Norwich City Championship Odds: Top six beckons for exciting Canaries

I’m not sure that any Championship side had as strange of a 2023/24 campaign as Norwich City. The fans were unimpressed with manager David Wagner from the off, barely won a game on the road and were tactically poor for the majority of the campaign. Yet they finished sixth thanks to their exceptional form at Carrow Road. 

They were hammered in the play-offs by Leeds United as the season ended with a whimper, and Wagner was subsequently sacked. So what on earth can we expect in 2024/25? Below I’ve taken a look at the Norwich City Championship odds, and predicted where they will finish this term. 

Last Season: 6th

Top Scorer: Josh Sargent (18)

Transfers In: Jose Cordoba - Levski Sofia (£3m), Ben Chrisene - Aston Villa U21 (£1.5m).

Transfers Out: Christos Tzolis (£3m), Dimitrios Giannoulis - FC Augsburg (free), Ben Gibson - Stoke (free), Sam McCallum - Sheff Utd (free).

First Game: Oxford (A)

Prediction: 5th

Championship Odds

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So after a season of highs and lows, Norwich are looking for more progression this season. The way they went about making the top six last term was seemingly more by luck than judgement, as outside the top four it felt like there was a bit of a dearth in quality. 

Coventry and Hull fell away towards the end of the season, leaving Norwich and West Brom to scoop up the final play-off places. Even their final day was strange, as they lost 1-0 to Birmingham City, but were happy to take that result, while the Blues went down despite their victory. 

In truth it felt like Norwich were itching to get rid of Wagner, but they couldn’t do so because he delivered a play-off finish. Once promotion hopes were dashed, he was let go, and in his place comes Johannes Hoff Thorup. He feels like a far better fit for Norwich, who are trying to move forward in a slightly different manner this term. 

Thorup is certainly an exciting prospect. At just 35, he is one of the youngest managers in the Championship and worked his way through the ranks at Danish club Nordsjælland. After 18 months in charge, he left with a 50% win ratio, having finished fourth in the Superliga - but Norwich acted quickly to bring him to the club. 

The Dane arrives with a healthy dose of positivity, something that neither Wagner, or his predecessor Dean Smith could harbour. The Canaries' fans want to get behind an exciting coach that plays attacking football, and Thorup looks to fit the mould of the iconic German Daniel Farke, who won this league twice at Carrow Road. 

He also walks into a club with a lot of positives going for it. Last season, their home form was superb, as they won 15 of 23 matches in East Anglia. Clearly the issues came on the road, where they could only find six successes. However, that strong home form is something to build on, and Thorup has the squad to do so. 

In terms of attacking quartets, I’m not sure any side can match Norwich. Josh Sargent is in my eyes, a cut above the Championship and things turned around when he returned from an injury midway through last season. The American scored a ridiculous 16 goals in 28 league matches, and if he can stay fit for the full 46, will surely be a Golden Boot contender.

Football Odds

Behind him, Jon Rowe is one of the finest wingers in the division but was again hampered by injury last term, while Gabriel Sara is a simply sensational creative force. Borja Sainz also seems to be gaining confidence on the left wing, and is a real threat for opposition defenders. With the experience of Ashley Barnes, Shane Duffy and Grant Hanley keeping standards high, it feels like this Norwich team has the perfect blend of solidity and flair. 

Angus Gunn is a top-two keeper at this level, while right back Jack Stacey has already become a popular figure with the Norwich faithful. New signing Jose Cordoba looks to be a dominant centre-back, while Ben Chrisene addresses my concerns of a weak left-back area, even though more depth is needed after both Sam McCallum and Dimitrios Giannoulis departed.

There’s so much to like about this particular Norwich side, and although the manager has something to prove, I am fairly certain he will be an upgrade on Wagner. We saw how potent that attacking quartet could be last term, and if they can avoid injury, they should carry this solid unit into the top six. This time however, they won’t just be making up the numbers in the play-offs. 

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