David Wagner under pressure as board meeting hint

•  Norwich City’s new sporting director, Ben Knapper, may have to make a tough decision about the future of manager David Wagner if the team doesn’t get a positive result against QPR on Saturday.
•  QPR, under the leadership of new boss Martí Cifuentes, have had a slow start to the season and are aiming to improve their form against Norwich. The international break provided Cifuentes with time to work with his players and devise a better attacking strategy.
•  Wagner’s job is on the line after a string of poor results for Norwich. A win against Cardiff prior to the international break may have temporarily saved his position, but another loss this weekend could result in his departure from Carrow Road.

New Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper could be forced to make a big decision at the very beginning of his reign regarding the future of manager David Wagner.

Knapper, who left his role at Premier League giants Arsenal last month, officially starts his role at Carrow Road on November 27th, according to the Evening Standard. If the Canaries fail to pick up a positive result against QPR on Saturday, then surely Knapper will have to relieve manager Wagner of his duties on his first day at the club next Monday.

It will be a tricky test against an unpredictable R’s side, who are just two games into a new era under the stewardship of new boss Martí Cifuentes. The West London side have drawn both games under Cifuentes, drawing 1-1 away with Rotherham United before a 0-0 stalemate at home to Bristol City.

Wagner managed to avoid the sack prior to the international break with a 3-2 win away at Cardiff City. Another win on Saturday is crucial for the Canaries if Wagner is to save his job.

Why is David Wagner under pressure at Norwich City?

Simply put, Norwich haven’t been good enough recently. Wagner was appointed Canaries boss on January 6th last season, and he led the club to a relatively disappointing 13th-place finish.

However, the side made a good start to the 2023/24 campaign, going unbeaten during the month of August where they picked up league wins against Hull, Millwall, and Huddersfield, drawing away to newly-promoted Southampton and winning League Cup ties away at fellow Championship sides, QPR and Bristol City.

That’s as good as it’s got for the Canaries under Wagner. Things started to unravel during the month of September as the side lost to Rotherham United, Leicester City, and shipped six goals to Plymouth Argyle. Before their win against Cardiff prior to the international break, Norwich’s last win came against Birmingham City on 30th September, form nowhere near good enough for a club like Norwich.

The month of October saw the Canaries lose against Swansea, Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland, before a further loss against Blackburn Rovers during the first week of November. The Canaries were roundly booed by their home faithful during the game against Blackburn, highlighting that the fans had run out of patience with the German manager.

A win against Cardiff probably saved Wagner’s job, but there’s no doubting that he’s still a man under serious pressure and a loss this weekend may just see the end of his 10-month tenure at Carrow Road.

How will QPR pose a threat to Norwich City this weekend?

Given that this will only be Cifuentes’ third game in charge of the Hoops, it’s fair to say they’re still a bit of an unknown quality which may work out in their favour. The ex-Hammarby manager oversaw a pretty dismal attacking display last time out against Bristol City with his side having just seven shots at goal all game, with none on target.

However, with a two-week international break to work with his players, it would be fair to assume the players will be more understanding of what Cifuentes wants, and they’ll be targeting this fixture against a side in poor form. The Loftus Road outfit are currently 23rd in the Championship and need to start picking points up fast.

It should prove an intriguing fixture in East Anglia on Saturday between two sides desperate to pick up points and one manager desperate to save his job. If Norwich fail to win, you can expect new sporting director Knapper to face a big decision on his first day.