Norwich City vs Southampton: Clement seeks turnaround at Carrow Road
Key takeaways
- Norwich City host Southampton in the Championship on Wednesday night.
- Norwich have lost six of their last nine league games.
- Southampton sit 13th, just one point off the play-off places.
Norwich City host Southampton in the Championship on Wednesday night. Norwich need a turnaround after a poor run of results. Southampton want to keep climbing toward the play-off places.
This article was written while the match was still in progress. It explains what is at stake. It also explains what both managers are dealing with.
The game kicked off at 7:45pm at Carrow Road. Steve Martin is the referee. The full-time result was not yet known when this article was written.
What happened
Norwich came into the game in a bad run. They have lost six of their last nine league games. That includes four defeats in a row in all competitions.
The team needs points fast.
Manager Philippe Clement knows the fans are unhappy. He said he hears their frustration loud and clear. He also said he is sure the team can turn it around.
Clement has been here before. He took over a relegation battle 12 months ago. Then a superb run took Norwich into the top ten.
He believes this turnaround will be smaller than that one.
"It is how you react after failure," Clement said. That is his message to the players. He wants them to use the frustration as fuel.
He wants them to fight harder, and smarter, in every game.
Clement also said the group is fitter than last season. He said there are fewer injured players. But he was clear about one thing.
The team must start getting results. Hard work alone is not enough.
Norwich have a big injury problem up front. Leading scorer Mohamed Toure is out until the new year. He has a shoulder injury.
That is a huge loss for the team. Kenny McLean and Mirko Topic are also out.
The starting side for Norwich was: Grimshaw in goal. Stacey, McConville, Cordoba and Chrisene in defence. Wright and Mattsson in midfield.
Brooks, Schwartau and Slimane behind Kvistgaarden up front.
Southampton came into the game full of confidence. They beat Portsmouth in the South Coast derby in their last game. That is one of the biggest games of their season.
A derby win lifts the whole club.
Southampton sit 13th in the table. They are just one point off the play-off places. They have scored 20 goals this season.
That is the second-best attack in the division. But they have not won an away league game yet this season.
The key player for Southampton is Finn Azaz. He has three goals and five assists this season. He has also scored four career goals against Norwich.
That makes Norwich his most frequent scoring opponent in English football. Norwich will know all about him.
The starting side for Southampton was: Peretz in goal. Abbott, Stephens, Schlotterbeck and Manning in defence. Downes and Ward-Prowse in midfield.
Matsuki, Azaz and Edomite behind Dobbin up front. Cameron Bragg was suspended after his red card.
Norwich have a good home record against Southampton. They have not lost to the Saints at Carrow Road in the Championship since April 2007. That is a long run.
The home fans will hope it continues.
Why it matters
For Norwich, this game is about stopping the slide. Six defeats in nine league games is a bad run. Four defeats in a row is worse.
The team is near the bottom of the table. Another defeat would make the mood even darker.
Clement's message is about reaction. He does not want the players to feel sorry for themselves. He wants them to learn from what went wrong.
He also wants them to remember what they did well. Against Swansea, he said the game was in the balance. Swansea scored one goal more.
That small gap changed how the game looked.
A win would change the mood fast. It would give the young squad belief. It would show the fans that the turnaround is real.
It would also lift Norwich away from the bottom three.
For Southampton, this game is about the top six. They are one point off the play-off places. A win could lift them into those places.
That is a big prize in October. The play-offs decide the last promotion spot at the end of the season.
Southampton's attack gives them hope. They have scored 20 goals. Only one team in the division has scored more.
If they score early, Norwich will have to chase the game. That is hard when belief is low.
But Southampton's away form is a worry. They have not won an away league game this season. Carrow Road is a hard place to fix that.
Norwich have not lost to them there since 2007. The Saints must break two bad runs at once.
The game also matters for the Championship table as a whole. The division is tight. A few points can move a team many places.
Norwich want to climb. Southampton want to climb higher. Both teams have a lot to play for.
On the same night, Lincoln City hosted West Ham in the Championship. Lincoln went down to ten men early on. That game kicked off at 8pm.
It was another big night in the division.
What happens next
The full-time result was not yet known when this article was written. The next games will tell us if this was the start of a turnaround. Clement has promised a reaction.
The players must now deliver it on the pitch.
For Norwich, the key is Toure's absence. He is out until the new year. Other players must score the goals.
Kvistgaarden leads the line. Brooks, Schwartau and Slimane must support him. If they cannot score, the pressure will grow.
For Southampton, the key is the away run. They have the attack to win on the road. They have Azaz in great form.
They need to turn good play into away wins. If they do that, they can push for the play-offs.
Clement's job is to guide a young squad. He said he sees talent in the group. He said he sees effort too.
He said the players are desperate to get results. That is a good base. But football is about points.
Norwich need them soon.
The Championship season is long. There is still time to turn things around. Clement did it last season from a worse spot.
He believes this group can do it again. The next few games will show if he is right.
Norwich fans want a night to remember. Southampton fans want a first away win. One of those stories will get a happy ending.
The other side will have to wait.
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