The Republic of Ireland have kept a clean sheet in four consecutive internationals under a single manager for the first time since October 2011, a run of eight under Giovanni Trapattoni.

The opponents: Azerbaijan, Qatar, Portugal and Luxembourg.

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The Republic of Ireland will not be one of the teams heading to Qatar in 2022 for the World Cup.

However, they did score three second-half goals to end their World Cup qualifying campaign on a high with victory over Luxembourg.

Shane Duffy opened the scoring after 67 minutes when he headed home from Josh Cullen's free-kick.

Chiedozie Ogbene added a second when he converted from close range before Callum Robinson tapped in a late third.

The win sees the Republic finish above Luxembourg in third place in Group A on goal difference.

There will be 32 countries playing in the Qatar World Cup this time next year.

So, who have already secured their places so far?

Hosts: Qatar.

Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Serbia and Spain.

South America: Brazil.

England have a play-off spot in the bag but will have to wait until their final game in San Marino to seal their place at Qatar 2022. A draw there will suffice.

They could have qualified on Friday, but Poland's win in Andorra meant the 5-0 victory over Albania at Wembley was not quite enough.

Poland are also guaranteed a play-off spot after their 4-1 win on Friday. If England lose, Poland can take top spot with a win and a significant goal swing. Albania are at home to Andorra, with Poland entertaining Hungary.

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If San Marino were to get even a point against England tonight there would be a case to call it the biggest shock in international football history.

Ranked rock bottom of world football at 210 and having never won a competitive match, San Marino's ambitions are probably limited to keeping the score down against Gareth Southgate's men.

They did briefly shock England in a 1993 World Cup qualifier, when Davide Gualtieri scored the then quickest goal in international football after just 8.3 seconds - a record since eclipsed by Belgium's Christian Benteke - before England responded to win 7-1.

But moving a little closer to the present day, what are the biggest upsets in international football this century? Greece's win over Portugal? Germany thrashing Brazil?

We've given you plenty to go at.

Former Norwich City striker Grant Holt played in the same Sheffield Wednesday side as Dean Smith back in 2003-04 and has tipped his old team-mate to do well in his new role.

Adrian: Good for Norwich....Shows the measure of the man and his guts!

Anon: Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Dan: Great appointment from Norwich's point of view but think Smith might have done better to wait for a better opportunity than walking straight into a David versus Goliath relegation scrap.

Didn't David win that battle Dan?

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

It's been a torrid period for Derby but the Championship club are finally due to get some clarity over the points deduction they will face for both going into administration and financial rule breaches on accounts yet to be made public.

The overall decision could be made public either today or tomorrow, with the likelihood being that the Rams will lose anything up to 21 points, which could leave them on minus three points, 18 from safety and with virtually no chance of avoiding relegation.

It is understood virtually all credible parties currently interested in buying the club are doing so on the basis Derby will be in League One next season.

The club has only spent four seasons in the third tier of the English game in its entire history.

Dean Smith's last game in charge of Aston Villa was the 1-0 loss to Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on 5 November.

And the Saints are Smith's first opponents as Norwich boss.

Dean Smith's sixth game in charge of Norwich City will be against his old team, with Aston Villa visiting Carrow Road on Tuesday, 14 December.

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Norwich City

On that very point (see 08:20 post), the Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber said: "I have admired his work for some time and he has been a long-term target in the event that we needed to appoint a new head coach.

“Dean has an outstanding track record and as soon as he made it clear that he was ready to go straight back into a managerial role we contacted him immediately.

Norwich City

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Talk about jumping straight back in.

Norwich City's new boss Dean Smith is clearly excited by his latest challenge.

“It has been a whirlwind seven days, but I’m really pleased to be back and working for Norwich City in the Premier League," he said.

“Clearly, there has been some wonderful work that has gone into this football club over last four and a half years. It is now the job of myself and Craig [Shakespeare] to continue and improve on that work with the ultimate aim of surviving in the Premier League.

“I was brought up in an era when Norwich were competing in Europe – I remember those times well and whenever I’ve visited Carrow Road and Norwich you can really sense the connection between the fans, staff and players. Together, we all have to make Carrow Road a really tough place for visiting teams.

“From the age of 16 I’ve been working in football. I think in that time I’ve had four months out and didn’t enjoy it. It’s great to get straight back in with a club that are determined to be progressive.

“I’ve always worked to improve and develop players – with that obviously comes improved performances. I was really impressed with the idea, structure and vision that is already in place at the club."

Former Norwich City striker Chris Sutton on Dean Smith becoming the new manager of the Canaries.

So there's our first talking point of the day.

Good appointment? Just what was needed at Norwich? Send us your thoughts, via #bbcfootball on Twitter, on the Canaries appointing Dean Smith as their new manager.

With Eddie Howe going in at Newcastle, that's two of the bottom three clubs to have changed managers this season. Will they all still be down there come May or will those changes or sticking with the same boss make a difference?

This is why Dean Smith was sacked at Aston Villa...

Norwich City

How big is the challenge facing new Norwich City manager Dean Smith?

The Canaries are bottom of the Premier League table, five points behind Watford in 17th and Dean Smith's former club Aston Villa in 16th, although Norwich did win in Daniel Farke's last match in charge before being sacked.

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Dean Smith believed he could have turned things around at Aston Villa and led them to a top-10 Premier League finish had he remained in the job.

Appointed in October 2018, Smith guided Villa to 11th place in the top flight last season, two years after taking them up from the Championship.

Villa were 14th in the Championship when Smith arrived, and after he guided them to promotion, he then kept them in the Premier League on the final day of the season in 2020.

Smith also guided Villa to the 2020 Carabao Cup final, which they lost 2-1 to Manchester City at Wembley.

He'll have a rather different task on his hands at Norwich, who are currently bottom of the table and looking like they are in all sorts of trouble.

Norwich City have named Dean Smith as their new head coach.

Smith, 50, joins the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal after being sacked by Aston Villa eight days ago.

He replaces German boss Daniel Farke, who left the Canaries the day before his own departure from Villa Park.