After being relegated from the Premier League last season, and with Alex Neil being highly thought of at that point, Norwich City were expected to be Newcastle United’s closest rivals for the Championship title this year.
However, things have not worked out at all for the Carrow Road side. A poor mid-season run has them sitting in 8th place right now, albeit with some sort of a chance of making it to the promotion play-offs. Alex Neil has now lost his job as the club’s manager and they clearly want to go in a very different direction.
Following a successful spell as Head of Professional Football at Huddersfield Town, Stuart Webber is now being poached by Norwich and he would become their very first Sporting Director. This is all new ground for Norwich who now look to be taking a chance on a more continental system, with Webber at the top of the pyramid, with a head coach under him in the pecking order.
Webber is still a young man, only in his early 30’s. One would only imagine that he can improve his own knowledge and performance level. He will, therefore, enhance and move forward with whichever club he gets involved with.
Stuart Webber has been credited with bringing David Wagner to Huddersfield – a move which has seen huge success this season. He will be asked by Norwich to do something similar. Apparently, Uwe Rosler is a target for the head coach role and that move can be completed after Webber officially takes up his role.
Despite letting their manager go, close followers of Norwich appear to believe that their biggest flaw in recent times has been their inability to recruit well during the transfer windows. With Webber in charge, and looking at his recent exploits in Yorkshire, it would appear that the Canaries’ fortunes are about to change in that regard.
Regardless of David Wagner’s success, it looks like Webber rates Rosler very highly. He even attempted to bring him to Huddersfield ahead of his countryman last year. Should Norwich finalise their move for Webber and then snare Rosler too; it looks like the future is much brighter for the men in yellow.
This is a very interesting change of tactic from Norwich and it might very well be the one which may work out for them. After all, Norwich have moved between the top flight and the Championship continually and cannot keep doing what they have always done and expect different results. A new direction is exactly what Norwich need and Webber would be a massive appointment.