We have more potential than we've shown - Clement
- Published
Newly appointed Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement has spoken to the press for the first time since joining the club earlier this week.
He takes charge of the team on Saturday (15:00 GMT) for his first taste of the Championship as the Canaries visit Birmingham City.
Norwich are in the relegation zone, four points adrift of safety and without a win since August.
Here are some of the key points:
On why he took the job: "I think two weeks ago I wouldn't have. After some good talks I realised that we are really aligned in our thinking. By the end of our talks I saw there is much more potential in the club than they are currently showing. It's like writing a book, we are only on the first few pages. We have a lot still to write."
Clement says the season is a marathon not a sprint and he will implement his thoughts as quickly as possible, but it will take time to do so.
"What I want in football is to win every game as a player and manager," he added.
Sporting director Ben Knapper said when they originally approached Clement, they thought he was a "stretched target", given his impressive CV.
Clement says he's been impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the players and staff since he joined.
On his break from football since leaving Rangers, Clement says he took some time to be with his family after spending so many years in football. He then had a hip operation in the summer, which has kept him out of the game.
On the Championship, he says he's used to a relentless schedule of football given his time with clubs that had European matches as well as their domestic commitment.
"I know it's a hard league where things can change very fast, both up and down," Clement said. "It's a tough competition but those are the things I like. I demand from the players for them to give their life on the pitch."
He says he likes that he can see all the bad things about the club, rather than everyone trying to put on a brave face for him.
Clement also says it's a fresh start for all the players. He hasn't made judgments on each of them after just four days. He's given them a questionnaire to take away to get to know them better, as quickly as possible.
His priorities at the moment are getting some defensive principles into the team, but he doesn't want that to leave them toothless going forward. He says he's curious as to how quickly his players take on the new information.
On Birmingham, he says he wants to see a never give up mentality from his players this weekend. Faster reactions, better communication among other things.
Despite having nine players still unavailable, Clement says he is still looking at it as a "glass half-full", rather than half-empty.
You can listen to full live commentary of Birmingham City v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 14:00 on Saturday.
You can also watch back Clement's first press conference here.