Former Norwich striker Dean Ashton believes Philippe Clement has transformed the Canaries since taking charge, with the Belgian’s ability to improve his inherited squad giving the club genuine grounds for promotion optimism this season.
Former Norwich striker Dean Ashton believes Canaries boss Philippe Clement has done a brilliant job at improving the players he inherited as he looks to lead a promotion push this season.
Clement’s appointment at Carrow Road last November came at a time when the team was second-from-bottom in the Championship with only nine points gained from 15 games. The Belgian soon began to turn their form around, with Norwich winning 14 of their 22 games after the New Year, including emphatic victories on the road at West Brom and Bristol City.
This transformed them from potential relegation candidates to a side that finished ninth in the table – with Ashton believing they could have gate-crashed the play-offs had the season run for a few more weeks.
On Clement’s impact, Ashton said: “I think he’s got a ruthless edge, I think he works them hard and he got them organised straight away. They got a character about them all of a sudden, from a team that looked like they were the easiest team to beat in the division, they had a steeliness about them.
“I always think the mark of a really good manager is that the players who are already there improve, and that’s what he did for a lot of the players that were already there [when he took charge]. He’s raised those levels, he’s improved those players and he’s brought a competitiveness to the squad.
“He was giving young players a chance ahead of senior players because he wanted that competitive edge week in, week out. Let’s just hope it continues where it left off.”
Norwich’s signings so far this summer have raised hopes of a promotion push, as the club chases what would be a return to the Premier League for the first time in five years.
Young Brazilian defender Bruno Alves has come in on loan from Cruzeiro, with Cameroon international Darlin Yongwa and midfielder Sam Field coming in from Lorient and QPR respectively.
But it’s the arrival of midfielder Andre Brooks, 22, from Sheffield United for a fee understood to be worth an initial £8m that has most caught the eye.
Ashton, who lives in Norwich having scored 18 goals in 46 appearances during his time with the Canaries, said: “That was one that probably surprised a few people.
“He’s a talented young player, obviously, who’s done great while he developed at Sheffield United.
“You’d like to think what he heard from the manager and the club, with their ambitions, and maybe after seeing how it was after the back end of last season, he sees something exciting there.
“If you’re starting to attract those types of players, then you’re hoping to have a good season.”
Ashton was speaking at the launch of a new partnership between the EFL and Compare the Market which will give users of the latter’s app access to exclusive club prizes and experiences via community initiatives, fan-first activations and a new rewards programme.
In celebration of the new partnership, another of his former clubs – Crewe Alexandra – have renamed themselves ‘Crewe Alexandr’ for the first week of the season, after the brand’s famous meerkat mascot.
Ashton said: “Having a brand that’s recognisable and that people can associate with at these football clubs and connect with them through their football club is really important to supporters.
“Football is fun, that’s why I got into it, so I think the connection between the brand and the EFL is ideal.”
Compare the Market’s famous meerkat, Aleksandr, becomes the face of “Crewe Aleksandr” to mark the start of a new EFL-wide partnership that will celebrate and reward fans of all 72 football clubs