Chris Hughton sacked by Norwich City after 20 months in charge

Chris Hughton sacked by Norwich City after 20 months in charge




• Hughton dismissed after four defeats in last six games

• Club appoint youth coach Neil Adams as new manager

Hughton finally paid the price for Norwich City's erratic season last night when he and his backroom staff were sacked and replaced by the under-18 coach Neil Adams in the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion which left them only a place and five points clear of the relegation zone.



Hughton, who was appointed to replace Paul Lambert as manager in the summer of 2012, has been under increased pressure after a campaign that has seen his side flirt with danger despite spending more than £20m on players in the summer. Saturday's loss courtesy of Morgan Amalfitano's first-half goal at Carrow Road was Norwich's fifth defeat in their last eight matches and despite still maintaining a healthy cushion over 18th-placed Fulham, the result proved the final straw for the Norwich board with a daunting run-in that includes matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.



"Norwich City can confirm Chris Hughton, Colin Calderwood and Paul Trollope have parted company with the club with immediate effect – and the former Canary winger and FA Youth Cup-winning coach Neil Adams has been appointed as first-team manager," read a statement on Norwich's website last night.



"The Norwich City board has taken the decision to give the club the maximum chance to secure the points required between now and the end of the season to ensure retention of our Premier League status. The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Chris Hughton, Colin Calderwood and Paul Trollope for all of their hard work since they took over in June 2012.



"Chris's achievement in guiding City to an 11th-place finish in the Premier League last season was an excellent one and he has represented the club with dignity throughout his tenure. However the recent run of four defeats in our last six Premier League games and six consecutive away league defeats, left the club with no choice but to act."



The appointment of Adams, a former winger who won the league title with Everton in 1987 and led Norwich to the FA Youth Cup last season, is a surprise departure for the East Anglian club but shows the esteem in which he is held at Carrow Road. Hughton's sacking means that all of the bottom seven in the Premier League table have now changed their managers this season, with a total of nine managerial changes in the top-flight this season.



After Chris Powell's sacking by Charlton last month, it also means that there are no black managers working for any of England's 92 league clubs.



Hughton's position has been under scrutiny ever since a poor end to last season. The purchase of the Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon in the summer was one of a number of high-profile and expensive signings that it was hoped would help Norwich establish themselves as a mid-table club.



Yet Van Wolfswinkel has only found the net once all season, on the opening day, and despite home victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland in recent weeks, the clamour for a change has been building. In February, the chief executive David McNally admitted that Hughton's position was under threat if results did not improve but with the lucrative prize money on offer for staying in the Premier League this season, he has decided to twist rather than stick before it is too late.