When Philippe Clement agreed to take the reins at Norwich City in November 2025, it marked the club’s third managerial appointment in just 12 months, a testament not only to a turbulent campaign in the EFL Championship but to a side in search of tactical consistency and strategic direction.
After the departure of Liam Manning amid an alarming sequence of results, Norwich’s hierarchy moved decisively to secure a coach whose résumé spans multiple competitive contexts, from league titles in Belgium with Club Brugge and Genk, to a high-pressure stint in France with AS Monaco, and most recently a challenging period at Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, where off-field noise and unmet expectations ultimately culminated in his sacking.
Clement’s arrival at Carrow Road was met with a blend of cautious optimism and analytical intrigue: how would a coach shaped by continental philosophies imprint his tactical identity on a Norwich squad beleaguered by inconsistency, fitness issues and structural confusion?
Early signals suggest a clear emphasis on compact organisation, a clear plan in possession and purposeful transitions, a departure from the reactive tendencies that often defined the Canaries’ performances earlier in the season.
Under Clement, Norwich have become more assertive in possession, showing improved shot creation and greater balance between risk and control, even if defensive cohesion and goal output remain works in progress.
Overall, under Clement, Norwich have managed to collect 30 points in 17 games, an impressive outcome.
This appointment also reflects Norwich’s broader search for stability.
Interim solutions and previously linked alternatives never fully materialised, so the club’s leadership ultimately placed faith in a coach with continental experience, a track record of structural consistency, and a willingness to reshape entrenched patterns, giving him a contract running until June 2029.
As the tactical narrative of Clement’s tenure unfolds, one central question dominates: can he harmonise his system with a squad still finding its rhythm, and in doing so, transform Carrow Road from a site of instability into a more assured competitive platform?
In this Philippe Clement tactical analysis, we will try to answer these questions.
Norwich Try To Find Their Target Man
Things were dire for Norwich after 15 matchdays, just before Philippe Clement took over the team back in November.
With just nine points after those games, the Canaries were in the gutter, and it looked like a long relegation battle was ahead of them for the rest of the season.
Now, just 17 games later, the team is comfortably in the midfield, and with their current run of form, they might be able to close the gap to the playoff places over the next 14 games.
In 17 games under the Belgian manager’s tenure, Norwich not only collected 30 points but also scored 28 goals, twice as many as in the first 15 games.
Under Clement, Norwich have exclusively lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Usually, Norwich stick to their back four and keep the centre-backs at the width of the penalty area with the full-backs in a rather flat position.
The goalkeeper pushes forward slightly and moves into the space between the two centre-halves, adding an extra player to the build-up.
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