A week ago, the world looked pretty rosy. Pre-season had gone well; fans had absolute faith in the manager. The squad had strength in depth, especially in midfield. One or two more signings would be welcome, but they’d be icing on the cake. Bring on the league.
A few days later it’s all different. The club has clearly stood still while others have moved forward. The team is naïve, and needs three or four new faces. Not even sure about the manager. It’s a crisis and the next game is huge.
But enough about Arsenal.
I can sometimes be accused of exaggeration, but not in this case. Arsenal have lost one game; in the forthcoming 37 they need to be sharper and they probably need the striker they’re trying to sign. But they have an outstanding manager and they’ll do fine. The panic and protests are as ridiculous as they’re unhelpful.
That’s easy to see from the outside. In truth, the parallel situation at Norwich should be fairly easy for us to see from the inside too. Alex Neil is an exceptional manager who’s up to the challenge and will address the shortcomings we saw in the first game.
He’ll be backed by David McNally and the board. Yes, we have a budget; we won’t pay the first price quoted to us for a player, and will miss out on some because we won’t throw our wage structure out of the window. But McNally’s record of delivering the players his managers want is outstanding.
By the way, we were given a tough opener. Palace’s form in the second half of last season was sensational, especially away from home. Their 10th place finish reflected much better than 10th place form after bringing in Alan Pardew.
Faced with that challenge, we played a lot of bright football and, but for refereeing foibles, would probably have got a draw or better.
No cause for meltdown. Yes, we were sloppy in places. And we were reminded that in a higher league, opponents are more clinical in both penalty areas. We’ll sharpen up.
Actually, we’ve been here before. Having got out of League 1, our first game of the Championship season 2010-11 was home to Watford. We lost, conceding three goals, and the mood turned. Some of the optimism born of promotion evaporated; fans questioned Paul Lambert’s team selection, tactics – and whether he was up to the job. Perhaps we needed someone more experienced.
Good thing we didn’t listen to the ‘panickers’.
No-one would now say we should have got rid of Paul Lambert. He got us promotion from the Championship, and had a hugely successful season with us in the Premier League, didn’t he? But look at that Premier League season a little more carefully. We didn’t actually win a home game until 26 September.
Will we ever learn patience? Not if we judge by that idiots’ forum Canary Call. Now, I’m sure the first caller they put on air isn’t typical (at least I desperately hope not). But how can anyone who cares about Norwich and knows anything about football give prime air time to someone calling for Alex Neil to be sacked?
While other fans don’t go as far as that, it seems for some that “In Alex we trust” is a long way from being unconditional. He deserves better than that. I suspect he doesn’t lose much sleep over fans’ criticism of his selections, but it doesn’t help either.
As a pollster, my credibility perhaps isn’t as high as it might be. But I make a firm prediction: if Alex Neil and David McNally are still at our club in five years from now, we’ll be firmly established in the top division.
Isn’t that what we want?
More immediately, if we’re pushing the boat out for a major signing, should it be a central defender or a striker? Most seem to think the priority should be in defence because we often look fragile.
My view is different.
Conceding goals, I reckon, is more about style and approach than about quality of defenders. We had virtually the same defensive personnel under Paul Lambert in 2011-12 and Chris Hughton in 2012-13, but the former conceded almost 10 goals more.
On the other hand, there’s no substitute for a quality striker who sniffs out chances and converts a high proportion of them.
Then again, I WAS a striker….
PS. Just a thought for Watford fans. In 2013-14 Norwich began their season with a 2-2 draw against Everton. We got relegated.
I wouldn’t get too wound up about the odd lunatic who rings up Canary Call (it would be a pointless waste of energy to do so). The problem with any phone-in is that literally anybody can get through and broadcast their views to the world. You give more credence and credibility to these people by repeating their views in articles like this one (as much as I agree with what you say).
Hi Stewart, I agree with a lot of this and I would just about go along with the need for a new striker being greater, but, both would be good and getting both is a real possibility, what with the window being open for another three weeks. Wouldn’t it be great if it was all done by the start of the season?
I’m not sure I agree with the following, though, “McNally’s record of delivering the players his managers want is outstanding.” What’s your thinking behind that? My mind goes back to January ’14, when we got much a needed centre-half on loan to provide cover but not much else, Gutierrez notwithstanding. The right player/s could’ve made all the difference and others around us were making much more serious acquisitions (I’m starting to remember that we’ve been here before…). Here’s hoping he pulls something out of the bag.
In McNally’s time, has there ever been a signing that really made fans sit up and take notice? Ricky Winkle was touted as something of a coup when he arrived, but had anyone actually heard of him at the time? It’s not that he was any use to us, either way.
McNally has appointed five managers. Only two of them could be described as successes (the less said about Gunn the better) – Hughton’s first season went well and Adams did ok, but they were ultimately unsuccessful appointments. The occasions where his managers have succeeded were when they got the best out of what was there with modest additions. The turnarounds after both Lambert and Neil arrived came when each manager had inherited what was arguably the best squad of players in each of their respective leagues (Lambert in League One and Neil in the Championship), so it wasn’t signings that made the difference as the squads in both cases had come from a higher division. Lambert was able to carry the success forward into a higher level and I have faith that Neil can do the same. At least one player who can make a real difference would really help, though, and I don’t have the same confidence that McNally can deliver him.
Strange comment about Watford at the end.
I’m not going to rise to any bait as simple as that but would like to know your issue with Watford?
Back to proper discussion.
I would like to question the comments on McNally. How do you know this. I will never claim to know who Watford are after as i’m sure despite knowing some people at the club I will never hear of half what goes on. Its a very big claim that i’m sure Lambert would love to answer.
As for people on Canary call. We all have fans who can’t see the bigger picture. Those fans who while walking back to the pub after a loss will slag off a manager or player who has taken the club forward. I have spoken to Norwich fans who knock Hoolahan. Age is not on his side but he is the type of player every team needs and wants. Someone who can play that ball and see a pass to open things up.
We played very well at Everton but still only got 1 point. If nothing else it does show that the players all get the managers ideas and were playing as a team. With a number of new players that is great to see.
I wish you all the luck for the season and despite hoping to end up above you I still hope we are both high enough to stay up. Just leave the anti Watford stuff.
We may already have a striker on the books who will prove to be the answer to that all consuming question.At this stage we obviously don’t know,after a successful championship season using the strikers already at this club,they must be given the chance to show what they can do.What could be better than to see a Hooper,Jerome or even RVP prove that they are more than capable of filling that role.Strengthening at the back is also a priority at this early stage of the season.How often have we seen clubs frantically trying to bring in strikers or defenders near the end of the season when it should have been done much earlier.
Thanks for the comments. A couple of thoughts on them:
Matt (1) – Quite right about the odd lunatic caller. I’m not a fan of Canary Call (as you may have figured out) – partly because of the callers they allow/encourage, but partly because of their own approach. After last year’s home game with Sheff Wed, the presenters – the PRESENTERS – banged on for an hour about how catastrophic the loss of Bradley Jonhson would be for the next two games away at Bolton & Leeds. Meanwhile AN got on with the job, made sure it wasn’t catastrophic and we won both games.
Ben (2) – I do have a little (just a little) inside knowledge here. I know that successive managers have given David McNally lists of players they’d like, and DMc has delivered to a remarkable degree, Doesn’t mean they’ve all been good signings, of course – but his delivery has been exceptional.
By the way, McNally didn’t hire Gunn. He inherited him, took one look and fired him to bring in Paul Lambert.
Norfolk Hornet (3) – Agreed, my comment on Watford was a bit cheap. I don’t have much against Watford, other than some of their fans being insufferably arrogant about getting a point at Everton. And agreed – it was a creditable point.
Sid W (4) – I’d love to agree, but have seen enough of Hooper and RvW to be convinced (sadly) that they’re not the answer.
I just don’t get why we need more players? Surely we only want a player that will fit in and improve the current squad. One of our strengths last season was a non reliance on any one particular player. Goals came from numerous players, BJ, CJ, LG, NR, JH, WH, GH, all scored their share. In midfield we are so, so strong and, although I can agree that we are a tad thin on the ground in central defence, our record is decent enough but I’m a RM fan.
I loved Holty, Iwan, Hucks, Eadie, Bellers, etc but there was a sense that we became demoralised when they didn’t play. I sense that AN doesn’t get that kind of player and that the XI selected are the best for the job in hand.
I agree with 4. Sid W and think we have a great range of strikers better than ever before. Palace had all the luck, we had very little and that’s fine it will make us stronger as we seek out 10-11 wins and a few draws in our quest to prove the pundits wrong.
You’ve given it your best Corporal Jones-like “don’t panic, don’t panic” message, but the Canaries fickle-ometer is already threatening to go off scale.
Tediously predictable reactions towards certain players after ONE game. These twitchy tweeters and felonious phoner-inners have been storing up their angst over the summer.
Bit early to be poking the Hornets’ nest. They got a good point but it’s the proverbial marathon ahead. Let’s allow things to settle over a couple of months before re-opening old wounds!
Stewart,
Some Watford fans being arrogant. Where is that written for you to take offence?
Mick (8) – Plenty on Twitter. I didn’t like the gloating of “we’re better off than you”. Having said that, we probably all have our share of boors.
It was a good performance and point for you on Sat. Actually, all three promoted clubs played good stuff. We’ll all become more savvy, and reasonable grounds to think we may all survive.
I think people have every right to moan. What we endured on Saturday was one of the worst performances ever seen at Carrow Road. From the ref. We played some great stuff at times. If the Grabban poke had gone in it would have been a goal up there with the Jerome vs. Derby one for aesthetic quality. Grabban was unlucky there. The deflection on the cross wrongfooted him.
Regarding acquisitions I’m hopeful the gap in the squad numbered ‘9’ is an indication that a marquee striker is on the way. Either they are confident the signing is imminent, or they’re using the 9 shirt to persuade prospective targets that they will be the main man for us this season. Exciting times ahead.
In Sir Alex we trust.
I can not believe Ben’s post at 2.
In McNally’s first season the highest we could finish was top of league one. We did.
The lowest we’ve been since then is 3rd in the Championship.
Have a look at the previous 10 years or so before that, under the same owners. Get real for goodness sake.
Stewart – I realise that McNally didn’t give Gunn the job initially, but He was appointed on 12 June 2009 and allowed Gunn to take charge for the following season. Rather than ‘taking one look at him and firing him’, he had the whole summer to get someone better and didn’t, saying publicly that he thought he was the right man for the job. An interesting distortion of facts and pedantry from you, there.
Whilst I think it would be good to get in another couple of names, we should remember that it takes some adjustment from being a good championship striker to a good premier league striker. I’m sure we were all pretty happy with Holt’s return of 15 goals in his first season in the Premier League. But we should remember it took him 3 games to score his first and then another 6 games to score another. 2 league goals from 9 league games is not a great return but he managed to score 13 more league goals before the end of the season, which was. It’s not as if Morison was banging them in either after 9 league games had been played he’d only managed 1.
But despite Norwich’s strikers only returning 3 goals in 9 league games, City had scored a total of 11 goals with 6 other players chipping in: Pilkington scoring 3 and the likes of Hoolahan, De Laet, Johnson, Barnett, and R. Martin all scoring one each. Who would have predicted that Pilkington would be our top scorer after 9 games !?!
I’m sure many of us had doubts as to whether Holt could do it at this level, but whilst he was adjusting, others were chipping in. I’m sure it will be the same for this season. I’m not panicking yet.
I’ve commented on another column that I don’t listen to Canary Call as I have no wish to listen to nonsense. I would suggest that callers such as the one mentioned is not given any credibility by commenting on what was said which was outright idiocy. In addition, I’m bored by the anti-Watford comments – I don’t see the point of them. Other than that, an enjoyable article.
Ben K (12) it’s hardly pedantry when you say McNally appointed 5 managers with Gunn being one of them. Also RVW was a well renowned striker in Europe when we signed him & it was certainly seen as a coup at the time.
Ben (12) – You said McNally appointed 5 managers and discuseed Gunn as one of them. Wrong. While he could hardly say he disapproved of the manager in place, it’s now acknowledged that McNally was unhappy with the preparations he saw Gunn making, and at the first justified opportunity (ie after one game) he made the change. Hence my statement – hardly a distortion, I think.
Woodton Canary (13) – Interesting points. I always respect opinions based on facts.
Dave H (14) – I take the point about Watford-baiting, and should have resisted it this time. Cheers
Learn to be patient? I want to be patient now!
Nick (16) – Very nice.
Perhaps the reverse of St Augustine’s prayer: “Lord, grant me chastity but not yet.”
Looks like we still have a little wait for a new striker. Let’s hope that – like Cameron Jerome on 24 August last year – it’s a signing worth waiting for.