Chris Sutton: Ben Knapper must make instant changes at Norwich City

Knapper has a reputation in the game for being really intelligent and a smart operator - he will need to lean on all of that to sort this mess out. 

His first move has to be a positive one. That means it has to be the end for David Wagner. 

If Knapper comes in and sticks with him, then he is going to be tarnished. He has to make a change. This season cannot be allowed to limp on as it is, or they will be in a relegation battle - he needs to make his mark instantly. 

For somebody to come in, flick a switch and turn this squad into play-off contenders is an enormous job. There are issues with attitudes and parts of the dressing room that need to change. 

You can accept players misplacing passes, missing chances or even not being at the level - but you can't accept a lack of application. The attitude is wrong. Knapper will need to try and change the mindset whilst getting people on board. 

At the start of the season, the ambition was to get back in the Premier League. Now, it is about building and seeing whether a play-off spot is attainable. It's not going to be easy, but it is still a possibility - but there has to be a change of direction. 

Hobbling on through this month, with every game that goes by, that ambition sinks further into the distance. 

It has to be a new start - if that takes time, then so be it. If it is a rebuild, then so be it. But there needs to be a clear direction and some motivation - the whole club seems to lack energy, belief and even hope right now. 

If he doesn't come in and make the change, he will be seen as a guy who wasn't decisive enough. The fact that his arrival has been accelerated suggests there will be movement on that front post-Cardiff. 

They are in a bad place, and they need a change. Everyone can see that - it will be impossible to go forward with Wagner because the fans have turned. Once that happens, it doesn't recover. 

I have the utmost sympathy for Wagner in all of this - I think every Norwich fan would say that he has conducted himself with integrity and professionalism in the face of a terrible situation where supporters want him to go. 

What surprised me about the game on Sunday was the lack of application from the playing squad - ultimately, it is the manager who carries the can for that. 

There are a lot of rotten apples in there, and what is there to say that the same won't happen under a new manager? If you're not going to do the basics like run around, get up to the ball and play with the desired intensity - that is going to be a big problem for whoever is in charge. 

Whilst the scrutiny has been on Stuart Webber and Wagner, the players need to be in the firing line as well. 

Kenny McLean said post-match that the players have let Wagner down - and he is right, even if I wouldn't include him in that assessment. A lot of that core of the squad has seen off two managers, and it'll soon be a third. 

Norwich City fell to a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Norwich have the right captain with the right character - but he needs some help. They didn't respond at the weekend. Blackburn were depleted, and they still outplayed them in every department. There was a huge gulf in class. 

I was so bitterly disappointed with the lack of application. That's totally unacceptable.

The fingers have been pointed in other areas and not at the players - too many excuses have been made for their underperformance. I'm not having it that change elsewhere at the club is affecting them. 

They need to have a look at themselves. They deserve a bashing. They've been given a free pass for too long now. They get no sympathy from me. 

Strangely, the atmosphere at Carrow Road on Sunday wasn't as cruel as I feared it might be for Wagner. 

It was the worst scenario where they showed gallows humour, or Norfolk humour as I call it, when they were cheering sarcastically when they won a corner. They are laughing at themselves - I would rather them boo and jeer if I was a player.

Who can blame them? It's been thoroughly miserable watching Norwich for a prolonged period. 

That's why I was so disappointed with the performance. They were lucky that Blackburn went down to 10 men because, had they not, the scoreline would have been far worse. 

Norwich have been lacking a style and an identity for a long while - that is what Knapper needs to fix in the long term. That will be incredibly challenging. 

I certainly don't envy the size of the task that Knapper has on his hands to turn Norwich's fortunes around. 

Grant Hanley made his return to action for Norwich City's U21s last Friday. (Image: Izzy Poles)

SUTTON EXTRA

As a manager, you want reliability and leadership - which is why the sight of Grant Hanley stepping up his return for Norwich City will be so welcomed. 

There is no doubt about it - they have missed his presence terribly. Hanley has been a reliable and excellent performer since joining Norwich over six years ago. 

Beyond Kenny McLean, Norwich don't have a figure like him. It will provide everyone with a lift, but more than that, their defence is in desperate need of his qualities. 

If he is able to feature at Cardiff on Saturday, there is no doubt that he will be rusty as he gets back up to full match speed. They will need to get him back to his best to help them push back up the Championship table. 

It was really good to see young Jaden Warner handed an opportunity on Saturday, even if the circumstances for his league debut were incredibly difficult. 

Warner should have been further across and read the danger better for the opening goal, but he wasn't given a lot of help by his experienced partner Shane Duffy or the others around him. 

I played as a central defender as a youngster at Norwich, and you have to anticipate and prepare for the worst scenario - which was Tyrhys Dolan doing precisely what he did. 

He was game - but I wouldn't go as far as to say it was a bright performance - it was pleasing to see him handed an opportunity. 

The challenge for him is to ensure he remains there - especially with the increased competition with Hanley returning and Danny Batth desperate for an opening in a faltering back four.

The fact they ended the game with a makeshift defensive quartet of Kellen Fisher, Warner, McLean and Przemyslaw Placheta sums up where they find themselves right now. 

For all the debate around Norwich's central defenders, there needs to be more protection from the midfield. Blackburn cut through them with ease for all three goals. 

If they are unable to find a fix to those struggles, they will continue to concede goals and lose games at a rate of knots. 

Hopefully, Hanley can bring a level of reliability and quality to the backline that will help them become more solid. He will also be an important mentor to Warner.