Norwich City: Clement on Stoke loss and Championship woes

The Canaries have now lost three of their opening four league tussles after a 1-0 midweek setback at Stoke.

Clement led a remarkable turnaround to guide the Canaries away from relegation last season, but City have started poorly in their bid to compete for the play-offs.

“I was very disappointed, close to angry, after our Millwall defeat because we didn't show our identity,” he said. “We didn't play a good game. We didn't deserve the points. That was clear. But at Stoke it was also clear.

"Maybe for people who are Stoke supporters they always will see things through a red glass, and they will say maybe something different. But every neutral will say that Norwich had to win.

“The only thing you can do as a team is to have consistency in your performances. If you do that, points follow. It doesn't guarantee to get a point when you're a better team. That's not football, so we need to continue what we've been doing and the way the team is playing.

"If they keep on doing that, and we can tweak again certain details to make them better, to get players more up to speed, to get them better, then the points will follow in the next couple of weeks.

"But it's a relentless league, and games are decided on tight margins. But for me the Stoke performance between the two teams was not such a tight margin.”

City dominated possession and territory in the Potteries, but were toothless in the final third and gifted Stoke a match-winner with Pelle Mattsson’s costly turnover, and Jack Stacey’s big deflection to divert an Ethan Galbraith strike.

“I was asked if I was frustrated after this game, seeing how the team played and not getting the points. I think that's a big conclusion,” said Clement. “We were the dominant team, the best team on the ball, the team getting the best chances, creating the best chances. But you lose a game on a transition moment.

“The possession difference was really big, the creation of chance was really big but it is not like basketball or volleyball, when you are so dominant you have a bigger percentage chance to win.

"You can win in football with less possession and less big chances.”