Pundit reveals 'obvious' reason why Norwich City may lose Gary O'Neil to Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Adrian Clarke has issued a warning to Norwich in their pursuit of Gary O'Neil.

Adrian Clarke has warned Norwich City that they will struggle to convince Gary O’Neil to replace Liam Manning as manager due to the Middlesbrough vacancy.

It has been reported that the 42-year-old is on the shortlist of potential appointments at Carrow Road following their decision to part ways with Manning.

However, the departure of Rob Edwards from the Riverside has also led to the former Wolves boss being linked with a move to the Teesside outfit.

Middlesbrough are in the mix for automatic promotion so far this season, while Norwich’s poor form has them in danger of relegation to League One.

It has been claimed that the Canaries are aiming to appoint a new manager in time for their next league fixture, which will come on 22 November after the current international break.

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Clarke has claimed that the Middlesbrough job will be a lot more appealing for someone like O’Neil compared to the vacancy at Norwich at the moment.

He believes any manager could have a hard time getting results from the current first-team squad at Carrow Road, and that Boro offer a much more stable and competitive platform, making it a much more appetising proposition for a coach.

“If I am Gary O’Neil, I am much more interested in the Middlesbrough job than I am the Norwich job, I’m afraid,” said Clarke, via the What The EFL?! podcast.

“Because, stable ownership, a team that is pretty solid at the top-end of the division. That feels obvious to me.

“Russell Martin has got big links with Norwich, we know that. They do need a clear identity, but I think any manager at the moment would have his work cut out with this group of players.

“Yes, of course, Manning should have got more out of them. I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. I don’t know why the players haven’t responded well to his approach because he did so well at Bristol City.

“But I just think it is a bad collection of players, a really bad collection of players.”

Norwich are currently 23rd in the Championship table, with the team four points adrift of safety after 15 games played.

Manning was appointed as manager in the summer after guiding Bristol City to a sixth-place finish in the previous campaign, but he’s been unable to replicate that kind of form with the Norfolk outfit.

Supporters will be hoping for a swift appointment, with someone coming in that can turn around their position in the league table, with relegation becoming a serious concern.

Next up for Norwich is a trip to face Birmingham City on 22 November in a 3pm kick-off.

Middlesbrough are second in the Championship and have a team capable of competing for promotion to the Premier League immediately.

Meanwhile, Norwich have potential as a club to compete at the top end of the second division, but they’re way below those expectations at the moment.

The Norwich squad has lost a lot of talent, and recruitment have done a poor job of maintaining a competitive first-team, so any manager will have their work cut out for them in replacing Manning.

O’Neil has a connection to both clubs, having played for them both, but it’s clear that one is far more appealing than the other, which will hurt the Canaries’ chances of appointing him.

However, there are reportedly some concerns within Middlesbrough regarding his relationship with the club's supporters.

That's because the former midfielder admitted he intentionally earned a suspension whilst playing for Middlesbrough during their ill-fated 08/09 Premier League relegation battle in order to stay home and watch some golf.

Boro fans have never forgotten that, and so whilst it's understood O'Neil has admirers within Boro, the club are 'reluctant' to appoint him due to being aware of how most fans feel about him on Teesside.