Football Season Guide

Norwich took a gamble on a young relatively unknown coach in Johannes Hoff Thorup last season, and it was one that ultimately didn’t pay off. The Canaries were capable of playing some outstanding football under the Dane, especially at home, and were the second highest scorers in the league behind champions Leeds. Unfortunately, they were also liable to go from the sublime to the ridiculous on a regular basis and conceded almost as many at the other end. A squad full of youngsters was always going to have trouble finding consistency and, after flirting with a play-off push, their season petered out to a mid-table finish. It still came as something of a surprise that Thorup was sacked, with the feeling being that it was the start of a more long-term project, but the club pulled the trigger and have gone for what looks a less risky appointment in Liam Manning. The Norwich-born coach is a popular choice with a proven track record in English football, including taking unfancied Bristol City into the play-offs last season. Manning is already having to deal with the loss of last season’s top scorer Borja Sainz and what looks like the imminent departure of star striker Josh Sargent. The duo were directly involved in 42 of the Canaries’ goals last season and will be almost impossible to replace. Danish striker Mathias Kvistgaarden and young winger Papa Amadou Diallo have huge shoes to fill. Manning has also made some shrewd signings. Jeffrey Schlup is a veteran campaigner with Premier League experience, whilst prising Harry Darling away from Swansea could provide much-needed solidity to the defence. Young midfielder Jacob Wright produced some impressive performances in his loan spell from Manchester City last season and has now joined on a permanent deal.