David Wagner Close to Getting the Sack
Things are not going well at Norwich City, far from it, as the Canaries are currently sitting 17th in the EFL Championship following four consecutive defeats. In fact, the team was booed off the pitch by the Carrow Road faithful after their 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on November 5.
Winless in their last six league matches, Norwich City are seriously considering sacking head coach David Wagner. The former United States international was appointed at Carrow Road in January 2023 when the team was sitting 11th in the EFL Championship. He was able to break their four-match winless run, but a streak of disappointing results towards the end of the season saw Norwich City finish just 13th. Certainly, Wagner has not been able to improve the team over the summer and the Canaries risk going another season without at least a play-off spot.
As per reports, the club higher-ups held a meeting following the loss to Blackburn and decided to give the 52-year-old one final chance – the away match against Cardiff City on November 11.
However, it is difficult to imagine Wagner being able to get a positive result against Cardiff who are currently placed seventh and have lost just one home game this term so far.
Potential Next Norwich City Manager
It appears that the Carrow Road officials do not believe in Wagner’s chances either and have reportedly compiled a shortlist from which to choose the next Norwich City manager. Rumour has it that Frank Lampard is placed high on that list but the other names have not been revealed. So, in case the 45-year-old is not hired by the Canaries, we have presented a couple of alternatives which may excite the Norwich fans.
Frank Lampard
As mentioned above, the British press claims Frank Lampard is in the running for the job at Carrow Road should David Wagner get the sack. As per the same report, the 45-year-old is open to dropping down to the EFL Championship and assuming charge at Norwich City after his disappointing spells with Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League. He has reportedly rejected offers from Europe and the United States as he wants to build a career at home.
Lampard already has some knowledge of the EFL Championship as he led Derby County to a play-off spot in the 2018/19 season. It was his work with the Rams that earned him the managerial position at Chelsea. However, Lampard could not replicate his success at Stamford Bridge in a coaching role.
His Derby County was playing some exciting football in the EFL Championship but the former English international was forced to adapt a more conservative play-style once he started working in the top flight. However, Carrow Road will offer Lampard the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and perfect his coaching skills in a less competitive environment.
John Eustace
We do not yet know who the alternatives to Frank Lampard are but John Eustace would seem like a solid option. The 44-year-old was dismissed by fellow EFL Championship club Birmingham City in October and is currently on the job market.
Curiously, Eustace was not fired by the Blues due to poor results. In the 2022/23 season, he achieved a five-year-high 17th-place finish with Birmingham, and the team was sitting sixth at the time of his departure. However, the club wanted to invite Wayne Rooney, who has lost three matches and drawn one since his appointment at St Andrew’s.
At the same time, we should mention that Birmingham City was the first professional-level job for Eustace. Previously, he had worked as an assistant and caretaker manager at QPR and the Republic of Ireland. And between 2016 and 2018, he managed Kidderminster Harriers in the National League who he made famous for their attacking approach.
Scott Parker
You may not be aware of it but Scott Parker has some history with Norwich City as he played on loan at Carrow Park for two months in 2000/01. He would go on to make six league appearances for the Canaries and score one goal before returning to Charlton Athletic, his parent club.
Similar to Lampard, Parker needs to start afresh after his disastrous spell in Belgium with Club Brugge where he recorded just two wins in 12 matches at the start of 2023 and was quickly dismissed from the Jan Breydel Stadium.
Previously, the former English international had spells with Fulham and Bournemouth. In both cases, Parker took the teams from the EFL Championship to Premier League, earning promotion via play-offs or by finishing as runner-ups.
The 2020/21 campaign with Fulham was his only full season in the Premier League but the manager did not survive it as the Cottagers suffered relegation. Perhaps Norwich should keep this in mind if they will consider Parker as an option.