Portsmouth, Leeds United & Middlesbrough's Championship rivals sack manager

Portsmouth’s new Championship rivals have made a big decision following the conclusion of their season. Pompey are well-placed to prepare for next season, with John Mousinho going nowhere, while the club are firmly behind him and his plans given what he achieved last season.

But that isn’t the case for all clubs, with a number of Pompey’s new Championship rivals searching for a new boss heading into the summer. And there is now another club that has been added to that list, with Norwich City deciding to sack David Wagner less than 24 hours after their playoff exit.

The Canaries were hammered 4-0 by Leeds United in the second leg of their playoff semi-final, and that’s despite drawing 0-0 at home. Wagner had been on the ropes at times during the season, but he delivered by securing a playoff spot, finishing in sixth place.

Wagner was only appointed last year, but he will now be searching for a new job. Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper said in a statement: “David has operated with class and dignity throughout his period as Norwich City head coach, but we now feel that the time is right for us to move in a different direction.

“We remain committed to progressing our football club, in both the short and long-term, working through a diligent and thorough strategy. The appointment of a new head coach is an important one. We will now work and continue our due diligence with the view of making an appointment in the near future.”

The German has won promotion in the past with Huddersfield Town and he shouldn’t find it too tricky to land future employment. Norwich were three goals down by half-time at Elland Road, and the nature of their defeat will likely have led the Canaries board make the decision. Although, it’s no secret that Leeds have a superior squad compared to most of the Championship, and it was always going to be a difficult challenge for Norwich to overcome. Norwich will now begin their search for a new manager, and Portsmouth will be hoping they don’t look their way.