- How Philippe Clement transformed a season of disaster into a tactical masterclass.
- From injury crises to striker sagas, the gaffer remains the ultimate stoic.
- Contrasting the stiff football of old with Clement’s new dynamic attacking mix.
It may seem strange and possibly a bit premature to refer to this current period of time as the ‘Clement era’.
But, that said, the amount of incidents, drama and turnaround in the space of a season has already felt like years of events have been crammed into the short space of time Philippe Clement has managed us.
With an international break, now is a great moment to catch a breath as we consider what we have witnessed during the short time where the Belgian gaffer has denied problems and sought solutions.
Two halves
Whatever happens this season, it is fair to say that we have witnessed the proverbial game of two halves.
While we now know what issues Liam Manning has had to go through (and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him well during his compassionate leave at Huddersfield), there can be no denying that the first part of Norwich City’s 2025-26 Championship season was a massive disaster.
I have been lucky to attend more matches this season in recent times alongside a friend in the South Stand. This has been a handy vantage point as I witnessed first-hand the drab football play out before Clement’s arrival.
Before Clement the football was one-dimensional and stiff. We looked positive in the first half but then you could see the energy disappear in the second. By contrast some smart signings such as Ali Ahmed and Paris Maghoma have electrified the team, providing a much more dynamic mix.
On top of that Clement has been much more proactive. If it isn’t working in the first half then you bring on players in the second.
Star striker not wanting to play? No worries, we’ll find a new superstar from the lower leagues.
That player got injured? We’ll find a new superstar from Australia and so forth.
It is stunning. Even the best managers would struggle with 14 players out injured. But Clement has been the very model of stoicism, wrangling his resources and grinding out results in a way that would have seemed impossible only a couple of months ago.
The Man
The scary thing is, we are not even finished yet. Clement is yet to have a pre-season and only one transfer window (a notoriously tight window at that). And yet his ability to hold court in press conferences, inspire a squad that was on its knees and do so in a manner that exudes real confidence is inspiring.
