Ambitious Manning taking the easy option

So barely two weeks after steering City to the play-offs and an ignominious defeat against losing finalists Sheffield United, head coach Liam Manning is moving to his native East Anglia to take the hot seat at Norwich City.

Why would he leave to go to a side who finished mid-table last season?

There have been rumblings of discontent brewing behind the scenes over how much money he would have been given to invest in the squad and build on the success of this season – the indications are it was not going to be a lot, which isn't surprising when City have operating losses approaching £20m before player sales.

Will fans be upset at the departure of this so-called up and coming English coach? OK, he steered the club to its highest league placing for 17 years, but he was hardly a fans favourite from the time he took over from Nigel Pearson in November 2023.

Why would this be so? Save for a run of fine home form since the turn of the year, the football style he adopted was not of a type to get you out of your seat.

He had some bad luck with injured players - Luke McNally absent from the defence being a key loss - but his record in the transfer market is questionable.

Few City fans would disagree with the sentiment that not far short of £10m was squandered in last summer's spending on hopeful forward punts Fally Mayulu and Sinclair Armstrong, whilst marquee signing Scott Twine has largely not lived up to his billing.

Manning seemed infatuated with this player, who was under him at MK Dons and, although his injury record has ruled him out for spells, even when fit he's only been used in 68% of his available minutes. Few would complain if Manning tried to lure him away from Ashton Gate to join him at Carrow Road!

Manning is ambitious to the extent that he's done to City what he did to Oxford as he seeks to further his career.

With City owner Steve Lansdown appearing reluctant to splash some cash, Manning probably realises it will hard going to emulate this season's play-off participation. Rather than see this as unfinished business he is taking the easier option of moving on while his stock is still high.

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