I never stray onto Message Boards, let alone those of a Norwich City persuasion.
The comments here on MFW is as close as I ever get to a Canary debate.
But I wouldn’t be surprised of the words ‘must’, ‘win’ and ‘Cardiff City’ have featured in all-too many a post as a section of City support gears itself up for the seasonal slaying of whichever luckless manager has failed to match the feats of Leicester City of late and, therefore, finds themselves at the mercy of the masses.
This season’s ritual abuse might, however, have a different focus in that it appears that much of the indignation and wrath is reserved for the Board who have consistently failed to deliver a place in the Champions League as befits a club of Norwich’s standing.
After all, if Leicester can…
And that might be the rub for every other club in that Leicester-Norwich type bracket.
That the Foxes have now set a ‘standard’ for what is possible – if a club gets the ownership structure right, the managerial staff spot on and the players playing with the kind of conviction and general elan that Leicester delivered last season.
Suddenly nothing is impossible. If you show that level of ambition.
Enacting the ‘Leicester Model’ in Norfolk, however, poses a problem or two.
Not least in the change of ownership that would require – namely asking the poor millionaires who currently hold that role to step aside in favour of an as yet unidentified foreign billionaire.
Trouble being that for every Vichai Srivaddhanaprabhas there are 101 Vincent Tans and Vladimir Antonovs whose ownership stints at Cardiff City and Portsmouth respectively hardly bode well. You could throw Randy Lerner and Mike Ashley into that mix too.
The list is pretty endless.
I strongly suspect that in the minds of Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones, the succession question has already been answered in the form of the nephew and heir – as supported as and when his TV schedule allows by Ed Balls.
Suck it up people, a change in ownership is not about to happen in the immediate future.
As for the manager, much will indeed rest on events at the weekend when the Canaries return refreshed and renewed from the international break to host Cardiff City.
Who will, no doubt, sit back for the game’s opening hour and challenge Norwich to break them down.
And will be more than happy to return to South Wales with a point for their troubles.
That’s going to be the way of this league – teams will defend in depth against the three clubs with the Premier League parachute cash. End of. No-one is going to make Norwich’s life easy.
And if it ends in a 0-0 draw a la Wednesday?
Then the muttering will grow ever louder; the clamour for change will step up a notch and Norwich will be faced with the prospect of making yet another managerial appointment as the Coliseum bays for blood.
And this is the point.
People these days smell blood. And some like the way that smells in their nostrils.
There is previous to this.
The way that the likes of Nigel Worthington and Chris Hughton were dealt the ‘Thumbs down!’ still lingers in the memory; sections of the City support know the power that they wield – a power now able to be marshalled beforehand on the Message Boards and chat communities.
Via social media Supporters can organise like never before; grievances can be aired, alliances made and decisions delivered. Long before a ball is ever kicked.
Personally, I’d like someone to be given a chance for a change.
Leicester City’s success was a once-in-a-lifetime fluke – not a readily adaptable model for every other ‘provincial’ club in the land to follow.
Jamie Vardy played games; he avoided a long-term injury. The manager is a genius. There are not too many of his ilk floating about and out of work.
Steve Bruce is no Claudio Ranieri. Few people are.
Srivaddhanaprabhas don’t grow on trees either. He appears one of that rare breed of foreign owners who lets the manager manage. And simply sits back and enjoys the ride.
Leicester’s success also coincided with structural weakenesses within the ranks of the Big Four. Manchester City and Chelsea, in particular, were listless and mid-managers. Neither look like being that again.
Anyone who thinks that where Leicester led, Norwich can now follow, needs to think again.
And maybe, just maybe, think about giving peace a chance and letting this manager manage for a while longer.
A very well-reasoned article. Following the fall-out from the transfer window, AN has surely got the right to play the cards he has largely dealt himself. He must be given time to do this and anybody who turns on him verbally (certainly during or after a match)is out of order imo.
I also agree the idea of a physical protest (especially after five games, ffs!) is risible and that we and probably nobody else will ever emulate Leicester. Rick Waghorn is right – a once in a lifetime fluke.
He is also right when he says the Smith dynasty will continue for the foreseeable and those of us who don’t like it will have to lump it.
I’m the type of fan who would rather finish 16th in the Prem every year than yo-yo. There’s plenty of us about! The Board have had enough chances to accomplish this by now but have somehow contrived not to achieve it.
Anyway right now I’m just hoping CJ’s injury isn’t that bad (we should find out the official prognosis tomorrow) and three points against the Redbirds, oh, hang on, they’re back to Blue again, should cheer a lot of us up.
Great article – we still have a hugely talented squad and it should be an exciting season – those booing at this very early stage of the season are an embarrassment to themselves and the club they supposedly support.
You mention 0-0 Bristol City – that was 1-0 – i think you meant Sheff Weds?
I think most fans are very much aware that norwich will not be capable of replicating Leicester. They want a club capable of maintaining themselves in the premier league.
An excellent article. I have also given up reading other forums, too many angry keyboard warriors. It is worth mentioning as well the obscene amount of money being spent on transfers and wages this last window. I think that I have a healthy knowledge of European football, but I have never heard of recent imports for scandalous amounts. I am confident that when the whole squad is fit that Norwich will have a very good season.
Be careful what you wish for. You only had to be at Blackburn to see what a change of ownership can bring. Give me committed supportive (& supporters) owners who have the club as their priority not personal glory. The premier league May guarantee 100m this season but 3 clubs will come down.
Totally agree with every word Mr Waghorn, and incidentally, it´s about time someone put that point of view across, we do after all, get plenty of the other point of view, wherever you look on message boards these days.
I´m afraid I´ve stopped trying to understand what most fans seem to want, this apparent yearning for any kind of an ultra-wealthy benefactor, to take us to our, as they say, ´rightful place´ at the top of the Premier League – nothing more than wishful thinking.
It seems as if a lot of fans forget that the ´community, family´ aspect of the Club, which goes missing, the minute a wealthy, foreign benefactor moves in, is what saw us through a lot of the tough times, when we were close to folding. I for one, wouldn´t want the Club any other way.
#3 the square: Spot on.
Totally agree, I have recently tried to explain to one such fan what the days of chase were like. I was 10 and had to leave the ground on 80 mins each week due to the fear of protests, I just wanted to watch the game and never understood. Worthy’s last game was toxic, as was Hughton’s. I am truly baffled by his possible protest
This article oozes far too much level headedness and common sense for words and should be allowed to end all debates regarding ownership of the club.I believe many supporters of other clubs are truly envious of the stability that Delia & Co have given to our club through good and bad times and long may that continue. I have just read part of a pathetic article describing Robbie Brady as being consigned to the ‘ wilderness ‘ of the Championship until at least the January transfer window. What an absolute insult to one of the best second tier leagues in the world. There is far more to football than the premiere league and multi-billionaire owners chucking money around like there is no tomorrow in search of what ? Just do the maths, trophies available divided by the number of professional clubs trying to win them !!!!!
Who is saying we want to do a Leicester? What I would like is a club that can compete with the likes of Bournemouth stoke Swansea WBA clubs no bigger than ourselves what is the point with sellout games and being debt free if we cannot establish ourselves in the top league. As for demonstrating against Delia what’s the point? It’s her play thing and she is going nowhere until the crowds start to dwindle after a couple of mid table championship football seasons.
And for that reason it’s a no from me and after 40+ years I’m out.
The desire for instant success is perhaps a reflection of the times in which we live and when it doesn’t come there are too many so called ncfc fans too ready to throw their toys out of the pram. Boards speculating about who will be the next manager when we’re only 5 games into the season are frankly pathetic. We need to build for the long term & recognise that our reward will come not from some rich foreign owner with little interest in the club’s community roots but from hard work, teamwork and shrewd transfer business. If that’s not for you, join the glory hunters elsewhere.
#8 Colin: I was in my Thirties then and can still smell the Police horses hired in from the Met.
Chase and the Smiths are as far removed from each other as can be. For me, sure I’m frustrated, but in no way am I angry in the true sense of the word.
My money is on any protest fizzling out before it’s started. Whatever your opinion and however passionately you feel, there is no need for it. To repeat myself: five games into the season? FFS!
#10 Paul Green: I very much agree with you but I’ll be there until the bitter end. You won’t be out – let’s face it, it’s an addiction – and I’ve supported NCFC for over 40 years too.
And even if the crowds do dwindle (which I strongly doubt), it wouldn’t hurt the Club’s finances very much these days anyway.
I’m not happy that the dynasty is set fair to continue, but as Rick Waghorn and commentators say, there is beggar all we can do about it.
And the last thing we need just now is some ham-fisted protest organised by a bunch of idiots with nothing better to do.
Paul (10) what a shame to be bowing out after 40 years particularly as you are quoting the names of clubs that you claim are no bigger than us as part of your exit statement. All four now benefit from significant financial input from America, Iceland, Russia/America and China…we don’t have that so we must get on with what we do have so that the club can survive and flourish in terms relative to our resources.
The differences between the endings of the Worthington and Hughton regimes couldn’t be more stark in comparison to Alex Neil’s current situation. The previous regimes were both given numerous chances – perhaps, far too many – hence why the crowd finally went toxic against each manager.
As for the change of ownership, Delia and Michael have previously said they don’t want their money back. The preference has always been for new investment. Since 2010 there has been 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares available, more than enough for a majority shareholding. The $64,000 question remains, has there been any serious enquiries since?
I am delighted to support a club that is still owned by genuine fans and long may that continue. The foreign billionaire investment bubble will burst one day anyway. Prospective buyers will eventually wake up to the fact that even if every club in the league has mega-rich owners only one of them will be Champions, and three will still be relegated.
As an exile in the North West I’m not at Carrow Road very often. So when I do travel 200+ miles to a home game – which I shall this weekend – I am primarily interested in seeing an entertaining game of football (which we win of course!), regardless of which league we are in. My last trip was for the Newcastle game so at least I felt that one was worth the trip.
So whilst I’m disappointed we didn’t make one more striker signing, I’m much encouraged by the arrival of Pritchard, Canos and Oliveira, the impact that both Murphys are now making, and also a hunch that Carlton Morris may just be ready to make his mark. Even if Cardiff do park the bus I believe we’ll at least be trying to go for the jugular.
The one thing that would really turn me against any manager would be giving us the sort of aimless football we had under Peter Grant in the days when one subscribed to the “hat-trick” scheme and felt strangely obliged to turn up under sufferance.
There is one thing I would really like to see though – a good cup run. It is so long since we had one. When we do the excitement and sense of anticipation is much the same as in the play-offs. I certainly cannot remember when we last beat a higher placed team in a cup; I think it would do wonders for the morale of everybody involved with the club – coaches, players, fans, pundits, the lot – if we could come back from Goodison with a win in a 12 days time.
I know its early days this season, but the unrest is clearly a belated feeling of the disappointment growing during the last year.
Support at the ground was good last season, and as the manager and team were cheered around the pitch after the last game against Watford I think many fans were already bitterly disappointed with issues such a transfers, inept performances etc. It festered all summer with transfer disappointments and hasn’t then taken many games to bring it out into the open this season.
To Keith (4) – If you are waiting for a fully fit squad you will be waiting a long time. With 45+ matches plus suspensions to come there will almost inevitably always be some players unavailable.
I have no problem with the board. It wasn’t many years ago that their money and caring saved the club. They’re not in it to make money but they do ensure financial safety. Regarding Prem. league or Championship. I’d rather enjoy a season (no several seasons) in the Championship challenging for honours (without gaining promotion) than Prem.league scraping by and the inevertable embarrassing heavy defeat occasionally. OTBC COYY.
I like that we are owned by well meaning local supporters but it does come with drawbacks. I do feel that once again we have failed to get the business done that was required in a summer transfer window.
I think Pritchard is an excellent player and will be PL quality. But what we really needed was 2 strikers, with one offering up a high probability of goals. We failed in that again.
Just as last year we all new that our defense and attack needed some PL quality reinforcements, I don’t know one fan who felt happy with going into that season with; Bass, Russ and Benno?
The idea of a protest as everyone says is laughable if it wasn’t actually going to happen. I just hope that through Moxey with sufficient time this will be the last window where we fail so obviously to recruit where we need it most.
I am like many others frustrated at the what could have beens. We could very easily still be gracing the PL if we had recruited better. I don’t think it is unrealistic to say that if we had recruited better/more realistically/in the right positions we could be building toward being a WBA or a Stoke.
Lastly the manager, amazing bright young thing he appeared at first. I think you would have to be very one eyed to not hold some reservations about him following last season and the start to this. For me he has lost his way a little, when he came in, he seemed to have an unshakable idea of how we should play. Unfortunitely it wasn’t unshakable because after Newcs away he seemed to lose conviction. This attacking football he promises is not really happening and more the last two games in particular but every senior game this season bar blackburn has seen a side that lacks conviction.
Stability is a great thing for any club with the right people. Many thought that a reason to keep on Hughton and will do again with AN. But he has someway to go before he proves he is the man to build the team for the forseeable. A loss against Cardiff should not be grounds for the sack, but given our squad and budget next to most championship sides, anything less than 6th by Christmas and questions should be asked even if I have some sympathy after the board failed to get him the strikers he so obviously wants.
Bah!
Mr Waghorn, I salute you sir!
For those of limited intelligence who crave new ownership, they only need to look down the A140 to see at close hand the effects of passionless “investment”!
As for the “blame game” that so many want to push at the owners, the board, the manager etc. etc. what about the players? They are the ones on the field of play and have the opportunity to influence the outcome of a game – if only they had the commitment! Maybe it’s the influence of the players agents that are to blame?
As for Leicester city last season, that belief was brought about by Nigel Pearson’s incredible turnaround the season before. That momentum laid the foundations for Ranieri to build a team that believed they could do the impossible!
#17 Barry: Shows there’s two sides to every coin! I can’t buy the Championship part of your comment; I’d rather “scrape by” in the PL. But for all my moans, yes, I’m glad we’re financially secure too.
Excellent comments all round on this article.
Paul (10)
” It’s her play thing and she is going nowhere until the crowds start to dwindle after a couple of mid table championship football seasons”
If there is one thing more remarkable about our club than most others it is that our attendances do not drop significantly if that happens. Despite all the ups and downs we have remained one of the top 20 clubs in terms of support for a long time now.
As we dropped down the Championship in the 4 seasons 2066-2009 re still had a higher average attendance (24,640) than in our 2005 Premier League season (24,350). If ever folks were going to vote with their feet it was surely than. It happens everywhere else, but not at the moment at Carrow Road.
And anyway if it’s just her “plaything” as you dismissively put it why would dwindling crowds make a difference to her anyway?
As usual, the apologists deliberately miss the point by placing extreme statements in the mouths of the boards critics. We do not all expect to emulate Leicester, or to confront Manchester United on an equal footing. By the same token it is extremely irksome to be unable to compete with Bournemouth, Swansea et al and now be slipping behind our more modest peers in the championship, we do “suck it up” as yOu nicely put it, but don’t expect people to like it, or to be forgiving if things continue to slide south.
And another thing while I’m at it, do not presume that because somebody holds a different viewpoint to you, that they are of limited intelligence, it calls into question your own I.q.
well said chris the acceptance on where we stand in the football ladder amazes me.
For what it’s worth, my nightmare would be any owner simply in as an investment/marketing/status vehicle.
I felt we could have stayed up last year. After McNally fell on his sword and with the baggage of a PL squad, where we are now was always on the cards – arguably we’re lucky it wasn’t agreat deal worse.
I like AN (mistakes and all). He deserves our support.
Delia’s greatest legacy would be steering the club to community ownership. If it can work in Europe or the NFL, why not here?
Can someone define ‘established’ Prem club for me please?
I thought it was the Charlton model. Is it now the Bournemouth model, in their second season in the Prem? Why are people not calling for us to ‘compete with’ Newcastle and Villa?
I think perhaps ‘compete with Bournemouth’ just means ‘stay up’.
So there’s the brief Board, to build a club that stays in the Prem. Which, depending on your timeframe (5 years, 15 years?) means being one of the top 6 or so because last time I looked they were the only ones who had managed to stay up for 10 years+. On you go.
Sure you would have said the same about Mr Chase , life will get a lot more uncomfortable for the cook and her hubby from now on .
As for the nephew , thats all we need , its a disgrace he is even on the Board let alone in line to inherit the club .
Chase these owners out, Norwich City needs better than an ageing couple treating it like their little toy .
#10 Paul green
City’s record over the last 40 years is far superior to that of Bournemouth & Swansea (which is why we have played them so infrequently!). While we were beating Bayern and reaching FA Cup semi-finals their fans were ‘enjoying’ the lower Divisions and losing in rounds 1 & 2 of the FAC.
It’s just a wealthy owner we want, right? Well, I’m sure Ipswich fans would swap us Delia for ME!
London fan, you’re sounding like one of the ‘unwashed’ living down the A140 we need to progress and not live in the past.
I’m not a fan of this article, I have to say. I help run a Norwich City group on Facebook and nobody has EVER said we should be in the Champions League, not once. Your inference to the contrary was a lie. The only gripe with Delia seems to be that she has a habit of employing numpties. Player recruitment in the last two summer windows seems to suggest they have a point.
Those who want her to sell up are asking her to do so diligently and sensibly; they’re not asking for new owners at any cost. They not asking to risk the club’s future by selling up to anyone who puts in a bid. They want her to find a good candidate and there are some out there. Your claim that there’s 101 dodgy owners for every good one was laughable. Yes, there are some buffoons who think she can just quit tomorrow and someone else will come in, but every group has its idiots. There’s not a lot you can do about that. The majority view of those who want her gone is nothing like you suggest. For the record, I’m not one of them. I’m quite content as we are. I will, however, defend the right of others to hold a conflicting opinion without nonsense like this being written about them. You’re putting words in people’s mouths. Leicester and the Champion’s League barely get mentioned; and personally, I’ve never seen anyone who expects us to emulate their success.
Sorry, but this actually reads like you have a grudge against social media. Like people having a place to air their grievances and share their opinions is somehow an affront to all that’s holy. You have to remember, people are just venting, that’s all. They’re not to be taken seriously. If you’d allow yourself to stray onto these message boards now and again, you’d know this. Then you wouldn’t feel inclined to make uninformed rants about what goes on there.
What a ridiculous article. Nobody is suggesting we follow the Leicester Model, nobody is suggesting we expect Champions League football (sarcasm doesn’t work very well in print). Most people are also not saying we must change the manager. What IS being said is that we appear to be either unwilling or unable to spend much money during the transfer window. It has been obvious since the beginning of last season we have needed a striker; we have failed to sign one of any note. Given that we cannot afford to buy one or two key players in key positions then I’m afraid we have to be prepared to see a slow but gradual decline, starting with being unable to get out of the Championship. It is a sad but inevitable fact that, if we wish to establish ourselves as a Premier Club, we have to spend money. On the assumption that the club cannot do this then, unless we change ownership then things will not improve long term. I get fed up with the natural assumption that any new owner will be a disaster; it doesn’t have to be that way. I haven’t done any detailed look, but I would be interested to know the % successful foreign owners vs the disasters. Typically the media focus on the basket cases so often a balanced view doesn’t happen. For my part I think Alex Neil should be given time. However the problem lies much deeper; if we carry on with our current policy re spending money, then we must be prepared to accept that our chances of becoming an established Premier club will be slim at best.
I do think that an extra player or two in the right places would have helped, both last year and this. But I don’t buy the argument that we have to go and almost double our record buy this year just because people think that is where the market is. It was that kind of logic that spent £35m on Andy Carrol just because they got an inflated £50m for Torres. i.e. It is a self fulfilling prophecy.
I’d much rather those few extra million were invested in a top notch scouting regime that worked on bringing in more talent like Maddison, Godfrey, Canos, etc. No, it probably won’t bring instant success but, by gum, those boys love to play football and I love to watch them. A little patience and we could have them, Thompson and the Murphs as the majority of our starting XI. I’d wait a season in the Champs to see that, for sure.
City’s record should be superior to Bournemouth and Swansea, we are a far superior club to either of them. Bournemouth, in particular is a case in point, bankrolled way beyond the means of their meagre support by foreign investment. Imagine what similar investment could achieve for a well supported club with good pedigree and room to expand and grow.
Evans went into Ipswich with the club facing a second bankruptcy. Sheep shanks begged him to buy the club, which he did on his own terms. Norwich city are in a much stronger place than Ipswich, a vastly more attractive purchase, in terms of assets, premier pedigree, support etc. Beggars can’t be choosers, we are not a beggar.
While this site is nothing to do with me I very much enjoy reading the well-constructed and very well-written articles.
I would love the Smiths to go and the appointment of Young Tom to the Board gutted me like I was a Dab on a trawler. However, let’s all be cool or it’ll end up like the bear-pit of a site I really, seriously don’t feel comfortable with. aka, oh well the one with the trolls on it.
Keep the good reads a-coming.
It’s a tribute to the author how many comments have been on here today.
“As for the nephew , thats all we need , its a disgrace he is even on the Board let alone in line to inherit the club ”
Is there something you know about him that justifies that Phil (27)?
Strange isn’t it. We get someone new on the Board and if people know nothing about him, except that he’s “family”, they just assume he’s useless. Well, perhaps he is, I don’t know.
But then again he might actually be extremely capable and in fact EXACTLY what we need. Only time will tell.
I think the point made by Steve (26) is spot on – apart from the top 6 or 7 clubs everyone else has their ups and downs. Bolton, Coventry and Charlton are in League One; Blackburn look like heading that way. Portsmouth and Blackpool in League Two. That’s one reason our leagues are probably the most interesting in the World.
Chris (22) – If you want to know why & how we’re (currently) behind Bournemouth, read earlier articles here. Their model is fraudulent, and I suspect unsustainable. I wouldn’t be proud of it.
Are we really “slipping behind our more modest peers in the Championship”? I can only think you’re referring to the money being thrown around, predictably, by Newcastle and Villa. As for others – well, I’m happy to look at the league table in ten games’ time and make a judgement.
Phill (27) – “Disgrace”? Tom is highly capable and buys into the ethos of our club. What he doesn’t have is great wealth. As pointed out by Gary Field (14), there’s a clear opportunity for a wealthier investor to come in.
Delia & Michael would be pickier than some owners (thank goodness) but there’s no bar to a desirable new owner getting the club.
Well that was hard work, reading 38 posts. Nearly 26,000 + at Carrow Road every home league game. All made up of managers, coaches, recruitment staff, chief executives, owners etc etc. I just love the passion our club brings out in people, I expect there’s good reason why we all have different jobs. Just may be, none of us have a clue what we are talking about, or may be we do ? Who cares, see you Saturday ! OTBC 🙂
Carrow Road isn’t a very nice place to go and simply enjoy a game of football anymore. Doesn’t matter where you sit, someone nearby will at some point be apoplectic with rage about the game/club/owners/manager. The only difference is how fruity the language gets depending on which part of the ground you’re in.
It feels as though having so many season ticket holders for so long has left us bored and with a sense of entitlement to be entertained? Granted, we want and deserve to be entertained to some degree because we invest in the club – but the uncertainty of football is one of its greatest pleasures.
I gave up my season ticket a year ago because I found the moaning too much. So I occasionally go now, and sit in different parts of the ground. It’s nice to view the game as a game again, and not something I fear will make my immediate surroundings unpleasant in an instance if a player makes a mistake. If I’m lucky, I’ll enjoy the game without hearing anyone pull the club or players to pieces – but it’s rare.
My proposal: reduce the amount of season ticket holders by 10,000. This would bring in new blood, some fans who haven’t been sullied by years of being surrounded by moaners or those of us who turn up almost without thinking.
If you don’t like what you see at Carrow Road, try not going for a while. It’ll do you good.
This is a terrific forum. Great writing and sensible, civilized comments.