There’s a distinct chill in the air – it’s officially winter-time this week. I suspect that chill has felt a degree or two lower over at Colney this week as the ramifications of the Reading loss were discussed and analysed by manager, coaching staff and players prior to the road to Wigan being taken.
Alas if you’re looking for a positive, glass-half-full weekly piece from me, then sorry but not able to oblige. I challenge any Canary out there to put an optimistic spin on the, and I use the word advisedly, ‘predicament’ which City have got themselves in.
Actually, it is beginning to have the feel of a full-on crisis with 1) the manager appearing to have run out of ideas, 2) barely a single player putting in any kind of acceptable performance of late and 3) the whiff of rebellion amongst the yellow and green masses.
After Middlesbrough and Forest, I expected the manager and squad to be galvanised – to push on from a disappointing blip in the season. It hasn’t happened. The blip got a damn sight bigger after a disappointing if entertaining 6 goal spectacle against Brighton and Saturday’s woeful loss to an out-of-sorts Reading side. ‘Black Friday’ was followed by even blacker Saturday.
The mood on the ‘terraces’ at the final whistle on Saturday was poisonous and some of the after-match online/real world shenanigans by a handful of overly-vexed fans only made things worse.
That’s one single and lonely-looking point accrued from two home ‘bankers’ (if ever such a thing existed). As we arrive in December, that’s mid to lower table form by any definition unless Neil Adams and his team can find a formula to reverse our flagging fortunes.
Oh the irony. After all the pre and early-season chatter about parachute payments we now have a full-on freefall plummet in the club’s fortunes and down the league table, and all topped off with the dirty big cherry in the form of the mortal enemy waving at us cheerily from the position that we were in just 10 or so games back.
But it could be worse. We could be Wolves supporters who are currently enduring an even worse run from their team, but such ‘comforts’ are pretty thin gruel when we had expected to be booking our place at the top table for the 2015-16 season.
That ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ that we’re all holding out for seems to be growing ever dimmer week by week, despite the bullish – if predictable – fighting talk emanating from Carrow Road before each subsequent deflating result.
If points were handed out for talking a good game then we might be in with a shout of promotion. However the talk feels less and less convincing when none of it equates to anything close to a revival on the green stuff.
That tricky trip to Wigan is up next with one Malky Mackay (a name many put forward to replace Chris Hughton before the murky details of his ‘text-gate’ scandal came into public view) waiting eagerly for more of those defensive gifts which we seem all too eager to hand out.
And then Huddersfield at home – another ‘banker’ which could well turn ugly.
Followed by Derby away – a truly worrying prospect going into the Christmas week.
Looking at the table brings twinges of anxiety and outright bewilderment. Not only have we been overtaken by Brentford and Cardiff (amongst others) but we have Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds and Fulham rapidly chasing our tattered tails. An unthinkable scenario back at the start of October.
Coming into the festive period, there is an all-pervading atmosphere of grimness and rancour which would make even Father Christmas (damn it, he does exist) think twice about putting the brakes on his sleigh and popping down the metaphorical Carrow Road chimney.
A large section of the faithful are hoping that Mike Phelan has donned Santa’s hat and has rode into town to put a smile back on decidedly pallid and drawn faces. Whether that fond wish comes in the guise of inspired coaching at the side of Adams, or (as some are wishing for) in the top job, should the dreaded axe fall, will be revealed as the halls get decked with holly and the plastic trees are dragged from the loft and dusted off ready for action.
The photo in the paper of new/old boy Phelan slumped on the bench almost afraid to confront what was on offer doesn’t inspire confidence. Three days into the job and he had the look of someone wishing he’d taken the road to Lapland and not Norfolk.
We badly need some goodies to cheer in place of the gift-wrapped gaffs that have been on view of late. With Neil struggling to deliver, maybe the big fella with the white beard can.
What’s top of my list to Santa? A big bottle of inspiration for Team Adams (please deliver ASAP), a shiny new kick-start to the season (starting at Wigan) and a sack full of points in 2015.
Come on Santa, don’t let me down.
I struggle to be too positive here- at the minute we are going backwards alarmingly. But I shall have a go….
1) man for man this is a good squad, they are playing badly and disjointedly but previously we knew they were good, they still are.
2) Mike Phelan has only just had a chance to get started, the great strength of Man Utd teams was their teamwork and togetherness, if he can bring some of that in we will pick up.
3) despite how crap the team are playing, no matter our frustrations as fans, Carrow Road will be as good as full every week, if we the fans can get behind the team, even when they are demonstrably bad, there remained something wonderful and positive about the club. Hopefully that might lift the error prone heroes to get it right!
In other words our faults either now seem to be to be a crisis of confidence, a lack of leadership on and off the pitch and, at times, plain bad luck.
Phelan has come in to address leadership issues off the pitch, the fans can get behind the team to try to lift confidence a little (did we not used to sing instead of hurrah we’ve scored a goal, actually we sung never mind Rosario!).
Things can then round yet.
And here’s a scenario that might raise a smile… Playoff final and we beat Ipswich at Wembley, now that would be a day to savour!
OTBC
I tried to be positive! Hope it worked a little!
Paul – I doff a non-existent cap in your direction. Your ‘stiff upper lip’ is an example to all us grumps. We need you to get down to Colney before the bus departs for Wigan and rouse the troops with positivity. In fact, why not put on Santa’s costume and surprise them all!
Good players don’t become bad players over night – it’s all down to battered egos and confidence crises. That’s where the boss has to show his mettle and inspire belief – an ability not given to all. A Malky-inspired Latics side will provide a big test of whether Adams has got ‘the right stuff’.
Like Paul (1), I’ve been digging deep to try and justify my natural optimism. But at the moment – to mix physical metaphors – that’s requiring some mental contortion.
All of Paul’s points are right, but it’s increasingly hard to feel positive about Adams’ reign. His post-match comments about the booing were dignified, more so than some of the players; but the rest of what he said was exactly what we’ve heard for two months. Does he know how to break out of the current rut (which I called a ‘blip’ a month ago but is far more now)? On the evidence before our eyes, sadly not.
I live in hope, and would be delighted if our form and results turned round in the next 9 days. If it doesn’t, I suspect the Board’s faith will falter along with that of the fans.
A positive: in 2010-11, when we won automatic promotion, we had 30 points after 19 games; this season, after 19 games, we have 27 points. A mere three points off the total that Paul Lambert achieved, with an arguably stronger squad and the experience of Mike Phelan available. When you put it like that it makes a play-off place look well within reach.
Very interesting post by Russell and follow-up comments. I have to say that the only thing that really keeps me going is the fact that a dramatic turn of fortune could see us propelled up the table – nobody is that far away yet and it always happens to a couple of teams a season, why not us? Realistically the only way is up!
That said it is hard to ignore the current state of play. I have a lot of respect for Neil Adams as a person and his dignified and honest comments after games is refreshing. But to me something has changed. Earlier on in his reign he seemed decisive, able to motivate the team and play the best players in their best positions. This has fallen away and we have a team and individuals that are dramatically underperforming, some very odd tactical and selection decisions.
This brings us to the summer signings and particularly the ones made just prior to the transfer window closing. At the time, like many fans, I was really impressed by the signings and the intent albeit with minor concerns that the squad was perhaps too big. Three months down the line and Cameron Jerome is really the only player we’ve seen. Of the others Odjidja-Ofoe, Hooiveld and Cuellar we’ve seen sporadically – partly due to injuries and fitness, but none of them have had sufficient game-time to build up their form. McGrandles and Miquel haven’t had any match minutes at all. Which begs the question why did we buy them? What kind of message does this send out to the youngsters in the U21 side? That Adams rates them even less than players who appear to have been bought in to just make up numbers. Jamar Loza and Adel Gafaiti have fallen off the radar. Others like Jacob Murphy and Harry Toffolo have impressed whilst on loan and could have done a job. I imagine for the U21 guys at the moment it must be quite disheartening.
Thanks for the comments and the positive tone attempted in them. I feel slightly better as I contemplate dragging the decorations out. Way too much bulging-vein negativity about the club at present which isn’t going to help anyone.
The jury on Adams is very much out. Even when results were good, he didn’t seem to be making the most of the squad and persisting with under-performing players, asking players to take up unfamiliar roles (Lafferty/Martin) and the much anticipated (when he was appointed) injection of U21 energy and pace hasn’t materialised (John_Notts). It was always going to be an ‘on-the-job’ learning curve so let’s hope lessons have been learnt.
The added spice to the Wigan game (or the Huddersfield one if still there) is the likely return of one G. Holt, with all the predictable reaction that’s going to cause. If he scores, will he celebrate? Let’s hope that’s a hypothetical.
Ben K (4): regular readers will guess how much it pains me to say this, but it’s inescapable. Yes, we’re only a few points off the promotion spots and our 2010-11 equivalent. But psychologically we look a million miles off.
Just hope I’m as over-pessimistic this time as I’ve been over-optimistic in the past…