City chief executive David McNally tonight admitted that he was homing in on his number one target ? a manager currently working at an English club.
That, in one fell swoop, ruled out the likes of Gordon Strachan, Steve Coppell and the like. All of which had been doing the rounds today.
And the number of potential candidates has suddenly been whittled down to a few. Nigel Adkins obviously fits the bill. He's in work and doing a very decent job at Championship Scunthorpe.
But one thing McNally told the press today was key; that the new Canary chief should ideally have experience of being at a 'big club' and the pressures that come with it.
“Not all footballers and not all football managers can take the pressures that go with being at a big football club,” McNally told reporters this evening.
“We need somebody who can and I'm confident that our number one candidate absolutely has those qualities and the right credentials for this position.”
Adkins, with all due respect to Scunthorpe, doesn't have those qualities on his CV. But a certain Paul Lambert does.
A veteran of the goldfish bowl that is Glasgow Celtic, Colchester boss Lambert will be well aware of what it takes to handle those expectations.
Don't forget, he has a Champions League winners' medal on his mantelpiece as well from his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Lambert also comes armed with Ian Culverhouse as his No 2 ? someone who won't have any problem fitting back into Carrow Road life. Gary Holt isn't far away either after joining the U's in the summer as player-coach.
And Neil Doncaster's replacement hinted that with City's standing in the football community, and their loyal and demanding supporter base, they were targeting someone who knows what it takes to deliver in front of an expectant public.
“He is currently in employment at another football club,” McNally continued, speaking to the press for the second time in three days.
“This is a big football club, a big football community and the supporters of this club deserve us to be focused on bringing them somebody who has the right ability, a good track record, energy, commitment, determination and alongside all of that, a true winning mentality.”
And without banging the Lambert drum too much, he certainly ticks the 'winner' box. All in all, it was a fascinating insight to City's selection process this time around.
That process, being managed by McNally, is wholly different to the last few managerial searches in Norfolk.
The chief executive revealed that they were not going to hang around for this one; there will be no second and third interviews in a London hotel.
They know who they want and they are determined to get him…
“As we said to everybody on Saturday evening, the process has started,” McNally continued. “From the moment the game finished we put in place our selection procedures.
“We have a shortlist of people that we're interested in and I would also add that many, many people have applied, but this is a headhunting exercise rather than interviewing people who have applied for the role.
“We have identified, in order, who we would like to see and we've focused on our number one target. I have met with him and we are in talks.
“Unfortunately at this stage I can't confirm when he will be at the football club but I am confident at some point, as soon as possible, we should be able to make a positive announcement.”
And that positive announcement will be all that occupies McNally's mind for the time being. First-team games apart ? it's easy to forget City are at Brentford tomorrow night ? the former Fulham and Celtic man is living and breathing the search for a new Canary chief.
“Nothing else currently, outside of course of the games that we play, matters at this football club. Everything else is on hold apart from our first team games and this task.
“We have researched the qualities and the experience and we've looked at suitable references, and all of the checks that you would have if you were recruiting a very senior employee in any other walk of life we've done, and we believe that we have the right person in our sights.
“We can't confirm that we have him yet because we don't, but we are confident that at the appropriate point in the not-too-distant future we should have something very positive to say.”
Tom Haylett
Leave a Reply