Norwich City have sacked head coach Dean Smith following their 2-1 Boxing Day defeat to Luton Town. 

The Canaries officially confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon. Smith's assistant Craig Shakespeare and first-team coach Liam Bramley have also left the club with immidiate effect. 

It's understood Smith was informed of the decision on Tuesday morning, hours after their Boxing Day defeat.

An interim team led by head of football development Steve Weaver and set-piece coach Allan Russell will take charge of matches in the interim- starting with Friday's home fixture against Reading. 

 

Smith has been sacked following a dramatic slump in their Championship form, with Norwich winning just one of their last seven home matches and sitting six points behind the automatic promotion places.  

The defeat to Luton proved to be the final straw, with Cauley Woodrow's late winner ensuring the 10-men inflicting their second successive defeat on Norwich. 

Smith replaced Daniel Farke in the hotseat at Carrow Road in November 2021, but was unable to keep Norwich in the Premier League as they were relegated with 21 points and a string of humiliating defeats.  

Expectations were high that Norwich would be able to perform in the Championship with a group of players deemed good enough to mount a challenge for promotion, only for them to struggle for consistency and results worsen.  

Norwich currently reside in 5th in the league table, 12 points behind the pacesetters Sheffield United and Burnley at the top of the division. 

Smith has now fallen on his sword, with City searching for a new head coach tasked with turning the season around.  

He spent 13 months in charge of the Canaries - overseeing 56 games, winning 16, drawing 12 and losing 28. Smith departs the club with a win rate of 29%.

Reflecting on the decision via the City's official channels, sporting director Stuart Webber believes it is in the best interests of the club to appoint a new head coach geared towards repairing relationships on and off the pitch and pushing for promotion back to the Premier League. 

“This was a tough decision, but one that we felt was necessary to give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League this season," Webber said.

“We would like to place on record our thanks to Dean, Craig and Liam, who have always put the best interests of the football club first.

“With just under half of the season remaining and three consecutive home games on the horizon we now have a real opportunity to build some forward and positive momentum, both on and off the pitch.”

In his final words as City boss following the defeat at Luton, Smith vowed to fight on but accepted that his position was under scrutiny. 

"It doesn't help it but as I've said to you before, I'm not in control of that," Smith said when asked about his position last night.

The Pink Un: Norwich City head coach Dean Smith and assistant Craig Shakespeare have been sacked, Norwich City head coach Dean Smith and assistant Craig Shakespeare have been sacked, (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Limited)

"I will keep working until I'm told not to work. Do I think we can turn it around? Yes but it's going to be difficult because I understand the fans' frustrations at the moment. I've got ears and I can hear what is being said. We will keep working hard. 

"I've done it many times before. I've always backed myself and when I'm backed into a corner I come out fighting, always have done. It is my plan to continue to do so.

"I sit down with Stuart (Webber) everyday. We speak everyday. Today won't be any different. Tomorrow won't be any different. If the club decide that they want to go in a different direction then that is up to the football club. We have really good communication lines and hopefully that continues."