Exclusive: Sky pundit reacts to Norwich City, Gary O'Neil news - 'I might be wrong' | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie doesn't believe that Gary O'Neil will end up in the Carrow Road dugout if Norwich decides to part ways with Liam Manning

EFL pundit Lee Hendrie doesn't feel that the Norwich City job would interest Gary O'Neil if the post became open.

Liam Manning is still in the dugout at Carrow Road currently, but many believe he is on borrowed time after a dire start to the campaign, which has seen the Canaries in the bottom three with just eight points from 11 games, a loss on derby day to Ipswich Town for the first time in 16 years and five losses from five games at Carrow Road.

Graeme Bailey reported before Norwich's most recent defeat to Derby County that they were ready to part ways with the former Bristol City boss, and O'Neil's name was included in a list of three "viable options" to replace him, alongside Mark Robins and Danny Rohl.

Rohl has since joined Rangers, and with Robins already doing a fine job at Stoke City, Gary O'Neil, who has been out of a job since he was sacked by Wolves last December, could be a leading option.

However, in an exclusive interview with Football League World, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes that the 42-year-old will be aiming higher than a side near the bottom of the Championship in his next job.

Lee Hendrie isn't surprised that many are touting Gary O'Neil to become Norwich manager if the post opens up. The 42-year-old spent a couple of years at Carrow Road during his playing career, and would be welcomed back with open arms.

However, he believes that O'Neil is a level above taking over sides who are currently at the wrong end of the Championship, and he'll turn down any approaches if they do come.

"Gary O'Neil is a manager who has been out of a job for a while, and it's no surprise that he's been touted for the Norwich job," he said.

"But I actually think he might be waiting around for something that possibly could see him at a higher Championship club, or even the Premier League, given what he did at Wolves.

"I don't think this job is for Gary O'Neil. I don't think the squad at Norwich is strong enough for him to really step in and be successful, and I think he'll be looking further afield.

"But I might be wrong. He's a good manager, and I just think it might be a bit of a step-down, given where he's been."

Gary O'Neil may be wise to avoid Norwich City approach if it comes

Gary O'Neil has never managed below the Premier League in his short managerial career so far.

He took over a seemingly doomed Bournemouth squad and steered them to safety, and had a solid opening campaign with Wolves. Unfortunately, a slow start to the 2024/25 season at Moleneux saw him removed from his post in December.

With a points per game rate of 1.03 across his 88 Premier League games, it's understandable why he may not be seeing the interest when it comes to struggling Premier League sides needing a manager, and maybe a drop into the Championship could be what he needs to get back on track.

If this were to happen, though, a club with ambitions of being near the top of the division would be optimal, as Gary O'Neil has shown that he can hang with England's elite in his young managerial career.

Norwich does have those ambitions, but right now really aren't showing them. Therefore, it'd be difficult to see where the appeal to join the Canaries would be.

Seeing how much promise Liam Manning had before the start of this season compared to what people think of him now, it might be smart to avoid Carrow Road.