I suspect a glass or two was shared in the Adams household last night, and with good reason.
Three wins on the bounce is impressive enough. Two clean sheets out of four games is promising. Seven goals in the last three is reason for optimism. But a win against ‘that lot’… priceless.
That Neil Adams understood exactly that – possibly more so than his counterpart – made yesterday’s win that little bit more special for everyone. And the City manager can be forgiven (just this once) for ignoring the etiquette of managerial handshakes before celebrating with the players given the magnitude of the occasion.
While the circumstances were different, the celebrations between staff, players and fans had a distinctly April 2011 feel about them. On this occasion the fist-pumping manager was not just celebrating the win but acceptance by the City faithful.
And there is nothing like a win in deepest Suffolk to convince the waiverers. Let’s hope after yesterday a few more will have clambered aboard.
Ironically Mick McCarthy chose post-match to bemoan the financial gulf between the two sides – the differing Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules between Premier League and Championship in the sights of Yorkshire’s greatest Irishman.
Ironic because for three seasons we have been on the receiving end from those with far deeper pockets.
Ironic because back in 2007 it was his own supporters who arrived at Carrrow Road adorned with £5 notes to remind us that they were now ‘f***ing loaded’.
Ironic because we are in this position by virtue of winning promotion to the Premier League… minus a benefactor.
And ironic because, thanks to said promotion, all external debts have been repaid – in full.
Chuck some shrewd, sometimes necessarily ruthless, financial management from Messrs Bowkett and McNally into the equation and you have a healthy balance sheet – even after a relegation. Sorry Mick.
Equally disappointing for McCarthy would have been that City won at a canter while trundling along in second and third gear. As Adams alluded to afterwards, it was a display that had plenty of room for improvement and got nowhere near the heights of the last two games. But it was good enough.
As 1-0 wins go, they don’t come much more comfortable.
For their part the home side were a huge disappointment. The passing principles of years gone by, and typified by the Muhren and Thijssen era (evokes painful memories), have been abandoned in favour of an approach that is more Wimbledon Crazy Gang than Barcelona’esque tiki-taka.
That their starting line-up included four centre-backs across the back line spoke volumes, with long diagonals and well-rehearsed set-pieces the order of the day.
Given the pending aerial bombardment, to lose Ryan Bennett to that rolled ankle so early could have been a recipe for disaster. But it wasn’t. Instead Russell Martin stepped up and offered a display of aerial prowess that far belied his first-half offering on Tuesday night.
And beside him Michael Turner was absolutely magnificent. The ex-Sunderland man is as honest as they come but, in the last few seasons, faced with short, stocky, strong and quick South Americans he was seldom as his ease. However, give him some strapping six-footers to out-muscle in the air and he is in his element.
Yesterday was one of those days but, more than that, I also lost count of the number of times he was in the right place at the right time to intercept or block. Daryl Murphy escaped the pocket of Turner for a fleeting moment to guide that second-half header wide but for the most part it was a one-sided battle.
On the rare occasion Town chose to get the ball down and slide it in the channels, the twisting and turning of David McGoldrick threatened to cause problems. But invariably the shooting was from distance and the whites of John Ruddy’s eyes not visible.
It’s not for us to say, but why have a player of McGoldrick’s undoubted quality and use a system that offers him so little?
But, even so, it was a City display that saw those in yellow emerge victorious across the whole pitch; most personal battles were won.
In the midfield Alex Tettey and Bradley Johnson again excelled – both currently in a rich vein of form – and Wes and his dancing feet were at it again.
Town had little answer to City’s pass and move football and, while it was far from as neat and flowing as Adams would have liked, it did produce three gilt-edged second half opportunities.
That City – or Lewis Grabban to be precise – failed to take any of them did serve to make the closing stages far more nervy than they needed to have been, but ultimately one was enough.
Those who declared the Grabban signing an astute one, given that he would be able to hit the Championship ground running, were spot on. Since that chipped effort against Watford eight days ago the ex-Bournemouth man hasn’t looked back and now looks full of goals. Indeed, on another day he would have departed Portman Road with the match ball.
With Gary O’Neil turning in another impressive little cameo and Kyle Lafferty already making his mark on the Yellow Army, Adams should feel quietly content that his first three summer signings are all ticking the necessary boxes. And that’s before Cameron Jerome and Carlos Cuellar are let loose.
Things are ticking along nicely and yesterday was a good one… a really good one. Let’s enjoy the moment.
And we won in front of the cameras! Looking forward to some more irritating old ghosts being laid to rest this season – bring on Fulham! Thought Gary O’Neil showed exactly why Adams brought him in during the closing minutes, he fought and controlled and calmed. OTBC!
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Well said Gary. Agree with all of that. Adams has answered the doubters bit time.
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On the Financial Fair Play issue Mick McCarthy seems to be unaware That his club is one of those that in recent times took the Administration option to walk away from their depts and get a fresh start with a well coined benefactor. OK we too have done that before but it was in the 1950’s. The gulf in finances that seem to exist between the two clubs at the moment is purely down to the different class of management on and of the pitch. And it must be said the soul of the owners! For the life of me, I can’t see what unfair advantage we have had.
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We should have taken a bunch of twenties to wave at them to highlight the difference. Only Ipswich would bring £5 notes with them, and I bet that took some benefit based organisation. Interestingly, like Ipswich, a note you that don’t hold the same prominence in circulation now..
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The Canaries are flying – the Tractor boys are stuck in a rut,
The Portman Road folk left quiet, their numbers rather fickle,
The winner was no goal of the season contender for sure..but,
Master Grabban left the Blues and keeper-Gerken in a pickle.
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Am I the only one who is finding MM’s moaning about FFP tiresome and boring?
Parachute payments are not, as many Championship clubs would have you believe, a “reward for the failure”, they’re part of the prize for promotion to the Premier League in the first place.
Mick should spend more time and effort of the training ground getting his players playing football, rather than goofball. Then, and only then, will he have a chance of promotion and all the Premiership cash, plus parachute payments, which he currently so despises.
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Nice one Gary as per usual, I’m beginning to wonder if you are the alter-ego of our own RBF, resident bard on our not606 forum. You and he have an uncanny knack of hitting the nail precicely and squarely on the head – see here – http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/274625-First-Blood, I hope the link works!
Keep up the good work Mr. G. you’ll do for me! OTBC
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‘McCarthyism’: *definition* – “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means “the practice of making unfair allegations..”..says it all.
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We’ll all be agreed today, I suspect! Particularly glad to see Gary highlight Turner’s performance. He’s been outstanding in all four games so far, while others have come to the fore in different games (Lafferty was much better than Grabban vs Watford, for instance, while the reverse was true yesterday).
While it’s a shame to lose quality like Snodgrass and Fer, we’re putting together a squad that looks powerful for the Championship and it’s clear we’ve kept some key players for this campaign – not just Turner, but Tettey and others. And still my favourite midfielder, Jonny Howson, to return.
Yes, plenty to feel good about.
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Neil and the team are certainly ticking all the right boxes. Coming from behind to win, away win, derby win, three goals in a game, three wins in a row, effective substitutions, decent signings. All check.
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What a good assessment of where City Stand after the derby away win. Let’s not get carried away, though. Grabban has missed more chances than he has scored. Lafferty does not appear likely to be a prolific scorer. There is still confusion about the position of several players – Hooper, Surman, Becchio and Bassong. Players happy to be in and around the squad in the Premier League are likely to be far from satisfied in the Championship when the don’t get a game. City have had had some good fortune in Watford having a man sent off and the awarding of the penalty (and not against Whitaker) in the Blackburn match.
But yesterday the team not only showed skill but also determination especially vital when Ryan Bennett went off so early in the game.
If City can build on these results, there are reasons to believe the team can at least reach the playoffs and even go one better. Neil Adams is now got a following wind. Let’s hope the team can consolidate its position over the coming weeks. Then the smile will return to the fans’ faces. OTBC.
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Actually I can see to some extent where McCarthy is coming from. It isn’t really FFP that’s his problem but more simply that he’s at a club that is completely lacking momentum. This is their 13th successive season in the second tier – don’t think anyone else has been here that long. Derby maybe?
After dropping down from the Premiership they finished 7th then 5th and then 3rd but ran out of steam. For the last 9 seasons they’ve been solidly mid-table, never seriously threatening promotion and only fairly briefly flirting with the drop. How boring! Nothing to interest the fans, no reason for the place to be packed out.
Most other clubs in the division have either had the comparative riches of parachute payments or the excitement of promotions from below. We’ve had both! When did we last have a dull season? 2005/06 maybe? They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity – we’ve had loads for all sorts of reasons, but they’ve had none.
As for us I’m delighted by the start we’ve made and the way the squad is shaping up. With O’Neill, Cuellar and Jerome already available when Howson’s back the bench is going to look so much stronger than on the opening day. Just hope Ryan Bennett’s ankle knock is not serious.
I honestly thought we could struggle to win any of our first 4, just because any team needs to play a few games together to be really effective, so 9 points is good going in my view. The next 2 league games are against decent teams, but after we’ve been to Cardiff in 3 weeks time we have Brentford, Birmingham, Blackpool, Charlton and Rotherham. That’s quite a promising run of fixtures.
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Hi Gary,
As we worked together in the 19 hundreds (seems hundreds of years ago) it’s good to see a Suffolk lad (assumption as we worked in Lowestoft)still has his “I support xyz” priorities in the right place.
Hope you’re well.
Great report.
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(11) You’re right, Grabban has missed chances, but I think that’s encouraging . Imagine how many he’ll bag once he’s firing on all cylinders! These three wins have been encouraging too, because they were all achieved in different ways – patient unpicking of 10 men, a comeback win vs a team unbeaten in 14, and now an away battle vs distinctly workmanlike mid-table grinders.
I never doubted Adams was capable, but I was worried whether we had enough quality in the spine of the team, particularly the likes of Johnson and Martin. I’m happy to admit they are proving me wrong.
If we keep this kind of form up, I wonder if those outraged at Adams’ appointment will admit they were wrong. I won’t hold my breath!
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@14 Shiny Shoes
I think most people weren’t particularly angry at Adams. More at the line that we scoured Europe and the best candidate was someone with 5 professional games under his belt, all lost. If we had brought in anyone with the same experience from another club there would have been outrage. If the board had come out and said “We’re willing to back Adams, we understand he doesn’t have the experience but we believe he can do it”. That’s one thing. But the charade that there weren’t more qualified or experienced people was insulting. Especially when the reason we didn’t axe Hughton because there was no one better, although apparently there was and he was already working for us.
Adams is doing well and I hope he succeeds. But there’s a lot of obstacles he’s still never overcome. Hughton did well to start, but he never overcame the significant issue of a long period of poor form. Adams is flying high right now and that’s great, it’s when we hit bumps in the road that we’ll see if he’s cut out for getting us promoted and keeping us up. Because make no mistake, that’s what he is hired to do.
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But Dave B we wouldn’t have brought someone with that level of experience from another club unless we knew them, knew their personality, knew their strengths and weaknesses inside out – e.g. if they had previously worked for us as a youth coach.
We could have approached all sorts of people with many games under their belt, guys like Peter Reid, Trevor Francis, Paul Ince, Bryan Robson, Tony Mowbray, Owen Coyle etc. etc. But we wouldn’t want any of them would we?
What was lacking was an obvious up-and-coming candidate in the mould of Martin O’Neill when he was at Wycombe. The only one I thought we might try to tempt is Eddie Howe – perhaps we inquired and were rebuffed, who knows?
The only names in the frame seemed to be Neil Lennon, who has less RELEVANT experience than Adams, and Malky. And whilst recent revelations about Malky may have come out of the blue to the public, there will be many inside the game who will know what he (and doubtless many others) are really like. In fact it seems clear that as soon as he looked like getting another job Cardiff would have released this info.
There was a feeling that Adams got the job by default as a result of a lack of alternatives but at least the Board knew what they were getting. And in any case I think his youth team experience has been wrongly discounted; getting a bunch of testosterone-driven teenage boys into shape is no mean feat and requires pretty strong people skills. I don’t think it’s that dissimilar to managing a division 4 side with no cash and getting the best from them, and certainly more relevant than managing a team in a one-team league such as the SPL.
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I don’t really understand the complaints regarding the comment about “scouring Europe”, or the fact the board took a few more days than initially announced. That just seems like due diligence to me. Making sure to get right a MASSIVE decision for the future of the club. The biggest decision a board ever takes.
It’s too early to judge, but claims that Adams was brought in to save money, that it showed a lack of ambition, or that the board was happy to stay in the championship look increasingly flawed with each passing win.
He may not be the best or most experienced manager in Europe, but quite possibly the right fit for this club at this time in its history. There’s no doubt in my mind the board were only concerned with the best interests of the club, and that can only be achieved by winning games of football.
(oh and he didn’t lose all 5 last season, we drew at Stamford Bridge and almost nicked a win! And I think I remember there WAS outrage in some quarters, which is what I have a problem with.)
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@Keith
Sorry, that doesn’t make sense. We knew everything about Neil at Christmas but didn’t consider him a viable candidate. Not my words, that of the board. 5 lost matches later and he’s the man for the job.
Again, I’m not unhappy with Neil. In fact many were calling for him to replace Hughton at Christmas. Perhaps we’d still be there if he did.
No, it’s the nonsense peddled in the summer that burned people, especially on top of what they’d already had to sit through. So to reiterate, people weren’t outraged at Neil, it was the charade of scouting Europe for the best possible manager, the endless opportunities, and the inevitable underwhelming feeling when the U21 coach gets the job. It’s not exactly unreasonable.
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@18 – DaveB. Whilst taking on board your comments, upon reflection, there’s little doubt that had a decision on change been made earlier last season, the list of potential candidates would have been far more extensive than it was in May for a team about to face up to life in the Championship. For that reason alone, I consider that it would Adams would have been deemed “far less acceptable to fans” in, say, January, than was otherwise the case in May.
Frankly, had the decision to appoint Adams been made immediately, there would have been further outrage, with the Board being open to criticism for having not considered the options.
It seems widely acknowledged that three candidates were interviewed and Adams was deemed to best. Whether this was proceeded with a European search, I care not. The decision has been made, it was never going to please everyone and now’s the time to move on, get behind the team and make the most of this encouraging start.
OTBC
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To be fair to Dave B, his recent posts (@10) (and there is another in another article), have been very positive about Neil and the team ‘ticking all the right boxes’!! So positive, that I was beginning to wonder if it was an impostor – but the later postings have reassured me! (Not that I necessarily disagree with the later points either.)
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