Dean Smith: Norwich City sack head coach after three defeats in four

Dean Smith: Norwich City sack head coach after three defeats in four
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Dean Smith has been sacked as Norwich City head coach after a run of just three wins in 13 Championship matches.

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare and first-team coach Liam Bramley have also left Carrow Road.

Steve Weaver and Allan Russell have taken caretaker charge of the team until a new boss is appointed.

Smith publicly questioned the attitude of some fans after the home defeat by Blackburn on 17 December and said playing away was better for his side.

"I think a lot of them have been waiting for this period to happen, or wanting it to - I don't know," he told BBC Radio Norfolk at the time.

Monday's 2-1 defeat at Luton was a third defeat in four.

The Canaries had been top of the table on 1 October but are now fifth and 12 points off the top two.

Smith was appointed as Daniel Farke's successor in November 2021 but was unable to save them from relegation back to the Championship last season.

Farke won the second tier title twice during his four and a half years at the helm, but on each occasion they only lasted a single campaign in the Premier League.

Smith began his managerial career at Walsall before moving on to Brentford and then Aston Villa.

He guided Villa to promotion from the Championship in 2019 and they reached the Carabao Cup final the following year.

The former defender was sacked following five successive Premier League defeats at the start of the 2021-22 season, only to take the Norwich job eight days later.

More to follow.

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