Norwich City legend Chris Sutton believes the Canaries had to sack Daniel Farke now to give the new incumbent the best chance of Premier League survival.

Farke was relieved of his duties on Saturday evening in the wake of a 2-1 win over Brentford as sporting director Stuart Webber had already decided a change of manager was needed.

Sutton believes the home defeat to Leeds was crucial in Webber’s decision and that if they had delayed a decision on Farke’s future then relegation could have been all but sealed.

“There’s a lot of sadness, maybe an inevitability about it,” Sutton told 5 Live Sport’s Monday Night Club. “I thought the Leeds game was big. I think Stuart Webber came out after Chelsea and said they wouldn’t do anything knee-jerk.

“(But) a poor Leeds side went to Carrow Road and I wondered what Norwich’s identity was that day.

MORE: Pukki sets sights on fond farewell

“It was long ball stuff. They had (Milot) Rashica on the left-hand side crossing balls in with nobody in the box.

“I think Daniel Farke said that Norwich would go back to the passing game and get that DNA back.

“They did that to some extent against Brentford but it’s a bit of a head-scratcher – if you want to get back to a passing game then you play Billy Gilmour.”

Frank Lampard has emerged as the bookies’ favourite with the club also keen to talk to Dean Smith following his departure from Aston Villa earlier this week.

Sutton insists the new coach, who could be named as soon as the weekend, will have a fighting chance of keeping the Canaries up this season.

“They have made a decision to bring someone in on the basis that they have enough time to keep Norwich in the Premier League,” he added.

“Another four or five games down the line and it becomes an impossible task.

“It’s a difficult enough task anyway to keep this team in the Premier League.

“But I think they have done the right thing if they felt they needed a different voice. Daniel Farke did an excellent job but I do think that he lost his way in the last couple of weeks.”