In the end, business decisions came first. Daniel Farke had already had his Norwich City future decided for him, despite their first win of the season at Brentford.
As the German applauded the travelling support for the final time, he returned to the dressing room for the final time as their manager. Hours later, his sacking was confirmed.
The Sacking of Daniel Farke
Difficult Decision to Make
Business decisions are often dictated by on the pitch matters in football and for Farke, the writing had been on the wall since the early days of the season. One win might have glossed over the matter, but a sacking after a win dictates the harsh reality of football.
The win allows the German to go out on a high at the very least. His time at Carrow Road can be looked back on with fondness – two Championships conquests following in three seasons is hard feat to achieve.
However, Farke had only mastered English football’s second division. The Canaries promotion party was quickly dampened after their return to the Premier League in 2019. An exhilarating start, which involved an historic 3-2 over Manchester City, turned into a nightmare season soon after.
That campaign is remembered for Norwich’s dreary post-Project Restart form. Three months in lockdown saw them return to Premier League football slower than anyone else. It was nine straight defeats for the German in a 37 day spell that returned just a solitary goal.
They trudged off the pitch after a 5-0 mauling by Pep Guardiola’s City with their tails between their legs and returned to the Championship with a whimper. In truth, for the neutral, this is what many will use to reflect on Farke’s time at Carrow Road. Heralded by Norwich fans as their saviour and messiah, Farke’s time was up. It is time for a change of direction.
Return to the Premier League
Their return to the Premier League this time around has picked up from where the state they left the Premier League in.
Points from their first four games – Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester City and Arsenal – would have been hard to come by. After a Covid-19 disrupted pre-season, the season started for the Canaries at home to Watford in September.
However, they have failed to getting going. Draws against Burnley and Brighton papered over the cracks following defeats to Watford and Everton. Had Josh Sargent slotted into an open goal against Brighton, perhaps their form would have turned a corner sooner, and Farke would still be the most popular German in Norfolk.
Chelsea’s destruction of Norwich proved to be the nail in the coffin. They were dismantled with ease by the European champions, who should have scored more.
A 2-1 win allows Farke to go out on a high. There will be talks of what could have happened if he was given more time and ‘be careful what you wish for’ echoed by some supporters. The time is now, though, and Farke had to move on.
The question now turns to who will replace the German. Do Norwich appoint a ‘relegation specialist’ and a figure with a wealth of experience? Or do they stick to their model?
According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce are not being considered for the role. Russell Martin could be a contender, but there is an eagerness for more experience.
Time will tell whether the Canaries have made the right decision. But in the present day, the decision had to be made.
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