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My best hunch is a trip to Wembley – for a final that is actually worth winning

21st July 2009 By Charlie Wyett Leave a Comment

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There are many reasons why every Norwich fan has a right to feel miserable.

A forthcoming pre-season friendly against Wigan Athletic, a poxy little club who just a few years ago would have been falling over themselves to get City to their place for a warm-up match.

Then there's the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. It might end in a visit to Wembley but it's a bit like getting a ticket to watch a tribute band. It's not really the real thing and is basically, a waste of time.

And, even if you decide to watch a tribute band, you don't have to earn the right by beating Dagenham, Torquay and Aldershot.

Those who say this competition is a good idea, and I don't expect there to be many, should try and name all the winners from the previous five seasons. People don't remember because no-one cares.

As for appearing in the FA Cup first round, I think it's an absolute banker Norwich will end up with a non-League team who have battled through a few qualifying rounds, namely King's Lynn or Lowestoft.

A trip to The Walks or Crown Meadow for a competitive game: the ultimate humiliation.

Then there is League One itself. There is still that myth that relegation can 'sort things out'. This, of course, is absolute rot. I don't think there have been too many amazing transormations at Elland Road over the last couple of seasons.

However, amid all this gloom, and there's going to be a few grim nights, I actually think playing in the the third-tier of English football might be a bit of a laugh.

Again, I stress, it would be better to be playing in the Championship. But since relegation in 1995, Norwich have managed one play-off season, a title-winning campaign and three years fighting the drop. Two of them, of course, were unsuccessful.

Apart from that, each sorry season has merged into one. Not just mediocrity, but spectacularly dull mediocrity.

So for all the wrong reasons, we will not forget the 2009-2010 season, but at least it will be interesting.

The board have made some changes which were obviously necessary. Neil Doncaster did a fantastic job in many areas and remains deeply respected throughout football. But I'm not sure how much he really understood football.

As for Bryan Gunn, it was the right decision to stick with him this summer but the club was still wrong to get rid of Glenn Roeder – despite the fact that he managed to upset virtually everyone in Norfolk apart from his missus.

The signings have been as good as you would expect at this level. The one surprise was Michael Theoklitos joining from Melbourne Victory.

I've watch him a couple of times when covering the Australian Open in Melbourne and he is a decent keeper and keeps ignoring call-ups from the Aussies in the hope one day, he'll make it with Greece.

While the Hyundai A-League is of an average standard, Theoklitos has often been the division's stand-out goalkeeper and it seems strange he could not get a Championship Club.

As for the others, we will have to wait and see although having gone to the Dartford game, Michael Nelson looks a solid defender.

Equally, while these kick-abouts mean little, it was again painfully obvious that Jon Otsemobor is a player with great athletic ability, but no football ability. He is a League Two player.

The one major concern is the amount of players Norwich could end up losing whereas Leicester won the League One title last season by keeping most of their better players.

David Marshall was no loss, but Lee Croft would have done a job for the team although with him coming to the end of his contract, he could hardly be blamed for jumping ship.

Sammy Clingan would have been the League's best midfielder but, of course, he will be leaving, along with Darel Russell.

The other key point is how Gunn operates in the loan market. It is obviously a dirty word around the club after Roeder went over the top, but it will still be absolutely essential to operate in this way.

Even Leicester used it to good effect, bringing in ten players throughout last term, and Gunn will have to do the same to add just a sprinkling of quality he would not be able to buy. One presumes, however, Antoine Sibierski will not be returning.

Norwich maybe one of the favourites for automatic promotion, but I fear things will not be quite so simple.

A play-off berth awaits, in my opinion, and an appearance at Wembley. Although at least this is a final really worth winning.


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Filed Under: Charlie Wyett, Column

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