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Like everyone, I was shocked to learn of the news of Johannes Hoff Thorup's sacking at Norwich City earlier this week - and it's left me with more questions and doubts about the club's direction of travel.

Thorup was identified and appointed by Ben Knapper after a lengthy recruitment process last summer.

He was deemed to be a coach who wasn't the finished article but had shown promising signs in Denmark while developing young talent. He signed a three-year contract, and Norwich paraded him with the message that he would be afforded time to shape the team and implement his methods.

How long does a long-term project in football last? It seems the answer is 10 months.

You can't have a long-term strategy that supporters have bought into and were understanding of the direction of travel and then suddenly pull the plug on a head coach that you identified as part of a prolonged process.

I don't understand it. There was no inkling of this happening. What on earth has happened for Knapper to make this decision so quickly? Was it pressure from above? Has he seen something deeper that he didn't like?

Perhaps it can be explained far easier - it feels like Knapper has lost his bottle. The first sign of trouble and he's sacked his man. That doesn't suggest he believed in the project as much as he was trying to make others believe.

I understood the plan and was one of those perfectly happy to be patient. Like everyone, I would have liked better results, but it was a change of model that we were told was going to be geared towards long-term success. That pain and inconsistency were packaged into that sales pitch.

But then all of a sudden, it's become results-driven. When did all that change? The play-offs have been off the cards for weeks. That isn't a new revelation. So how can it be based on failing to achieve that objective? Why now? Couldn't Knapper have waited until the end of the season?

It's not a good look for Knapper. How can anyone trust his judgement again? What is Norwich's model now? This decision has left more questions than answers, and Norwich supporters deserve honest responses to them.

After a few bad results, he's lost faith in the guy he earmarked and targeted and who was going to take the club forward. How can you trust him to make the right call again?

Thorup has spoken at every turn about the long-term, but then Zoe Webber is writing in a programme column that the aim is to be in the top six. Everybody has their aims and ambitions, and I get that, but it was never realistic for Norwich this season unless everything came together.

It paints the picture externally that the club's hierarchy aren't on the same page as their head coach. That's hugely concerning.

The message I heard was, 'This is going to be a long process, a slow burner. You've got to be patient. Look at the age of players we're signing, the profile of these players. We're getting rid of the old guard. Buy young, develop, improve the team, and progress. Stay with us.'

If this was truly Knapper's decision, at what point did everything change? At the start of the season, the message wasn't about results. How have you suddenly lost total faith in a guy that you've backed to the hilt?

They've wasted the season. There was a reason he appointed Thorup and whether people like the plan or not, it was a plan and most Norwich City fans actually bought into it. I bought into it.

What's the remit for the new manager? If it's results driven are they going to abandon the model again?

If the next head coach doesn't get instant results and fails to reach the play-offs next season, will they get sacked as well? Norwich have spent £30m on young talent, lost experience and have essentially asked Thorup to win at all costs. That doesn't add up.

We know Norwich in the past have been viewed as a yo-yo club but the parachute payments have gone and they went down a different route.

Like a lot of other Norwich City fans, I think we're pretty okay with that, but now it all starts again. I want to know what the model is. Is there going to be a change of identity? Which way is the club going? Who do they appoint now? Is it another coach who's going to develop players? Is it a short-term appointment again?

You can't have a long-term plan and is short-lived based on results. That's everything which is wrong about football. Knapper had to hold his nerve.

For a guy who had a plan, he's now showing doubt in that initial blueprint. That's what I don't get. I think you have to be steadfast with that.

I know there were unhappy supporters at Millwall and there's been a bit of dissent recently. I always felt that the run-in was important for him, so he could have a bit of goodwill at the start of the season. I always sensed that next season was going to be the one where Thorup would come under pressure.

They've sacked him two games from the end of the season. Knapper knows Jack Wilshere well, but it's not an audition for two games. He is not going to learn anything new. If you wanted to hire him permanently, why not do it now?

It wouldn't be because of Jack Wilshere if they won the final two games. It wouldn't be because of Jack Wilshere that they lost the two games. It's totally impossible to judge him in that short period.

This has been a wholly avoidable and chaotic episode from start to finish. The pressure is now on Knapper to get the next appointment right, or the fingers will rightly begin to turn towards him.

Posted By: Knitted Jesus on April 24th 2025 at 09:03:24

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