A year ago today, it looked as if Norwich City had pulled off a masterstroke. They’d sacked Daniel Farke, a manager that had won the Championship title twice but proved himself to be inadequate in the Premier League, and capitalised on the fact that Aston Villa had sacked Dean Smith.
There was hope that he’d be able to keep the Canaries in the Premier League. He didn’t. There was belief he’d be able to dominate the Championship, something Norwich fans have become accustomed to in recent times - but he hasn’t. As it stands, the East Anglians are fifth in the Championship, nine points off top, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
They’ve picked up just two wins from their last ten games, lost at home to Preston, Luton and Middlesbrough and looked anything but a promotion winning side. From the outside looking in, it may not seem like he is doing a bad job, but from the fans point of view, frustration has reached boiling point.
READ MORE:
- Six best World Cup documentaries to watch
- The man who helped make Jude Bellingham
- Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial quotes
Today, Norwich City tweeted a picture of Smith to celebrate his one year anniversary. The comments section was filled with abuse, demands he was sacked immediately and replies that suggested the club were out of touch for posting at all.
“This post is the equivalent of selling ice creams at the side of a fatal car crash. Talk about tone deaf."
Oh, and there were the rare comments of support, but only from those fans of Aston Villa and Ipswich Town. It’s quite telling when your team’s biggest rivals are laughing at your expense.
It’s not been a good year for Smith or Norwich. The manager has won just 13 of his 48 games in charge, losing 25. Given we are nearly halfway into the Championship season, that total simply isn’t good enough for a squad of Norwich’s talent.
He has continuously struggled to not only find his best XI, but get the best out of those on the pitch. In Josh Sargent and Teemu Pukki, he possesses two of the finest strikers in the Championship. They’ve scored nine and six goals respectively so far this term, but with one of them often pushed out to the wing, Norwich fans have become frustrated with the lack of control of games.
In defence, it’s the same old story and the same old faces. Captain Grant Hanley has been around for far too long, Max Aarons hasn’t performed at the level expected of him and due to injury, Kenny McLean has been filling in at left-back recently. No wonder they’ve only conceded one goal fewer than relegation candidates West Bromwich Albion.
But the only way to get inside what is happening at a club is to speak to the fans. Luckily enough, this particular writer lives with one, so I get to witness day in and day out, the frustration and fury supporting Norwich City brings.
“Norwich fans are tired,” lifelong supporter Natasha Lainsbury says. “We're tired of being too good for the Championship, and dire in the Premier League. Any manager coming in would struggle with the lack of investment and it's important to note fans are frustrated with the club as a whole too. Dean Smith was underwhelming in the Premier League and we didn't forget that over the summer. Our start in the Championship looks solid when you look at the table, but the performances have been lacklustre.
“Silly mistakes, a lack of being able to recover from a losing position, and questionable team selections mean that fans are fed up with Smith. Daniel Farke surprised us all, he was a relative unknown who took us up quicker and with more flair than we'd hoped for. He connected warmly with the fans. That's what's missing with Smith, the connection isn't there and the flair is missing too.”
Perhaps, Norwich fans were spoiled with Farke. He was not only loveable and delivered success, but was a brilliant tactician able to get the best out of a team in the Championship. That’s been proven in the Bundesliga, where his Borussia Monchengladbach team currently sit 8th, five points off the Champions League.
Some at Carrow Road wish they could turn back the clock and welcome the German back with open arms. Essentially, the gamble to bring in Smith and try and stay in the Premier League doesn’t look to have paid off. Norwich have the squad to comfortably finish in the play-offs but at the moment the negativity around the club and Smith means that is not the certainty it should be.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
