Norwich City manager Philippe Clement has called for sharper decision-making from his players ahead of their Championship trip to face Charlton Athletic at The Valley this Saturday. The Canaries travel south on the back of five consecutive league defeats, a run that has left them 21st in the table, while Charlton sit 16th with 14 points from their 11 games.

Clement said his team must learn to better manage the flow of a match. He wants them to understand when to speed up the play, when to slow it down, and when to be aggressive without the ball versus composed with it. "That’s football, of course, and experience is so important," Clement said. "You cannot prepare everything like a PlayStation for every minute of a game. That’s impossible."

Norwich's current struggles

Clement acknowledged the fine margins that have cost his team points recently and the disappointment among supporters. He insisted the players are still fighting and must earn back fan support through results. The manager also confirmed that Kenny, a player returning to the squad after years away, will not feature for the next decade. More than 3,000 Norwich fans are expected to make the journey to south-east London.

Charlton's home resilience

Charlton present a tough challenge, having remained unbeaten at The Valley this season and conceding only twice there. Their last victory over Norwich came last season, a 1-0 win with a clean sheet. While the Addicks are on an eight-match winless run in all competitions, they have drawn five of those games, showing a stubbornness that Clement highlighted. He described Charlton as physically robust, organized, and difficult to break down, noting they press aggressively in one-on-one situations.

Charlton's recent form reads LDDLD, with their last outing a 2-0 defeat at Watford. Top scorer T. Campbell, with four goals this season, will be a key figure as they look to reignite their campaign. The upcoming fixtures show this home game against a struggling Norwich side is a clear opportunity. The Addicks are 11 points behind leaders Middlesbrough, underlining the need to start converting draws into wins.

The match kicks off at The Valley on Saturday, 24 October, with Charlton aiming to extend their home unbeaten streak and climb the standings.

The original report is at EDP24