Philippe Clement is confident that Norwich City are shedding their previous image as a struggling team, especially as they prepare for a crucial Championship match against Middlesbrough this weekend. The Canaries are buoyed by a recent 2-1 triumph over league leaders Coventry City, which has infused the squad with renewed optimism following earlier victories against Wrexham and West Brom. Read more about Clement Leads Emotional Tribute to Jim Davies at Carrow Road.
Clement's side delivered a commendable performance at Carrow Road on Monday night, effectively overturning expectations. Reflecting on this achievement, he remarked, “If somebody said three months ago we could do that against a very good team, where we are in the ranking, everybody would have laughed. For sure, not only the result, but also the performance. It was not a lucky win. It's confirmation. So next game is against the second in the league to end an interesting week.”
With confidence on the rise, Norwich are now gearing up for a daunting challenge against Middlesbrough, currently sitting in second place. Clement is eager to maintain this momentum, urging his players to believe in their capability to compete with any opponent. “There should be belief because if you can do it against Coventry, you can do it against everybody. You need to be really good and on your toes and aggressive, positive, doing the right things with the ball, finding the right spaces,” he asserted. Read more about Rudoni Fitness Doubt as Coventry Eye QPR Clash.
Despite this positive outlook, Clement acknowledged that there remains significant room for growth. “A lot of work to do before this game against Middlesbrough. I'm really pleased, but it gives me also hunger and desire to get the best out of everybody and to squeeze every drop out of every player to make them grow. We are by far the youngest squad in the Championship so there's also a lot of potential to become better.”
The team is currently monitoring the condition of Pelle Mattsson, who sustained an ankle injury during the match against Coventry. Clement noted, “Pelle rolled his ankle. We need to assess that these next couple of days,” while also praising Jacob Wright, who stepped in effectively during Mattsson's absence. “I have been talking with him these last few weeks. He has been training well, and because of that he is also totally ready.”
Clement also expressed admiration for Coventry’s current performance, highlighting their impressive squad and managerial capabilities. “I have a lot of respect for Coventry, not because I played there before, but because of what they are doing now, with a very good squad, a good manager doing really good football, a really clear structure, also scoring a lot of goals and being top of the league, with most wins and best goal difference."
His faith in his players shone through as he reflected on their resilience against a challenging opponent. “That was a huge challenge, but the players took it with two hands, and we worked hard on several details and the players did brilliantly during the game.”
As Norwich prepare for their encounter against Middlesbrough, they aim to further solidify their emerging reputation in the Championship. Read more about Maghoma Set for Medical as Norwich Target Midfield Boost.