Clement praised as 'father figure' by Knapper
Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper has described head coach Philippe Clement as a "father figure" to the squad. Clement replaced Liam Manning last November and has been credited with an immediate positive impact on the team.
Despite Norwich’s poor start to the Championship season, with three defeats from four matches, Knapper highlighted Clement’s man-management skills. "Philippe is demanding but he's also really good from a human side," Knapper told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He's an absolute father figure for these boys. We've got a really young squad, maybe the youngest squad in the league, so I think it's a really good fit in that respect."
Knapper added, "He's tough on them but he's also really caring and supportive. I think they all respect that. He's a pleasure to work with."
The sporting director also acknowledged the challenge Norwich face in the Championship, calling it "ultimately the biggest challenge in English football at the moment arguably," and emphasised the importance of securing promotion to the Premier League for financial and competitive reasons.
Jack Stacey urges sharper edge after Stoke loss
Right-back Jack Stacey admitted Norwich must improve their effectiveness in the final third following their 1-0 defeat at Stoke City. The loss left Norwich with three defeats from their opening four Championship matches.
Norwich dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances against a compact Stoke defence. Stacey noted the hosts adopted a more defensive approach than expected, which frustrated the Canaries’ attacking efforts.
"Frustration and disappointment, I think. They started a little bit differently to how we expected, a little bit more defensive, I would say," Stacey told The Pink'un. "Going forward, we have to break those teams down a little bit better."
He highlighted the need for more individual quality and quicker combinations in tight spaces. "Sometimes it takes a little bit of individual brilliance or, you know, a quick one-two tempo or something to break them down, which we didn't really have tonight," Stacey said.
He concluded, "I think we can take heart from the play leading up to that and then just try and work on that final third."
Norwich face uphill battle in Championship
Norwich’s early-season struggles underline the difficulty of the Championship, a league Knapper described as the toughest challenge in English football. The Canaries have now spent five consecutive seasons in the second tier after six years in the Premier League over the previous decade.
Sporting director Ben Knapper pointed out the gulf between the Championship and the Premier League has widened, making promotion harder to achieve and sustain. "For any team that gets promoted out of the Championship to the Prem, it's absolutely about trying to get on to any rock," he said.
Knapper referenced Sunderland as an example of a club that managed to stay up after promotion but stressed the importance of parachute payments in giving relegated teams the firepower to bounce back quickly. Norwich’s early transfer activity, including five new signings and the permanent signing of Sam Field, shows intent to build a squad capable of meeting these challenges.