We might be seeing Daniel Farke 2.0 at Norwich City | OneFootball

Norwich City fans long for a return to the Premier League - and they might already have the man capable of winning promotion

After play-off disappointment last season, Norwich City fans would have expected another serious push for a top six finish this year after the appointment of Johannes Hoff Thorup.

However, with eight games remaining the Canaries are eight points off the play-offs, with fan patience being tested by a recent slump in form.

But Norwich fans would be remiss to forget the fact that Daniel Farke’s first season in charge of the Canaries saw them finish just 14th in the Championship table, with supporters hoping history repeats itself under Thorup.

Similarities drawn between Daniel Farke and Johannes Hoff Thorup

There are similarities between Farke and Thorup. Not only was the Norwich job their first taste of the Championship and English football, but it was their first experience of management outside their native countries.

Thorup worked himself up the ranks of Nordsjælland in his native Denmark, going from youth coach to assistant before being named first team boss in January 2023.

Farke also grafted for a long time at his first club, serving as manager of SV Lippstadt for six seasons as he took the team from the German sixth tier up to the fourth level of football in Germany.

Whilst Norwich represents Thorup’s second job as a manager, Farke’s stint as Canaries boss was his third managerial job, following a stint as Borussia Dortmund reserve head coach.

At the time of writing, Thorup’s record – and league position – looks eerily similar to Farke’s efforts in his first season as Norwich manager.

With eight games remaining, the Canaries have won 12 games, whilst drawing and losing a further 13 apiece – a record that leaves them 13th in the league table.

In Farke’s debut year as Norwich boss, the Canaries finished 14th – with 15 wins, 15 draws, and 16 defeats.

The following season was quickly consigned to the history books the following season, when Farke led Norwich to the Championship title via 27 wins and 94 points. A relegation followed, but then another league title did too. Farke picked up two second-tier crowns within three seasons at Carrow Road - any repeat of that for Thorup would see the view of him in East Anglia change quite remarkably.

Of course, it all ended for Farke in the middle of his fourth season at Norwich when the club were in the Premier League and he's since moved to Leeds, where he is top of the table at this point having a second crack at promotion after falling short in the play-offs last season.

Norwich City board thinking long term with Johannes Hoff Thorup

Norwich have clearly allowed time for Thorup to implement his style at the club by awarding the Danish coach a three-year deal upon his arrival as David Wagner’s replacement last summer.

In comparison, Farke arrived at Carrow Road from Borussia Dortmund’s reserve side on a contract only two years in length.

Aside from the aforementioned similarities, the landscape of the playing squad upon both managers’ arrivals is quite comparable.

When Farke arrived at Carrow Road, the Canaries sanctioned the departure of key midfield trio Jonny Howson, Jacob Murphy, and Alex Pritchard for healthy fees.

Similarly, Thorup had to contend with the sales of Gabriel Sara, Adam Idah, and the future transfer of Jonathan Rowe, who is on a loan with a view to a permanent move at French club Marseille.

As such, both managers were tasked with replenishing their squads in their first seasons as Norwich boss. Not including players loaned out, Thorup signed 14 players to replace 14 departees, whilst Farke was enabled to sign 17 players as 14 others exited Carrow Road.

With such a high turnaround, it is no surprise that Farke did not have an instant impact as Norwich boss, and why it is a similar story this season for Thorup.

Norwich will hope that Thorup has laid the foundations this season for an assault on the higher reaches of the Championship table – with Farke proving that it is more than possible to bounce from mid-table to the league title in the span of two years.