Norwich City: Winner and losers from David Wagner sacking

Shane Duffy - loser

There were few players who Wagner had more trust in than Duffy, who played almost 100pc of the games he was fit and available for.

The former Brighton man epitomised the focus on experience and leadership when Wagner was given a say on City's recruitment, and thrived on the German's brand of old-school defending.

Duffy is limited in possession, however, and that may be at odds with the type of coach Ben Knapper will look to bring in ahead of next season. After Knapper's once-associate Graham Potter showed him the exit door two years ago, he could meet the same fate at Carrow Road.

Wagner's exit is bad news for Shane Duffy (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Abu Kamara - winner

One of the main criticisms levelled at Wagner during his tenure was the lack of faith he showed in young players.

The constantly frustrating sight of City's best under-21s bench-warming populated the misery column as supporters grew irate at the 52-year-old's principles, with progress stalling at an important stage of development.

Knapper is keen to get the age profile down and improve the club's pathway for young players, so finding someone more comfortable bedding youth in will be near the top of his checklist. That's excellent news for the current academy contingent.

As perhaps the most promising young talent likely to be in the Norwich squad next season, there's nobody this applies to more than Kamara. Ironically it was the German who gave him his first-team debut in April 2023, but he wouldn't have been a safe bet for a starting berth next term.

Now it looks like he could be a key man in the bold new yellow and green era, meaning he's a major winner from the change in direction.

Abu Kamara impressed on loan at Portsmouth (Image: PA)

Liam Gibbs - winner

At first it may seem like this is simply adding to the Kamara point, but Gibbs suffered from a variety of management problems during Wagner's stint.

To start with there was the clear misdiagnosis of him as a striker, meaning he's played the large majority of his game time out of position at a crucial age.

Then there's the fact that he could have gone out on loan in January to gain experience, but Wagner's fear of being left short meant he was forced to stay and watch from the sidelines.

That second point likely contributed to the quad injury he sustained minutes after being introduced as a substitute at Sheffield Wednesday, adding up to a rather miserable campaign for the 21-year-old.

It's hard to say at this stage whether Gibbs has a place in next season's squad, but in any case Knapper's long-term focus should see that he gets whatever's best for him. There also can't be many coaches who think his best position is up front, so that's a bonus he'll be happy to take.

Liam Gibbs endured a frustrating season (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Ashley Barnes - loser

Along with the fact that Barnes is losing a man who believes in experience as much as his old boss does, the 34-year-old also suffers from how specifically he fit Wagner's system.

There's no denying his tactical importance in the run for the play-offs; he was so vital that he featured at Elland Road despite clearly struggling with his fitness. But the specifications of that system were so idiosyncratic that it's hard to see another coach needing the same attributes.

Value has been gleaned from the experienced striker when City have gone up before; just look at Jordans Rhodes and Hugill. So there could still be a role to play for Barnes, but it doesn't seem probably that it will be as big as it was.

Ashley Barnes thrived in the German's system (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Borja Sainz - winner

Sainz has had a good season, of that there's no doubt. For a free signing to score eight goals and claim two assists in his first season in England is certainly impressive.

But there still feels like there's more to come from the 23-year-old, and the key to unlocking that could be in unleashing him out wide.

Wagner's system required both Sainz and Jonathan Rowe (or Christian Fassnacht, or Onel Hernandez, or Gabriel Sara) to tuck inside when Norwich were in possession, meaning they soaked up the defensive attention while the full-backs enjoyed some space.

Jack Stacey and Dimitris Giannoulis certainly enjoyed the room, but it's hard not to feel like Sainz and Rowe could have been more involved. The chances of the latter being in NR1 next season are already slim, so the man most likely to benefit from a more traditional wide role looks like being the Spaniard.

Borja Sainz could improve in a different system (Image: Matt Wilkinson/Focus Images Ltd)