Neil Adams has resigned as manager of Norwich City, although he firmly believes he has set them on the way to a Premier League return.
The 49-year-old was placed in charge of the Canaries, initially on a temporary basis, when Chris Hughton was sacked last April. At the time the Carrow Road club were heading towards relegation from the top-flight, and although Adams was unable to prevent them falling into the Championship, he was handed the job on a permanent basis at the end of the 2013/14 campaign.
Norwich were immediately named as one of the favourites for promotion this term, and despite an opening day defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers, they bounced back with an eight-match unbeaten run. More recently they dished out a 5-0 hammering to Huddersfield Town and also hit six in their next game against Millwall, before slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Millwall.
Even so, the East Anglia club are still very much in contention for promotion, as they sit in seventh position just three points off a playoff place and ten behind second spot. But Adams has decided that, although he feels he has set City on the right road to reclaim their place at the elite, he is not the right man to lead the team at the moment and has therefore handed in his notice.
“I firmly believe that we are still on course for a crack at promotion back to the Premier League,” Adams said on Monday. “That is where this club belongs. However, I feel it is in the best interests of the team that an immediate change is made in order to ensure a positive impact on results. It goes without saying that I sincerely hope the team achieves success this season.”
Adams is set to return to the club in the summer in a different role, having previously enjoyed success with the youth team. In the meantime, Mike Phelan has assumed control of first team affairs and has been installed as the favourite to take the job permanently. Other candidates include another former Norwich player, Tim Sherwood, who Tottenham Hotspur sacked in May last year.
Is this the right decision for Adams, and who would be an ideal replacement? Let us know what you think by joining in with the discussion below.
