Clement and Pedersen face sleepless nights as EFL pressure mounts
As dusk settles over Carrow Road, Norwich City boss Philippe Clement watches the floodlights flicker, aware that each shortening day mirrors the dwindling patience of the club’s supporters and the tightening grip of EFL scrutiny on his tenure in the league.
Clement and Pedersen under the microscope
Norwich City boss Philippe Clement and Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen are both under intense scrutiny as the season, barely two months old, already feels ruthless. The shortening daylight is used as a metaphor for the dwindling time some EFL managers have left in the dugout. Pressure is mounting across the division.
Lower‑league shake‑up sees two exits
In the past 48 hours Crawley Town’s forward Colin Kazim‑Richards has left the club, and Bromley’s Andy Woodman, the third longest‑serving manager in the 92 clubs, has also exited. Their departures add to the turbulence already affecting the lower tiers of the EFL.
Norwich City’s precarious start to 2026‑27
Only Preston, with 24 goals conceded, have let in more than Norwich, who have allowed 21 this season. After Clement took over at Carrow Road last November, only four teams collected more points than the Canaries – 56 – in the remainder of the 2025‑26 campaign, a run that saw Norwich climb from bottom to ninth. This optimism has vanished, with a run of five straight defeats leaving the club 21st on nine points from 11 games, a point and a place better than at the same stage last season under Liam Manning.
Former Hull City striker Aaron McLean said, “I’ve got egg on my face because they were my wild promotion pick so I’m as surprised as anyone that they’re doing so badly. I thought the job Clement did when he came in last year was incredible and I really fancied them to kick on this season and not only challenge for the play‑offs, but challenge for automatic promotion.” He added that the team now looks “void of any confidence”.
Sheffield Wednesday sack Henrik Pedersen as eighth‑place slump deepens
Norwich have also lost striker Mohamed Toure, who scored five goals in seven league games, to a shoulder injury that will keep him out for several months. Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk, “It’s my task to stay calm in the frustration because if everybody starts to panic, we are not going to have the season we want. There are still 35 games to play.”
The Canaries travel to Charlton Athletic on Saturday. The Addicks have gone eight matches without a victory since winning their opening three, yet remain unbeaten at The Valley and have conceded only twice on home soil. The fixture offers Clement a chance to halt the slide.
In the Championship, Cardiff City, promoted last season, have recorded a 5‑1 win over Watford and a draw at Middlesbrough, moving to 19th and three points clear of danger under Brian Barry‑Murphy. They face in‑form Birmingham City, who have won three in a row, are unbeaten in five, sit fourth and sit two points off the automatic promotion places, with manager Chris Davies – a former Swansea City coach – adding intrigue.
EFL promotion hopes wobble as Sheffield Wednesday dismiss manager
Meanwhile, Stockport County enjoy their best start since the 1994‑95 season after 11 games. The departure of Dave Challinor, who spent almost five years at Edgeley Park, was unexpected, yet the club now appears poised to challenge for promotion again.