Norwich City manager Philippe Clement believes Middlesbrough's significant financial outlay this summer means they must be considered promotion contenders. His comments follow a frantic 4-3 defeat at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
Clement pointed to the scale of investment at the Teesside club, which he said was around £40 million aimed at securing a Premier League return. The figure includes performance-related add-ons that could push the total spending towards £50 million, with the deal for striker Will Lankshear alone potentially worth £20m.
"It was a frantic game with two teams really going to win," Clement said. "We started very good, aggressive, good on the ball, scoring a goal like we wanted to create chances."
The context of spending
Clement's assessment is that this level of expenditure, boosted by money from player sales including Hayden Hackney and Morgan Whittaker, creates a clear expectation. He noted that Middlesbrough were the best team in last season's Championship play-off final and suggested they should have been promoted then. With their subsequent market activity, he described them as a guaranteed play-off qualifier this campaign.
His remarks echo similar comments made by Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan just seven days earlier. Opposition bosses are increasingly referencing Boro's financial power to contextualise their own team's performances and results.
A game of errors
The match itself was a wild affair that ultimately left Norwich empty-handed. Mohamed Toure gave the Canaries a dream start inside the first minute, but defensive mistakes proved costly. Middlesbrough hit back quickly through Sebastian Berhalter and Amario Cozier-Duberry, with Berhalter adding a third before the break.
Clement addressed his players at half-time, urging them to believe they could get back into the contest. They responded with goals from J. Makama and Jacob Wright to level at 3-3, only for Ashley Phillips to snatch a late winner for the hosts in stoppage time.
Where Norwich stand
The defeat leaves Norwich 12th in the Championship table with nine points from seven games. Their record shows three wins and four losses, with 13 goals scored and 13 conceded. Their recent form reads LWWLW, putting them five points behind early leaders West Ham.
Injuries continue to be a factor, with Ali Ahmed, Lucien Mahovo and Mirko Topić currently sidelined. The latest availability news is always on our injuries page.
Attention now turns to a home fixture against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday. Bolton sit 20th in the table, offering a chance for Norwich to bounce back at Carrow Road. The full schedule is available on our fixtures list.
