Norwich City suffered their fifth successive loss in all competitions following a 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton and pressure is mounting on Philippe Clement to arrest their worrying slump.
The Canaries were considered by many critics to be a dark horse for promotion in the Championship this season after experiencing an impressive revival under Clement's stewardship in the previous campaign.
However, seven defeats in Norwich's opening 10 league matches has left the East Anglia outfit perched just above the relegation zone and Clement's side must pick up results swiftly or risk languishing in the bottom half of the standings.
Norwich axed Clement's predecessor Liam Manning after seven straight losses and if the Belgian experiences an identical run, he may also be directed to the exit door at Carrow Road.
In the event that Clement departs, we assess the managerial candidates who would be in the frame to take over.
Next Norwich City manager contenders
John Mousinho
John Mousinho has performed a marvellous job in restoring Portsmouth in the Championship and ensuring they remain competitive in the second tier, despite operating on a considerably smaller budget than their rivals.
It's easy to forget the Fratton Park gig is only Mousinho's first managerial role given his calm and reassuring demeanour, and despite some discontent at results on the Hampshire coast, there's an expectation the former central midfielder will move onto a fresh opportunity at some stage.
Mousinho was linked with the Bristol City vacancy in the summer and he could be a shrewd appointment if Norwich decided to pursue him.
Scott Parker
Scott Parker's Championship track record speaks for itself, although it is noticeable that he's achieved success at clubs that have deep resources and superior player talent.
Parker has won promotion with Fulham, Bournemouth and most recently Burnley, adding the Clarets to the list of Championship centurions as they finished second with a remarkable defensive record.
His methods once again didn't translate to the Premier League, however, and Parker left Turf Moor with Burnley on the brink of relegation last season.
Norwich's ambitious project might appeal to him, but his style would be a deviation from the club's attacking philosophy.
Mehmet Ali
Norwich's sporting director Ben Knapper spent 14 years at Arsenal and an individual he worked with closely in the latter stages of his chapter with the Gunners was their former Under-21s head coach Mehmet Ali.
Ali is now an assistant to Keith Andrews at Brentford having joined the Bees in July 2025.
With a strong player development background, Ali has been commended for his work at Brentford. His managerial inexperience may count against him, but we've witnessed an increasing number of Football League clubs take the gamble on those with a strong vision, excellent leadership skills and tactical depth.
Fredrik Holmberg
A venture into the unknown, but GAIS boss Fredrik Holmberg is one of several highly-rated coaches to roll off the Allsvenskan production line.
The Canaries have been stung before by delving into the Scandinavian market with the appointment of Johannes Hoff Thorup, but there's a credible argument Norwich pulled the trigger too soon on the Dane as he guided an inexperienced squad through a transitional period.
Holmberg has worked wonders in Sweden, guiding GAIS from the Suprettan into the top-flight and lifting them into the title conversation while implementing a high-energy, attacking brand of football.
Rob Edwards
Rightly or wrongly, Rob Edwards' stock has taken a hit this year after being unable to spare Wolves of relegation from the Premier League before he was unexpectedly axed in the summer, despite making preparations for their campaign in the Championship.
Edwards won an array of plaudits at the start of his managerial career with Forest Green, took the bold plunge to join Watford which inevitably ends in tears before joining their local rivals Luton Town, who he guided into the Premier League.
His stint at Kenilworth Road soured dramatically following relegation from the top-flight, but Edwards demonstrated his man-management skills with a productive, albeit fleeting spell at Middlesbrough, who were second in the Championship when he decided to join Wolves.
Edwards will be chomping at the bit for a return.
