Exclusive: What Lee Hendrie thinks of Norwich City sacking Johannes Hoff Thorup - explains why they’re “similar to Middlesbrough” | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has discussed the sacking of Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup.

Norwich City sacked head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup this week following a five-game winless run in the Championship.

The Canaries suffered a 3-1 defeat against Millwall at The Den on Easter Monday which saw them slip to 14th in the table, and resulted in the 36-year-old being relieved of his duties the following day.

Despite having two of the four highest-scoring players in the division in Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent, Norwich have been unable to put themselves in a position to compete for promotion to the Premier League.

David Wagner was sacked last summer after Norwich were beaten by Leeds United in the play-off semi-final, so it should perhaps come as no surprise that Hoff Thorup has been dismissed having failed to even stay within touching distance of the top-six with two games to play.

Jack Wilshere has been placed in interim charge at Carrow Road until the end of the season, but it remains to be seen who the club will appoint on a permanent basis ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Lee Hendrie has sympathy for Johannes Hoff Thorup

Sky Sports pundit, Lee Hendrie, spoke exclusively to Football League World about Norwich's decision to sack Hoff Thorup, and he explained that he feels for the Danish coach.

"The Canaries have obviously sacked Johannes Hoff Thorup," Hendrie said.

"Do I think it was the right decision? I have to feel for him, because I think they are a football side that are similar to Middlesbrough in the sense that they have always recruited well, and had quite a strong depth in their squad, but I don't feel that in the last two seasons they have had that, which is why I think managers have come and gone from there.

"I can kind of see why, because they have that expectation of getting promoted most seasons, and they have not been able to do that, and they have been inconsistent this season, but I do not think the squad depth has quite been there.

"For me, I personally would have kept him, but if you are going to give someone an opportunity to bring players into the club and strengthen them, then happy days, but I just think, has he been given the opportunity to do that? I do not think he has.

"They did not bring loads of players in to strengthen that squad, and if they did, they brought in loan players who could probably not stand up to the Championship.

"I think it is quite harsh, but they are always going to be a team that is expected to be there or there about for the play-offs or promotion, so that is why he has been sacked, but I would have stuck with him and given him the chance to bring players in next season and strengthen the squad."

Norwich must get the next appointment right

Norwich must get their next managerial appointment right this summer, as their last three managers combined have failed to oversee as many games as Daniel Farke did before them.

Alex Neil and Farke, the two permanent managers who came before Dean Smith, Wagner and Hoff Thorup, took charge of over 300 games between them, and they were both able to win promotion to the Premier League during their tenures.

The Canaries must find a head coach who has the ability to compete for promotion next season, but the club also needs to try and give them some time to be successful if possible, in order to avoid the cycle of managers coming and going continuing.