Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean expressed strong dissatisfaction with his team’s performance following their 3-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
QPR’s convincing victory at Loftus Road continued their resurgence under Marti Cifuentes, lifting them out of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Norwich’s lackluster display drew heavy criticism from McLean, who described the performance as “nowhere near good enough.”
In an interview with The Pink Un, McLean openly addressed the shortcomings of his side. “We didn’t give ourselves any chance in the match,” he said. “We played right into QPR’s hands and got punished. It was sloppy goals, and we were miles off in every area.”
The Scotland international also criticized the team’s approach, suggesting they underestimated the challenge. “It’s like we expected to turn up and play the way we do at home, but that’s not how it works in a tough place like this,” McLean added.
This candid reflection follows two dominant victories over Plymouth and Luton, where Norwich scored 10 goals, raising hopes for a play-off push. However, the defeat to a struggling QPR side has dampened that optimism.
McLean pointed to deeper issues, including an overreliance on individual brilliance, particularly from players like Borja Sainz, who has 15 league goals this season. Without Sainz or the injured Josh Sargent making an impact against QPR, Norwich lacked attacking options capable of changing the game.
Summer signing Ante Crnac showed promise with a brace against Luton, but the young Polish forward is not yet a consistent game-changer.
McLean emphasized the need for collective improvement. “We need to find answers and show more fight,” he urged. “We can’t just play nice football at Carrow Road and crumble when things get tough away from home.”
Norwich will seek redemption on Tuesday when they face Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Whether McLean’s words inspire a response or fall flat remains to be seen.
