Premier League bottom-side Norwich City won at last on Saturday, beating fellow promoted side Brentford 2-1.
But just hours after the win, they fired their manager Daniel Farke, who had been in charge of the club for four and a half years. During that time, he had led to two promotions from the Championship as Champions, sandwiched by a season in which they dropped back down again.
Determined to try and do all they could to try and avoid the same fate this time round, the club owners – celebrity chef Delia Smith and her husband – decided to act now, with Farke’s fate apparently already decided before the team set off for West London.
Farke is the third Premier League manager so far to lose his job, after Xisco Munoz at Watford, and, last week, Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham Hotspur. Sacking season may not be over, either. Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Aston Villa’s Dean Smith both go into the international break with their jobs apparently on the line.
United suffered another embarrassing home defeat to neighbours City in the Manchester derby on Saturday, while Villa’s defeat at Southampton the night before was their fifth on the bounce.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United have announced a new full-time boss in Eddie Howe. His appointment was confirmed as he was pictured sitting next to the club’s new co-owner Amanda Staveley in the Directors’ Box at Brighton for their match on Saturday night.
Despite Saturday’s win, whoever takes over the Norwich job will have a considerable task on their hands. They have scored less and conceded more goals that any other team in the league this season. Their goal difference is currently -21.
The club’s fans can at least take heart from the fact that they are now unlikely to inherit the mantle of the worst team in Premier League history from Derby County.
The win against Brentford actually took Norwich level on points with Newcastle. However, while Howe can look forward to substantial transfer funds being made available in January to help strengthen his squad, the new man at Carrow Road will have to content himself with much slimmer pickings.