Norwich City

Former Norwich City winger Darren Eadie believes head coach Philippe Clement's 'Midas touch' is the chief reason for the transformation in their form.

Clement took over in November and has steered the Canaries out of the Championship relegation places and up to 10th in the table following Saturday's 1-0 win at Charlton.

"I played under Mike Walker and Martin O'Neill and I was always at my best when a manager dug you out or pushed you to your extreme and that's what Clement does," Eadie told BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage

"He brings that presence, he brings that drive and energy and he just has the Midas touch at the minute, it's incredible to watch.

"At the start of the season, clearly they weren't fit enough - Anis Ben Slimane's a great example of that, he looks about a stone and a half lighter than he was at the start of the season and is playing incredibly well.

"I look at the bigger picture and he's got this run of form going on at the moment and everything he does turns to gold. He'll get an injury on the pitch, take someone off, another one will come onto the pitch and score a goal. Pelle Mattsson scores at the weekend to win the game."

Eadie, now a club ambassador, added: "We've seen this time and time again - Jovon Makama, Mohamed Toure, Ali Ahmed, all these new players coming in have hit the ground running, rather than having to wait six months to a year for them to start performing.

"That's due to the manager saying 'right, when he's coming in, he's playing, I'm not waiting six months for him, my job could be over in six months'.

"He's got to be going 'I want players that are ready to perform and if you're telling me they're not quite fit enough, I don't care, I'm playing them, if they break down on the pitch, they break down, I've got to get us out of the trouble we're in' and that's what he's done."

Norwich will return to action following the international break against Portsmouth at Carrow Road on Friday 3 April.

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Norwich midfielder Pelle Mattsson believes it is vital for players all round the team to contribute goals after finally finding the net in his 27th appearance.

The Dane's early strike was enough to beat Charlton 1-0 and give Norwich their fifth win in six games, putting them 10th in the Championship table.

"To score my first goal for Norwich, I've been waiting a bit for it, so it was nice seeing the ball fly into the net. It was a proud moment," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"I would like to score a few goals per season to contribute with that. It's not my strong side, but it's something I can maybe develop in my game.

"It's really important so we're not only relying on our strikers - they can play a good game without scoring, we need everybody to score goals."

Mattsson joined the Canaries last summer and is now back to full fitness after missing the whole of February with an ankle injury.

"For a few months I've been growing as a player, I'm really enjoying it here - we are going somewhere and we'll see where that takes us," he said.

"I want to be good at all parts of the game. Also with the ball, I think I have some strengths there as well. Hopefully I'll be even better on the other side of the international break.

"There's been a huge improvement. You can't really imagine we were in the bottom three [places] some time ago. The performances have been really good, not only the results."

Image source, Getty Images

An early goal from Danish midfielder Pelle Mattsson - his first for the club - was enough for Norwich City to earn the three points at Charlton Athletic.

Speaking after the match, Canaries boss Philippe Clement - who celebrates his 52nd birthday on Sunday - gave his thoughts from The Valley after his side's 1-0 win.

"It was a victory with a big heart, lots of physicality. We only came back at 3:00am on Thursday morning, so it was a short turnaround after the Southampton game - which was also a really intense game," Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"The team did brilliantly today, not only physically but also mentally. They did the right things to stick in and keep going until the dying seconds. They played with a really big heart today.

"I think everybody who is not a Charlton fan would have enjoyed how Norwich played football today - our own fans but also neutrals, and that is what I want to see.

"With all the teams playing on Friday after the international window, I do not understand why that is the case.

"We might have some internationals who come back on the Thursday and might not even be able to train. It's not a healthy situation in this modern time, with so many more games and more risks of injury."

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call presenter

Norwich City will look to bounce back from a midweek defeat at Southampton when they head to Charlton Athletic in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Ahead of the game head coach Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media, here are some of the key points:

• Clement said the quick turnaround following the Southampton game on Wednesday has been a test for his players. The squad arrived back in Norfolk at 03:00 GMT on Thursday morning

• "There is a good mood in the building and everyone is positive," the Belgian added

• The boss said decisions on the availability of full-backs Ben Chrisene and Jack Stacey will be made ahead of Saturday's game. Chrisene missed the Saints trip, while Stacey picked up a knock in the defeat

• On defender Jeffrey Schlupp's return from long-term injury: "Jeffrey is training with the physios and I expect him back in a couple of weeks"

• On midfielder Emi Marcondes' situation: "We knew we wanted to get a different profile 'number 10' in for now and for the future. You need to be honest to the player." The Dane looks set to leave the Canaries in the summer

• Clement said Charlton Athletic have a 'really clear style' and will be a 'tough opponent' in the midst of their good run of results

There is full live commentary of Charlton v Norwich with BBC Radio Norfolk FM and DAB on Saturday, coverage begins at 14:00 GMT.

Norwich City will look to keep their hopes for a heroic run to the play-offs alive as they take a trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Canaries saw their promotion aspirations take a hit after their four-match winning streak came to an end with a close 1-0 loss to Southampton on Wednesday, leaving them nine point adrift of the topic six.

But the Addicks will make it difficult for their visitors to bounce back, only losing one of their past six league matches (W2 D3) and hoping to extend the distance between themselves and the bottom three to double figures.

• Charlton lost in this season's reverse fixture against Norwich (0-1 on Boxing Day 2025) and haven't lost home and away to them in a league campaign since 1971-72.

• This will be Norwich's first league game at The Valley in over a decade (since February 2015), when they won 2-3 against Guy Luzon's Charlton under the management of Alex Neil.

• Charlton have won more games by a 1-0 scoreline than any other team in the Championship this season (8), including one in their most recent home game (1-0 v Birmingham).

• Norwich have won six of their last 10 league games on a Saturday (D1 L3), after only winning two of their first 12 in the current campaign (D2 L8).

• Two of Charlie Kelman's three league goals at the Valley have been the only strike in a 1-0 win after coming off the bench, including in the Addicks' most recent one (1-0 v Birmingham)

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement spoke to BBC Radio Norfolk following Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Southampton.

"We were the dominant team against a team in really good form - first half it was in the balance, but the second half was totally ours.

"In total, we had more ball possession, more shots on target, more chances than them, more passes, more corners and several clear chances and the goalkeeper played the game of his life.

"Those things happen in football but the way my team played was really impressive, for sure in the second half.

"It's a really good performance, but we don't have the result we deserve. We need to continue in every game trying to push for great performances like this. I'm not busy with the ranking [table], I'm busy getting the best out of this squad."

Norwich are away from home again in their next game on Saturday, when they travel to The Valley to face Charlton.

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There have been plenty of contentious decisions in the 2025-26 Championship season so far.

Offside goals given, perfectly good goals ruled out, red card offences missed, penalties not given, dubious spot-kicks awarded. You name it.

With the video assistant referee (VAR) only used for the play-off final, the outcome of every second-tier game in the regular season can hinge on how on-field officials see incidents in real time.

• Would you want VAR introduced for every league game in the Championship?

• If so, why?

• And if not, let us know your reasons.

You can share your thoughts on VAR here or comment below, and we will publish a follow-up article soon with a selection of your responses.

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Norwich youngsters Harmony Okwumo and Brandon Forbes have joined National League North side King's Lynn Town on short-term loans.

Okwumo, 20, joined The Canaries from Charlton Athletic and Forbes from Dundee United in the summer of 2024.

Forbes, 19, made three appearances during a loan spell at Tamworth at the start of the year.

Both have played for Norwich's Under-21 side this season.

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call, presenter

Norwich City head to Southampton on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) knowing a win could boost their chances of making a late push for the Championship play-offs.

Head coach Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media before the game and here are some of the key points:

• Defender Ben Chrisene is "a bit better" after limping off against Preston. Clement says it's not a 'long-term' hamstring injury.

• Northern Ireland international Ruairi McConville will be assessed on Wednesday. The defender has missed the last two games with a knee problem.

• Goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw is still out and will definitely miss the match.

• Clement said his team struggled with defending set-pieces in the win against Preston, but he said it is "not a major issue".

• On Southampton: "They still have the parachute payments and their ambition is to go up directly. It's a need for them to be in the play-offs."

• Clement said he nearly signed as a player for Southampton and was a big fan of Saints legend Matthew Le Tissier.

You can listen to full live commentary of Southampton v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB. Coverage starts at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score reporter

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The former First Lady of Argentina, Evita Peron, once said: "Time is my greatest enemy."

And that may be the case when it comes to Norwich City getting into the play-offs.

It is absolutely still possible for the side that was languishing in the relegation zone just a few months ago to make a late rally into the top six. They are nine points behind Wrexham with nine games left to play.

And with their stellar performances under Philippe Clement (11 league wins out of 14 in 2026 so far), added to the fact we all know one club makes a late rally for a play-off spot every season, the disbelief is now turning to delirium at Carrow Road.

Some fans had already started planning their 2027 away days to Plymouth and Barnsley because the early season form was so poor. Now those satnavs are tentatively being asked for the directions to Old Trafford and Anfield.

The problem is, there is only a month and a half of the season left, and tricky fixtures lie ahead - including Millwall, Derby, Hull and the East Anglian Derby with Ipswich.

Even if they manage wins against those title-chasing opponents, Norwich may still require snookers by way of bad form from the other teams above them to sneak in.

It might be a few games too late for them. But if they do make the play-offs, would you want to face them in such incredible form?

Norwich City skipper Kenny McLean says they are now a team others are worried about facing after his brilliant free-kick helped them to a 2-0 win against Preston North End.

A fourth successive victory took The Canaries past 50 points, the total many regard as making a team safe from the threat of relegation, having been next to bottom when head coach Philippe Clement took over in November.

"You can look at it that way [safety], or you can look at it as we're growing, we're building, we're getting better - there's still growth in us, and we'll continue to get better, we'll continue to improve, we're desperate to get better," Scotland international McLean told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's not about looking at the table and saying what we want to achieve, we want to get better as a squad, as individuals and as a club. We want to keep pushing in the right direction, and that's what we're doing, so as long as we keep focusing on that, we'll find ourselves in a good position.

"We didn't start the season well enough; we're now building a bit of momentum; we're going well - we're not a team people want to come up against right now, and that's down to the hard work we're putting in."

On his 20-yard free-kick goal, McLean said: "Not too many times have I had the opportunity from there. I've allowed others to take that responsibility, but it was about time I stepped up, and I think I'll do so more often. We have had a few this season and nobody stuck it away, so that's my call now, I'll be on them.

"We do a lot on set pieces. Nick [Stanley] works so hard with his team, and it is something he'll look at: different takers from different ranges, different corner takers for different deliveries.

"He'll put [a list of] takers up in the changing room, and then a lot of the time I'll decide what goes on on the pitch. I want others to step up and have the confidence and the responsibility to do that, and [normally] if they do, I'm more than happy to give them it - but maybe not now."

Norwich are away to Southampton on Wednesday evening, and another win would see them climb into the Championship's top 10.

Southampton could book a place in the play-offs when they host Norwich City on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

Should Wrexham fail to take any points away at Watford on Tuesday, the door will open for the Saints to take their sixth placed spot thanks to a superior goal difference.

However, Norwich's form under boss Philippe Clement has seen them rise from the relegation zone to just nine points under the Red Dragons and with a four-match winning streak to extend, beating the Canaries will be no easy task.

• Southampton are winless in their last three league meetings with Norwich City (D2 L1), since a 2-0 victory in the Premier League in February 2022.

• After a 1-0 victory in January 2008, Norwich City are winless in their eight league visits to Southampton since (D3 L5), conceding 20 goals in that run (2.5 per game).

• Southampton have lost only one of their 11 home league games under Tonda Eckert (W7 D3), winning three of their last four matches since a 1-2 loss to Hull City in January. Indeed, only Ipswich Town (0) have lost fewer home games in the Championship in that time.

• Norwich City have won five of their last six away league games (L1), as many as in their previous 33 matches (D12 L16), while they could record three successive away league clean sheets for the first time since January 2018 (4).

• Southampton's Finn Azaz has four goal involvements in six previous league appearances against Norwich City (3 goals, 1 assist)