Following five successive Championship defeats, Norwich City is stuck just above the division’s relegation zone, but Football League World’s Canaries correspondent believes there is no need to panic just yet.

Norwich City’s recent bad form continued on Saturday with their fifth consecutive Championship defeat. Marko Milovanović scored a second-half penalty kick to secure a 1-0 home loss against Portsmouth.

The victory puts Norwich in 21st place in the Championship, trailing only Burnley, Derby County, and Preston North End, and it’s heating up under head coach Phillipe Clement.

The former Rangers manager has been at Carrow Road since November 2025, when he succeeded Liam Manning, but while he guided the team to a mid-table finish by the end of the 2025-26 season, the Canaries’ sluggish start in 2026-27 has prompted calls for his dismissal.

Philippe Clement hopes to turn Norwich City’s season around.

Football League World interviewed Norwich City fan pundit Zeke Downes about the club’s current situation and if replacing Philippe Clement would be a smart idea. Downes expressed doubts.Zeke told FLW, “I don’t see how we can change the manager.”He is certainly an excellent manager, since we won several games with him in charge last season. I’m not really sure what’s going on.”

Zeke recognises difficulties with Norwich’s defensive, which has not maintained a clean sheet in 11 Championship games this season.”I believe the defence has declined,” Downes remarked.I’d say the goalkeeper isn’t good enough and isn’t making any saves,

but the defence in front of him has been a little weaker this season for many reasons. “On paper, the lineup appears to be strong, so I’m not sure what the issue is.”I believe the midfield could do more to shield the defence, and perhaps the wingers should track back more. But I don’t think it’s too lot to worry about, and I believe it will improve shortly.

What are Norwich City fans saying about Philippe Clement on social media?

Norwich City’s recent collapse has sparked a lot of online speculation regarding Phillipe Clement’s future at the club, so here’s a sample of what’s being written about him.

This supporter has an idea about what should happen next, but believes Clement should be retained to supervise the changes he wants to see at the club.

Philippe Clement is certainly gifted, but calls for his head are increasing with each setback.

It’s been less than a year since Phillipe Clement arrived at Carrow Road, and his impact on the team has been remarkable.

By the time he was appointed on November 18th, the club had already lost ten of their first fifteen League matches of the season. Under Clement, they only lost nine of their next 31, one of which was his first match in command, against Birmingham City, barely four days after his appointment.

Norwich City’s last five Championship games

Opponent

Result

Middlesbrough away.

Lost 3-4

Bolton Wanderers’ home

Lost 3-4

Swansea City Away

Lost 1-2

Southampton home

Lost 0-1

Portsmouth home

Lost 0-1

So far this season, the Canaries have had little trouble scoring goals. They may be 21st in the Championship, but they have 17 goals in their first 11 games, more than anybody else in the bottom half of the table and one more than league leaders Swansea City.

However, the defence has definitely been a concern. Only bottom-of-the-table Preston North End have conceded more goals than them, and Norwich have conceded at least three goals in a game three times in their first eleven games, while Manchester City put five past them without reply in the EFL Cup.

Is this enough to justify replacing the manager? Clement is undoubtedly talented and experienced, having previously managed Genk, Club Brugge, Monaco, and Rangers, and he swiftly improved things at Carrow Road when he arrived in November 2025. They were 23rd in the table when he took control, but by the conclusion of 2025-26, they were 9th and only eight points away from a play-off spot.

Sporting Director Ben Knapper has also faced significant criticism from Norwich fans in recent years as the team has fallen from being a yo-yo between the Premier League and the Championship. And there is a point to be made that replacing the head coach every time your club loses four or five games in a row is unlikely to give the sort of backroom stability that can catapult the team up the standings.

But there’s no denying that Norwich’s form is exceedingly troubling, and unless it improves quickly, calls for his replacement will get louder until club owner Mark Attanasio can no longer ignore them. Norwich City cannot afford relegation to League One, and without reform, both on and off the pitch, there is a growing fear that this is where the Canaries will end up.