2 things Mark Robins must fix at Norwich City ASAP if he leaves Stoke City for Carrow Road | OneFootball

Stoke City manager Mark Robins has been linked with the manager's role at Norwich City amid Liam Manning's insecure post

Liam Manning's time as Norwich City boss appears to be on thin ice amid a string of poor performances and results, and the Canaries have seemingly earmarked former player and current Stoke City manager Mark Robins as his potential replacement at Carrow Road.

Norwich City's start to life under new boss Manning has not gone the way he, or the club, would have hoped.

After 11 matches, the Canaries sit in 22nd place following Tuesday night's defeat away to Derby County, with a record of two wins, two draws, and seven defeats so far, with performances under the former MK Dons and Bristol City boss coming under major scrutiny.

Norwich have yet to pick up a single point at home in five attempts this season, meaning they are the only club to have yet earned a single point at home, giving them the worst home record not just in the Championship, but in the entire EFL.

Understandably, therefore, Canaries fans have voiced their displeasure with the club's current situation, with his position as head coach now majorly insecure heading into Saturday's away fixture to Swansea City, if he is to make it that far without the Norwich board taking action.

With Norwich reportedly ready to part ways with Manning just months into his tenure, Graeme Bailey announced on X on Monday that Stoke boss Mark Robins was the club's first choice, should Manning depart.

It's unclear at this stage whether Robins is a serious candidate for the job, having overseen a squad overhaul this summer with the Potters, who he currently has in third-place in the Championship with the best defensive record in the EFL.

Mark Robins must quickly fix Norwich City's home form and make them more aggressive

Should Robins depart Staffordshire for Norfolk, where he spent two-and-a-half years between 1992-1995, sorting out the club's home form and a perceived lack of aggression on the pitch will be his first task.

Norwich lumbered to a 1-0 home defeat to Bristol City at the weekend, with this being the most damning loss yet of Manning's tenure, having come against the club he left in the summer and guided to a play-off place last season.

Usually, teams prefer to play at home in front of their own fans, but so far for Norwich this season, that just hasn't been the case, and Robins must find a way to start picking up points at Carrow Road, a main priority, should he be appointed.

Having already played Norwich this season with Stoke, where they played out a 1-1 draw at the bet365 Stadium, Robins will have had the chance to see Norwich in the flesh and judge them for himself.

According to FotMob, Norwich ranks 23rd in the Championship for fouls per match, behind only Wrexham, and whilst it could be seen in a positive light that they aren't giving away many free-kicks, it can also be viewed as a clear lack of aggression and fight from the players.

Robins would not demand that his side begin to commit fouls for the sake of it, but making his side more front-footed and authoritative on the pitch would be high on his to-do list.

Mark Robins had an excellent record with Coventry City and is currently doing a superb job at Stoke City

Robins rejoined Coventry for his second managerial spell at the club in March 2017, and in less than a month, he had already won his first trophy for the club, lifting the EFL Trophy against Oxford United at Wembley.

With the club still in League Two, Robins earned promotion to League One via the play-offs in his first full season back in charge at the club in 2018, and just two years later, they were on the rise again, earning promotion to the Championship.

The Englishman continued to keep the Sky Blues on a steady rise, and took them to the brink of the Premier League, but narrowly missed out on penalties to Luton Town in the play-off final in 2023, whilst again narrowly missing out on an FA Cup final after coming back from 3-0 down against Man United in the FA Cup semi-final in 2024.

Now in charge at Stoke since the beginning of 2025, Robins guided the Potters through choppy waters to remain in the Championship last season, and has the club as early contenders for a play-off place this season.

Should Norwich manage to persuade Robins to leave for Carrow Road, they will be getting an experienced manager with a successful track record almost everywhere he has been, and would be confident that he, if anyone, can turn the club's fortunes around.