Stuart Webber has already explained what his next club might be able to expect from him, as he prepares to leave Norwich City. The sporting director has been strongly linked with a switch to Leeds United in recent weeks, following Victor Orta’s departure from Elland Road, and Tuesday’s announcement of his intention to leave East Anglia only served to put such speculation into overdrive.
Webber, who is known to be a Leeds fan, has spent six years at Carrow Road, but this season will be his last as he works his notice before moving on to pastures new. The Welshman previously worked at Huddersfield Town, QPR, Wolves and Liverpool before arriving at Norwich and, despite attracting recent criticism from Canaries supporters, he has a strong reputation in the game.
Speculation linking Webber and Leeds is as far as it goes at present, but if he were to land at Elland Road, it seems he would fancy his chances of being able to help the Whites, who are waiting for the 49ers Enterprises’ takeover to be officially signed off, back to Premier League. Speaking to the Training Ground Guru back in March, Webber underlined his belief that his strengths lie in ‘change’ and winning people over in new environments.
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“Part of being a sporting director is being able to have that mid and longer-term vision and really creating something that is sustainable and has longevity,” he told the Training Ground Guru Podcast. “Once you get people buying into that and believing in that and seeing you are true to your word, they normally want to follow and then it becomes their plan. What you have seen today is everyone is invested in that and has played a big part in that.
“Some of the best ideas have come a long way away from my desk, from empowering our staff to come up with ideas. The players have been on that journey. Grant Hanley has been here the whole time I’ve been here, Tim Krul and Teemu Pukki more or less the whole time. They have been part of helping this club grow and grow and our culture and standards. It’s not just about one person.
“It’s about can we make a real sense of belonging.
“I think I’m good at change, going in somewhere and livening it up, getting people to buy in. It’s different now. A lot of the staff I’ve worked with for six years. You get a bit closer to them and you change. My child is six years older, I’m six years longer married, of course you become a different person with different perspectives.”
Of course, it’s fair to say Webber knows Daniel Farke well, too. The pair worked closely together at Norwich City, taking the Canaries up to the Premier League as champions on two occasions during their four years together at Carrow Road.
Their partnership came to an abrupt end in November 2021 when Farke was sacked as the Canaries floundered at the top flight’s relegation zone. Farke has spent time at Krasnodar and Borussia Mochengladbach since, but he is now the bookmakers’ favourite for the vacant head coach position at Leeds United. Webber has spoken about the decision to part ways with Farke.
“We sacked Daniel, who had been amazing for this club on every level,” he said. “But ultimately, in the Premier League, we won six games out of 50 with him, and made the decision to go with Dean (Smith), because he’d been more successful than Daniel in the Premier League, so what can we learn from him?”
On his relationships with head coaches, he added: “There are times I have to protect the head coach, and it's about dropping your ego and thinking what is best for the club and the bigger picture. We talk every single day, have that ability to show vulnerability to each other, challenge each other and be open-minded. Because I’m yet to meet anyone who is that good that they don’t need all those things. Even if you are that good in that moment you won’t be in a year.
“The word I would use is empathy. So it's about him understanding the challenges the Sporting Director has and me understanding the challenges he has and where he needs support.
“At times you have to make tough calls and be the boss in that moment, but my style is very much we are working together and I will sit in the background as much as I can and talk when it's to try and create a protection layer for the head coach. I would rather get a bit of flak for that if it takes a bit of pressure away from those guys.
“We do live in that media world now which is so reactive, so instant. You win a game, you’re brilliant; you lose a game, you’re rubbish. That’s why you have to do your best, as Eddie Jones talks about, to ignore the noise. Or else your strategy will be forever up down, up down, and you will never actually achieve anything. It’s about taking that emotion out of it.”
