Attanasio gives backing to under-pressure Manning

Mark Attanasio's Norfolk Holdings group became the majority shareholders at Norwich City in March

Norwich City owner Mark Attanasio has given full backing to head coach Liam Manning despite the club's precarious position in the Championship.

The Canaries are second-from-bottom in the division with just eight points from 12 matches and have lost the last five in a row.

Attanasio, appearing on a special edition of BBC Radio Norfolk's Canary Call phone-in, said "relegation is not an option".

He said, however, that Manning and sporting director Ben Knapper deserved more time to put the team on the right path, while confirming that ground changes had been put on hold because of fans' opposition.

"There's no plan to sack Liam. We hired Liam due to his record as an English football coach," the American continued.

"They are really hard workers, they have high integrity and Liam left a really good job [at Bristol City] to come here."

Attanasio first joined the Norwich board in 2022 and his Norfolk Holdings group formally became majority shareholders in March.

They have an 85% stake in the club, with former owners and board members Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones among the other stakeholders who own the remaining 15%.

He said everyone at the club was "accountable" and although it was not relevant at the present time to talk about the Premier League, promotion remained the longer-term goal.

The sale of playmaker Marcelino Nunez to East Anglia rivals Ipswich Town for £10m during a busy summer transfer window was described by Attanasio as a "PR own goal".

He said he could have vetoed the deal but that "sticking his nose in" on recruitment had not been his normal practice with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team which he has owned since 2004.

'Won't shy away'

Asked about the running of the club, he said he was "willing to take the heat" in order to assess the management team during his first year as majority shareholder and had held talks with senior players and other staff during his current visit.

"I am someone who chooses to show up when there is a challenge, not shy away," he commented.

"Every person that has called in knows more about football, [but] I'm sure I know more about assessing management than anyone that has called in.

"I'm not going to let anyone pull the wool over my eyes."

Attanasio confirmed he would not attend Saturday's home game against Hull City because he will be at a funeral in the US.

But he said he normally watched every game on TV and was often "screaming at the television" when they did not go Norwich's way.

He confirmed the club now had a team of data analysts assessing all areas of performance and had taken advice from Liverpool FC and an NBA basketball team on how to reduce injuries in the squad.

Norwich supporters have not been convinced by the plans for a fan zone behind the Barclay Stand

Attanasio announced that proposed changes at Carrow Road, which would have involved moving 3,000 season ticket-holders who sit in the lower tier of the River End and part of the South Stand, had been paused.

The plans to improve and expand the stadium would also have involved the creation of a fan zone behind the Barclay Stand, but have been met with vocal opposition by supporters.

He said the management committee had been looking at the matter for five years but would now "take a step back" and the changes would not happen until everybody was happy.

In a club statement published following his appearance on Canary Call, a spokesperson said "we are conscious of the response and concerns".

"As such, we have taken the decision to postpone the work to allow us, and management, time to consider feedback and optimise the plans," the spokesperson said.

"Carrow Road has been our home for 90 years and hasn't seen significant development for over 20 years.

"We are therefore aware of the need to develop the stadium and are keen to invest in projects that enhance supporter experience, whilst maintaining Carrow Road's special character and environment, ensuring it remains our home for many years to come.

"By delaying, we have the opportunity to further communicate with supporters, present the various options considered and continue to explore what might be possible."