After an exciting beginning to the campaign where the Canaries were battling at the top of the Championship with the likes of Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town, Norwich's season is dissipating into thin air as we approach the run-in for promotion contention.

Alex Neil has come under a lot of criticism of late with the gap between the club and supporters becoming increasingly worrying.

It isn't just the manager's fault, although many would beg to differ, a number of the first-team have to take responsibility at Carrow Road as they look to miss out on an instant return to the Premier League.

Norwich may be looking to offload this month before diving into signings, and that may subsequently mean several players are on their way out of the Canaries as the club look to get rid of any bad blood in the squad, or those who are massively under-performing.

Here are TWO players manager Neil needs to axe this week before they travel to strugglers Rotherham United on Saturday......

 

Sebastien Bassong

Having joined from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012 for an undisclosed fee, Bassong has been one of the first names on the team sheet up until this season.

The defender has made a large majority of mistakes at the back for Norwich City this season, which may lead to him heading out the door at Carrow Road.

Sebastien Bassong has made 105 appearances for Norwich City in his four-and-a-half year spell and last year suffered a third relegation with the same number of teams.

Now it looks like the 30-year-old is past his prime, needing to make way for someone who can help revive the Canaries' promotion contention, whom currently sit five points off sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday.

Alex Neil has realised Bassong's vulnerability in defence - with him being forced to just eleven games this season, perhaps ending his time at Norwich as they look to strengthen for the future.

 

Cameron Jerome

The 30-year-old has found scoring goals a difficult task this season in the Championship, and may have to be forced to leave within the next seven days.

Cameron Jerome has usually been the first-choice striker at Norwich City since his arrival in 2014, having racked up 94 matches for the Canaries and during that time has 27 goals.

He was an influential member of the squad in the Canaries' last promotion to the Premier League, which came in the 2014/15 season, with him netting on 21 occasions to fire his side to the top-flight via the play-offs.

It is now apparent that Jerome is playing second-fiddle under Alex Neil behind Portuguese forward Nelson Oliveira and that may just mean the end of his Norwich career.

Neil will be looking for new attacking options during this window and will want to get axe one or two current strikers as a result.

Cameron Jerome may be a victim of this but I think if he does leave then it'll have to be this week as every second counts during the January transfer window.

Norwich City fans, do you agree with this? Are Bassong and Jerome past their best and Alex Neil needs to get rid? Let us know below!