! #ncfc
@JamesShreeve: The next tweet better be a corner flag and not some bullshit quote from LM saying that Derby is too nice a place to play well
@Guerreronator: Knapper isn’t cutting it, he’s taking the club backwards, he needs to go. Manning has no impact with his game management, he needs to go. Our majority shareholders don’t have a representative at the club, they need to fix that like yesterday. Clubs a joke
For a 33 year old man whose full focus should be on helping the younger players in the team and actually play himself (now he’s fit) to be insulting someone on Twitter who he doesn’t know sums up everything wrong with this club atm. I don’t know Dan but I really feel for the guy
— Canary Cast (@CastCanary) October 22, 2025
