CarrowRoad.Net - Norwich City Football News

Philippe Clement Positive on Stacey & Makama Injury News

In the post match press conference yesterday, following the team's 3-1 win at hopme at Carrow Road against QPR, head coach Philippe Clement presented a positive update on both Jack Stacey's injury, and that of other players who have been absent recently

“We have to wait and see with Jack, whether it was a contact or not, or how bad it is. Let's hope, touch wood, for good news. We lost already Mirko and we don't lose another player. I'm always from the half full glass, you know. I will wait the next few days for what the assessment will be. 

Jovon Makama was also absent against QPR after sickness in the hours ahead of kick-off.

“Jovon was planned to start. He became sick, at the (team) meeting he got fever, so he had to go out of the squad,” said Clement, who also hinted after the win some of the longer term absentees might be in position to re-join training ahead of the trip to Watford.

OTBC

Carrow Road Atmosphere Rocking Again

Well, it was long overdue, but credit to the new Norwich City Head Coach Philippe Clement the feel good factor is back.  

In recent weeks the Norwich fans have been staying after the game, not to celebrate a win, but to make noisy protests against the running of the club.  Yesterday was a different matter however.

After an encouraging performance in mid week against Oxford United which showed the first green shoots of the new era, Norwich City yesterday produced a display to celebrate. Attacking football is back at Carrow Road and giving the fans something to shout about. 

Yesterday's 3-1 victory at home to QPR could easily have been 4-1 if it were not for a tight call on offside to rule out a Josh Sargent goal.  And having given the fans something to cheer about, the team were rewarded with a fantastic atmosphere.

The energy and noise post game as thousands of fans stayed behind to celebrate with the players was something to savour. It was also picked up on by new Canaries head coach Philippe Clement in his post match interview "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."

The positive energy then continued long after the match, with one caller on BBC Radio Norfolk's Canary Call declaring that whilst it may only be three games, the new head coach should already be given the freedom of the city

Here's to the future and hopefully many more performances and atmospheres to match at Carrow Road as we start to claw our way back up the table OTBC

Norwich Injury Problems Continue As Topic Ruled Out For Season

Unfortunately there seems to be no respite for new Norwich City manager Philippe Clement as he has confirmed today the injury problems that have blighted Norwich's season so far have continued.

The Serbian midfielder Mirko Topic who joined the canaries in the summer has now been ruled out for the rest of the season.  Scans have confirmed an ACL injury sustained in the match against Oxford at Carrow Road on Tuesday

Topic went down with the injury inside the Oxford United penalty are in the final moments of the first half of the game before limping off during the half-time interval.

Norwich City Head Coach Philippe Clement confirmed the unfortunate injury news at his pre game press conference ahead of their match with QPR at Carrow Road. this weekend

"It's really bad news. It's an ACL. So he's going to be out for the rest of the season. He's going to get surgery as fast as possible," he confirmed  in the session at the Canaries' Colney training base.

"It's very bad news for the team, for him, for the club, for everybody. I spoke with the players around that also this morning, when I could give the message to them. First, it's important now, Mirko is somebody, and we have quite a lot, who came in a few months ago and are just here in the area.

"They come away from their families. You come into a new family with a new team, a dressing room, new guys. You make friendships. You do things outside of football and that falls away now for him.

 

Transfer Rumour: Norwich Eye First Target Of Philippe Clement Era

Well, the rumours had to start before long didn't they.  There is a rumour getting plenty of traction in the media this morning linking Norwich City to their first signing of the Philippe Clement era in January.

Norwich City are looking to bolster new manager Philippe Clement’s squad in January, as the experienced Belgian coach attempts what many Canaries fans fear may not be possible, to pull the club out of the Champtionship relegation zone.

Clement was appointed as Norwich’s head coach last week, with the 51-year-old being immediately available after he was sacked from Glasgow Rangers back in February 2025.

The Belgian coach has got off to a challenging start as he looks to try and transform Norwich's fortunes. The side lost heavily away at Birmingham City in his first game before drawing at home to Oxford United on Tuesday.

The Canaries are reported to be interested in making a move for Rio Ave winger Andre Luiz.  The player has enjoyed a strong start to his time playing in Portugal since making the move from Flamengo last year.

This season, he hads has already netted four goals and weighed in also with four assists in 11 league fixtures, delivering performances that have caused a number of teams to sit up and take notice.

Playing predominantly on the right side of midfioeld, Andre Luiz has found a habbit of managing to surge into the opposition box, often then getting on the end of crosses made to the back post.

The winger is a tricky dribbler with a good eye for a defence splitting pass, and sounds as if he could just be exactly the type of signing needed to bolster Norwich’s chances of turning their season around given the shortage of chances the front line have been managing to get.

Transfer Rumour: Jonathan Rowe attracting Premier League attention

Tottenham Hotspur could be battling with Brighton for the signature of Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe in the upcoming January transfer window.

That's according to reports from the Daily Mail, who have stated in their print edition that the 20-year-old is of interest to both clubs in the hunt to bolster their Premier League squads.

Negotiations have been delayed over a potential new contract for the Canaries' top goalscorer, whose current deal is set to run out in the summer of 2025. The club have an option to extend by a year until 2026, but were hoping to agree terms beyond that before a pause in discussions was mutually agreed.

Norwich are braced for interest in Rowe in January, but are under less pressure to sell after Mark Attanasio's intervention meant most of the club's debt was internalised.

The 2023 balance sheet was impacted by a lack of significant player sales, however, and there was a total debt attached to the club of £96million in those accounts.

New sporting director Ben Knapper has hinted at a level of financial support from Attanasio in readiness for the transfer window, with the American confirming City had looked into the signings of players to reduce the squad's age profile.

Rowe's departure would be a blow to Knapper's attempts to get that average age down, however, and mean another sale of a promising academy graduate.

The English under-21 international has scored 11goals this season, including a memorable derby day brace against Ipswich Town, and claimed two assists.

He hadn't even started a senior game going into the season, but made an instant impact as he curled home his side's first goal of the campaign in a 2-1 win over Hull in August.

 

Transfer Rumour: Burnley Striker Ashley Barnes - Deal Done!

It is understood and quoted in other media sources that Burnley striker Ashley Barnes will sign a two-year deal to become a Norwich City player from July 1

Barnes was shown around the Canaries' Colney training centre prior to their final-day 1-0 defeat to Blackpool, and has been reported to be a top target for sporting director Stuart Webber since his exit from Burnley was announced.

The Clarets striker will become a free agent when his contract expires on July 1, at which point he is set to officially become a Norwich City player.

According to transfer expert Alan Nixon, City were able to secure Barnes' signature due to the length of the deal. they were willing to offer him. Both Preston North End and Stoke were widely reported to have been tracking Barnes' situation, while Middlesbrough were supposedly also keen on a deal in the event that they fail to win the Championship play-offs.

The 33-year-old scored six league goals in 39 games last season, signing off with a goal against Cardiff as the Clarets broke the 100-point barrier for the campaign.

He's spent 10 years in Lancashire, having signed from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2013. He's made 293 appearances in that time, scoring 54 goals and earning three promotions to the Premier League.

Speaking to the Burnley Telegraph, Barnes recently said: "I’m as fit as a fiddle. Until the body says no then I’ll keep continuing to play and I want to keep continuing to play as long as possible.

"I still feel I can play in the Premier League, without a doubt. But it wasn’t to be here so it’s one of them. I’ll just have to go again and wherever I go, if it’s abroad, if it’s here, I want to win, I want to get promoted again, I want to get another challenge and see what’s what."

Transfer Rumour: Galatasaray eyeing permanent Milot Rashica move

Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray are keen to make Milot Rashica's loan move from Norwich City into a permanent one this summer, according to Hurriyet.

Currently ahead of Fenerbahce in the domestic standings by six points, Gala have already set their sights on the summer window before the current campaign is even done, and they have clearly been impressed by the Kosovan winger's performances for the club in 2022-23.

They landed Rashica on a loan deal in September for the rest of the season a full week after the English transfer window closed, with then-Norwich manager Dean Smith deciding that the 26-year-old wasn't guaranteed to be a starter for him in the Championship despite playing in the first four league matches of the season.

Since arriving in Turkey, Rashica has been regularly appearing for Galatasaray and has notched four goals and four assists in all competitions.

The hierarchy at the Nef Stadium now want to bring him in on a full-time basis, and per reports from Turkey they are set to put €7 million (£6.15 million) on the negotiating table to the Canaries to try and get them to cash in on a player they reportedly paid €11 million to Werder Bremen for in the summer of 2021.

And Hurriyet expect the Norfolk outfit to accept the offer when the time comes after he fell out of favour in 2022 at Carrow Road, although there has been a change of head coach since with David Wagner replacing Smith in the dugout.

Adam Idah fit for Sheffield United clash

Norwich City have been handed an unexpected fitness boost ahead of this weekend’s clash against Sheffield United, with one of their strikers “ready to go” after recovering from a foot injury.

Adam Idah was originally expected to miss the clash against his side’s fellow promotion chasers, but was included alongside United’s John Egan in the Republic of Ireland squad over the international break.

Speaking ahead of Monday night’s tough clash against World Cup runners-up France in Dublin, Ireland boss Stephen Kenny said: “Adam Idah is fully fit. He is okay and absolutely ready to go. Yes, he comes into our plans,” said Kenny.

“He trained well [on Saturday] and he has been playing consistently for Norwich every week so he comes back into the squad.