There is little point in sugar-coating it. That was rotten. A no-show. The third one of the season. And too many more of those and we’ll be returning whence we came.
The coup de grâce came in the form of Bournemouth’s win at Chelsea – the goal scored by one who opted for the South Coast when he’d been offered a home in Norfolk.
It was that kind of day.
That City are now just one more poor result away from dropping into the bottom three tells us all we need to know.
So much for the season of goodwill.
Yet again the Canaries were the architects of their own downfall, with Alex Tettey being this week’s contributor to the ever-growing list of defensive calamities. And unless they can be eradicated there will be only one outcome – as the Hornets’ fans joyfully reminded us.
It was a first-half bereft of anything resembling quality – from both sides – but in those circumstances the one thing you have to do is hang in there and give nothing away. We did and, in truth, having done so we never looked liked recovering.
It hurts to say it – but we didn’t look good enough. Worse still, we lacked desire. And it’s the latter of those two qualities that strikes the loudest, most resonate chord.
The quality, or otherwise, of the squad has been discussed in infinite detail and most have concluded that in Premier League terms we’re nestling safely in the bottom three. In terms of the size of the wallet we’re at the bottom of those three. Therefore, togetherness and desire were always going to be key to our hopes of survival.
The dearth of passion (a term I hate when used in footballing parlance, but which seems appropriate here) was therefore doubly costly – and worrying – on a day when we locked horns with members of our own mini-league.
Many are citing the January transfer window as our potential saviour. I disagree.
My fear is we will suffer the same series of set-backs, disappointments and let-downs as we did in the summer. Why will it be any different? What’s changed? If anything we are a potentially less attractive option now than we were in August.
If, just for example, Charlie Austin had decided that Norfolk was for him in the summer, then he would have had a full season to help ease us clear of any threat of relegation. If he were to arrive in January (he won’t), where the likelihood is we’ll be in said bottom three, he’d be immediately hurled head-long into a relegation scrap.
Not going to happen.
The only way to square the circle is to throw ridiculous money at it. Quite rightly, we won’t be doing that either.
I’ve had many a discussion with the good folk of Twitter who deem City’s board to be at fault because they want to ‘do it on the cheap’ but, essentially, the board only operates on that perceived basis because we simply don’t have the oodles of spare cash that some seem to believe.
And then there’s my old favourite: location. We may only be 1 hour 42 minutes from London (or “15 minutes” in the McNally spiel) but for most we are ‘in the middle of nowhere’.*We* know it’s beautiful but try convincing a young twenty-something when a Watford or a Crystal Palace or even a QPR come calling.
So… in a relegation scrap, ‘poor’ in comparison to PL rivals and geographically disadvantaged. Sounds like a perfect storm for another transfer window struggle to me.
I hope and pray I’m wrong – I really do – but I’m already bracing myself for a turbulent January. The best, in my opinion, we can hope for are some short-term loans to help bolster the squad for the second half of the season.
Yet it’s only seven days since we were lauding Team Neil and the players for so nearly overcoming Arsenal and it is hard to believe that in the space of one week they have, with the help of all that Colney has to offer, morphed from a decent side into a poor one.
In there, somewhere, is a side capable of giving it a right good go. It just didn’t reveal itself yesterday and, credit to Watford, we got from the game exactly what we deserved. They did a job on us, just as we did on them last season – twice.
And while the morning of the afternoon before feels laden with doom and gloom, it’s important to remind ourselves we’re still only a wonderful piece of skill, a cracking goal or a performance brimming full of verve and zip away from having our passion (ggrrrr…) reignited – and that’s what we all hope for next Saturday. That’s the beauty of sport.
There’s lots of work to do between now and then of course and, while Declan Rudd did more than enough to retain his place for the Everton game, few others did – particularly in the centre of defence where Messrs Deeney and Ighalo had a far too fruitful afternoon. In fact it was one of those afternoons where those missing found their stock rising.
Expect more changes next weekend although I do just to wonder if this ‘horses for courses’ approach, of which I spoke so fondly last week, is actually working. One win in ten suggests it isn’t.
But let’s keep the faith and get behind Alex – he’s earned it. Still 69 points to play for.
Key para is the last one. We need to keep the faith with Alex, even if the worst happens. He has a huge future in the game and we need to think long-term.
However, I fear that we’ll end up forcing another boss out, with the gamble that the next one might be up to it but probably won’t be.
OTBC
Watford fan here. I felt for you yesterday. Both times we’ve been in the Prem before, we’ve had a full season’s worth of afternoons like yours yesterday. No fun. And it sends you searching for answers that don’t seem to exist.
I was expecting this year to be the same for us. Our current position may deteriorate, but as far as I can see it’s the result of three years of running the club with the avowed intention of attracting Prem-level talent. (Flying to away games; tabs running at local restaurants; player-liaison staff to take players out shopping and for entertainment; etc) The philosophy seems to be that if you make the players happy (not just financially), they’ll make the club happy. It’s a ‘human resources’ strategy that many good organisations follow. Picking up on the point in the article, I don’t see why Norwich’s geographical location should be a barrier if you can make players happy in other ways.
Hope things pick up for you this season.
Honest and passionate assessment after a grim afternoon.
Pains me greatly to say it but fair dues to Watford. They’ve adapted better to this level and were worthy winners – albeit we were awful. What’s happened to the vim and vigour we showed at West Ham?
We were missing our creative playmaker who tortured them last season but that’s no excuse for the attacking no show from the rest.
This time last season Leicester were rock bottom on 10 points. They didn’t panic, trusted the manager and didn’t make wholesale squad changes. They went for a simple, pacey and positive approach to get out of the hole they were in.
We have to do the same and start playing our own natural game again rather than overly analysing the opposition.
I am behind Alex Neil. He deserves support for his efforts thus far. But two related aspects of yesterday’s game stand out for me. First our defence treated the ball like a hot potato whenever challenged by Watford’s front two. The first goal showed how successful such pressing can be.
Second Grabban is too often caught offside (as was Jerome when he came on). This also happened against Arsenal. If players are quick as grabbed is surely the don’t need to be hanging up field when a well timed run can be as effective.
Watford played with an intensity which City did not match. I am increasingly pessimistic about the season unless we can recapture the energy we showed in the playoffs for example. We may not have the quality of other clubs but we can be the fittest (Ron Saunders where are you?)
In a game made for O’Neill he was not on the pitch. Too many bad individual performances. And Declan Rudd made some good saves but perhaps we need a new goal keeping coach to teach our keepers to kick.
Watford fan here. Don’t get too down about this performance. Watford tend to asphyxiate teams. it’s no coincidence that many opposing fans have complained that their teams didn’t perform against us this season. Good luck! I hope you make it.
I swing from hopeful to hopeless with regards our season. Yesterday was without doubt a dreadful performance but in truth we have a goal scoring problem. Under Hughton we simply refused to attack, under Alex Neil we LOOK much better (mostly) and performances like yesterday are a shock but the fact remains that we cannot get the ball in the net often enough. We can dominate games, we almost always have good periods in matches where the opposition are really on the back foot but we don’t score. Last year we did, here is the jump in class to the premier league and I fear were haven’t made it. Let’s hope a few wins can be conjured up over the Christmas period
OTBC
I’m sorry but the board have to take responsibility here. We’ve been promoted 3 times to the Prem in recent years, they didn’t give Worthington or Lambert money to spend, they’re doing the same with Alex Neil. I’m not saying they should spend silly money, but a couple of players in the £7-10 million bracket could make all the difference. The board (and unfortunately some of our supporters who would happily sell Jerome to Middlesbrough) lack ambition. Furthermore, we don’t give our young players a chance either. The club is run in an amateurish fashion compared to other Premier League clubs. McNally should resign!
A true – if rather sad, indictment of a basically woeful afternoon from a NCFC perspective.
First shot on target after just 85+ minutes tells you all you need to know.
Even the normally excellent Robbie Brady was simply awful, with most dead ball deliveries failing to clear the first defender.
Why Dorrans ahead of O’Neil? Tettey before Mulumbu?
(And why do commentators insist on calling him Tett-ay?)
I can’t think of a single NCFC outfield player who warrants more than 4 out of 10 and that is truly calamitous!
We got exactly what we deserved for reverting to long range hoofball (not really Grabban’s forte?)
Well, at least the only way is upwards next weekend…isn’t it?
Whilst I like Neil’s ability to take a horses-for-courses approach it does seem to be leaving us with a lack of momentum. We have had one or two decent results this season, but have never really got on a roll.
That approach may just get into some players’ heads too. “Am I next to be dropped?” Many fans believe that that’s the way to motivate people into playing better. Well, for some individuals, maybe. But others may just find that de-motivating. Whilst being complacent and believing your place is guaranteed is not what you want playing with fear doesn’t suit everyone either.
There’s no doubt for me that Neil is the right guy long term, and that includes if we go down. Hughton’s showing again that he’s a good manager; but he couldn’t keep us up for long with a squad like this.
If Neil is in the same boat come May the message will be clear – actually I think it already is – we can not seal a permanent place in the Premier League on the kind of wages we are offering, however good the manager.
I have no issue with Neil other than his obsession with Howson. The board are the problem – 4 of the past 5 years in the EPL but so little investment. We either invest or go down. It was obvious our defence was poor but only the equally average Wisdom was brought in.
I think alex neil should stay regardless of whether we get relegated. But he is inexperienced and i wonder if he is almost trying too hard. Many players seem to be picked according to the opposition rather than how well they played the previous week. Tactics change every week. I tend to think settled sides with a familiar way of playing tend to be more successful, albeit with some tinkering when required.
I guess alex neil knows his squad are barely good enough to stay up and is desperate to make a difference however he can.
Looking at the way we have setup recently has contributed to a huge improvement defensively, the only detriment is the attack.
No quick or good enouh to soak up pressure and hit teams on the attack quickly and effectively. Yesterday was another game that followed recent away performances. All credit to AN tho for grasping the defensive requirements.
In January we need to improve the balance, yes we need a new central defender, yes we need a central striker (due to others out on loan not deemed good enough)….i also think we need a strong athletic forward thinking central midfielder. Wes is great if we are on top and trying to unlock a defence but how many times this season will we be on top??…Mostly we will be defending so an athletic forward thinking midfielder i think is of prime importance. Like others here i don’t think Howsen or o’neil fit into that mould. Either that or play Redmond behind the striker perhaps…..anyway we are still in there fighting OTBC
We could spend 20 million on transfers alone, that is without wages and fees, and then still go down. Then a couple of injurie like Bournmouth and you then can have another season in the championship. You would then start the third season with a negative financial balance . We could then end up like those down the A140 or Bolton. It is not just about today. Any sound business will know what the model will look like in 3 years and the money you spend today will affect that model. We may have to go down and come up again. Just like West Brom.
Fact, we are not rich
Fact. We are no longer financially irresponsible, we nearly went out of business a few years back.
Fact. We cannot compete financially with the majority of the prem.
Fact. Unless a stupidly rich company offer an alternitive. Things won’t change.
Fact. We are Norwich city, a proper club with proper fans.
Life is like a s..t sandwich , the more bread you have, the less s..t you get!
Horneyhornet(2) – thanks for the ‘sympathy’. It was pish poor stuff from us but the fat lady hasn’t started singing yet – merely limbering up in the dressing room.
Credit where it’s due – you’ve got an inspirational leader in Deeney (we used to have in Grant Holt) and a shit hot striker in Ighalo (we’re sorely lacking in that department). Lose one or either to injury (I don’t wish it), and it could go rapidly downhill.
Heart-warming tale of player fostering from your patch but presumably most of the squad know that if they don’t make as regulars there, they can get a loan to the sunshine of Udinese or Granada?
Ours don’t have that luxury, although if that’s the kind of thing it takes in addition to a whacking big weekly wage for them to put in a shift, then God help us all.
Best of for the rest of the season until you come to Carrow Road.
Well said 13.
Go back to the Newcastle game. We panicked afterwards. We should have seen it as abberation, not a sign to change our ways. We don’t have good enough defenders so why bother with an emphasis on defence? Our defence makes mistakes whatever our tactics, so at least play in a way that gives us goals to defend rather than the recent cautionary approach? This change in tactics has taken all the impetus out of the squad – a squad that is set up to attack, press, move the ball and score goals – which we were doing quite well before then.
We had our chance against Chelsea to scare them, and we chickened out. No one is going to say “well done, you only lost to Man City & Chelsea by one goal” when we get relegated. Better to play our natural game and enjoy it than grind through every game.
Cityfan (15): I have to disagree. Our best chance against Man City and Chelsea was surely to be organised and keep the game alive until the last few minutes. That’s far better than the 6-1 and 5-1 defeats we suffered last time. Though it ultimately failed to win us points, the narrowness of the defeats might just turn out to be important in the final analysis.
Newcastle wasn’t an aberration, it was a wake-up call. The fact that Alex Neil could heed the call and adapt represents our best chance of survival.
Watford fans: thanks for the gracious comments. Noted and appreciated.
This is going to remind me when we paid out our record fee to get a player from Crewe in the Jan window Dean Ashton. But it was far too late.had he been signed in the summer we would not have gone down.
The board must be quite smug with the bank manager, only having a net spend of around £4m. That must be a PL record for a promoted team.!!!
I think I will enjoy writing this!
Do not feel sorry for them fellow hornets. Some, but not all the posters on here, have been slating our club over the summer and during the season. Trying to mock our transfer policy and stating that our manager was not equipped for the premier league and would be sacked by Christmas and predicting rather cockily that they would finish mid table
The season is starting to now unravel and the home truths that I stated in the close season and once the transfer window was shut are coming home to roost for Norwich. The team you have is a championship one and nothing else. You failed to strengthen with any sort of quality( apart from Brady who has been better than I thought) and now you are starting to pay the price once the early season momentum and a kind fixture list was behind you. Whether that is the managers fault or the board or both I will let you decide.
I debated than AN had proved nothing yet and would he be another Aidy Boothroyd even though he had a better squad than him? AB turned out to be a one trick motivational pony and I had predicted that AN would be the same after watching your game against Boro where his Plan B was to play hoofball for 70 mins in front of millions on TV.
On to the game yesterday and I have never seen in my two and a half seasons of watching premier football at the Vic such a woeful attacking display from a visiting team. Your first and only shot on target after 88 mins and from 25 yards!
Plan A was just trying to hoof the ball all the time due to the conditions, is not premier league football. It may be good enough in the Scottish leagues but was a predictable element to your managers bewildering and clueless tactics. Where was a formation change to get you back in the game? Why was there no football played in the final third? If I was a Norwich fan traveling and having to watch that rubbish in such a vital game for you I would be steaming!
I was confident that we would beat you after I spoke to my friend at the game whilst having a pre-game pint when he told me that he had spoken to Dean Austin at the driving range who said that they were well up for the game after what happened last season with your chap diving and AN pre-game disrespectful remarks “This is a great opportunity to get points and that possibility is greater playing the likes of Watford”. Thanks Alex, that was all that the players and management wanted to hear. His true lack of class after the game was there for all to see as he quoted ” There was nothing between the teams”. Were you not at the game then. I do not think he fooled you supporters though. If you want to stay up then you need to get rid asap and get Nigel Pearson in.
Should have gone to spec savers Alex!
Mick – your rambling smugness oozes from the page.
I congratulate your club and manager on the progress they’ve made but the season is a long one – marathon not a sprint etc..
I for one did not “mock” your transfer policy – I think it’s an extremely bad one for the progression of home based talent and would hate to see my club follow suit.
We were awful yesterday – just as you were last season home and away to us. Footy is cyclical – enjoy this moment because it won’t last forever – QSF will go to a bigger and better club, probably next season.
As for your clinical obsession with that bloody Middlesbrough game! Were you out of the country when we played them off the park in the big one at Wembley?
Don’t bite, anyone
Mick. What’s your issue with Norwich ? We are not Luton Town you know !!! Nobody is relegated in December !!
why don’t you spend your time instead of pointless email rants and help the Hertfordshire Constabulary try and find out which of your fellow moronic supporters chose to brick one of our supporters coaches post match and smash one of the windows with innocent men, women and children on it who had done nothing wrong apart from attend a Saturday afternoon football match !
Cosmo P you are spot on by the way !
I’m not sure who is most to blame, the players for such dismal individual effort, or the manager for allowing us to play in the style of a poor imitation of Pulis’ Stoke, and doing nothing to change it. It wasn’t just the hoofball, it was the wrestling with the opponent when concentrating on winning the ball would have been far more effective.
When you look at some of the football played by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge you only feel more embarrassed. You see the heart and commitment of the non-league teams in the Cup this weekend, it’s chalk and cheese.
The only positive from yesterday is that we can’t play any worse! And it’s only a week ago we were really good vs Arsenal, so it’s not doom and gloom, just more pressure on next week. Always a chance to put things right. Let’s get behind the lads, they need us now.
I don’t understand why we can’t find anyone to financially back this club. Even Bournemouth have more backing. Isn’t there anyone on this planet at all!?
(19) Cosmo, I remember you telling me that only Behrami would get in the Norwich team! Are you sure about that? You must be taking to many happy pills. Only RB would get in our team from yours. They are championship players which is now being exposed in the prem.
OSF to a bigger and better club. How silly this quote makes you look when YOU said he would be a failure and was similar to Fulham’s appointment of Magath. Now you are saying he will be off to a big club. Please make your mind up! I know it must be hard but just eat humble pie and say you got it completely wrong.
(21) Mark, I have never had an issue with yourselves. This site came up on a search engine as some of you fellow posters were writing articles including us. Some points were valid and others were ill informed and some plain ridiculous. I have had to read about our poor transfer policy, questionable owners and our employment of a second rate manager from Spain who has won the Europa league. I think I’m entitled to give a bit back when these rather short sighted observations are quite clearly looking foolish statements now.
All clubs have their idiotic supporters Mark and we are know different but one smashed window hardly a big issue. I remember going to certain grounds like West Ham, Chelsea and Millwall when I was a kid and my dad telling me not to wear club colours for fear of reprisal.
Mick(24) – “I have had to read…”!! You could stick to your own club’s sites – no one forced you to this one.
A pretty weak response to the stone throwing-window smashing from you. That’s behaviour from the footballing stoneage. Your club is clearly progressing while some of your fans are being left behind in the dark ages.
Mick (18, 24 etc etc) – Thanks, as ever, for your contributions. Must be great to be you right now. But, as far as I’m aware, the season lasts 38 games.
Bye for now.
Mick: I was hoping you might follow the example of your fellow fans and show some class. Sadly, a vain hope.
If you and your family been on the receiving end of a brick through the window, I’m not sure you’d be so sanguine. I may not have always been kind about Watford – but if that had happened the other way round, I promise I’d be apologising and disowning the Norwich fans who did it.
Mick
Your paragraph regarding the bricking of the coach and your response basically sums it up for me as to what you are !!!
I would’ve apologised for the idiotic behaviour of my fellow Norwich fans had it happened to your travelling support.
Please spend time on your own clubs fans forums and leave ours alone with your pointless drivel !
I didn’t go on any of your sites last year to gloat about our two 3-0 victories but I was glad that both you and Bournemouth were promoted with ourselves as it’s more of the so called provincial clubs in the top flight which can only be a good thing !
Now be a good lad and clear off now please ! Many thanks.
I don’t claim to have an inside track on transfer dealings but it seems logical to me that there are three issues / problems with signing a player:
1/ Fee
2/ Wages
3/ Terms
We are critical of our board for not “splashing the cash” but I wonder whether actually number 3 above might not be the sticking point here…and quite rightly. My strong guess would be that any player who signs for Premiership money (albeit a Norwich version rather than a Chelsea one) will be expected to contractually take a cut in money should we be relegated. I suspect that the better players simply wouldn’t countenance that. This is what has caused the problems for those well publicised clubs who have slipped out of the Premier league and got saddled with high wage bills beyond their means to pay. It is not always possible to off load these players the following season because no-one else wants to pay these wages on these terms for players who have been relegated.
I have to say I have never had much time for the location argument – players go to Sunderland, Blackburn (back in the day), Swansea and Southampton so Norwich is hardly the moon.
It seems to me on the field that, as others have mentioned, we are chopping and changing too much. To adapt slightly to the team you are playing may be admirable but new players, formations and tactics every week mean that there is no fluidity about the way we play and players have to spend an extra half second thinking about where they should be rather then playing naturally in a system they are comfortable with. Oh and don’t forget the truism….”no Wes no win!”
Sorry but yet another Watford fan on your site. I have only just heard of the stones or bricks thrown at the Norwich fans bus by so called Watford supporters and I am horrified by the incident. I find it hard to believe that any true supporters would be so stupid but especially Watford supporters after the totally unprovoked attack on one of our fans in Wolverhampton in March which left him fighting for his life. I hope that the club issue an apology but I can assure you that our lunatic fringe is very much the minority.
As for the game, I felt that Norwich were far from being the worst side to come to the Vic this season and I can think of at least three other teams, Swansea, Southampton and WBA that showed perhaps even less than Norwich going forward.
Our defender Craig Cathcart has pointed out that when he played for Blackpool they had 25 points after 17 games and were 6th in the league at the time yet they still went down. I for one am not taking anything for granted and with the other results at the weekend the league is starting to feel like the Championship all over again.
Mick, we are doing great at the moment but lets not say “told you so” until we cannot go down. I was also fed up with all the rubbish spouted about us during the summer but the job is only half done. It is looking really good but this league has a habit of biting you on the bum just when you least expect it.
Apart from a date in April, good luck to Norwich for the rest of the season and lets hope we will be meeting at the Vic as Premier League teams next season.
Simmos (30): When we read comments like Mick’s, it’s hard for us to wish Watford well. When we see yours, we’re happy to reciprocate your good wishes.
Watford have made real progress this year, on and off the pitch. I’d be delighted for us to meet again as Premier League clubs next year, richer and hopefully still on the up.
Cheers.
Agree wholeheartedly with your summary of forthcoming January’s transfer window. We needed to show potential ‘quality’ acquisitions we both meant and are capable of good results.
Stewart (31). Thank you for your comments and hopefully as you say we will both be on the up by next season.
Mick, lets be honest, apart from 10 minute spells in the games with Man City and Arsenal we have not looked out of our depth in this league. I think it is a bit harsh to say that they are awful on the back of one bad day. After watching the Norwich – Arsenal match I have to say I was worried before the game that if they put in that performance we would not take anything from the game. It is also easy with hindsight to say how badly Norwich performed but in the 10 minutes before we scored the second I was extremely nervous as they started to push forward. I didn’t have that same feeling in most of the other matches this season.
I have to confess I am not a fan of Alex Neil and it seems that quite a few of the Norwich supporters are wondering if he watched the same game as the rest of us. However does he not join a growing list of managers who find it hard to accept they failed to beat “little” Watford. Only Slavan Bilic and Mark Hughes have given us any credit.
I think it is understandable that most fans expect their team to win when they face Watford. I recall that Everton, Newcastle and Aston Villa fans were apoplectic that their team failed to win against us. Lets hope we continue to confound.
I genuinely believe Norwich will escape the drop despite their current position. So I think we should wish them well and move on to helping them and ourselves out with a win next weekend at Sunderland.
Mick – you beggar belief. The window smashing hasn’t proved to have been done by a Watford fan! Presumably you think one of our own or an innocent bystander did it? I’m sure 99.9% of your fans would have instantly disowned those responsible. It’s a pity you don’t seem to be in that majority.
Your team won, you’re doing well but I still don’t like (and will ever) agree with or like the ‘model’ that has been adopted at your club over the last 5-10 years.
Go and buy a new axe and grind it elsewhere.
Mick – about this time last season, some little wag 40 miles down the A140 came up with a hashtag, “mind the gap.”
Boy did they laugh at being ten places and eleven points ahead of us. Remind me, who had the last laugh on that one?
The moral of the story is that football is cyclical, so, enjoy the moment whilst it lasts.
As for the game itself, having seen 11 of our 15 matches this season, that’s by far the worst I’ve seen us play. If you want to judge us on 90 minutes, that’s your prerogative, but it’s interesting the reference to you say about being written off by other teams. Thankfully, the season is 38 matches and we’re not even half way through.
What’s interesting, to me at least, despite your 15 arrivals over the summer, it’s your two prolific Championship strikers who are now doing the business in the Premier League. 14 goals is an impressive return, although with just 17 in total (the same as us by the way) you are over reliant on the pair at the moment.
Bad day at the office for us on Saturday, no doubt, but we move on.
Mick: we may be a bit rustic, but Norwich fans don’t throw bricks at their own coaches.
I didn’t respond to your other points, as human nature would have made it difficult not to lash out at you. But as usual, you’re a bit frustrating: you pay enough attention to comment, but not quite enough to get it right. Alex Neil does not disrespect other teams. But given our fixtures surrounding the Watford game – Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Man Utd – it was surely logical to identify Watford as a more feasible source of points.
It didn’t work out that way, of course, and some of your gloating is warranted. Whether it’s classy or dignified is another matter; only you can decide.
Good folk – please forgive me if I call time on the ‘Mick’ debate for now. Right now his dad is bigger and better than our dad. We’ll revisit this after the ‘second-leg’.
Thanks as ever for all of your contributions.
Gary