“What the hell is going on?”
My dad’s opening gambit at 5:55pm yesterday.
If he and I haven’t attended a City game together we always chat on the phone immediately afterwards to dissect the rights and wrongs of what’s just occurred. In Brighton there were no ‘rights’. Not one.
And while we agreed it was fairly obvious what had gone on and in what manner, we were both at an absolute loss at to why. Okay, so defeat to a very decent Brighton team was not inconceivable before kick-off – City were clearly in the midst of a dip – but to suffer the type of thumping normally reserved for the Etihad was hard as hard to fathom as it was to stomach.
This wasn’t just an implosion or the result of the much derided soft underbelly – this was worse. This was surrender. Russell Martin even admitted it.
And that can’t be right. And whatever it takes to change that simply has to be done.
We’ve suffered some heartaches over the years and, as is the wont of the average football fan, have become accustomed to the disappointments outnumbering the highs but seldom have we witnessed and then had confirmed that “too many lads gave up”. That hurts.
And it insults the large numbers who travelled to the South Coast in the hope that, at the very least, their heroes would sweat blood for the yellow and green shirt and offer 100 per cent in terms of effort.
To hear that wasn’t the case was a massive whack in the cojones – something that was sadly lacking by those on the pitch.
Because right now, that we have reportedly the second most technically proficient squad in the Championship counts for absolutely nothing. Zilch. Said technical ability, of which we’ve seen a few flashes, can only flourish if it’s offered a platform on which to do so.
That means matching your opposition in the physical battle, winning your personal battles, putting your body on the line, standing strong and hanging in there when your opponents are having a spell, and not allowing yourself to be physically or mentally bullied.
Only then can the skills take over.
But few personal battles were won by yellow shirted men yesterday. They most certainly didn’t stand strong when they needed to. Glenn Murray physically bullied everyone. And in the midst of a severe mental test, Alex Pritchard was not alone in shrinking.
It’s something that’s bothered me for a while, and I desperately hope I’m mistaken, but Alex Neil’s Class of 2016 give off an unhealthy air of considering themselves a little too good for this division; a belief that they’re good enough to win without putting in the hard yards.
Yet a fast-track to winning without having to roll up the sleeves up is something that doesn’t exist. And if it’s possible that anything good can emerge from the wreckage of the Amex, perhaps it’ll be a realisation of that fact.
But it was ugly. And the supposed technical superiority certainly doesn’t make them immune to errors and poor decision-making. Quite the opposite.
Yet 500 words in and I’m still no closer to establishing why it occurred on such a grand scale. And it’s impossible to do without examining the manager’s credentials to take this squad forward.
When he arrived, Alex Neil’s CV was wafer thin – both in terms of playing and managing – but we cared not one jot because he delivered.
From the instant he took control on the touchline at Bournemouth immediately following Jonny Howson’s red card he displayed a resolve and single-mindedness that gave a talented but directionless squad a double-dose of those same qualities.
The downside of having such a relatively flimsy CV only kicks in when the brown stuff and the fan are in close proximity – like they are now.
Neil doesn’t have Champions League winners medals to point to or a stellar managerial career prior to arriving at Carrow Road – which is fine – but as a result he has few credits in the bank when it comes to getting his message across to a dressing room full of egos, some of whom are not liking, or agreeing with, what they’re hearing.
And, while it’s not clear to me that he has completely, ‘lost’ the dressing room it does appear that, even prior to yesterday, there are some non-believers among them. And that’s a problem.
Tactically he has – by his own admission last season – found himself wanting and again this feeds the air of doubt that exists in the dressing rooms of Colney and Carrow Road.
And all too often we find ourselves bemoaning the fact that the day’s opposition have ‘done a job on us’; each one a tactical triumph for Neil’s counterpart in the adjacent technical area.
Unfortunately for any manager, when the dressing room turns there is only ever one winner. The question that will likely be answered next Saturday when Leeds pitch up, is the extent to which City’s dressing room has been lost. And has it gone beyond the tipping point.
“I won’t lose any sleep over it” was Neil’s response in Friday’s presser to suggestions that some factions were questioning his suitability to the job, but 5-0 defeats to promotion rivals do have a tendency to ratchet up the pressure on managers, especially those who are without a win in four and are looking just a little beleaguered.
But it’s a tricky one. And not the simplistic ‘just sack him’ that some make out.
I don’t want Norwich City to hire and fire on an Abramovich scale, and there is a real danger here that the collective dummy is spat out every time we enter a fallow period. We have to be better than that.
Yet, at the same time, we have this season and next to find a route back to the Premier League or risk being a relatively poorly funded member of the Championship pack. And having spent the last few seasons deriding our neighbours for being exactly that, I’m not sure we want to go there without having strained every sinew to avoid it.
At which point that may entail honourably calling time on the manager’s tenure is one for Delia and Michael to discuss over Sunday lunch.
For the last few years we have created a culture of rewarding failure, and this shows in the way we capitulate against teams – most members of our squad know they’re not under threat and so it doesn’t matter. AN is the latest manager to talk a good game but doesn’t follow through his threats. Over the summer we should have cleared out the players simply not good enough – those players who have way too many mistakes in them. For instance, there isn’t a single reason Bassong should be at the club – yet here he is still picking up a decent wage from us. What does that tell people like Ryan Bennet, who should be understanding how ruthless it is at the top? Why is Whitaker still here? Turner? Tettey still making defensive errors? Cameron Jerome, even? He missed countless sitters last season, sitters that even a not-that-much-better striker might have scored half of, which may have kept us in the PL. More ruthless managers would have said enough is enough and gone hell for leather to get a better striker yet we reward him with a new contract. We are a talented team and squad but we don’t see the players playing with a fear that drives them on to be real, genuine winners who can manage games and keep their heads.
0
IMO Alex Neil has done little since the play off final. can anyone enlighten me as to how he has developed as a manager? Combine that with players like Brady, Klose etc thinking you don’t need to break a sweat in the Championship and we have the perfect storm of a inept, inexperienced manager and unmotivated, underperforming platers. We cant – unfortunately in some cases – sack the players but have to get rid of the manager. 1 win in 7 attempts agains top 15 teams, 7 wins against the bottom 10. That’s our level this season. Time to change.
0
I don’t even need to offer an opinion and it seems I’m still talking through the fingers of others.
0
City fan and Claire are correct. They are only articulating what thousands are no doubt thinking today. In recent weeks I have been critical of developments on several fronts at the club. From the boardroom to the pitch, something stinks. This week we learn that Norwich City is no longer beholden to Delia Smith and her partner, as they have taken back the money owed to them. This is an ideal opportunity then for them to step aside and move the club on.
How many of us can honestly say that yesterday’s “performance” came as a surprise? It’s been coming. Inactivity, ineptitude, smug self satisfaction at every level of the club breeds days like yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday hurt, on top of Fulham, Leeds and Preston it hurt a lot. Apparently to criticise this abysmal showing and others constitutes less than “world class support”. Well sod that. Some say that a few harsh words uttered when emotions are running high are picked up and instantly digested by players who cannot digest instructions from their manager despite being told time and again the same thing. If you believe some, 27,000 people will have looked at various message boards and absorbed the “negativity” and take it into the stadium on matchday. As if they cannot make up their own minds on the subject. Insulting.
I suspect a lot of column inches will be devoted to the club this week and not all of it will be pleasant reading for board, players, manager or their defenders. 3 pm on Saturday will resemble high noon at Tombstone. If, as I suspect they might, events take a further bad turn we may well see how many share the view that everything is rosy in the garden.
0
When you take the risk of hiring someone with less than the required amount of experience into a high pressure job, the risk you are taking is that they encounter things for the first time and have to be smart / talented enough to know what to do.
This is the first time (certainly at Norwich) that Alex Neil has faced an issue of players not playing for him. Yes we weren’t good enough in the PL, but that didn’t look like lack of effort. He does need to be given an opportunity to turn that around. But the window is small – for me it’s the next four games which include the international break.
Similar performances against Leeds, QPR and Brentford would be utterly excruciating.
I hope he has the numbers of a few old hands in his phone book that can offer some advice.
0
I have been one of those ‘treaing the party line’ supportive of Alex Neil and the team. Top of the league whilst admittedly not really firing was great from my view.
The loss to Birmingham reminded us of the ability of this team to have no-shows, to simply not turn up. The loss to Newcastle and the Fulham game showed us how brittle they are, how they can shatter at almost no notice. Yesterday showed us they lack character and have not got the will to win needed to do well in this division. All season this will be a grind, a long haul of tough teams defending and hitting us on the break. This Norwich team are not up to it.
There is a weakness at the heart of them that cannot be overlooked. They are good players but simply have no bottle. Really sorry to say that even at this stage, this lot are miles away from promotion and frankly being this weak the playoffs may very well be a stretch too far. The season has taken shape and Norwich are a good team with absolutely no character. And it’s a sorry thing to have to accept
0
I struggle to see a real solid way back, but we know that a couple of wins on the board will see a different outlook again. Lost count of the times we have been here, we differing managers. Worthington, Grant, (who did the right thing) Rodent and Gunn. Neil Adams was a different case I don’t things were quite as bad as this. I also struggle to see where the squad collectively or individually have move forward. I cannot think of one player who has appeared to grow. The Murphy boys have and are still an exciting prospect with flashes of brilliance, but still look to me like they did when we first saw them. One player who could have made a difference was sent to Scotland for his troubles of signing Master Maddison, was playing League One quite often, if he could perform enough in that League for Premiership clubs to have their cheque books out, then he was ready to step into the championship. How long have we got to wait for Thompson to be given the berth instead of the accident waiting to happen Alex Tetty. We have the talent in the squad, yes positions need serious looking at, but I cannot see any reason why I would trust Alex Neil with £10-15 mill. I see that Paul Lambert’s name keeps cropping up around the net, he is without doubt our best manager for many a year, but returns don’t work, plus he has failed since leaving, Besides he hasn’t a leader on the pitch who will rally the players on and off the pitch and do whatever his gaffer asks….namely Grant Holt. I am not advocating a return for Holty by any means, but couldn’t we do with someone like
0
Some (most?) of the frustration is justified. However, there are some comments which make things so simplistic – #1 how do you “offload” players if there are no offers? just pay off the contracts – that leaves a hole in the already empty coffers that needs filling.
Others suggest that this is our worst ever manager on twitter – really? Roeder, Hughton (just the wrong man at the wrong club), Grant, Hamilton, Rioch and Walker MKII all outstrip that award. Gunn had no chance.
We need a change in attitude – CR is now more people turning up and demanding “entertain me” rather than to support. The reasons for this are not for here, but that is not helping a fragile team confidence. Is the manager responsible for this? Yes. Do I want to give him time? Yes.
0
Gary – two rants in a row was probably unlikely, although yesterday’s ineptitude from the 60th minute onwards certainly merited another one.
In response to Ed’s article on Friday I indicated a dislike to the “trigger happy” nature of Boards and fans across football in this day and age. That still applies less than 72 hours later; but you mentioned a tipping point. For many in the away section yesterday that was clearly reached. Seeing fans argue among themselves, both on the terrace and online afterwards, isn’t a pretty sight.
While the current situation clearly isn’t as bad as it got under Worthy and Hughton, the financial ramifications are huge and, with so many players out of contract next summer, this is definitely our best chance to get promoted at the first attempt.
Personally I think the Norwich board will give AN some more time and that makes Leeds next week is huge. If it goes wrong, afterwards there follows another international break, which would be a perfect opportunity to change in advance of the transfer window.
It’s beginning to feel like an accident waiting to happen and that rarely turns out good.
0
Without doubt, “the worst team ever to appear at The Amex” was what I was told by a Brighton supporting friend last evening. Apparently we have a goalkeeper who wanted to be a sweeper but could not control the ball; a defence which cannot defend; a mid-field which is neither creative nor defensive, and a totally non-existent attack.His assessment does not seem to indicate that we are a top-half team, and surely this is confirmed by our results so far. OK, we can match those teams in the lower part of the division, but capitulation beckons against any team who just turn up on the day. Too many players who are just too comfortable picking up their no doubt generous salary. And to hear on the radio from the club captain that some of his colleagues just gave up?? I’m sure that 20,000 odd supporters don’t wish for their ticket monies to go to players who cannot be bothered. Next Saturday was building up to be important, now it is HUGE. Much will be learned from Alex’s team selection…after this debacle and the fall out so far, surely some heads have to roll.
0
No matter how you dress it up we were shocking again, changes need to be made and quickly AN has to go it needs a breath of fresh air .its all gone stale at Norwich, the reaction of this result shows me the dressing room is lost !!!!!!!
0
Looks like the England cricket team watched the Brighton v Norwich match!!!
Another good article Gary. I endured the defeat at Leeds and now the 30 minute capitulation at Brighton. I believe it’s been coming. Too much reliance on a striker who is very hit and miss at the moment. I watch our defence move the ball sideways, then forward to midfield, then sideways, then back to our defence, then sideways….you get the picture. Where is the movement up frount, and the telling killer ball?? Why have we lost that?? Last comment….is it AN who’s the problem, or his team…..I’ll leave all you other disheartened faithful to ponder. OTBC
0
Usually when the players aren’t trying, the manager has to go. And Neil should go.
However, any new manager will have to face up to the facts that we have a bloated, over large squad consisting of many players that think they are better than they actually are.
The club often gets press that it well run. It isn’t. I wouldn’t let any of the board in my business as they would make a compete Horlicks of it.
I’ve said for many years that Norwich City are a professional club run by amateurs. It is a view I still hold to this day and the club is very lucky that it has no real competition nearby otherwise the chickens really would come home to roost.
We currently have the following:
1. Squad low in morale
2. Some players are not playing for Neill and he had clearly lost part of the dressing room
3. Colney is a mess.
4. Clubs wastefulness of the financial resources, leading to a bloated, unbalanced, overpaid squad. A smaller, leaner, higher quality squad is what we need.
While I do not expect Neill to sacked as NCFC as the least pro-active club in the Football League, by playing players that are not playing for him is suicide. The squad is big enough to disregard those who do not care about the man.
Much of the last few seasons we have had what I call ‘diversionary’ articles from the usual suspects about how lucky we are to have Delia and pointers about other clubs plights as a tactic the steer away the fundamental problems at NCFC.
Whoever comes in will have to deal with this board and they have my sympathies to deal with this tug boat amongst liners.
0
Yesterday was no different to the majority of matches this season where we start decent and then just fold.
Tuesday night we were in total control for the first 30 mins and I was like the other 1’904 feeling quite smug. How wrong and it was obvious looking back how the same patten just keeps repeating itself.
We need some massive changes, NOW.
Great read as always Gary
0
Hughton the gent outwardly must have loved his glass of vino last night. I can’t imagine the board giving Neil his cards yet, arguably a tame board who may let things drift a while. Another month or so in and we would have played all teams high and low, then you’ll have your true picture. On recent form we will be out of the top six mix. Then I guess the board might have some balls to act. If DM was at the helm right now, would he want Neil to go? Although DM was seen as ruthless I think even he would feel Neil has a few more games. Just a few mind you !
0
Chris & Jeff – on this occassion.. I got nothing to add.
Darren (11) – we’re still 4th in the table despite the last 2 weeks or so. This apocalyptic vision you have of the club isn’t shared by many fans. Clearly there are issues but your ‘ground zero’ picture isn’t one I share.
At the moment, you’re in the “I told you so” block. Bounce back with a couple of wins and you’ll disappear again. Football is cyclical and no prizes are handed out until May.
0
So many good points above with nails hit on head. Birmingham laid bare how frail, brittle and rudderless the good ship Norwich is while the inability to hold onto two-goal leads and see games out has been sickening enough but now Norwich City can’t even see out a 0-1 loss for 30 minutes. Yesterday’s capitulation, complete with gift-wrapped opportunities to a decent, but not spectacular Brighton side was jaw-droppingly frightening! Technically proficient squad?? Last season’s catalogue of individual errors but they surely hit the bottom of the cock-up barrel yesterday … McGovern pratting about gifts a goal … Wes’s crisp pass to Brighton player gifts a goal … player falls over, gifts possession and a goal. How the manager and players lift themselves from the pit they’ve dug I can’t imagine. Alex Neil’s post-match visage was of a man totally shell-shocked with no idea how things have deteriorated so badly or with any idea of how to redress the individual and squad issues. Where’s Big Sam?
0
CityBoy – what I really struggle to understand is how displays like Birmingham can be followed by the likes of Forest and Everton away and then revert to type against Fulham, Leeds and Brighton. We seem incapable of delivering consistently over 90 minutes.
0
Forgot to mention Brighton averaged 1.2 goals per game before yesterday …..
0
Chris (4) I don’t mind you disagreeing with something I & others have written but you’ve misrepresented some of the comments from a previous article by taking them to unrealistic & extreme conclusions. It’s these conclusions which could be deemed insulting, not the comments. To clarify my position, people are free to air their views but my belief is that it can sometimes be counter productive. Negatively is infectious & can affect the team & fellow supporters.
On the plus side, I’m sure some people are pleased that Russell Martin has not been CB the past 3 games with Ryan Bennett coming into that position. The fact it’s coincided with a poor run & our worst performance since Brum (the last time Bennett was CB instead of Martin) may or may not be coincidental.
0
Chris Hughton had a point to prove, the players at least should have been expecting it, even if Alex Neil wasn´t. They all singularly failed to turn up, on a day they had to. The fact that Hughton was dismissed for being dull and boring, and his football the same, seems somewhat of a joke now, I hate to think what ours is at the moment.
Some of our players seem to have got the same idea as some of our fans, that we were just going to walk this division without any problem -´Fraid not, think again. In any division, even average players can become fairly decent if they put in some work, to make up for what they lack in talent, and I´m afraid none of our players are remotely good enough to get by without putting in a work shift as well, and the sooner someone tells them that, the better.
0
Insert my usual comment about the club going in the wrong direction for the last four years here.
Await party faithful to point at bank balance and proclaim how well run a club it is.
0
Know three players personally and they struggle to connect with AN. He does nothing to encourage or push them on. Contact by text about decisions. A disgusting way for any manager to behave. We need an older experienced and proven manager. The board take advantage of the fan base who have no alternative team to support. This is the first time ive ever felt angry enough to respond to any article
0
There is a certain element of ‘I told you so…’ from Thursdays piece.
How badly Hughton will have wanted to win that one; how badly Neil needed to avoid losing, er, badly…
The reaction he gets against Leeds – be it in the dressing room or the stands – will do much to decide his fate, I suspect.
https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2016/10/27/the-amex-awaits-for-the-canaries-it-has-awkward-stamped-right-through-it-and-wont-be-for-the-faint-of-heart/
0
Think AN has got 34 games to show he can turn this around. Agree with a lot of points above, esp: 1) we have a bloated squad made up of a lot of relatively expensive signings who don’t seem to feature very much. Why, when they were presumably identified as players who wld add quality to the squad? Easier said than done but we need to slim down & keep the best of our youngsters who do have something to prove. 2) our coaching leaves a lot to be desired when the same mistakes keep being repeated, and 3) watching the “highlights” again some players inability to do the basics begs the question whether they can call themselves professionals. Finally, why did Maddison get loaned out when his skills and reading of a game seem superior to most of the rest of our excuse for a team?
0
Could all you AN out supporters please tell me who you think would have us higher than 4th at this moment in time then we can all debate the names you put forward. I await with bated breath.
0
How about: Rowett (Birmingham), Smith (Brentford), Warbuton (Glasgow Rangers) or probably unobtainable Woy Hodgson (as in ex-England), Allardyce (ex-England).
Considering the many many millions we’ve wasted on under-performing and not-even-playing players in recent years maybe investing a bit more on a manager would be money well spent ……
0
Investing in a manager would indeed be a wise ploy. Unfortunately wisdom is in short supply in the Norwich city boardroom.
0
Julian (26) if league position and results were the be all and end all of the discussion why was he not replaced last January before we lost the PL spot? The discussion requires a more in depth examination of performance. For me the failure to change tactics and team selection when clearly the current system is failing is what leads me to conclude he is not the man for the job. Motivation of players is what managers do! Take Villa as an example under Bruce. Conte at Chelsea saw his tactics were failing so he changed them with dramatic effect. Over the period of his tenure he seems not to have learned one jot. We have lost millions of pounds by being relegated and we cannot miss out on promotion this time around. So, sadly, for me he has to go. My choice would be Lambert – people say you shouldn’t go back – but Eddie Howe went back to Bournemouth.
0
Dave B (22) – Nice to hear from you.
We missed your wisdom while we were second in the league with more than 2pts per game. If we return there (which won’t take much) I guess we’ll have to manage without you for another while.
0
@26 – Julian Roberts, unfortunately this isn’t now about who can take us higher, it’s whether, or not, Alex Neil has lost the support of the players and fans and therefore resolve our current predicament. Many are of the view that he’s lost it and change therefore needs to happen. We can debate the logic of that assessment all you like, but, when that stage is reached, it eventually becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and there’s no going back.
0
Stewart (26) we need to take a long term view here, is Alex the man to take the club forward to establish us as a premiership club? For the reasons I stated above my answer would be no. These are always difficult judgements to make but for the sake of the club I think his time is running out.
0
It so much feels familiar to be here again. The board are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. I think every fan/club ideally wants stability, stability is good, stability suggests nothing is going to badly wrong. But to have stability you need the right set up. You cannot stabalise if you have the wrong man for the job. This is what did for Hughton as it likely will for Neil. Hughton kept us up, which was a fine achievement, but he did so with many critics of the style of play and lack of progression. Fast forward to the bitter end and he had certainly lost the fans, maybe the players too, but to most he was past his sell by date, with the board leaving things far too late to rescue our PL status.
Neil came in at a tough time, where as Hughton kept us up grimely and determinedly, Neil came in with passion and some attacking verve and got us promoted. Now this on face value seemed the ideal appointment and antidote to the malais following Hughton and Adams. But the swagger is gone, plan A stopped yielding fruit at Newcastle and no other consistently workable alternative is seemingly forthcoming. And the writing seems to be on the wall as the players look disinterested and both us fans and you journos are turning.
Is this all unfair though? Many sides following the drop have faired considerably worse than we are currently doing. 4th is no bad position even if the football has rarely threatened to break free of mediocre. This recent run of poor results, is it a blip? Have we been lucky to accumulate the points we have so far? Are we going to sink down the table until Mr Neil is relieved of his duties? Only time will tell but I would find it hard to continue to support him if we drop free of the top 6 for more than a couple of rounds of games and the football continues to be aweful.
Bah!
0
@26 Julian Roberts, unfortunately a tactically savvy manager would have kept us in the Premier League, so in this context, 4th in the Championship is disappointing. Neil has already admitted he contributed to our relegation. We have been left in our current state by questionable tactics, poor substitutions, defensive frailties, signings failing to deliver value (except Klose) and man management that has divided the dressing room by all recent journalist accounts.
Dressings rooms have a delicate ecosystem – this could have been further destabilised with Gary Holt’s sudden exit (which strangely has received little commentary). Are the current coaching team all playing a role? Irvine’s appointment appeared wise in that Neil needed an experienced coach alongside him. However there has been little or no improvement. His touchline involvement appears non-existent. I am not sure what role Frankie McAvoy plays? Neil needs their help this week.
The concerns about tactics was something I raised in February many months before our relegation. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Liverpool and West Ham. We have never recovered. There is symmetry between these Premiership games and recent results at Newcastle and Fulham. Having attended all these games i am really concerned about our Football Club. It is evident people who understand the game share my concern that not all is well at Carrrow Road. The evidence is damning.
0
(16) The cracks have been there for a while. They haven’t suddenly ‘appeared’. I really like Neill, but if enough of players won’t play for him, he’s finished here.
0