Liam Manning and Norwich City can be a match made in heaven, the rest of the Championship should be on red alert

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Liam Manning is getting used to life at Carrow Road after swapping Bristol City for Norwich City, just weeks after the Robins’ failed play-off campaign.

The Canaries are fearful of losing Josh Sargent this summer, while Borja Sainz remains the target of Napoli. However, bubbling under the surface in Norfolk is a reason to be excited.

Johannes Hoff Thorup was sacked in April after a dismal end to the season saw Norwich slide away from the battle for the top six and into a comfortable mid-table position.

However, Manning has plenty of money to spend at Carrow Road and supporters will rightly be excited to see where their team can go this season as the 39-year-old has a strong record in the EFL.

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Liam Manning can put Norwich City into play-off contention

Norwich finished 13th in the Championship in 2024/25, and it was their defensive fragility that cost them on a number of occasions.

They conceded 68 goals compared to Bristol City’s 55 and building a solid base is vital to their success in the new campaign.

Manning was ready to welcome Harry Darling to the Canaries ahead of his move, and he will add leadership and strength to a defence that lacked discipline at times last season. Organisation will be crucial, and the ex-Swansea City man will provide that in droves.

While Sainz and Sargent will more than likely depart, Norwich should bring in good fees for the pair and if this money is reinvested back into the squad well, then there is no doubt that they can push for the play-off spots.

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Ben Knapper has great trust in his manager

Bristol City have plenty of young talent available to them right now, but Liam Manning is obviously very excited by the project that he will guide at Carrow Road.

Sporting director Ben Knapper was ‘thrilled’ to bring the 39-year-old to the club, and he will back the new boss as much as he can with Norwich looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2022.

If the coaching staff can work well with those who make the decisions at the top, then there is no reason why the Canaries cannot succeed and they may just be the outsiders for a shot at promotion through the play-offs in 2025/26.