There is one massive problem at Norwich City - Philippe Clement can't ignore it now | OneFootball

Philippe Clement must consider dropping Vladan Kovacevic, with the goalkeeper having a poor start to the 2026/27 season.

Norwich City were among the favourites for promotion in pre-season after their outstanding form under Philippe Clement.

The ex-Rangers chief arrived at Carrow Road in November 2025, inheriting a team sitting 23rd in the Championship table, having picked up just nine points from 15 games.

With the fans furious at the situation, and the players low on confidence, Clement had a difficult job on his hands, but he quickly got his message across to the group, and the Canaries moved out of the relegation picture with ease, and a top six finish seemed possible at one stage.

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Norwich City have major defensive problems

Therefore, many expected Norwich to take that into the 2026/27 campaign, but, after eight games, the Norfolk outfit are languishing in 17th.

Of course, it’s too early to draw firm conclusions, and Norwich are as close to the play-offs as the relegation zone, but there has been one major problem for Clement since the opening day loss to West Brom - the team are conceding too many goals.

The 17 they have shipped in eight games is the joint-worst in the league, along with Burnley, and successive 4-3 defeats have shown that, if anything, the issue is getting worse.

In that sense, the international break has come at the right time for Clement, as he will get to work with the bulk of his players on a day-to-day basis, and improving the defence will be the priority.

Vladan Kovacevic has struggled for form this season

Yet, whilst they must become more organised and structured out of possession, a lot of Norwich’s problems have stemmed from individual errors, and goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic has had a poor season so far.

According to FotMob, he ranks bottom of the Championship when it comes to goals prevented from keepers this season, having let in 5.4 goals more than he should have.

Obviously, these figures don’t tell the whole story, as in some cases a quality strike can’t be stopped, but Kovacevic isn’t passing the eye test either.

His positional play has been suspect, his handling has been unreliable, and he seems to be struggling under pressure.

It would be wrong to write Kovacevic off, as he was number one during Norwich’s excellent run last season, so Clement, and the club, will back the 28-year-old to get back to his best.

Daniel Grimshaw must be under consideration for Philippe Clement ahead of Swansea City test

But, Clement must be tempted by making a change, even if backup Daniel Grimshaw didn’t exactly cover himself in glory in the 5-0 EFL Cup defeat to Manchester City last week.

Nevertheless, Grimshaw has been a decent keeper over the years, and he has played at this level with Blackpool and Plymouth in the past, so it’s not like Clement would be throwing a kid in at the deep end.

Some may feel that Kovacevic should be allowed to play himself back into form, and it makes sense that the boss has backed the keeper in public, but Clement needs to send a message that the recent defensive displays are not acceptable.

So, the ex-Sporting CP man may not be the only one to lose his place, but you have a squad for this very reason, and, if he is handed a start against Swansea, it would be down to Grimshaw to show he deserves to keep the shirt.

Norwich City must improve as a collective to fulfil promotion dream

Ultimately, though, the first eight games of the season have been a wake-up call for Norwich, who have not shown the same consistency that they had previously displayed under Clement.

As outlined above, there are several players alongside Kovacevic who should be fearing for their place in the XI, as the reality is that so many are underperforming right now.

Injuries to Ben Chrisene, Kenny McLean and Mo Toure aren’t what the Belgian boss needs, but it will force him to look at alternatives when they take on the Swans after the break.

That will be a stern test for Norwich, and if they can get a result, it could be just what they need to kickstart their season.

So, Clement will use the next few weeks to assess his squad, and it will be intriguing to see who starts in goal, as Kovacevic’s struggles could have opened the door for Grimshaw.