Norwich City

Phil Daley
Sports Editor, BBC Norfolk

Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement has spoken to the media ahead of their trip to Watford in the Championship (12:30 GMT).

Norwich are in the relegation zone, four points adrift of safety despite their first home win of the season, against QPR, last weekend.

Here are some of the key points:

• Jack Stacey will miss the game this weekend after picking up a hamstring injury against QPR, but it does not seem to be a long-term problem.

• Anis Ben Slimane has been back training this week and could return to the bench. More players could return to training next week.

• Clement said it's been good to have a full week to get back to doing what he loves - being out on the training pitch with the players.

• On Declan Rudd's promotion to senior goalkeeping coach: Tony Roberts, who previously had the role, spoke very highly of Rudd and Clement said it's a "logical step."

• Clement met owner Mark Attanasio face-to-face this week for the first time. He said he feels very aligned with the American and they share the same hopes and dreams for the club.

• On Watford away, Clement said he wants to see the desire and fight from his team that he saw last weekend.

• "We need to give something back to the fans and that's our aim," he said.

You can listen to full live commentary of Watford v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 12:00 on Saturday.

Fresh from their first home win of the season, Norwich City are looking for back-to-back league victories for the first time since February as they head to Vicarage Road (12:30 GMT).

Watford are unbeaten in their past six league games at home.

• Watford lost this exact fixture 1-0 in February last season, last losing consecutive home league games against Norwich in November 1995.

• None of the past 16 league games between Watford (W9) and Norwich (W7) have been drawn, with the Canaries winning each of the past three.

• Watford have lost just one of their past 10 home league games (W5 D4) and are unbeaten in six since a 1-0 loss against Blackburn in September (W4 D2).

• After a 13-game winless run in the Championship, Norwich beat QPR 3-1 last time out. They last won consecutive league games in January/February last season, the second of which came against Watford.

• Watford have won more points from losing positions than any other side in the Championship this season (15).

Norwich City board member Richard Ressler says the club will be looking for January reinforcements but suggests the biggest difference makers could lie within the squad they have right now.

The struggling Canaries have 11 first-team squad members absent due to injury, with midfielder Mirko Topic the latest name added to the treatment room list.

"We are [looking at] bringing in the strongest players we can," Ressler said during Norwich's annual general meeting on Wednesday.

"We have some headroom for the January window. What might be the best part of the window will be us getting our players healthy and back on the pitch who are off.

"So we have to rely on what we think is a very strong group of leaders on the pitch and off the pitch behind them to make the best of what we know is a very expensive team that we believe has very strong players in it."

Norwich also experienced several key departures in the summer, including a controversial move for midfielder Marcelino Nunez to rivals Ipswich Town as well as exits for forward Borja Sainz and goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

But majority shareholder Mark Attanasio feels there was nothing the club could do to keep the departing players at Carrow Road.

"We were losing players who were going to leave anyway - [Gabriel] Sara, Borja [Sainz], many of whom we tried to sign [to new deals] and they chose not to," Attanasio said.

Listen to the full round-up from the AGM and more Norwich City content on BBC Sounds.

Gary Gowers
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

You'll have to forgive us. We're a little giddy. We admit it.

So much so, we've been accused from all four corners, especially one in deepest, darkest Suffolk, of over-celebrating our weekend win over Queens Park Rangers.

To which we plead guilty. 100%. And, you know what? We couldn't give a monkey's…

Fill your boots, City fans. Let them mock - we deserved that moment.

Seldom has Carrow Road been so pumped after what was, after all, little more than a routine Championship win over a decent team, but who, by their own admission, are no world-beaters.

Except it wasn't routine.

When you have only won twice all season, are 23rd in the table, and have not won a home game since April, nothing is routine. Everything's a struggle.

So, yeah, we went OTT maybe, but it felt good. For once. A feeling we had forgotten.

No longer do we expect to win. Think of the worst-case scenario, and it comes true. The new Norwich way.

At least it was. Things may, just may, be about to change.

Where once we had Liam Manning in the dugout - an experiment that, for lots of reasons, went awry – now we have a big Belgian in charge who, in the space of 15 days, has offered us hope where there was none.

In the death throes of the Manning era, we were done. Gone. Heading only to League One.

Now, under the tutelage of Philippe Clement, we have a head coach who has taken our club by the scruff of its neck (not to mention a few players), shaken it, and given it purpose and direction.

New life has been breathed into a club that had all but flatlined.

Whether the Clement factor will be enough to save us, who knows?

He's now playing a nerve-shredding game of catch-up with high stakes and jeopardy, but at least we now have a sense of unity, and are pulling, most of us at least, in the same direction.

Only time will tell if this truly is Clement-time.

But the fightback is on.

OTBC.

Gary Gowers is an editor for My Football Writer - Norwich City

Image source, Shuttershock

Norwich City have named Declan Rudd as their new first-team goalkeeping coach with Tony Roberts leaving the Championship club.

Former Welsh international Roberts, who moved to Carrow Road in September 2024 following a spell coaching at AC Milan, is taking up a new role with an as yet unspecified club.

Rudd spent 18 years as a player at Norwich, working his way through the youth system to eventually make 21 first-team appearances before playing for Charlton and Preston.

The 34-year-old has been the Canaries' lead academy goalkeeping coach since 2022 and will join Philippe Clement's first-team staff with immediate effect.

"In promoting Declan to the first team, we have someone who knows the club and how we operate. He already has some excellent relationships with our current staff and players and absolutely deserves this opportunity," sporting director Ben Knapper told the club's website., external

Image source, Shutterstock

Norwich City manager Philippe Clement says the 'synergy' between players and fans is back after his side's impressive 3-1 win over QPR.

The victory was Norwich's first since the end of August and ended a 13-game winless run.

The win was Clement's first since taking over as Canaries' boss after Liam Manning's sacking.

His side remain second-from-bottom of the Championship and are four points from safety.

"It's not about me, that's no so important, and I knew that if we worked hard this moment would come," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's more important for the players, for the club and for the fans also.

"What you saw during the game and after the game was the synergy is totally back, it was lost a few weeks ago.

"So it's back now and they see a team fighting, but also a team creating, playing good football and of course we can still improve a lot of things.

"But the mentality of the players is positive to get three deserved points."

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call, presenter

Norwich City are still looking for their first home win of the season after the Canaries conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 with fellow Championship strugglers Oxford United on Tuesday.

Queens Park Rangers visit Carrow Road on Saturday (15:00 GMT) and before the game head coach Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media.

Here are some of the key points:

• Midfielder Mirko Topic sustained an ACL knee injury against Oxford and will miss the rest of the season.

• Clement said he is staying positive despite a raft of injuries in the squad.

• He said a few of the injured players are nearing a return, but not in time for Saturday's game.

• Clement spoke about wanting to see good performances from his side, but positive results are the most important thing right now.

• "I believe there is much more potential in this group than they have shown until now," Clement said.

• On forward Jovon Makama, who scored against Oxford: "For me he is at 30% of his potential. I am really excited to work the next few years and months with him."

You can listen to full coverage of Norwich v QPR with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB. Coverage starts at 14:00 GMT.

Norwich City claimed their first point at home on Tuesday and will now look for their first win as they welcome Queens Park Rangers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Canaries were close to taking all three points at Carrow Road last time out but were thwarted by an added time winner from Oxford United.

Though taking on the Hoops may be a tougher task, with the visitors on a two match winning streak and eyeing up the competition for the top six.

• Norwich City have lost just one of their last 10 league games against QPR (W4 D5), a 3-0 away loss in December 2024.

• QPR are winless in their last 10 away league games against Norwich (D4 L6) since a 1-0 victory in September 2008.

• Norwich are winless in their last 13 league games (D4 L9); they last failed to win 14 in a row in April 1998 in the second tier.

• QPR have won five of their last 10 Championship games on a Saturday (D2 L3), one more than in their previous 31 such games (D13 L14).

• Four of Norwich's last eight goals in the Championship have been scored by Jovon Makama, netting last time out against Oxford United to help them secure their first home point of 2025-26.

Image source, BBC Look East

Former Norwich City striker Iwan Roberts believes head coach Philippe Clement has already shown he is capable of getting the team out of trouble this season.

The Canaries picked up their first home point of the campaign in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Oxford United - and would have had all three were it not for an added-time equaliser by the visitors.

Former Rangers boss Clement was appointed on 18 November following the sacking of Liam Manning after only 17 matches in charge, and lost his first game at Birmingham City last Saturday.

"The lads looked leggy and tired with 15 minutes to go (against Oxford) - the game should have been put to bed in the first hour, the chances they created," Roberts told BBC Look East.

"You look at all the statistics, five Championship wins in 32 games, they need to realise they're in a right scrap to stay in this division.

"No disrespect to Liam Manning, but I think they've now got a proper head coach in charge who will say it as it is.

"He's the right man in charge and I think he's more than capable, with the squad that he's got, of getting this club out of trouble."

Next-to-bottom Norwich are at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City have to accept the situation they are in and do everything they can to get out of it, says defender Ruairi McConville.

The Canaries were among the teams tipped to challenge for at least a play-off place in the Championship this season but are second from bottom, six points from safety.

"We all had ambitions at the start of the season but now we have to accept the situation we're in and we've got to keep fighting," McConville told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's in our control to change that because as well as the fans we don't want to be in that position, we want to be as high in the table as we can be and we're trying to do that. We've got to fight for every point and put things right."

Since joining Norwich from Brighton in February the Northern Ireland international has played under four different managers, including Jack Wilshere's interim spell in charge, and the 20-year-old admits that has not helped.

"It's hard, but also good you're learning different styles, different ways of playing but we don't have time to think about that at the minute, we've just got to try to get wins and points on the board.

"We are trying but the same things keep happening and it has to change soon if we want to get out of the situation we're in."

Philippe Clement is the latest head coach brought in by the Canaries, with Oxford's last-minute equaliser denying him recording their first home league win of the season on Tuesday night.

"Everyone has to buy into what he wants to do," said McConville. "We've all been doing that - every player has to come on and do their job for the whole game, myself included. I can do better."

Norwich are at home to QPR on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Norwich City boss Philippe Clement says he has "mixed feelings" after his side earned their first point at home with a 1-1 draw with Oxford United.

The Canaries did lead the contest after Jovon Makama thrashed in an opener in the 29th minute but saw that illusive first victory at Carrow Road snatched in added time by Oxford's Filip Krastev.

"It's mixed feelings. Of course, very disappointed for the fans, for the players," Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We deserved to win today, I think it's clear for everybody at the game. On the other side, it's positive what they've shown after just seven days together.

"You see a team who wants to fight, who wants to work, who wants to go for it.

"We created chances to get two or three goals and then the game is finished. But we didn't score them so that's a work in progress for the future.

"I know there is still a lot of work to be done. The team knows too, but you see everybody is working hard."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Norwich City defender Christoph Zimmermann has retired from playing at the age of 32.

The German was a member of the Norwich teams which won promotion to the Premier League in 2019 and 2021.

Zimmermann played 139 games for the Canaries in total, scoring four goals, before moving to Darmstadt in the summer of 2022 on a three-year deal.

"After many years and even more ups and downs, my playing career is coming to an end," he posted on Instagram.

"Thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout the time and helped me achieve more than I dared to dream of.

"Thanks to all my coaches, team-mates, staff members and everyone else at the very special clubs I've had the privilege to be part of."

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call, presenter

Philippe Clement will take charge of Norwich City at Carrow Road for the first time when Oxford United are the visitors on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Clement's first Championship game with the Canaries ended in a 4-1 defeat at Birmingham City on Saturday.

The Belgian has been speaking to the press ahead of the game against the U's, here are some of the key points:

• "We know there is a job to be done." Clement says he has fed back to the players what he thought of Saturday's dismal defeat. "We are building a house now, and the foundations are not good."

• The head coach said his players lack confidence but do have the right mentality. "We need to work hard to get to that level," he said

• Clement admitted it has been a busy six days since he agreed to take over at Carrow Road. "It feels like we have been here four months, in a positive way."

• On midfielder Jacob Wright: "I see a talented player who is good on the ball, I need to see how he is off the ball. He is showing in training the right mentality."

• Clement said there will be changes to his starting line-up for Tuesday's game.

You can listen to full live commentary of Norwich versus Oxford with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB. Coverage begins at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Philippe Clement will chase his first victory as Norwich City boss when they host Oxford United on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Clement sealed his first game in charge of the Canaries with a 4-1 loss to Birmingham City on Saturday but will begin to earn the trust of the fans should he secure the side their first home point of the season.

Fail to do so and they will claim the worst home start ever in the English Football League - as well as leave them eight points adrift of 21st placed Oxford United.

• Norwich have won just one of their last five league games against Oxford (D1 L3), a 4-2 away win in the second tier in April 1999.

• Oxford have won just one of their 11 away league games against Norwich (D4 L6), a 3-1 victory in November 1998.

• Norwich have lost each of their last seven home league games, their longest ever losing streak in their league history. Since the 2004 rebrand, the only side to lose eight consecutive Championship home games are Burton Albion between September-December 2017.

• Since their promotion in 2024, Oxford have won just four of their 31 Championship away games (D10 L17), with no ever present side winning fewer in that time.

• Norwich have lost all seven of their home league games this season – no side in English Football League history has ever lost their first eight at the start of a campaign before.

Image source, PA Media

Philippe Clement says it will take time for him to turn Norwich City's fortunes around after losing his first game 4-1 to Birmingham City.

The Canaries conceded two early goals before Mathias Kvistgaarden pulled one back.

But Blues struck again either side of half time as Norwich lost for the eighth time in nine games to remain second-from-bottom of the Championship.

"You can look at all the games on video, and I saw all the games before I came, and you see things," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"But now you get to know people also, and that's also very important in football.

"Also their physical state at the moment that you cannot see on the video.

"We know we have a lot of things to work on, but we need to do it step by step.

"You cannot do everything in four or five days or four or five weeks."