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FLW's Norwich fan pundit has given his verdict on the potential appointment of James Ellis

Norwich City have climbed their way into an outside chance of earning a play-off place in the Championship.

The Canaries were mired in a relegation battle earlier in the campaign, but the arrival of Philippe Clement as head coach has completely changed their fortunes.

The Norfolk outfit are enjoying a strong end to the season, and are now eight points adrift of Southampton in sixth place.

Clement’s side still only have a slim chance of achieving a place inside the play-offs given there are only five games remaining, but the mood around the club has changed dramatically compared to during Liam Manning’s time in the dugout.

Their change in fortune has taken the heat off sporting director Ben Knapper, whose position at Carrow Road was under intense scrutiny when the team were down in the bottom half of the Championship table.

It has been reported by Football Insider that Norwich are keen on appointing Arsenal’s former technical director James Ellis in a role behind the scenes, but they face competition from Bristol City in their bid to reunite him with his former colleague at the Emirates in Knapper.

James Ellis appointment would be encouraging for Norwich

When asked about the potential appointment of Ellis, FLW’s Norwich fan pundit Zeke Downes claimed that it would be good to get him working with his former Arsenal colleague Knapper again.

He believes that this could be a smart appointment as their experience of knowing how each other works could prove quite beneficial, particularly with the pressure on the Canaries’ sporting director now diminishing with their good form.

“I do think that it is a good thing to have a staff that are used to working with each other,” Downes told Football League World.

“So if this is something that we can make happen, then it will be a positive.

“This might help Knapper keep his place at the club, although I think he’s probably okay anyway right now because obviously we are doing really well.

“But there was a point when his job was under scrutiny.

“I think this would be a really good thing if it can happen.”

Knapper replaced Stuart Webber when he took over as sporting director in November 2023.

The 38-year-old previously worked as the loan manager at Arsenal, where he spent four years in the role.

He has been heavily involved in both the recruitment of head coaches like Manning and Clement, as well as their transfer activity in this time.

Clement has overseen Norwich’s rise to ninth in the Championship table, with the team winning six of their last eight league fixtures.

The Canaries have five games left to close the eight point gap to sixth place Southampton, and the Saints also have a fixture in hand, meaning it will be quite the task to make it into the play-offs from their position.

Nevertheless, Norwich can still have a big impact on the promotion battle as this weekend they will face bitter rivals and second place team Ipswich Town.

The latest edition of the East Anglian derby will take place at Carrow Road on 11 April in a 12.30pm kick-off.

James Ellis appointment would strengthen Ben Knapper’s position at Norwich

Knapper could’ve easily been sacked given the amount of pressure he was under when things weren’t going well under Manning.

But the appointment of Ellis, if it were to happen, would surely be a sign that his position at the club has now been strengthened.

The arrival of Clement has led to a massive turnaround in fortune, which will give Knapper some runway going into a possibly quite busy summer window.

While a top six finish this season looks unlikely, the club are well positioned to fight for promotion next year if they can keep this team together.