"It is promising" - Norwich City fan pundit reacts to big news involving David Wagner and Carlos Cuesta | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Norwich City are reportedly lining up a summer move for Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta as a replacement for David Wagner.

According to The Guardian, Arsenal are "expecting to have to fend off interest" in Cuesta from Norwich and other Championship clubs this summer.

The Canaries made an excellent start to the season, but their form declined significantly in September and October, and they sat as low as 17th in the table in early November.

Many supporters had called for Wagner to be sacked, but the board stuck with the German, and they have been rewarded for their patience, with Norwich emerging as serious play-off contenders in recent months.

However, Wagner has failed to win over all the doubters, and after his decision to substitute Onel Hernandez and Josh Sargent in the 4-2 win over Watford at Carrow Road on Tuesday night was jeered by sections of the crowd, the 52-year-old told the fans who booed to "stay at home".

Norwich currently sit seventh in the Championship table, level on points with sixth-placed Coventry City, and they are back in action when they host Cardiff City on Saturday.

Cuesta has established a reputation as one of the world's brightest coaches since joining Arsenal from Juventus in 2020, and Canaries sporting director Ben Knapper worked with the 28-year-old during his time as loans manager at the Emirates Stadium.

Norwich City interest in Carlos Cuesta "promising"

FLW's Norwich City fan pundit Zeke Downes says that Cuesta could potentially be a good appointment for the club, and he believes that parting company with Wagner in the summer would be the right decision.

"I can't say that I'm much of an expert on Carlos Cuesta, but it's quite promising news to go back to a younger, more expansive coach who has obviously had good experience working with a top team," Zeke said.

"Knapper obviously knows him, probably knows him well, which is a good sign, but I don't know too much about him yet.

"It is promising that they're looking ahead, and it's looking like they're not going to stick with Wagner for next year, which is a good thing in my opinion."

Carlos Cuesta could be a gamble worth taking for Norwich City

It is a surprise that speculation about Wagner's future has returned given Norwich's excellent recent form.

Wagner has done an outstanding job to move his side back into play-off contention after the pressure he faced earlier in the season, but as shown during the win over Watford, his relationship with the fan base is yet to be fully repaired.

It would be harsh for the Canaries to sack Wagner, particularly if they were to reach the top six this campaign, but with discontent remaining in the fan base, his departure seems inevitable at some point.

Cuesta is an incredibly highly-rated coach, and his appointment would fit in with the trend in the Championship of clubs going for younger, up-and-coming managers.