Norwich City fans react to Dean Smith appointment

Dean Smith, pictured when his former club Aston Villa put five goals past the Canaries at Carrow Road in October 2019

Norwich City has named its new manager as Dean Smith, who was sacked by Aston Villa the same weekend fans' favourite Daniel Farke left Carrow Road. As the Canaries languish at the bottom of the Premier League with just five points from 11 games, do supporters think Smith has what it takes?

'It's a good signing - the only way is up'

Chris Burgess thinks Daniel Farke did not have the right skills for the Premier League

"I am happy - considering the managers that are out there and available at this time," says Chris Burgess, 63, from Dereham.

"He's gone straight from one job to another and he's got the background that I think Norwich need - building from the back and looking to bring the youth through, which I think is the Norwich way."

Team selection was not one of Farke's strengths, he believes, which should not be a problem under the new gaffer.

"I'm confident he will have the skills, I think Farke didn't have, for the Premier League," he says.

"I don't think Farke knew his best players.

"Dean Smith coming in - it's a clean slate. He will look at every individual on their own merit.

"He's been in the game a very long time, and has got a lot of contacts, so he many want to bring in a few new players to shake it up in January.

"It's a good signing for Norwich - the only way is up."

'We've taken an Aston Villa cast-off'

Malcolm believes Norwich should have signed former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock, who was sacked in the same week as Smith and Farke

A fan who's not so buoyed by the new signing is Malcolm, 77, of Swaffham, who did not wish to give his surname.

"We've taken an Aston Villa cast-off - while they've gone forward, we've taken a manager that they've got rid of," he says.

"We sold Emi Buendia to Aston Villa, probably one of the better players in the Premier League, so I am disappointed with that.

"On his upside he did manage Brentford very well, so I am hopeful it will be 'Farke-ball' with a bit of oomph, and a few players given a kick up the pants."

• Why Smith might prove better fit at Norwich than Lampard

• 'One the back of a win is a bit harsh'

• Norwich sack Farke despite first win

Asked what he thinks Smith needs to do, he says: "He's got to makes them score goals, that's the problem.

"The defence has been sorted out and we've got one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, but we need to protect him a bit more.

"I think we should have gone for a Neil Warnock for a season, a proven 'get there and keep them there', because I think if we stayed there for one season, we'd be alright."

Who is Dean Smith?

Dean Smith and Daniel Farke both had their first taste of the Premier League in the 2019-20 season

• Age 50, Smith hails from West Bromwich and is married with two children

• A central defender, he played for a string of lower-league clubs - two of which he returned to as manager - and had a brief spell at Sheffield Wednesday

• He hung up his boots aged 34 and was swiftly promoted from Leyton Orient youth team coach to assistant manager

• His successful six years in charge at Walsall included the club's first appearance at Wembley for the final of the Football League Trophy in 2015, which they lost to Bristol City

• He moved up to the Championship to manage Brentford and was snapped up by Aston Villa in 2018

• Villa won the play-offs in the 2018-19 season, and were promoted to the top flight with league winners Norwich City

• Smith was sacked by Villa on 7 November 2021, after a run of five defeats

'It's an appointment looking to the Championship next season'

Michael Smith says he hopes Smith will use a more attacking formation

Michael Smith, 24, who lives near King's Lynn, says he believes the Norwich squad is currently not good enough to stay up.

"We need to see an improvement in performance - to have a go in games a bit more," he says.

"Under Daniel Farke we sat back; we didn't attack teams like we did in the Championship; it's like we changed when we went up."

He says Aston Villa have struggled in the bottom half of the table, and is not sure Smith is the man to give Norwich a push.

"He did progress them [Villa] on from when he took over, so hopefully he can do that with Norwich, but I think ultimately it probably is a an appointment looking to the Championship next season," he says.

"Maybe he can make a difference, but I am not hopeful."

So what changes should the new manager make to the team?

"I don't think he will get the money to make changes, but maybe he can get [Todd] Cantwell back, as he seemed to be outcast under Farke, and [Christos] Tzolis to play a bit more, get more attacking players in there," says

"The formation Farke played was a bit defensive."

Analysis: Norwich 'grasped an opportunity'

By Tom Williams, BBC East - Sport

Eight days ago no-one would've picked Dean Smith to be Daniel Farke's successor. As they say, it's a funny old game!

Farke sacked on Saturday. Smith sacked on Sunday and this week, Norwich have grasped an opportunity.

Smith certainly wouldn't have been part of Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber's grand plan when he walked into the changing room at Brentford to dismiss his German head coach.

All the talk had been about Frank Lampard, while many Canaries fans have also been frantically googling Norwegian coach Kjetil Knutsen, who'd also been widely tipped.

Ultimately Webber has decided that Smith, who was desperate for an immediate return to the dugout, will give Norwich the best chance of survival.

He has top flight experience at Aston Villa. Perhaps not the glamour name they'd hoped for, but surely a safer bet this season and next, given the candidates available.

Keep them up and he's a hero. If they get relegated, it'll confirm what most pundits had predicted anyway.

Either way, under Farke, things had appeared to have gone stale.

A fresh voice, new ideas and impetus probably gives fans the best chance of gaining some satisfaction from the club's latest foray in the Premier League.

Rock-bottom, five points from safety, can they survive?

Well, it's a funny old game…

'He's got a winning mentality'

Harrison Brown says fans have to have faith that the team can stay up

Harrison Brown, 18, lives in Cantley, and is very happy with the signing.

"It's brilliant news, Farke did very well, but it was time for him to go," he says.

"I think [Smith] is very ambitious and he has a winning mentality in the Premier League and I think he can get us out of it, really. He will give it a good go."

He says he is not concerned about Smith's recent record and sacking at Aston Villa.

"I'd like to see a better attacking method, hopefully they will make it more solid at the back so we don't concede as many goals," says Mr Brown.

Is he the man to keep Norwich up?

"Definitely. You've got to have faith."

'If we do go down, he's the man who could bring us back up'

Season ticket holder Pamela is not particularly concerned about Smith's recent sacking, as football is "a funny old game"

Pamela Goode, 67, from Attleborough, is a season ticket holder.

"We looked him up and his background and he has experience in the Premier League, Championship and Division One, so if we are unfortunate enough to go down, he's the man to bring us back up," she says.

Unperturbed by Smith's recent sacking, she also says football is the proverbial "funny old game", with no manager's job secure as it is "all about results".

"He needs to bring all the new players working together on the pitch and hopefully improve performances," she says.

"If we do go down I think he might be the man to take us back up quickly."