Philippe Clement's tenure as head coach of Norwich City began with optimism, but the stark realities of Championship football quickly emerged following a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Birmingham City. The Belgian manager, who took the reins last week, now finds his side firmly entrenched in the relegation zone, intensifying the focus on Tuesday's crucial match against Oxford United. Read more about Clement Stands by Duffy Despite Heavy Defeat.
The loss at St. Andrew’s highlighted the obstacles ahead for Clement, who is acutely aware of the pressures that accompany his new role. Reflecting on his commitment to success, he stated, “There’s nobody who can put me under more pressure than I put myself under because what I want in football is to win every game.” This sentiment reveals his unwavering ambition as both a player and a coach. Read more about Clement Targets Revival as Norwich City Manager.
Clement views the initial phase of his time at Norwich as a "honeymoon" period, where players are eager to impress. He explained, “When you come into a new club, you need to learn all the faces, all the roles, all the names. But everybody's been really engaged until now. What I expect also, and it’s a little bit in the beginning of a honeymoon when you're the first time together, is everybody wants to show the best of themselves, but it's about consistency.” Read more about Clement Targets Revival as Canaries Face Birmingham.
With heightened expectations surrounding the squad, Clement is conducting a thorough assessment of his players. He remarked, “It’s about who’s strong enough to grow with the club, to go to a higher level, and with the staff in the same way – who can look to improve things, to innovate and to make things better.” This evaluation is crucial as he aims to cultivate a resilient team capable of overcoming the challenges of the Championship.
Despite the heavy defeat, Clement is not seeking immediate fixes. “It’s like writing a book,” he said. “We’re writing now the first page or two of this book together, and the book is not full, so the players don’t know everything yet, and they’re also not fit yet in the way that I would have them fit.” This metaphor underscores his understanding that building a successful team is a gradual process.
Clement also stressed the importance of physical conditioning, acknowledging that improvements will take time. “You can see on the physical part we need to improve things, but you cannot do it in a few days. It’s weeks and months with some players. There are several problems that need to be solved in the club and need to be made better, but you need time also to improve that.”
With ambitions to refine the team's style of play, Clement maintains a realistic outlook on expectations. “Does it mean that suddenly we are going to play free-flowing football and destroy everybody? That’s also not reality,” he cautioned. “It’s a job, it’s a process, step by step that you need to build now to implement everything. For me, it’s a challenge also to keep a balance by putting new things in every day, but not overloading because that gets confusing for players.”
As Norwich City prepares for their pivotal encounter against Oxford, all eyes will be on Clement and his tactical approach. The rebuilding phase is underway, with the hope that the Canaries can turn their fortunes around in the league.