For Norwich City, the value of Anis Ben Slimane’s World Cup has shifted sharply.
It is no longer about a player riding tournament momentum into July. After Tunisia’s 4-0 defeat to Japan, it is about how a bruised midfielder responds before returning to Philippe Clement’s pre-season structure.
That is bleak context for any player.
It is more complicated for Ben Slimane because, even in a collapsing side, his individual output still offered Norwich something worth tracking.
RotoWire recorded Ben Slimane as producing three crosses, two accurate, plus two corners in the Japan defeat. That was not a rescue act or a dominant midfield display.
It still showed a player willing to take responsibility for progression and set-piece delivery when the wider structure around him was breaking down.
Why The Netherlands Test Still Has Norwich Value
Tunisia’s final Group F match against the Netherlands now carries little tournament jeopardy for the North African side, but it still matters for Norwich.
Dead-rubber football can reveal plenty about a player’s temperament, especially when the opponent is technically superior and still chasing group authority.
Ben Slimane is not returning to Carrow Road as a passenger in Clement’s squad.
Norwich’s own player profile lists him as a 188cm Tunisia international who joined initially on deadline day in 2024. He is built for a Championship midfield that demands reach, duel strength and the ability to cover multiple lanes.
The question is whether Clement can get a cleaner, more repeatable version of those qualities.
Against Japan, Tunisia stretched too often. That left midfielders dragged into damage limitation rather than controlled possession.
Against the Netherlands, Ben Slimane’s brief should be even harder: protect central spaces, survive pressure and find forward passes without becoming reckless.
That is exactly the type of game-state Norwich should study closely.
Clement’s Championship plan will not only be tested when City dominate the ball at Carrow Road. It will be tested in awkward away spells, second-ball sequences and matches where his midfield has to resist before it can create.
Clement Needs More Than Tournament Headlines
The temptation with World Cup coverage is to treat every performance as either a launchpad or a setback.
Ben Slimane’s situation needs a colder read.
Tunisia’s campaign has been poor, but Norwich do not need him to arrive back as a global breakout story. They need him fit, hardened and tactically clear.
That final point is crucial because Clement’s midfield picture has already changed.
ReadNorwich has covered how Sam Field’s permanent move gives Clement a reliable midfield point, and that arrival changes the balance around Ben Slimane.
Kenny McLean’s Scotland involvement also adds another senior layer.
ReadNorwich has already looked at how McLean’s Scotland role gives Norwich a timely Clement reminder, and Ben Slimane now sits in a similar pre-season conversation.
He is experienced enough to start, versatile enough to shift role and still young enough to raise his level inside a promotion-grade squad.
There is also a psychological edge.
A player leaving a difficult tournament can either carry the frustration into pre-season or convert it into urgency. Clement’s job is to make sure it becomes the latter.
Norwich Should Watch The Response, Not Just The Scoreline
Norwich supporters should not overstate a doomed Tunisia campaign, but they should not ignore it either.
The Netherlands match gives Ben Slimane one more high-speed, high-pressure examination before Colney takes over again.
For Clement, that footage may be more useful than the scoreline.
ReadNorwich has also tracked the wider Norwich World Cup group across the summer, and Ben Slimane’s tournament now offers a different lesson.
Not every useful World Cup marker comes from goals, clean sheets or viral moments.
Sometimes the value sits in how a player handles damage, keeps demanding the ball and responds when the tournament has already turned against him.
If Ben Slimane returns with sharpness rather than scars, Norwich will have gained something from a World Cup that has otherwise been unforgiving.
