Chris Sutton has insisted that Norwich City must stop thinking about rivals Ipswich Town and focus on getting into the playoffs spot first.
Norwich are sitting sixth in the Championship and are vying to hold on to the final promotion playoff spot.
They scored a big win over Ipswich in the East Anglian derby last weekend and there is a tantalising prospect of the two rivals ending up in the playoffs.
Ipswich are currently second in the table and as things stand they will get automatic promotion to the Premier League.
There are rumblings that Norwich want Ipswich to finish outside the top two so that they can face them in the playoff spots, but Sutton feels the Canaries must only focus on themselves.
He insisted that Norwich should stop talking about Ipswich because for the moment Kieran McKenna’s men are having a better season.
Sutton wrote in his column for Pink Un: “After beating Ipswich Town, inevitably talk has turned to a potential reunion in the Championship play-offs, but Norwich City cannot afford to be wasting time on that prospect.
“All Norwich need to focus on is the next game, as boring and cliche as that sounds.
“Don’t focus on who they can get or the possibility of overcoming them – if they do that, then they will come up a cropper.
“The reality is, over the season, I’m happier if I’m an Ipswich Town player than I am if I’m a Norwich City player. They have it in their hands to get automatic promotion.
“Who has been the better team over the season? Ipswich have.
“Norwich have had their moments and they deserved to win – but when you start suggesting that you prefer one team over another, you stand to get a big dollop of egg on your face.”
Norwich will be travelling to Deepdale to take on Preston North End in the Championship on Saturday.
Ryan Lowe’s men sit eighth, five points off Norwich, and have playoff hopes of their own.
