Stoke v Norwich City: Christoph Buhler Championship preview

The Canaries moved into the Championship's play-off places with an authoritative 5-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Rotherham United at Carrow Road last weekend. 

They now have the opportunity to move into the final international break of the campaign with a points cushion over the chasing pack. Both Hull and Coventry, who were due to face each other this weekend, are out of action owing to the Sky Blues' FA Cup action. 

Victory for Norwich would hand them control of their own fate, but City assistant Christoph Buhler is keeping a more considered view on the play-off pursuit, knowing that every game feels heightened at this stage of the campaign. 

"I don't think that it is like a chase. It is a group of teams that are like a pack. We have 58 points, and everything is so close," he said. 

"It is not that one team is running away - maybe West Brom. It is not a chase. It is more of a pack, and there will be twists and turns.

"Everyone who plays football or is in professional football knows that the points feel bigger because you don't have the chance to repair it at this stage of the season. This is something that the players like and still in the race." 

Another well-documented facet that Norwich are seeking to improve to help consolidate their position in the Championship table is their away form.

With four wins on the road all season and one in their last seven matches away from Carrow Road, compared to six home victories on the bounce, it is one of the final areas for improvement. 

That difference in performance away to home has left many scratching their heads, but Buhler was willing to zoom in on recent matches on their travels rather than stretch it over the entire Championship campaign. 

"This is the stat from the whole season. I will tell you how I look at it, I see more the current games and form.

"If you see how we played at Middlesbrough for the first 30 minutes before the red card, you could say it was our best away performance. The game before was against Blackburn, and there was enough in it to win the game as there was against QPR.

Frustration has been the overring emotion for Norwich City on their travels this season. (Image: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd)

"Our form has been good, and we have been competitive. If this is the case, then I'm happy because I know that we are not scared to go away, which we are not. Tomorrow in Stoke is the next opportunity to get three points."

Borja Sainz's red card wrested control from Norwich in their last away outing at Middlesbrough, but City sit 19th in the away table heading into the last nine matches. 

That puts enormous pressure on sustaining their home form in order to keep their play-off pursuit alive. Finding some solutions will be key before the season concludes. 

Buhler doesn't believe the problem lies with their mentality and views Stoke as the ideal time to halt the increasing discourse around their travel sickness. 

"I think our away form currently is okay," Buhler said. "It was worse at the start of the season, when we were not competitive enough away, but in the last game at Middlesbrough, we lost because of the red card.

"The games before were draws. I say we are fine. We are not perfect but the important thing is that we are not scared about it.

"It's more about the whole situation. We are in the last bit of the season, and this is all that counts. Each win, loss or draw can change things around. This is more the focus going into the last part of the season.

"On the other side, we caught up. We, as a team and as a club, are on position sixth. Why don't we talk about this? We have crept into this position slowly. This is something positive. From there, we go on." 

Stoke are struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table but have recorded much-improved performances in their last four matches. 

Steven Schumacher's side come into this clash buoyed by two wins from three matches, but with a desire to string results together to ease relegation fears that have been mounting in recent weeks. 

Buhler believes that context, coupled with their versatility in terms of approach, will make for a tougher contest than City had against Rotherham last weekend. 

"I think it will be a little bit more tight than the game against Rotherham. They have found a way to be competitive, to be solid and compact. They are not easy to break down," Buhler said.

"Their latest results are only one goal different and have been very tight games. The squad and the team itself are energetic, and they have quick runners. They have players in the midfield who can be aggressive.

"They play at home and want to collect points - they have to because of their situation, and we have to because of our situation. It will be a good and tight game."

Schumacher hasn't been able to turn their fortunes around since replacing former City boss Alex Neil in December, winning just five of his opening 16 games in charge of the Potters. 

Stoke City are hoping to ease Championship relegation fears. (Image: PA Images)

The Liverpudlian masterminded a 6-2 victory over City earlier in the season whilst managing Plymouth, and Buhler thinks he will adopt a similar outlook for this afternoon's clash. 

"He is still using the same kind of set-up, but he can change between different shapes. They play quite vertically, so this is what we have seen at Plymouth. He has tried to implement the same approach as he has done at Plymouth.

"If you look back to the start of the season, nobody was expecting Stoke to be in this position, and that is why they have changed the manager, I guess. Their squad is talented and have a good age group.

"They have good players, so I think they didn't expect to be in this position, but they are. They have issues to solve. They've won three of their last six games, so it seems that they have found a way to be competitive. This is the situation that they have been."