Dean Smith already planning how to return relegated Norwich to Premier League

Norwich manager Dean Smith has insisted planning is well under way for a run at the Championship title race next season after Premier League relegation was confirmed by defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Canaries’ 2-0 loss, coupled with Burnley’s come-from-behind 2-1 win at Watford, condemned Norwich to the drop after just one season in the top flight for the third time.

In the last three seasons Norwich have finished first in the Championship twice and bottom of the Premier League once, with another 20th place a distinct possibility as they sit one point behind Watford in 19th.

Although there was disappointment on Smith’s return to Villa Park there was no great surprise, and the 51-year-old said the club had been planning for either survival or relegation since the turn of the year.

“Part of the reason for coming here was for both: to try and keep us in the league but also if we did go down, I know the Championship and have taken a team out of there before,” said Smith, who brought Villa up via the play-offs in 2019.

The summer will give Smith the chance to put his own stamp on the Norwich squad, although he will hope to keep together a core of players who have already shown they are good enough to earn promotion.

“I’m looking forward to it, but I was looking forward to working with these players as well,” he said. “That’s why I feel responsible that we haven’t improved enough to stay in the league.

“There is certainly a lot to work with. There’s some really good players at this football club that can get better, they’ve just found the step to the Premier League a little bit hard.

“We know they are more than capable of playing at Championship level.”

Smith took over at Norwich in November. The Canaries began the