'Smarten up': Will Norris' blunt message to Portsmouth team-mates following West Brom blow

The Blues are currently residing second from bottom of the Championship after slipping to a second consecutive home defeat on Sunday.

A 3-0 loss to table-topping West Brom leaves them without a win in the opening five league fixtures, while their only goal at home in four matches in all competitions was an own goal.

Norris is encouraged over ‘parts’ of John Mousinho’s men’s early season performances during a tough fixture list to kick off life back at this level.

Yet he is also adamant they need to become more street smart to flourish in their new surroundings.

He told The News: ‘I thought we were good for 90 minutes, not just 45 minutes, but they were clinical, they were ruthless and took their chances.

‘You go up a level and it’s probably the hardest start we could possibly have had, but we asked for this. We were previously stuck in League One so you have to take the rough with the smooth.

‘We have been good in parts, we’ve been unlucky in certain moments, and we’ve been punished in certain moments. We need to smarten up, they are coming here and buying fouls from the ref - and he’s giving them.

‘It is a different league all over the pitch so we need to wise up quickly. You can pick the bones out of performances, but I think on the whole we’ve been pretty good.’

Despite defeat, Norris produced one stunning point-blank save to deny Josh Maja’s far-post header in the first half.

Replays and graphics afterwards showed the whole of the ball was millimetres away from crossing the line to register a goal.

Norris compared it to February when he saved from Cambridge United’s Danny Andrew, yet on that occasion the goal was given in a 3-1 Blues victory.

The goalkeeper added: ‘I just tried to drop off and give myself as much reaction time as possible and luckily I managed to save it. I’m pleased with it.

‘Last year it probably would have been given as a goal. They guess a lot, unless there is an actual line or factual. They have more help in the Championship.

‘There was one at Cambridge last year which they gave, which was similar. I thought last year was more of a save than this one.’