Next Norwich City Manager Odds: Four replacements for David Wagner

After David Wagner departed Norwich City, EFL pundit Gab Sutton picks out four candidates in the next Norwich manager odds to fill the Carrow Road hot-seat.

1. Johannes Hoff Thorup

FC Nordsjaelland's Johannes Hoff Thorup is reportedly of interest to Norwich City, hence his position as the 4/5 favourite, but the club are planning to contact other candidates. 

The 35-year-old would require a work permit to move to the UK, and a GBE can only be granted automatically if the manager has managed a club in a band 1-5 league for either two years consecutively, or 36 months combined.

With Thorup only at a total of 16 months, the Canaries would have to appeal to an exemptions panel to get a deal done, and seeing as a swift appointment would be helpful ahead of a busy summer, the logistical complications could be a major stumbling block.

The rewards for persistence, though, could be there: the Dane is regarded among Europe’s highest potential coaches, known for an aesthetically pleasing playing style and exceptional development of young talent – two qualities that lie right at the top of City’s search criteria.

Not only that, Thorup can deliver a challenge on a budget: Nordsjaelland narrowly lost out to the dominant force of FC København, and were four points shy of winning their first Danish Superliga since 2011/12 under his guidance.

Verdict: It would be a great appointment - but Norwich need reassurances by the end of the month that an appeal to the exemptions panel wouldn’t be a waste of time, because they need to put the wheels in motion nice and early.

2. Liam Rosenior

Stylistic differences were the primary factor behind Liam Rosenior’s ultimate exit from Hull City.

Owner Acun Ilıcalı wanted an aggressive, high-tempo approach, whereas the 39-year-old believes in a smooth, patient mode.

In some ways, it’s a credit to the former full-back that he had so much conviction in his beliefs that he was prepared to jeopardize his relationship with the owner and put his job at risk in standing up for them.

And, at the same time, Rosenior has always spoken so fondly and warmly of Ilıcalı and vice-chair Tan Kesler, to the extent that nobody could ever guess there would be any kind of dispute behind closed doors.

He conducted himself with class and dignity right up to his statement released by the LMA, and didn’t have any kind of dig at his former employers, even while Ilıcalı revealed the reasons behind the exit at a Fans’ Forum and was implicitly critical.

In that sense, Rosenior has both the courage to stand up for his beliefs, but the nobility to do it in a respectful manner, and that can be hugely attractive to Norwich, a fanbase who need a healing personality after suffering snide comments in recent years from Dean Smith and Stuart Webber which exacerbated tensions.

Rosenior wouldn’t require compensation, which helps a club no longer in receipt of parachute payments and having to be thrifty with its spending, while logistically, he could be appointed any moment he accepts the offer.

The 39-year-old was a highly respected coach at Derby, he stabilized Hull defensively in 2022/23 and oversaw just six defeats in 28 that season with top-10 form with a side often operating without a striker.

And, with issues up top persisting this season, especially after on-loan Liam Delap was recalled by Manchester City, and with key man Jaden Philogene often on the sidelines, Rosenior still delivered a serious Play-Off challenge.

Verdict: Experience and knowledge of the Championship might only be a secondary preference for Norwich as Knapper plans for the long-term, but Rosenior would be the appointment out of these four that would invite the fewest doubts over their short-term prospects.

3. Carlos Cuesta

Cuesta has been Arsenal’s assistant manager for the last four years, exactly the timeframe in which the Gunners have put 15 years of relative mediocrity behind them to become serious Premier League title contenders under Mikel Arteta.

For comparison, Arteta himself got that job off the back of being assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City - and through that lens, Norwich appointing his number two feels like a coup.

Plus, while sporting director Ben Knapper would be relying on reviews with other candidates, he’s seen Cuesta’s internal work first hand, and can therefore put more confidence into that selection if he rates the Spaniard highly.

Additionally, appointing Cuesta would help Norwich get first option on Arsenal’s top young talents in the loan market, as well as increasing their chances of picking up the late-teen prospects who don’t quite make the grade in North London.

The 28-year-old would be the youngest head coach in Championship history, but having assisted with Atlético Madrid’s Under-17s at 18, and Juventus’ U17s at 22, he’s already had an elite coaching career and looks ready for the next move.

Appointing someone so young would lend itself to a youthful squad, and mean plenty of movement in and out of Colney – but somebody with time on their side would help the Canaries in this rebuilding stage.

Verdict: Simultaneously the most exciting option of the four, and the riskiest, Cuesta has world-class potential but Norwich may need to be prepared to give him a lengthy grace period to make it work.

4. Pascal Jansen

The 51-year-old would be the more experienced option than Cuesta, therefore the appointment could be perceived as less risky in terms of the short-term objectives.

The former AZ Alkmaar boss has a background of attractive football at a club known for youth development, and he’s also worked in academy football in the Netherlands, at Sparta Rotterdam, Vitesse and PSV.

Jansen’s links with the Rangers vacancy, and his work alongside now Liverpool manager Arne Slot, suggests a high calibre coach, who delivered respectable 3rd, 5th and two 4th place finishes with ‘De Kaasboeren’.

Stylistically inspired by famed Dutch pioneers Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, Jansen recently hinted at ‘wonderful’ conversations with Norwich City on Studio Voetbal.
 
He unpacked his philosophy for The Guardian in 2023:

“It’s having the ball and being creative, but also not being naive by only playing attack and forgetting what it’s like to be out of possession.

“I strongly believe if you want to attack as much as we do you have to be better in defending than anybody could imagine.”

Verdict: A Jansen appointment would offer a slice of intrigue, with him arriving from the Netherlands, fermented in Cruyff philosophy, but without the perceived risk of appointing somebody yet to hit 30 - and/or without experience as a number one.