Norwich’s nice guy “simply wasn’t up to the job”

It seems almost obligatory when talking about the now ex-manager of Norwich City, Chris Hughton, to preface any criticism with the fact that he was, in the often brutal world of elite football, a ‘nice guy’.

More importantly, he was also one of very few black managers in the game (the German Felix Magath at Fulham, whose father was Puerto Rican, is the only BAME- Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic- manager left in all four divisions) despite there being so many black players. So given that, it’s a real shame he simply wasn’t up to the job.

Everybody wanted Hughton to succeed. When taking over in 2012 from the hugely successful (if nasty) Paul Lambert, who had taken Norwich from the League One relegation zone to mid-table in the Premier League, Hughton correctly identified that the gung-ho style of his predecessor would have to be curbed now that the Canaries had lost the element of surprise they had boasted in their first season back in the top flight.

It’s a real shame Hughton simply wasn’t up to the job.

That meant the club’s second top-flight season, to the ire of some fans, was characterised by a more cautious approach, but it worked and the club finished eleventh, one place higher than the previous year and their highest placing since they came third in 1992-93.

However, the relative paucity of investment into the team changed dramatically last summer when the board backed Hughton to break into the top half of the table with more than £25m spent on new players. Gary Hooper arrived from Celtic for £5.5m, Leroy Fer from Twente for almost as much, Javier Garrido was secured on a permanent deal and Nathan Redmond and Martin Olson were plucked from the Championship.

Also in March, and with much fanfare, the club trumpeted the arrival of Sporting Lisbon striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel for a club record £8.5m. Van Wolfswinkel had been coveted by the likes of Liverpool and was rumoured to be worth twice the fee. With these new additions, hopes were high for a top-half finish and a more creative, goalscoring approach, with Fer and Redmond feeding Hooper and ‘the Wolf’.

Hughton’s signings have floundered, contributing to his downfall. Photo: Sky.

However, all did not go according to plan. A decent first few games soon gave way to a season of damaging defeats and frustrating draws, and the team struggled to create chances or score goals. Arguably, Hughton should have been sent packing after the maddening 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham in December, but the board failed to act and Norwich lurched from one disaster to another, Hughton surviving by winning a series of ‘must-win’ games and some decent home form.

Despite this, in nearly two seasons in charge, just one of Hughton’s substitutes scored a goal, and the manager’s big signings have been desperately out of form – Van Wolfswinkel has scored just one goal all season and looks bereft of confidence. Meanwhile Johan Elmander, signed on loan from Galatasaray, has been so bad that his own fans even semi-seriously called for him to be sent off against Aston Villa.

For the investment the board put into the team it was not too much to ask to at least maintain, if not build on our league position, and for the team to play in the passing style the club is renowned for. But not only did Norwich go backwards, the sheer defensiveness of Hughton filtered through to his players, who were terrified of conceding a goal and looked desperately short of confidence.

Elmander has been so bad that his own fans even semi-seriously called for him to be sent off against Aston Villa.

Norwich fans weren’t happy, and it was difficult for them to feel anything other than disappointment, with the manager constantly talking up the opposition, frequently playing just one forward with two defensive midfielders at home, and attempting to keep the score down in defeats rather than go all out in an attempt to nick a draw.

Neil Adams has stepped into the hot-seat, but I will be surprised if he is still in place next year. However, with a crucial game against Fulham to come for the former under-18s coach, and winner of the FA Youth Cup; the increase in enthusiasm he could get from the players, which would help to lift the poisonous attitude amongst increasingly frustrated and overcharged supporters, could be enough to see the club over the line this season.

It’s just a shame it came to this in the first place.