Clement’s turnaround triumph last season, to drag the Canaries out of relegation trouble to a top 10 finish, raised expectations.

The Belgian is fully on board with a top eight play-off target this time around, in his first full season at the helm, but 'take two' has brought an uncomfortable seven league defeats in 10 ahead of Portsmouth’s weekend Carrow Road visit.

“It’s been a harder journey at the beginning of the season than everybody expected," he said, speaking on Friday at Colney.

"Also, me, although I was not sharing the hype after the pre-season, but it’s about looking forward now and to take every game as an opportunity to get these points, but to focus on the performance.

“If you have a really bad performance what is the chance that you get a result? You can have a lucky day then, but you cannot go into a game to say, ‘Okay, we're going to play bad now, but we're going to get the three points. It doesn't work that way’.

"It's always about the performance, playing good, but it doesn't mean playing sexy football. No, playing to win the game.”

The life of Norwich City fan and former joint majority shareholder Michael Wynn Jones will be celebrated before kick-off (Image: Dan Hambury/Focus Images Ltd)

Clement’s fan appeal from the midweek Southampton defeat remains in place for their bitter south-coast rivals. But the City chief dismissed the idea this is a must-win.

“All the games are big. I told you from the beginning when I started. For me, every game is a cup final,” he said. “So that was from the first game of the season the case, but of course, you want to get the reward of the efforts that the players are making.

“It always feels as a must-win. So that never changes. That will never change with me. I'm also gutted with losing games, I hate it.

"But I'm here also to guide these young players in a good way towards better results and better performances, and to get what they what they deserve, and they deserve more until now.

“The fans were really good (against Southampton). And I understand the boos from people at the end. I understand the disappointment. But they gave everything to keep on supporting the players on the pitch because it helps a lot.

"And there were also people still staying positive after the game. It's the same with me. It's the same with the players not getting the three points, or not at least the point, and you don't see in the results the development that the team is making.

"That's the disappointing part, but looking at the Bolton game to Southampton, or Swansea, I think the team showed a really totally different face.”

Abu Kamara makes his latest return to former club Norwich City with Portsmouth (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Portsmouth proved obdurate visitors last season in a 1-1 Carrow Road draw, and Clement sees a degree of re-invention in terms of playing style woven around a threat in wide areas, which includes one-time Norwich academy product Abu Kamara.

“They surprised me also when I saw the games that they played the last days,” he said. “I had a memory of last season where it was a game with the ball constantly in the air and goal kicks and throw-ins and free kicks and not much football.

"I have to say that we also didn't play a good game that day. I was a little bit surprised about that also, because it was in a good period that we struggled to play our normal game.

“I've seen them play now, for example, the Southampton game and even before the red card they were the better team on the ball.

“Also, playing good combination play against a team who pressed them one on one. So they clearly stepped up from last season in terms of the level that they're showing.

"They did some good transfers and they have really good wingers in the one against one situations. They play well out of the back so it's going be a hard game. We know that, but we want to get the win over the line now, and that's the most important thing out of this game.”

City fans are advised to take their seats early before kick-off, with the club planning a tribute to celebrate the life of former joint majority shareholder and honorary life president Michael Wynn Jones. There will be a video tribute on the Carrow Road screen and a period of applause, with former players and staff expected to be present.