From Basement Blues to Play-Off Push: Norwich’s Remarkable Turnaround

From Basement Blues to Play-Off Push: Norwich’s Remarkable Turnaround

On his first start in Norwich City colours, Mohamed Toure announced himself in devastating fashion, plundering a hat-trick as the Canaries swept aside Oxford United 3–0.

Toure’s treble makes it 15 points from their last 18 for Norwich, their only blemish coming against top-of-the-table Middlesbrough.

Whilst they still sit in the bottom half of the Championship, the congestion in the midtable means they are just eight points shy of Wrexham in 6th, a gap that seems far from insurmountable.

But it has not always been like that this campaign.

But what has tied this resurgence together?

A change of manager, a more confident team, and a young striker ready to score goals.

Early Season Fog

For weeks, Norwich drifted.

In a previous guise, Norwich were cast as the Premier League’s perennial yo-yo. Too refined for the Championship, not forged for the Premier League’s margins.

Now, that cycle feels distant. An illusion. A memory from a different era.

Teemu Pukki and Wes Hoolahan are no longer here to guide the Canaries back to glory.

This season has felt like a social experiment for Norwich fans. A test to see how long they will stick to a sinking ship.

Over the first 15 games of the Championship season, the East Anglican club picked up nine points—all coming on the road, leaving the home fans with no joy, the yellow-and-green scarves drooping long before the final whistle.

Hometown hero turned outcast Liam Manning was shown the door. In his last 11 games in charge, Norwich picked up just three points.

Four points adrift and second bottom of the league. The only saving grace is that Sheffield Wednesday had been deducted 18 points, ensuring Norwich did not bring up the foot of the table.

The relief that swept across Norwich at the announcement of Manning’s dismissal was palpable, almost cathartic. A reset button that could potentially save their season.

Norwich City's form since appointing Liam Manning#ncfc pic.twitter.com/wuLKLvPpFY

— 𝓓𝔂𝓵𝓪𝓷 𝓒𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓼 (@DylanCurtis1902) October 27, 2025

Few fans, however, could have foreseen the surge that was about to come.

A Belgian Touch: Clement Conducts Change

10 days after Maning’s sacking, Phillipe Clement was appointed the new manager of Norwich City.

A former Belgian international who had experience managing at Club Brugge, Monaco and Rangers, Clement was bought in after just nine months without a job following his dismissal from Rangers.

The waters have hardly been calm, yet under Clement, the Canaries have found both momentum and direction.

18 games, 10 wins, three draws, and five losses.

It is not a record that makes you cry out with joy, but the underlying trajectory is far more encouraging.

1.83 points per game—enough to help you reach the play-offs in every single Championship season—33 goals scored, and across the last 10 matches, the division’s strongest return: 21 points from a possible 30.

This is Philippe Clement’s Norwich City. He’s turned us into the most inform team in the Championship, while still managing a huge injury list. The turnaround is frightening pic.twitter.com/woNrYYKQ75

— Jack Reeve (@JackReeveTNC) February 10, 2026

One of the standout players in these matches has been Jovon Makama. Ten goals and one assist since Clement came in, but the manner in which he scored them is what makes the young Englishman truly special.

Against Southampton, Charlton, Queens Park Rangers and Wrexham, Makama did more than simply add his name to the scoresheet; he delivered the decisive blow.

His contributions against Oxford and Preston carried similar weight. On both occasions, his goals proved to be Norwich’s only return of the afternoon, salvaging draws that could have easily turned into losses earlier in the season.

Makama’s goals across these six games has resulted in 14 points for Norwich, 35% of their total points tally for the season.

During this time, he also netted a hat-trick against League Two side Walsall in the FA Cup—naturally scoring the winner once again.

A reminder that Jovon Makama is just 21-years-old.

This is his first season in the Championship.

Just his second season in his career as a regular starter.

What a find he was for Norwich 🙌pic.twitter.com/A1sWnRSK4J

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) January 18, 2026

Samuel Paulson, a 34-year-old Norwich City fan, believes the shift has been unmistakable. “Under Manning, we looked like we had no plan. The players looked lost on the pitch, and individual performances were bad throughout the whole squad.

“The improvement in individual players has been phenomenal,” he told me. “It has been incredible to witness. If we can keep hold of Clement, I am certain this is the start of an incredible era for Norwich City.”

14 games remain for Clement and Norwich this season. Eight points seem like a stretch, yet with this form, it could quickly disappear.