With five league defeats on the spin and a cup exit already this season, there is little escaping Norwich City's wretched form.

However, the Canaries cannot afford to dwell on defeats - or even entertain the idea that they are on a losing streak.

This is the assessment of David Holland, a lecturer in psychology at the University of East Anglia, who says the key to stopping the rot is "collective efficacy".

The boffin said it is the belief of sports psychologists that there is no such thing as a losing streak.

And that this is something City's players desperately need to remind themselves.

Norwich Evening News: David Holland, psychology lecturer at the University of East AngliaDavid Holland, psychology lecturer at the University of East Anglia (Image: UEA)

He went on that the most important thing for Daniel Farke's men to do is focus on each other's positive traits using a theory known as collective efficacy, whereby they trust each other's strengths and believe in one another.

He said: "If a team believes in each other as a whole collective with good levels of communication they are far more likely to succeed.

"One exercise that sports psychologists use for this is encouraging players to write down strengths of their teammates, put them in envelopes then open them up and read them out before games."

Dr Holland added: "The idea of a losing streak is something sports psychologists do not believe in, but they fit into good narratives so are often repeated by fans, which can be very damaging.

Norwich Evening News: Norwich City players looking dejected after defeat to LiverpoolNorwich City players looking dejected after defeat to Liverpool (Image: ©Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +44 7813 022858)

"Players have to think about the things they can control and their own strengths - only thinking about the next game.

"There is a naive take that if you are flipping a coin and have a run of heads then you're on a hot streak for example, because there is nothing predetermined about it.

"There's no fatalism about flipping a coin and it's the same with games of football."

He added that City's players cannot afford to dwell on previous results and instead take every individual game as it comes and believe in one another.

He said: "They need to remember they are in it together and be ready for every game."