Daniel Farke’s contract is up in the summer of 2022. While many of us may want to ignore that fact for as long as possible, the truth is that finding a replacement for one of the club’s greatest managers of the modern era will take time and planning. With so many clubs opting to bring back ex-players as coaches, I scouted this pool to find who the best options may be.
Russell Martin
Starting with perhaps the most obvious replacement of these managers, as well as the one with the most experience as a City player, Russell Martin has performed relatively well as MK Dons manager. Promoted from player to manager in November 2019 following a poor string of results and in serious relegation trouble, the former Canaries defender dragged the Dons above the dotted line, securing survival.
He made the most of his Norfolk connections last summer, signing Carlton Morris and Louis Thompson on loan before giving contracts to ex-City teammates Cameron Jerome and Andrew Surman.
Martin’s side are currently 15th in the League One table, but some teams below them have games in hand which means they’re still in a relegation dog fight. The MK Dons fanbase seems to be happy with what the Carrow Road legend has done so far but will expect to stay up this season and progress next if he’s to be deemed a success.
While he may be lacking in top level experience and still has a lot to prove, the ex-skipper knows the club better than any of the following candidates and at just 35 has a lot of time to mature and improve as a coach.
Mark Robins
Top in the experience stakes is Mark Robins, currently manager at Coventry City having had spells with Rotherham, Barnsley, Huddersfield and Scunthorpe. He’s in his second spell with the Sky Blues and is closing in on four years at the club, having been appointed in March 2019. Since then, he’s masterminded two promotions, elevating the club from League Two to the Championship, while implementing an attractive style of play and possessing a keen eye for smart recruitment.
Robins struggled to make his mark in any of his previous jobs, but has become an EFL veteran in his 14 years of management. His lack of Premier League touchline experience would be a worry for the club should Farke leave, although his three years and 71 appearances in NR1 would help aid his cause.
The style of play box would be ticked under Robins but prising him away from a club where he’s already secured legend status would be difficult, especially given he’s now just one promotion away from achieving Coventry’s dream of a Premier League return.
Jens Berthel-Askou
Hardly a City legend and maybe even forgotten by some fans, former Norwich defender Jens Berthel-Askou has been impressing in management. In his third job already at the tender age of 38, Berthel-Askou took over at relegation-threatened Vendsyssel in 2018, fired shortly afterwards when he couldn’t complete the rescue mission to keep them in the Danish Superligaen. He quickly moved on to HB Thorshavn, who play in the Faroe Islands. He took them to the top of the Faroese football pyramid, completing a league and cup double on his way to the Faroe Islands manager of the year title in 2020. He returned to Denmark on 7 January with AC Horsens, and will be hoping his second spell in his homeland will prove more successful.
Berthel-Askou told The PinkUn last year that it was his dream to return to Carrow Road as a coach, and while his ability at the top level is yet to be tested to an extent sufficient to earn him the Norwich job now, he has 18 months until Farke’s contract is up and may be a good long-term option for the City board.
The signings of Jacob Sorensen and Teemu Pukki from the league he’s now managing in shows that it’s a decent standard at least, and keeping up a Horsens side that have typically struggled to stay in the Superligaen would be an impressive feat.
Paul Warne
Okay, Paul Warne never actually appeared in a senior Norwich City side, but he used to belong to the academy. He also has a place in the hearts of Norfolkians, being a proud son of Nelson’s County and member of the Yellow Army. He’s also familiar with the yo-yo fortunes the Canaries are used to, having been promoted twice and relegated twice in his time at Rotherham United in his sole managerial role.
Warne’s preferred setup would be quite a departure from Farke’s signature style; his Millers’ side known for their industrial approach. It’s important to note that the squad he has may force him into this, and he’s been working with the league’s lowest wage budget for most of his time in the Championship.
Ian Culverhouse
A manager whose fortunes most Norwich fans will have followed given his continued proximity to the Fine City, Ian Culverhouse had a brief stint with Paul Lambert at Aston Villa before embarking on solo management at King’s Lynn Town.
Culverhouse, who played for the Canaries between 1985 and 1994, had previously only acted as an assistant to Lambert at Colchester and Villa, with a three-year return to Norwich sandwiched in between, has thrived at The Walks, masterminding two promotions in his second spell with Kings Lynn.
He became manager of Grantham Town in 2018 having originally taken Lynn to a play-off final they lost, but resigned quickly and returned, taking the club from the Southern Premier Division to the National League, where they stand a good chance of survival this season.
Although the level is a problem, Culverhouse would have to deal with if he stepped into Farke’s shoes, his experience playing and coaching in the Premier League would help. Culverhouse is largely accepted as the primary technician behind Lambert’s overachieving Norwich side and will be looking to test himself at a higher level of management.
Firstly I hope that Daniel Farke remains our manager for some considerable time and receives the investment his talents deserve to establish City in the premiership.
However, if the worst happens and we were to chose a past player as manager I think the overwhelming candidate would be Ian Culverhouse.
It was obvious when Lambert achieved success with City that it was Culverhouse on the touch line doing all the coaching. You only have to look at what happened after Lambert parted company with him it quickly became apparent who was the football coach.
Look again at what he’s achieved at Lynn with a very tight budget and you have to say he knows his football at whatever level.
Also bear in mind his coaching kept City up after promotion to the premiership and he’s the nailed on certainty amongst those with a past association with the club.
The final factor is that he’d be a popular choice if the worst happened.
How about Joe Royle, Gary Megson, Martin O’Neil, John Deehan, to name but four off the top of my head? Some mixed levels of success there!
Hi Samuel
I’m glad you didn’t mention Tim {did I play for Norwich City? I can’t recall it] Sherwood.
Maybe I’d have given Mark Bowen a brief mention, but probably only cos he’s my all-time favourite City player.
And there’s obviously Brucie, but I think he’s got enough problems of his own just now.
Cully? Interesting but I’m not sure how well he’d function under a DoF.
A good read for a miserable, rainswept morning in the City.
Yes, I’d forgotten Tim Sherwood, Martin, but then again, I try very hard to do just that!
Should’ve remembered Bruce, though.
Sherwood and Andy Townsend never seem to acknowledge that they ever played for us which seems strange as Chase was very quick to unload both of them when they wanted to go. I’ve never really understood their attitudes tbh.
At least nobody mentioned Gunny [whoops!]
Hi Martin;
Plus of course one Danny Mills…..which has to be the strangest of the lot since he was/is Norwich born…..
O T B C
Maybe Danny Mills was born on the wrong side of Sprowston 🙂
Thanks Martin,
I think Jens is the most likely of the group simply because he’s the youngest, I agree Culverhouse would probably struggle but he had to get a mention given how well he’s done up the road
SW said that Farke was at city as long as he was so are we to understand that if SW knaves for pastures new the DF will go with him.
There will also be the problem with the Academy all recruited and trusted by SW so would he strip the club bare of all the support groups.
Just think if the Smiths aren’t trying to extend both SW abd DF contracts with the promise of money to spend on staying in the premiership then it will not be just a DoF and head coach it will be a whole new coaching setup top to bottom.
Now that is something not to look forward too.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy 🙏
As far as I can recall the only former player who has managed the club successfully in modern times is Dave Stringer. Martin O’Neill would have done had he stayed around long enough. It really should not be a factor in making appointments.
Having said tt was a shame that neither Gunny or Neil Adams made a go of the top job,; both have made major contributions to the city and the club in other ways.
By contrast Megson was poor and the “football” played under Peter Grant just about the most tedious and ineffective I’ve ever travelled 200+ miles to suffer.
In any case I am more concerned about who will follow Stuart Webber. His track record for appointing managers so far is pretty good. Very few clubs get the right guy again and again; most have a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly (back to Peter Grant again, sorry). If Webber’s still around we’ve got a chance of another good’un.
We must not for get stuart webber wont be signing a new contract I wonder if Daniel farke could be offered stuart webber’s job just to reward him for all his efforts then bring in a new head coach if I remember rightly Daniel farke wants to do that job and where better than a club he already knows I wonder how that would fit into the club going forward and would be the least disruptive
Not forgetting old 3 lungs Holty who is now directing something or other in Scotland.
I wouldn’t even consider Martin lambert or anyone else, must go for the Brentford manager, he has accumulated brilliant players on a shoe string, and I believe they will be promoted this year.