Brentford raid can help Wycombe Wanderers emulate Premier League blueprint | OneFootball

Brentford assistant manager Claus Norgaard is currently being touted with the vacancy at Wycombe Wanderers.

Wycombe Wanderers are still in the market for a brand new manager to continue their success this season, following Matt Bloomfield's move to Luton Town.

As with every vacancy, the rumour mill will be churning out names left, right, and centre. Managers such as Dean Holden and Paul Ince have been suggested, but it seems unlikely that either of these are candidates the ambitious club would explore.

However, one interesting name doing the rounds is Claus Norgaard. The 45-year-old is currently Thomas Frank's assistant manager at Brentford but who is he? And what would he bring to the table should he be appointed the next head coach in HP12? We've looked into the Dane's history and how his experience could help align with Wycombe's long-term plans.

The lowdown on Claus Norgaard

A lot of coaches in the modern era of football have had a long playing career at a professional level. However, that isn't the case for Norgaard, as a bicycle accident forced him to give up on his playing dream. Following this, he went on to become the head coach at BK Herning Fremad's under-15s side before moving to Vejle Boldklub in various youth coaching roles. The young Dane didn't let circumstances get in the way of his dreams though, as he earned himself a bachelor's degree in sport.

His first venture into senior head coaching came in 2012 when he took charge of the Danish second-tier side, IK Skovbakken. After five months with the Aarhus-based outfit, the young coach linked up with Frank for the second time in his career, having worked under him at the DBU. This time, Norgaard was appointed his assistant at Brondby. He spent two years with Drengene Fra Vestegnen before taking up exciting roles in the Danish youth international setup.

His first role as a Superliga head coach followed as the Herning-born man was appointed head coach of Sønderjyske in January 2017. Initially signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club, Norgaard managed 78 matches and had a 33.3% win rate. He was sacked in December 2018, after indicating the club wasn't looking to extend his contract. After that, he became the assistant head coach at Esbjerg, before returning to Vejle Boldklub as head of coaching.

The ex-Sønderjyske boss was then appointed head coach of Denmark's under-18s, making the move from his role at Vejle. After just five games in charge, Norgaard would take his first venture into football abroad, as his old friend Frank appointed him as his new assistant head coach at Brentford. He remains at the GTech Community Stadium to this day, with his day-to-day duties centring around the team's defence. With his help, the Bees have become an established Premier League side.

Brentford assistant could benefit new data approach at Wycombe

For the first time since 2012, the Chairboys will have to look to a manager who hasn't established a reputation with the club during their playing career. Gareth Ainsworth and Bloomfield were both highly-regarded players at Adams Park, before taking up the managerial position later down the line. For the younger generation of supporters, the current situation is uncharted territory.

Many clubs have opted to look overseas for managers, and some Wycombe supporters believe that their club should follow suit. Whilst Norgaard is based just down the road from High Wycombe, he's had plenty of experience in Danish football, which could align with the club's recent transfer activity. Both Magnus Westergaard and Anders Hagelskjaer have arrived in south Buckinghamshire this transfer window, with plenty of pedigree in Scandinavian football.

The leap into the Scandinavian market is the first sign of Mikheil Lomtadze's data revolution at the League One club. The new owners have been keen to use data to identify suitable targets to enhance the playing squad, which has seen these moves in the January transfer window come to fruition. Of course, Norgaard has spent pretty much his entire career in Denmark, so would be able to offer smart input if Wycombe look to continue their business in this market in the future.

With his vast experience in Danish football and the last two years of experience gained at Brentford, the 45-year-old will be able to gauge the difference between the two countries and build his ideas based on the strengths he's found at each level. Having worked in English football would make the appointment less risky, as Norgaard wouldn't be going in blind and not knowing what to expect. His blend of knowledge from different levels could prove important, especially when it comes to getting the best out of Wycombe's new signings.

Norgaard's latest venture could help Wycombe emulate Brentford's model

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

It's no secret that Brentford are the model example of what many League One and Two clubs will hope to be ten years from now. Building sustainably with smart investments in players, developing them and turning a huge profit has seen the Bees find themselves an established Premier League team in a state-of-the-art new stadium. The 'B-Team' model, which Wycombe also uses, played a huge part in this.

Scandinavian connections are everywhere at the London club, as the main man behind the Brentford revelation, Matthew Benham, used to own a majority share in FC Midtjylland. Utilising their connections from abroad, the Bees were shrewd with their transfer business and backroom staff appointments, which also helped build the club to the position it's in today.

With Wycombe establishing new Scandinavian roots, Norgaard would be a smart choice as the man to take this long-term project forward. Whilst his managerial record doesn't set the world alight, having worked at Brentford with the likes of Frank and seen their successful model in action, the Dane could help Wycombe emulate Brentford, which is ultimately the club's long-term goal.

Whilst appointing Norgaard would be a massive risk, especially in a promotion race, the 45-year-old has an impressive wealth of experience and fully deserves a crack at being an EFL head coach. With an exciting story unfolding at Adams Park which is looking to emulate something Norgaard has already been a part of, he could be a great fit to become the spearhead of the project.