Wilshere ‘appointment close at Norwich City’ after heavy Portsmouth loss
Portsmouth strolled to one of their finest victories of the season away at Norwich City, and the fallout could be massive.
Colby Bishop scored a perfect hat-trick as Portsmouth won 5-3 at Carrow Road, in a result which means that they are on the verge of safety.
Portsmouth headed into the match knowing that one more win would send them closer to Championship survival in their first season in the division in over a decade.
Remarkably, the table is so tight that Norwich are just four points above Pompey now, and Portsmouth’s performance could now spark a huge decision at the Canaries.
Norwich could change manager after Portsmouth thrashing
Portsmouth’s thrashing of Norwich saw the home side booed off at Carrow Road, and frustrations clearly boiled over.
Norwich manager Johannes Hoff Thorup is under huge pressure, and losing to Portsmouth may be the final straw for a lot of their fans.
It was reported ahead of the game that Thorup could be dismissed as Norwich head coach, with former Arsenal midfielder and Norwich coach Jack Wilshere in line to replace him.
| League Table | Games Played | Won | Lost | Points |
| 18. Portsmouth | 43 | 13 | 20 | 49 |
Wilshere has never held a senior managerial role, but Thorup is now viewed so negatively that he could be replaced with the former England international.
Norwich have won just one of their last nine matches, and are sliding further down the table as their poor run continues.
Portsmouth victory ends away hoodoo
Portsmouth have been poor when playing away from Fratton Park this season, and have one of the worst records in the Championship.
Pompey had won just two of their 21 previous away fixtures heading into this clash, but made it three in style as they scored five goals.
This makes up over one-fifth of their away goals, with a total of 24 strikes in 22 matches before the clash at Carrow Road.
John Mousinho’s side have enjoyed a strong campaign overall, and are now close to securing safety despite having one of the lowest budgets in the whole division.
Wilshere will hope to follow in Mousinho’s footsteps as a young former player aiming to make it as a manager in the EFL, and the Norwich job may be his soon.