David Cuffley It has become as much an annual part of the sporting calendar as the Grand National. Yes, it's the Norwich City Managerial Stakes. The Canaries are looking for a new boss for the third time in little more than two years after sacking Glenn Roeder last week.
David Cuffley
It has become as much an annual part of the sporting calendar as the Grand National. Yes, it's the Norwich City Managerial Stakes.
The Canaries are looking for a new boss for the third time in little more than two years after sacking Glenn Roeder last week.
Bryan Gunn, the club's head of recruitment, is the man in possession after a 4-0 victory over Barnsley in his first match in charge of first team affairs.
City chairman Roger Munby spoke of the advantage of having “yellow and green blood” when he said a local link was vital for the new boss - a factor that appears to favour Gunn or another of the ex-Norwich contingent, such as former Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd, Rotherham manager Mark Robins, current Watford assistant boss Malky Mackay or, further afield, ex-Norway international boss �ge Hareide.
But the bookmakers beg to differ. They have made Paul Ince, sacked by Blackburn last month, odds-on favourite to make a swift return to management at Carrow Road.
With City understood to have started interviews for Roeder's successor, we look at some of the possible contenders . . .
t Bryan Gunn
Age: 45
Born: Thurso
Playing career: Aberdeen, Norwich (apps 477, player of season 1987-88, 1992-93), Hibernian, Scotland (6 caps)
Experience: Norwich club liaison, head of recruitment, caretaker manager 2009 (one match)
Pros: Hugely popular with supporters, familiar with staff and players, winning start as man in charge
Cons: No management experience until now
Odds: Skybet 5/1, Victor Chandler 7/1
t Adrian Boothroyd
Age: 37
Born: Baildon, Bradford
Playing career: Huddersfield, Bristol Rovers, Hearts, Mansfield, Peterborough
Experience: Norwich youth team coach, West Bromwich Albion technical director, Leeds first team coach, manager of Watford 2005-08
Pros: Highly regarded as youth team coach at Norwich, promotion with Watford, play-off place last season
Cons: Watford's sudden slide, criticism of style of football
Odds: Skybet 7/4, Victor Chandler 11/8
t Mark Robins
Age: 39
Born: Ashton-under-Lyne
Playing career: Manchester United, Norwich (apps 78, goals 21), Leicester, CD Ourense, Panionios, Walsall, Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday
Experience: Manager of Rotherham since 2007
Pros: Fast learner in management, popular with supporters
Cons: Limited experience so far
Odds: Skybet 16/1, Victor Chandler 12/1
t Malky Mackay
Age: 36
Born: Bellshill
Playing career: Queen's Park, Celtic, Norwich (apps 232, goals 17), West Ham, Watford, Scotland (3 caps)
Experience: Watford first team coach 2007-08, caretaker manager 2008
Pros: Inspirational figure, hugely popular with supporters, decent spell as Watford caretaker boss
Cons: Limited experience so far, possibly more likely as someone's assistant
Odds: Skybet 16/1
t �ge Hareide
Age: 55
Born: Ulsteinvik, Norway
Playing career: Molde, Manchester City, Norwich (apps 54, goals 3), Molde, Norway (50 caps)
Experience: Manager of Molde 1985-91, 1993-97, Helsingborg 1998-99, Brondby 2000-02, Rosenborg 2003, Norway 2003-08
Pros: International experience, reputedly short-listed before
Cons: Out of English game for 25 years
Odds: Victor Chandler 25/1
t Trevor James
Age: 49
Born: Norwich
Playing career: Viking Stavanger, Los Angeles Lazers
Experience: Ipswich academy coach, Colchester reserve team manager, Cambridge United first team coach and chief scout, LA Galaxy assistant coach since 2006 and director of player development
Pros: Norwich link, highly qualified with coaching licences from US Soccer, UEFA and FA, coaches David Beckham
Cons: Very little English management experience, a big gamble
Odds: n/a
t Paul Ince
Age: 41
Born: Ilford
Playing career: West Ham, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolves, Swindon, Macclesfield, England (53 caps)
Experience: Swindon player-coach, manager of Macclesfield 2006-07, MK Dons 2007-08, Blackburn 2008
Pros: Rapid success in lower divisions, glittering playing career, hugely competitive
Cons: On rebound from Blackburn and Premiership. Won't come cheap
Odds: Skybet 4/7 fav, Victor Chandler 10/11 fav
t Iain Dowie
Age: 44
Born: Hatfield
Playing career: Luton, West Ham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, West Ham, QPR, Northern Ireland (59 caps)
Experience: QPR caretaker manager, manager of Oldham 2002-03, Crystal Palace 2003-06, Charlton 2006, Coventry 2007-08, QPR 2008
Pros: Previous promotion and play-off place with Palace
Cons: Has lost three jobs in less than three years
Odds: Skybet 16/1, Victor Chandler 14/1
t Jimmy Calderwood
Age: 53
Born: Glasgow
Playing career: Birmingham, Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II Tilburg, Roda JC, Heracles Almelo
Experience: Manager of Willem II Tilburg 1996-97, NEC Nijmegen 1997-99, Dunfermline 1999-2004, Aberdeen since 2004
Pros: Aberdeen's longest-serving boss since Alex Ferguson, good run in Europe last season
Cons: No experience in England, no major trophies
Odds: Skybet 20/1, Victor Chandler 12/1
t Paul Jewell
Age: 44
Born: Liverpool
Playing career: Wigan, Bradford City
Experience: Manager of Bradford City 1998-2000, Sheffield Wed 2000-01, Wigan 2001-07, Derby 2007-08
Pros: Took Bradford and Wigan into Premier League, City fans' first choice last season
Cons: Star has faded after disastrous spell at Derby
Odds: Skybet 33/1, Victor Chandler 25/1
t Lawrie Sanchez
Age: 49
Born: Lambeth
Playing career: Reading, Wimbledon, Swindon, Northern Ireland (3 caps)
Experience: Manager of Sligo Rovers 1994-95, Wycombe Wanderers 1999-2003, Northern Ireland 2004-07, Fulham 2007
Pros: Big success with Northern Ireland, taking them to all-time highest world ranking of 27th
Cons: Quickly axed by Fulham after saving them from relegation as caretaker boss. Limited success at club level.
Odds: Skybet 33/1, Victor Chandler 25/1
t Ian Holloway
Age: 45
Born: Kingswood, Bristol
Playing career: Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, QPR, Bristol Rovers
Experience: Manager of Bristol Rovers 1996-2001, QPR 2001-06, Plymouth 2006-07, Leicester 2007-08
Pros: One promotion success with QPR, good entertainment value
Cons: Became Leicester's fifth manager in a year but took them down to League One after walking out on Plymouth
Odds: Skybet 10/1, Victor Chandler 22/1
