Neil Adams’ resignation as manager of Norwich City Football Club was a statement that I took in two completely contrasting ways.
With my yellow and green tinted sunglasses on, I’m disappointed. He is a club legend who I do think, with time, could have eventually turned things around. However, there is also the fact that by changing it now we could – and I still believe we can – get promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
It was a wise move from Adams, having had the pressure piled on him from everyone to start producing results since the end of September.
All this is of course if he did actually resign. Or is stating he resigned just a nice way of saying David McNally sacked him? I certainly hope he did resign, or at least the CEO’s style of dismissing club legends has vastly improved.
Of course it’s not just a simple case of blaming the manager for the downturn in results. The players have had their part to play too.
I don’t believe every single City player at the moment has that hunger, drive and passion that is just the minimum of what the Yellow Army expects of those who put on the jersey.
I have been criticised of late for backing the players too much. But I do believe that there isn’t one opposition player in this league that is of a better calibre than those in the current starting eleven, excluding Steven Whittaker – but even he has silenced me with his recent strikes.
We signed the right players in the summer transfer window. We’ve got a strong spine to our team, strength in midfield, pace and skill in Nathan Redmond and, on paper, the best front two in the league in Gary Hooper and Cameron Jerome.
But these players need inspiration – that’s all they need in my eyes – because it’s clear to see they’re a close knit squad, with everything required that makes a football team a successful one.
The new manager needs to have the ability to help us grind out games, especially when we’re having a bad day. We’ve particularly struggled with this under Adams. I don’t like going back in time too much, but this is something that Paul Lambert excelled in.
You always had that belief that even if we were two nil down, we would go on and get something from the game. And the best thing about this was that both players and fans believed it. Two nil down at Reading and neither the players or the fans thought we could get something from the game.
This will change under a manager that can inspire the players.
For me, the most disappointing thing about the last two seasons has been not the football team, but the lack of ambition from the board. But, despite this, they still have the power to help City regain Premier League status.
It will be interesting to see if McNally finally realises that balancing the books isn’t enough at this club anymore. We need to roll the dice in January.
Mike Phelan becoming the permanent manager would certainly be another cheap, safe appointment that wouldn’t necessarily mean guaranteed promotion. I’m hoping that this time when they scout Europe, they return with a manager that wants to prove a point and has experience of success with teams similar to us.
Look at clubs like Crystal Palace, Swansea and Burnley. They’re clubs that Norwich are bigger than and better than, yet we seem so far away from them now.
The silver lining of Neil’s resignation is that the new manager still has the time to invest in his own players in the January transfer window.
And the fact he believes we’re still firmly on course for promotion to the Premier League shows just how much belief there is around the place, despite the recent run of inconsistent results.
I am delighted that Adams is returning to the club in July, albeit in a role that is not yet confirmed. He is a club legend who has done the best he can. He doesn’t deserve the abuse. I’m sure the majority of City supporters will agree that he’s Norwich City through and through.
The next three fixtures look tough right now but who knows, with a new manager in charge perhaps we’ll change our fortunes around – and I think we will!
OTBC
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I am intrigued as to how Adams acquired his status as a legend. Will you be telling your grandchildren about his exploits: 30 goals in 6 seasons, most of them in the second tier. I suspect few people outside Norwich had ever heard of him until he popped up as manager.
Neil Adams legend, he was an average player who made the best of what he had. As a manger tactical inept and not a leader of men , same as that poor excuse of captain Martin.
I think in 12 months time we will look back at this moment with deep regret – the moment when the idiots on CarrowRoad.net & Vital Norwich and the ‘I never wanted him in the first place’ crew hounded out a talented coach and forced McNally to restart yet again.
I accept Neyul made mistakes (as anyone would) but bit by bit he was fixing the problems (Bassong, the Coaching team) and it was noticeable that several first team players were seeing significant improvements in performance (e.g. Redmond, Johnson, Whittaker). Results could have been better but overall the times when performances were genuinely poor were seldom.
I think time has proved that whoever was given the job last summer, it was going to take time to sort out a squad that wasn’t good enough for the Prem and doesn’t have the character for the Championship. It failed under Hughton and cost Adams his job and its real quality was reflected in the fact that the 2 players that stayed in the Prem (Snoddy & Fer) were brought by clubs in the bottom 5. Clearly our problems run deeper than just a change of manager.
Neyul was mounting a better challenge for promotion than the vast majority of relegated clubs have achieved in the last 5 years but ludicrous expectations of perfection made his job impossible.
This season is now a right off because we’ll either give the job to the wrong man (Phelan, Sherwood) and have to start again in the summer or give it to a young ambitious manager (Cooper, Robinson) who’ll need time to make his mark.
Those that fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its failures – welcome to a repeat of the Rioch, Hamilton, Grant & Roeder years.
I don’t accept Mike Phelan can be considered a ‘cheap’ option – there’s no evidence of him coming cheap. You’re right its not an appointment to ‘guarantee’ promotion, but no such appointment exists.
Statistically (over the 28 seasons since the playoffs began) 77% of relegated teams DO NOT bounce straight back.
Canaries boss – dream job or poisoned chalice?
Neil’s had enough and we’re left to reflect,
Too much pressure, expectation, fan’s malice?
Playoffs chances – have they been wrecked?
I agree with everything Kobecanary has said, there will be lots of regrets down the line. Now we need another miracle from David McNally!
Kobecanary (3):an oasis of sense and perspective in a desert of vacuous opinion. And Dave B is also spot on. But let’s hope for the best.
I hope as one of the “I never wanted him in the first place” brigade my view won’t be thought vacuous…but Adams (or the board) have made the correct and courageous decision in my view. I never have and never will boo the players or manager at a game but…….Statistically it is true that over 28 years more clubs don’t bounce back than do BUT times have changed over the last couple of years. The amount of parachute payments, the resulting relative poverty of championship clubs and our financial position relative to them all argue strongly against the struggles we have had this season.
We kept all of the players we wanted to (players that survived in the Prem for 2 years finishing 11th in season 1 lest we forget) with the possible exception of Snodgrass who has been out all season in any case, added proven championship players in O’Neil, Hooper, Jerome and Cuellar and are debt free and relatively cash rich. The only thing not proven was a manager with no experience. I agree that his youth coaching record is very good and he has been a fine servant to our club for many years but this doesn’t alter the fact that we should not be appointing a manager who has never managed before – we are too big a club to need to take those risks. God knows there are enough risks in appointing a proven manager without exacerbating things by appointing someone who has never done the job!
I strongly suspect we are about to repeat this mistake with Mike Phelan and I wish him every success but if I were a betting man (which I’m not thankfully!) I would bet on a good start for 3-4 games followed by a slump. Time for an experienced manager who knows the job….it is fundamentally different from the coaching role.
legend or not the man had a good run at the job and didn’t quite make it.
However he has made an exit that should be applauded by the supporters at a time when something of the season can still be saved.
Well done Neil Adams for being passionate about NCFC and for doing the right thing by the club.
Good luck for the future