Norwich City chiefs may well be relieved by Sunderland manager calls so far: View | OneFootball

A new era is underway at Norwich City following the appointment of Johannes Hoff Thorup as the club's new head coach.

The Canaries made the decision to sack David Wagner last month after their 4-0 loss to Leeds United in the play-off semi-final second leg, and Thorup has been named as his replacement.

Thorup had been in charge of FC Nordsjaelland since January 2023, and he led the club to a fourth-placed finish in the Danish Superliga this season, but they were unable to secure European football.

The 35-year-old seemed to be Norwich's first choice candidate throughout their managerial search, but other names were linked with the role, including Will Still, Pascal Jansen, Steve Cooper and Liam Rosenior.

Cooper was reportedly not interested in the Canaries job, and Rosenior was not among the leading contenders, but Still and Jansen both held in-person talks with the club before the appointment of Thorup.

Still, Jansen and Rosenior are also believed to have been in the frame for the Sunderland job this summer, but with the trio now out of contention for the vacancy at the Stadium of Light, there may be some relief among the Norwich hierarchy, particularly considering their risky managerial appointment.

Norwich City will be pleased with latest Sunderland manager developments

Sunderland have been without a manager since the sacking of Michael Beale in February, and the search for his permanent replacement has now gone on for over 100 days.

A host of names have been linked with the Sunderland job in recent months, but a number of targets, including the likes of Danny Rohl and Bo Svensson, are now unavailable, and Still rejected the job earlier this month due to concerns over the level of backing he would receive and the makeup of his backroom staff.

Still built a reputation as one of the best young managers in Europe during his time at Reims, and the Black Cats were long-term admirers of the 31-year-old, but he has turned down the job to remain in France with Lens.

Jansen was said to be one of the names on the Black Cats' shortlist after Still's rejection, but he was ruled out of contention on Sunday.

The 51-year-old did an excellent job at AZ Alkmaar prior to his departure in January, managing the Dutch side in both the Europa League and Europa Conference League, and he would have been an exciting appointment for Sunderland, but he is no longer in the frame.

The Black Cats suffered the latest blow in their increasingly frustrating manager search on Wednesday as Rosenior pulled out of a second interview, with the 39-year-old reportedly hopeful of landing the Burnley job.

Rosenior has been linked with a number of jobs since he was surprisingly sacked by Hull City last month, despite leading the Tigers to a seventh-placed finish in the Championship this season, and he would have been another strong candidate.

While Norwich will be confident in their appointment of Thorup, there is no doubt that the Dane is a gamble considering his lack of managerial experience, and some Canaries supporters may feel that Still, Jansen or Rosenior would have been a better choice.

Had any of the trio taken over at the Stadium of Light, the Norwich board may have faced the prospect of seeing them succeed with a Championship rival, and they could have come in for criticism for overlooking them if Thorup failed to deliver.

The Canaries will be looking ahead to what they hope will be a bright future under Thorup's guidance, but the hierarchy may feel a sense of relief that some of their alternative candidates will not be managing against them with Sunderland.