Clement Praises Norwich's Pre-Season Performance
Philippe Clement will not get carried away by a commanding Norwich City pre-season 3-0 friendly win at Europa League hopefuls St Gallen.
The Canaries moved through the gears in their third summer outing with a defensively resolute display embellished by clinical work in the final third.
Jacob Wright rifled a free kick opener, before Paris Maghomas' cheeky lob finished a sharp counter, and Ruairi McConvilles' looping header from Oscar Schwartaus' cross sealed the victory.
New summer signing Andre Brooks also impressed on his debut at the Kybunpark stadium.
Clement's Cautious Optimism After Victory
"Yes, a lot of positives for sure. Still things to work on. That is normal now," said Clement. "I think we have the advantage that we worked together with a lot of the players already last season, and you could see in the second half when the young boys come in, a lot of things are new, and you have less control of the game than we had in the first half. But that's logical also."
Clement noted the team's attitude in previous games, acknowledging they were playing with heavy legs after morning training sessions. "We travelled to Switzerland on Friday, but the day before we had light training, so they could recover before this game," he added.
Key Takeaways from the St Gallen Match
Clement had demanded City find that punch in the final third after a goalless outing against League Two Colchester. "Yes and against a difficult opponent because they're one-against-one marking all over the pitch and that costs a lot of energy," he explained.
He emphasized the importance of creating freshness to avoid being overwhelmed by their opponents. "We had to create some freshness otherwise against this team they could smash you and that would not be good for the confidence," Clement concluded.
For more details, visit The Pink'un.