Philippe Clement is expecting another difficult test for Norwich City as they travel to face Stoke City on Tuesday evening, but insists his side will approach the game with the same ambition they have shown throughout the opening weeks of the season.
The Canaries head to the bet365 Stadium (8pm KO) following Saturday’s impressive 4-1 victory over Burnley.
Clement was particularly pleased with Norwich’s organisation and ruthlessness in Saturday’s victory, while also reflecting on the fine margins that had gone against his side in the opening weeks of the season.
“Our organisation, our discipline, our front-foot defending, our transitions and our ruthlessness in the finishing,” Clement said.
“I think that's also the big difference with the West Brom game, because for me still, West Brom was a really good game. We played good football and created a lot of chances.
“It was not that the finishing was bad, but there was just one body in between or a save over the goalkeeper, the small details.
“Games are decided with these moments also. Otherwise West Brom could have been a win with the performance.
“Now you have the first minute where you play a ball in a good space, but the defender makes a mistake, and always in front of the goal. That's football also.
“During the first half, Burnley came back with possession. They had some momentum without really, really big chances, but they have a really good team, a really good squad and a lot of individual talent.
“So I'm convinced that in the next few months they're going to take much more points. But we were on the front foot and took our chances on that day, and like this then the machine starts going.”
With seven games to come in three weeks, Clement is pleased with the increasing number of options available to him as players continue to grow in fitness and form.
“You see it also, people growing, getting better,” he said. “I think we have several examples of that.
“The way Ben [Chrisene], for example, is playing now for the moment, it's the best that I've seen him since I'm here. There are others also, like Jacob Wright, with the way he's performing now.
“A lot of players are growing, getting physically better. We get more options now to make rotations in the squad and create freshness.
“Those things will be really important for the weeks to come, that we can get a kind of rotation in the squad to create freshness and that we can go every minute of the game, 90 minutes long, full power.”
Clement confirmed there were no fresh problems following Saturday’s win, while Paris Maghoma returned to group training.
“After this game also there was not any problem with any of the players,” he said. “So that's positive.
“Paris was today back in training with the group, so we need to decide if we take him in the selection or not towards tomorrow, or if we train him a few days more.”
Jovon Makama is also progressing, although Tuesday’s game comes too soon for him, while Gabe Forsyth took another step towards his return by playing 45 minutes for the Under-21s.
“Jovon is doing more and more work with the group,” Clement said. “It's going to be too early to take him in the selection for tomorrow, but he's also in a good spot.
“Gabe played with the Under-21s, 45 minutes. After two years out, it's also a positive story.”
The head coach believes the increased availability across his squad is a sign of the work being done behind the scenes at the club.
“We still have a few who are injured, but not many anymore compared with last season,” he said. “That's a really good sign and you feel also that the group is becoming more and more robust.
“Players like Darlin [Yongwa] are getting stronger, Anthony Musaba is getting better, Andre Brooks is adapting to everything that we're doing there and getting better.
“Ante [Crnac] also showing good things when he came on. You see that he came back in a really good way, scoring against Cardiff, now doing a defensive and offensive good job.
“More and more positives. It will give me for sure some headaches the next few weeks and months, but that's what we want.
“The situation like it was last season, that's impossible to get long-term good results. So we've been working hard, and with ‘we’, it's a big we. It's a lot of people in the club, changing things, making things better for the long term, to get players fitter, stronger, faster and to prevent these injuries.
“Clearly, everything is on the right track.”
With the transfer window closing shortly after Tuesday night's match, Clement insists the club has clear plans in place for potential movement.
“The plan is clear,” he said. “It's clear which players are available to go out of the building, and then it's about Ben [Knapper] and his team to see what is possible or not.
“It's also clear what players are not available to go out of the building.
“I take those things into account also towards the selection for tomorrow. And maybe I need to swap one thing tomorrow, but not more than that in the selection.
“The lines are really clear in the club. It will not happen that somebody comes with something silly now for a player that's in our heads - and again, it's not only my head, it's our heads - and that we don't have a solution there ready to swap that.
“Nobody will go in that situation now. That's clear in all the club.
“We now have clear scenarios. If this happens, we do this. It's really clear for everybody.”
Clement expects another significant challenge against a Stoke side who have lost their opening three Championship matches.
“It's a really good squad,” he said. “They've spent also a lot of money already in the transfer window until now, so it shows also the ambitions that they have.
“They had already a good squad last season. So no, it's a big game again for us, a difficult away trip.
“We know we're going to need to be on our toes to get points there. But always we're going to go there to try to get the three points and to do our thing.”
Clement again stressed the importance of focusing solely on Norwich's own performance, rather than the situation surrounding their opponents.
“Let's focus on ourselves,” he said. “I think that's the most important thing and not to look at others, because Burnley could have said that about us a few days ago.
“With these squads, to be there in all the games, home or away, it's really important. I heard some people saying this week on the radio that it's really important to have a really good home reputation to get the points there and then get some points in away games.
“I totally don't agree with those things. For me, home and away, in every game we need to try to get the three points and go full for that.
“We've proven in the past also that we can win in away games. So we need to continue that journey.”
“I know Stoke will be a big challenge because I respect the way they play,” he added. “They have a clear playing style also, which I like, and really good players.
“There's a lot of quality there with their wingers, good striking options also, good players in midfield, defence also.
“They're a good team on the ball, so they control the game well. We have several challenges there.”
