Philippe Clement Calls for Team Response
After the tough talking, Philippe Clement is looking for action from Norwich City on a return to Championship combat at leaders Swansea. City limped into the extended international break with a 4-3 home defeat to Bolton that led to plenty of introspection at Colney over the same period. Read more about Norwich Target Vital Response as Swansea Loom.
Clement superbly led the Canaries revival when he first arrived in Norfolk, but insisted the solution now lies in a collective response. "You cannot control from the sidelines the game like you are playing PlayStation," he said. "It doesn't work that way so we need to create habits in the team and in the difficult moments the right communication." Read more about McConville Shines as Canaries Seek Defensive Stability.
He added, "It's maybe a normal thing in a very, very young group where a lot of people haven't done it before, so these are really good lessons. Also, sometimes you need to smack your face against the wall to get a lesson and to learn out of it for the rest of the season." Read more about Kvistgaarden's Friends Dash to Cardiff for Denmark Debut.
Injuries Open Doors for Young Players
Ruairi McConville had an impressive international window with Northern Ireland. The 21-year-old returned from international duty buoyed by playing a full part in three Nations League shutouts for Northern Ireland. Clement believes opportunity knocks again with injuries to key players like Mo Toure and Kenny McLean.
Clement expressed confidence that the players stepping in will rise to the occasion, noting their good performances in training and recent games.
Swansea Challenge Awaits Norwich City
Clement indicated at Colney on Friday he expected some of his international call-offs to be available for selection for a stiff test against promotion hopefuls Swansea. "They bought good players also for a lot of money in the summer," he said. "So they invested a lot to get promotion, to get into the play-offs and kept the good things from last season."
He acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, "It's a team with a clear identity, clear structure, hard-working players, attacking players working really hard without the ball, pressing, defending, being dangerous on transitions." Clement sees this match as a significant opportunity for growth compared to last season.