The Canaries have been 3-1 down on a rain-lashed day within the Midlands in November 2025 that underscored the dimensions of his Carrow Road rebuild job.
But City host the Blues on Saturday on the again of eight wins in 10 and into the FA Cup fifth spherical. Clement’s problem at Colney on Friday was to show how far they’ve come towards a Birmingham aspect he feels has additionally improved within the intervening interval.
“That first recreation towards Birmingham in half-time, I used to be pondering, ‘What’s going on here? What are they running about like this and that, with the ball and without the ball, we made so many mistakes’. Second half was already significantly better,” he stated.
“This is a second to show that we’re additional forward, but in addition towards a greater squad than they’d in that second. If I see how a lot cash they spent within the January window to get high quality, additional high quality, it may be a harder battle than we had in November. But all of the crew is up for that and hungry to point out themselves.
“They have a very massive squad, to allow them to simply change 5 gamers in the course of the recreation to place freshness and so as to add high quality in all of the positions. They have plenty of excellent offensive gamers, but in addition a superb collective.
“It’s a superb footballing crew. Different challenges for us, however I feel, for me, it is actually vital additionally that we play our fashion of soccer and we impose ourselves.
“We have made plenty of good development, you see issues on the pitch, but it surely’s additionally issues off the pitch, and we’re working with all people actually onerous, with the homeowners, with Ben (Knapper), with the recruitment crew, with all people within the constructing to make issues higher in each sense.
“It isn’t solely about leads to video games, however every part what this membership is about, and every part you should go to develop to the very best stage. Everybody’s busy in each division to make issues higher, and also you see that enchancment, however we additionally see that we nonetheless could make plenty of issues higher, to develop to this Premier League stage the place we’re by far not there but.”
Clement rang the adjustments for the latest cup win over the Baggies, and even with Oscar Schwartau (hamstring) becoming a member of a prolonged damage record after being dominated out for quite a lot of weeks, the Belgian has some choice posers.
“I think that’s been the case in these three months together. A lot of players are raising their levels and there’s more competition in spots,” he stated. “Not sufficient but, and it has additionally one thing to do with the gamers that we miss for the second.
“In some positions we’re not as thick as in in different positions, however the competitors is rising within the squad, and the extent is rising. So that is what I need to see. And we nonetheless have a solution to go to get to the extent the place we need to get, however I feel it is very pleasing the way in which the crew is performing higher and higher these final three months.”
Clement was joined at Colney on Friday by principal proprietor, Mark Attanasio, on a flying go to to a particular ‘Takeover’ recreation highlighting the work of the membership’s official charity, the neighborhood sports activities basis.
“If there are things to do for the community or to go to hospital visits or to do other things this is a really good group, really good people,” stated the City head coach. “Now we have to make them prime athletes additionally, and to allow them to carry out at their strengths.
“This membership is doing plenty of good issues for the neighborhood right here. I need to have my gamers concerned in that so additionally they see what a privileged place they’ve in society and in life. They need to work actually onerous for it, sure, however there are plenty of different individuals working actually onerous in issues and getting much less issues again than gamers.
“To be the one membership within the neighbourhood right here and with one neighborhood so all people’s a Norwich fan is particular. You really feel that wherever you go, I do not come an excessive amount of out (of the coaching floor), however I hear it from all people. My spouse goes to extra locations than me, and all people’s speaking concerning the membership now.
“If issues go nicely with the membership it is also provides plenty of power to all of the neighborhood, and the membership wants to offer issues again additionally in direction of this neighborhood, and the membership is doing that actually nicely. I need to thank additionally Blakely for giving up their shirt sponsorship for this recreation, so all the eye on the shirts will likely be in direction of our neighborhood.
“It’s an vital factor, but it surely’s additionally good that your predominant sponsor understands that story, and they’re additionally individuals from the world.
“We have a very younger squad typically, I have to say typically, as a result of in any other case, Kenny (McLean) thinks that he is nonetheless actually younger though he exhibits that on the pitch, for certain, in moments. They’ve grown up within the bubble of soccer.
“And I think it’s important for us, as the leading people in a club, to educate them that there are more things than only this bubble and only football, but that we need to educate them also in life. That’s also our task to do.”
