Football Season Guide

Norwich underwent one of the most remarkable transformations seen in a single Championship season for many years and it was mostly down to one man. The Canaries looked like prime relegation fodder in November when they sat second from bottom after a record seventh consecutive home defeat to start the season. Local boy Liam Manning’s return to his hometown club quickly turned sour and he was sacked after toxic fan protests continued at Carrow Road. The supporters also wanted sporting director Ben Knapper out, but he would make the best decision of his tenure so far in appointing former Rangers boss Phillippe Clement as the new head coach. The Belgian had allegedly turned down offers from Champions League clubs in Europe to come to East Anglia instead and took Norwich to within a whisker of making the play-offs. Only troubled Sheffield Wednesday going through a financial crisis and suffering point deductions were a worse team than Norwich when Clement took over. By the end of the season, only Southampton produced better form than the Canaries and the Spygate scandal has since called Saints’ run into question! Clement achieved this dramatic turnaround with a calm sense of authority and a clear tactical identity that wasn’t ever really seen under Manning. Players who were underperforming or simply frozen out in the previous regime suddenly became key contributors. Young defender Ruari McConville developed into a stalwart at the back. Pelle Mattson improved dramatically over the course of his debut season in midfield alongside the ever-reliable captain Kenny McLean. Anis Ben Slimane didn’t play a single Championship minute under Manning but quickly became one of the best attacking-midfielders in the league. Clement also had to navigate around one of the worst injury lists in the division and off-field issues. Star striker Josh Sargent refused to play in an FA Cup game and was exiled by the manager until his eventual departure. Clement showed faith in Jovon Makama as the main centre-forward and was repaid with a glut of goals. Even when Makama went down injured, Clement was able to immediately get the best out of January signing Mo Toure who scored on his debut and struck a hattrick on his first start! The Australian ended the season with 10 goals in his first 12 games for the club. That was perhaps what was most impressive about Clement. When it seemed like a new player was sidelined by injury each week, he showed no signs of panic and simply adapted. That ability looks set to be tested again this season with Norwich already missing some starting players for the big kick-off. Ali Ahmed is the worst case after he suffered an ACL injury in pre-season and will now miss the majority of upcoming campaign. The winger was another who hit the ground running after arriving in January. Andre Brooks is a potential replacement for Ahmed and has been the club’s marquee summer singing after an impressive campaign at Sheffield United last season. Other than that, Bruno Alves and Darlin Yongwa have arrived to provide defensive cover. The biggest positive of the transfer market so far has been keeping the nucleus of this talented squad together. The only departures were those who had already been deemed surplus to requirement.