Norwich City have sacked manager Liam Manning after just… This move is only a few days after the club had a dismal 2-1 loss to Leicester City, their seventh loss in eight matches in the Championship. Manning’s tenure has been dealt a pretty tough hand. His new side lacked fortune on home soil, losing all seven games of their home campaign and picking up no home points at all. The fans are getting angry, and they’re ready for somebody’s head. At the same time, their mascot, Champ, has a good time as relegation-battling Norwich City hardly finds a friendly reception on its travels to rising teams.
Under Manning’s leadership, the team faced their worst season ever, resulting in an 11-game winless streak. This dramatic decline in form and performance has seen Norwich City tumble to second from bottom in the Championship, four points clear of safety. That loss to Leicester spelled the beginning of the club’s descent into chaos. Most importantly, though, it revealed key times when Norwich were able to take charge of the match. For instance, they came close to a 2-0 lead when Oscar Schwartau’s effort was superbly saved by Leicester’s goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
A Promising Start Turns Sour
Liam Manning’s move to Norwich City this summer was a bit of a surprise. He had a fine tenure at Bristol City, taking his side to the play-offs. His hiring was widely viewed as a fortress moment, Manning’s name generating immediate excitement after club owner Mark Attanasio had long held confidence in Manning’s capabilities. Earlier this month, Attanasio even made the trek into East Anglia to demonstrate his support for the embattled gaffer.
“There’s no plan to sack Liam. We hired Liam due to his record as an English football coach,” – Mark Attanasio
This vote of confidence did not last at Norwich as Manning’s tenure soon soured. The striker situation continuing though, the vocal and growing TFC away support getting shut out again, that one’s pretty scary. Consequently, the onus on the coaching staff keeps building up. The Swedish club’s leadership was under increasing pressure. Fans took out their anger on the club loudly, booing and chanting against head coach Nathan Manning and sporting director Ben Knapper.
Post-Match Fallout
Despite the terrible loss to Leicester, Manning still had to endure his post-match media obligations. He knew as well as anyone that he had been fired. This decision was indicative of his professionalism in the face of an ugly and frustrating season for the team. Norwich City went to town from the opening whistle. Leicester came back as they equalized through Bobby De-Cordova Reid before clinching the win with a stoppage-time winner from Jordan James.
“We have tried absolutely everything possible to work through this incredibly challenging period but, unfortunately, given the recent run of results and performances, we have been left with no choice other than to make a change at this stage,” – Ben Knapper
The mood around the team has gotten ugly. Manning’s sacking is an extreme about face as Norwich City, staring down the dark barrel of relegation, scrambles to save a flagging season.
Looking Ahead
With Liam Manning’s departure, Norwich City now faces the challenge of finding a suitable replacement who can reverse the team’s fortunes. After such a rocky start to season, the club is understandably eager to stave off any further collapse. While they seek new leadership, they should address the deeper problems honestly and forthrightly. These blunders have played a starring role in their under performance.
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