Norwich 3-5 Portsmouth: Paddy Davitt Championship pointers

Paddy Davitt delivers his Portsmouth verdict after Norwich City’s abject 5-3 Championship home defeat.

Norwich City 5-3 Portsmouth: Championship fan reaction video

Norwich City’s home fans saw five goals conceded in a non-Premier League game for the first time since 2009 as their side were beaten 5-3 by Portsmouth.

The Scotland international has had to wait for his chances at the cash-rich League One club

Grant Hanley will finally earn his first league start for Birmingham City since signing for the club over three months ago.

Manager Chris Davies confirmed the Scotland international will play a big role in the final six games of the English League One campaign.

The 33-year-old centre back has been forced to wait for his full league debut since arriving in January due to the form of Christoph Klarer and former Rangers defender Ben Davies.

His only start for the Blues was 70 minutes in the Vertu Trophy quarter-final victory at Stevenage in early February.

Hanley has also made 10 substitute appearances in League One – totalling 43 minutes – as the Tom Brady backed club strolled to the title.

With promotion to the EFL Championship sewn up, Davies will give some of his fringe players chances in the run-in with Hanley front of the queue.

I spoke to Grant about how pleased I am actually, because I know what Grant has been offering around this place – in the changing room, leadership, things that maybe people don’t notice,” Davies explained.

“He’s played a really critical role in this run that we’ve been on.

“He might have only come on the pitch for two or three minutes and seen the game out at times, but every day at training how he’s helped support the lads.

“I brought him in because he’s not only a very good player but he’s been promoted three or four times already and he knew what it would get like.

“Grant will definitely get starts between now and the end of the season, which he deserves, but he knows also that Ben (Davies) and Chris (Klarer) have been an exceptional partnership this season.

“It’s hard to force a pair like that out when they compliment each other so well and play really well together.

“I’m looking forward, for Grant’s sake, for him to get some more meaningful game time.”

Norwich City consider appointing 33-year-old amid Thorup pressure, report claims

Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup is under pressure and Canaries coach Jack Wilshere could replace him in charge, as per Football Insider.

Norwich City have had an underwhelming campaign having fallen short of the promotion push they usually find themselves in. NCFC are 13th in the Championship table with four games left and are not at risk of relegation, nor in contention for the play-offs.

It has been a challenging first season for Danish boss Johannes Hoff Thorup, who came in as David Wagner’s replacement last summer. So far, he has overseen 13 wins, 14 draws and 15 defeats in the league.

Thorup has come under fire from sections of the Carrow Road faithful this season, and it is now claimed that his position is under growing pressure.

Football Insider has said that Thorup is ‘under big pressure’ at Norwich City and could be moved on. If that was to be the case, assistant manager Jack Wilshere would be a contender for the job.

Wilshere, 33, joined Thorup’s backroom team at NCFC last October. He had previously gained coaching experience at Arsenal, where he served as U18s boss for a little over two years.

36-year-old Thorup penned a three-year deal upon arrival at Norwich City last summer, joining from FC Nordsjaelland.