Since that spirit-crushing 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, City have conceded eleven Championship goals, have lost four games on the spin and have scored just three times.
Morale is low, belief is lower and, aside from an undeniably spirited last 15 minutes yesterday, they play with no spark and an air of dejection. It’s been no fun to watch and, I’m sure, is even less fun to be a part of.
But it’s not just about the last four games. In fact it’s not just about going to the top of the Championship before heading into a seemingly unstoppable tail-spin. The current decline goes back to October 18, 2015, when Alex Neil’s mojo was met with a Toon-induced right-hook so powerful it has not been seen since.
Up until that point Neil had barely put a foot wrong and confidence, unswerving belief and leadership oozed from every pore. We felt we had someone special guiding the tiller and wouldn’t have swapped him for anyone.
During that time Paul Lambert became unemployed, yet not once did thoughts wistfully turn to what could be again if we were to re-engage with one who was considered a messiah. We trusted Alex implicitly, and that trust was repaid with one of the great Norwich City days.
I can vividly recall walking back to Wembley Park station – having just witnessed a 94 minute masterclass in game management – and discussing with friends how brilliantly David McNally had done to unearth this little Scottish gem.
We’d gone back down the Lambert route but with a new version and it was working.
But it’s not working any more. And the man we now see before us post-match, while attempting to explain away the latest 90+ minutes of blunders, is a shell of the man who famously growled at Alex Tettey in the 89th minute at Wembley for giving the ball away cheaply.
That Alex knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it to be achieved. And, equally, the players knew precisely what was expected of them and knew to the letter their role in the team. And when that Alex made a big, sometimes unexpected, call we trusted him even if, to us, it was an odd one.
And that Alex could problem solve and would tinker with his formations to get the best out of his chosen XI and to counteract the opposition of the day. He would make the odd mistake – like playing Steven Whittaker in central midfield against Brentford – but would address it and learn from it.
[Rather than drop Whittaker after his Bees-nightmare, which would have been the easy decision, he picked him at right-back in the next match; the football equivalent of getting him back on the horse. It worked because the Scot played a key role in that position that ended in the Wembley joy.]
And, back then, the players hung on his every word; assured in the knowledge his decision-making was invariably on point.
But what we see before us now is a far cry from the well-oiled machine that purred through the play-offs and beyond. This iteration looks disjointed, dis-spirited, disorganised and, in some cases, disinterested; some of the players looking anything but sure of their role in the side.
There appears a dearth of desire and a lack of spark. Some go through the motions. And, going back to an earlier point, it actually becomes hard to watch. Alex is suffering on the touchline, the players are suffering on the pitch, we’re suffering in the stands and, I’m sure, Delia, Michael and co too are feeling that same pain.
The joy has disappeared.
And the message too is getting lost betwixt changing room and pitch. For two weeks – a week for those who’ve been away on international duty – Team Neil will have been drumming into them their respective roles in defending set pieces.
Yet less than a minute into yesterday’s game they find themselves down to ten men by virtue of an inability to defend a long throw, and compound it with permitting a free header from a corner a few minutes later to concede the first goal.
But the defensive problems are not confined to set plays and the through ball that dissected Seb Bassong and Ryan Bennett with such ease was another that won’t have formed part of any Colney training session.
Yet it seems futile to now dissect individual errors because they come along so frequently and occur so regularly. They have become the norm; the prospect of a clean sheet as unlikely as a Portman Road full house.
The big question of course is, is it salvageable? And if so, is it salvageable by Neil and his team?
But problems run deep in this football club and a lack of direction and perceived ambition from its upper echelons will, until they are addressed, rumble beneath the surface regardless of what is happening on the pitch.
And there is an air of entitlement and unwarranted pretension rooted in this current squad that threatens to undermine whoever is holding the reins; many of them believing the Premier League to be their rightful place while doing nothing on the pitch to prove it.
Yet time is of the essence and we’re in the midst of a window of opportunity that if not seized will see us swallowed up by the Championship’s finest, and could propel us on a route to become poorly-funded second tier also-rans.
So, we’re saddled with a dressing room full of egos – the majority of whom we’re stuck with for the short-term at least – who we somehow have to get a tune out of. And, for me, that tune will only be audible if it’s being orchestrated by a new, authoritative voice.
For that reason, and with a heavy heart, I think it’s time to say goodbye.
It is quite clear that Alex Neil’s time at the helm is over – we are just waiting for the board to pull the trigger. The players know this and are not giving their all for the manager or fans. Shame on them.
The fans will support players who play to the best of their ability. However we seem to have a group of players within the club that do not seem to care and that is unforgivable.
common sense, sound reasoning and you get to the same point as many who perhaps don’t do the same reasoning to making that decision. Good article.
There is no way way back for Alex Neil now, he needs a break and a good stock check into his methods and tactics.
Knowing our seemingly unimaginative board, they will put him on Gardening Leave (whatever that really means) and give the job to a man who has failed at jut about every club.
A rumour circulating last night was that Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, is on the board’s short list… Well at least Lafferty would get a fair look in
There is only one change to be made NOW
Got to agree Gary. Some will point to the recent run of good form in saying that Alex can turn it around but Houghton also had a great run in the premiership too. Once the decline has set in there is rarely a manager that can turn it around.
Norwich’s biggest mistakes have been to dither too long before making that change, so it needs to happen now.
It’s often been said that colney is like a holiday for some but unless Norwich show a ruthless streak with the management then the players will always feel comfortable.
If we are going to recruit a new manager, it has to be done before the transfer window opens. Anyone for Sam?
Giving average to poor teams easy wins hurts…and hard. Getting bullied by a blue and white Glenn, letting a claret Gabi score his only goal of the decade or getting abused by those around you when it counts (Sunderland etc) tells you all you need to know. Its now become horrendously boring, along with the rhetoric. We are indeed destined for mediocrity if something drastic doesn’t change.
Good article, Gary. If we’re to part company with AN, it should surely be with this more-in-sorrow-than-anger tone.
But we should perhaps examine ourselves too. Especially if we want, as many fans appear to, Sam Allardyce. Setting aside his character as recently revealed/confirmed, season 2013-14 bears some consideration.
For us, that season ended with the sacking of Chris Hughton, the 5-game finish thrown at Neil Adams and our relegation. But during December and January, the focus was firmly on West Ham and Allardyce. They were in the bottom 3 and the fans had turned viciously against Sam; many fully expected the board to sack him.
Instead, the West Ham board decided to give him their trust and announced they believed he’d turn things round. Though fans had denounced it as impossible, he did exactly that and West Ham finished comfortably in 13th.
Would we have that nerve?
Zico (#3) is quite correct, Ray Houghton also had a great run in the premiership too, both with Liverpool and Villa 😉
The most worrying thing for me is the perpetual talk about knowing what’s wrong and the need to put it right – and then falling for exactly the same sucker punches at the very next opportunity?
Either tighten it up or button it up, fans dont need the same hollow platitudes every Saturday afternoon, they need visual EVIDENCE that the flaws are being addressed…..and there isn’t any 🙁
I think it’s a full house now isn’t it… only a matter of time now sadly. I fully expect the board to wait 3wks then appointment a new manager who doesn’t have enough time to asses the squad before January…
Sadly this feels terminal to me
Is Olsen trying to work his ticket? He wants away so lets screw the team and they will sell me after Christmas?
When will players learn that you can claw a goal back but you can’t claw a player back.
As for AN, I was one who wanted to give him a chance but look back to our poor performance in the Premiership and our continued decline in the Championship. Isn’t that sending out a strong message to all concerned?
He can’t be happy in his work so do what most people do in that position……walk
Jeff (5) agree completely. Alex Neil has changed, he is not the same man that rocked up in January 2015. He is not the same man who led us to third. He is not the same man that led us to Wembley glory. That 6-2 at st james’ park last season changed him, changed him into a man who can’t motivate his players, can’t change his failing formation, can’t change his tactics in game. He is a man who thinks it is a good idea to drop by far the best centre back we have had in years for Seb Bassong. Hate to say it but I think Big Sam may be the man to save us, although I doubt that will happen. Derby away worries me.
Another Saturday, another edition of strictly come losing. Will Alex Neil perform the foxtrot Oscar? Will Delia bussell join him? No such luck.
Again the manner of the defeat defies belief, this time contriving to kill the game within thirty seconds of the kick off is a new form of torture. The reintroduction of ruddy proving nothing other than we need a new keeper. Bassong was, well, bassong. Martin was up to his old tricks with blind back passes to opposition forwards, Brady, Naismith, oliveira, dorrans, yada yada yada.
We may as well hand Jacob Murphy the Barry butler trophy now given the dearth of genuine contenders.
The silence from the boardroom is to be applauded, since they cannot be relied upon to say anything remotely useful. Neil, two years into his decade of incompetence rolled out the same post match interview that he regurgitates every week.
Never mind, in other news Ed Balls has reached Blackpool, supposedly the holy grail for celebrity dancers and Craig revel horwood alike Dahling. It doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to picture dear Ed making it an annual excursion in the near future.
One really has to laugh. With ownership that treats the club like a plaything to be handed down to a nobody without due regard for its future, who state – incorrectly, that city supporters dislike foreign footballers, that openly scoffs and takes delight in decisions that supporters don’t like, that won’t even listen to enquiries that they now admit, after years of denial have come in. They back a failing manager with words, but not with money, as ever, the books will need to be balanced. For every Robbie Brady a Bradley Johnson will be sold.
At the AGM a bunch of old duffers will debate the sausage rolls, the toilet facilities, provision for cycles all delivered against a backdrop of sycophantic dribbling about how wonderful the cook is.
The whole club needs a seismic shift in direction, attitude and perception to prevent it becoming a total and utter joke.
The club at present is very hard to like.
We have a manager who has lost the dressing room, yet as I write still remains in his post.
We have players that do not want to be here.
We have the lethal combination of arrogant and naive owners – just check out the recent Times article.
We have neither a proactive or reactive board.
We have disarray at Colney
We have an uncohesive transfer strategy.
When you have a professional club run by amateurs, it isn’t hard to see why the club are in the situation they are in.
Moxey needs to sort this out yesterday – bring a proven manager in and ship ALL the dead wood out in January. Then Smith & Jones need to look hard at themselves at realise that they are no longer helping the club.
It is retrievable, but I’m not holding my breath with this lot.
Nothing more to be added but we do miss Howson badly. Probably the most underrated player in the league.
The biggest concern is who will Delia & Michael replace him with? They could replace him with the next Paul Lambert. They could also replace him with the next Peter Grant, Glenn Roeder, Bryan Gunn or Neil Adams. Their record of appointing managers is usually appalling.
Have to agree with the comments posted; time to take the taxi Alex.
Whilst being puzzled by some/most of his selections this season, yesterday surely showed that our leader has lost the plot. The one bright spot from the Leeds debacle was Thompson, which, (with the wonderful Tettey being available again) meant he had to be dropped! And Calamity Jane (sorry, Bassong) being preferred to Klose has to be a candidate for joke of the year. OK, the Olsson situation once again gave him an excuse for yet another avoidable defeat, but when is he going to realise that the rest of the Championship have sussed out our set-up with just a lone striker who is invariably totally isolated due to our un-fit mid-field? And using only 2 subs when you’ve played for so long with 10 men is just amateurish.
P.S. Did he really claim that the international break had been used to work on defensive shape and the conceding of soft goals? Didn’t really work did it Alex!
Not to forget the legend that was Bryan Hamilton, John.
John (15): Surprised it took so long, but congratulations on being the first to say Thompson was dropped. Another thing on the charge sheet against Alex Neil.
Perhaps others had been paying closer attention and realised he was injured.
It’s an interesting point t Stewart. I think John may be referring g to the infamous worthington “we’ve got the X Ray’s” rant when challenged about the very late removal from the team for a home FA cup third round defeat against West Ham. Before a few days later joining…… West Ham. Few believed the spin then and sad to say people are sceptical now. Even as I left the ground following the Leeds defeat there was a belief that Thompson would make we for tettey next time out. For whatever reason, they were proved correct.
Let us not forget that Neil dropped Pritchard after his excellent debut amid a storm of criticism and the omission of Thompson felt the same.
Whatever the real situation involving Thompson, the real point here is the complete lack of trust or credibility in anything that comes out of the club now, be it injury updates, managerial post match interviews, players pre match press obligations or ill advised backchat to a Times reporter by the owners. As Darren says, the club at the moment is hard to like, from the arrogant board, clueless manager and the non triers on the pitch. Currently there is so much antagonism that it feels as if something will burst very soon.
The critical problem is the loss of McNally. I wrote at the time that this was deeply worrying and sadly my worst fears are being realised. We replaced a CEO with a proven record of success with one with a proven record of mediocrity and this is the enevitable result. Sad times.
i have too say the fact that alex tettey played terribly again and poor louis thompson not even in the squad just sums alex neils man management up terrible apauling in fact ,thompson one of a few bright sparks lately….bassong sounds as awful as ever too.
Its simple too me Big Nigel Pearson would shape this lot right up ! Come on big nige ;))
sorry john hadnt read your post …agreed 100%
Stewart Lewis – in fact Thompson wasn’t dropped. The Colney staff have him listed as a grade 1 injury concern therefore ‘unavailable’. I should know. I personally know the medics. I go to all away games too so am in the know. Re: the future of Alex Neil, I’ll back him. He deserves our faith therefore I’m sticking with his decisions, plus I’m not a complete loser I want him sacked by jumping on the band wagon. It’ll turn around. Trust me !
Of course the wee man should go Trouble is it’s about 10 months too late. As a result we are saddled with a squad of older players who are past their best , & a group of promising youngsters who have not been given a chance to progress except on loan . Couple that with the recent expensive signings who we haven’t had the chance to assess & the future for any incoming manager looks difficult.
The failings of Alex Neil are well documented so I won’t dwell on them , but the legacy he will leave does not look promising
What will a new regime do with the likes of Bassong , Whittaker , Martin & co. I assume the highest earners such as Olson , Klose , Brady & Neighsmith will be on their way in January. Given their recent performances ( Klose partially excluded ) I guess the club will take quite a hit on their fees. At least it will give the incoming regime something to play with.
Many names have been bandied about regarding who will replace Neil. Please not ‘ big Sam ‘ or a past Wolves failure.
As has been said by many , our recent record of selecting managers has been poor , except getting lucky with Lambert.
Given the squad they are going to inherit I think it needs some one with experience & standing in the game , someone who has been around the block & will kick a few backsides as needed Finally (Stuart ) perhaps someone who will play 2 up front I know he carries a lot of ( England ) baggage but think we could do a lot worse than Roy Hodgson , even if it’s as a director of football ( I’m sure that will get the debate going )
Stewart Lewis I truly look forward to your article this week! I think your optimism and blind faith has become a medical condition. Either that or your angling for a chair on the board.
Your point about Big Sam is totally irrelevant, he was a proven manager in those situations countless times, why would they of sacked him.
You, along with the board, are scared of change.
Chris (11) sums it up perfectly.
Course it will el ostrich
Apologies Alex; I hadn’t realised Thompson was injured……presumably then Klose was too, but able to put in a shift from the subs bench if required?? (and looking at the goals conceded, he most definitely was…..)
Thanks, as ever, for your considered and thoughtful comments (especially you Delfy!).
It’s an emotive time. Respect to those who are keeping it civil.
Whatever happens it needs to be decisive. Since the dreadful treatment of Worthy there has always been a section of fans revelling in the manager’s ill fortune. Glenn Roeder aside, they were all decent men who didn’t deserve the s**t thrown at them. Let’s hope the board do make smart decisions.
Every manager has strengths and weaknesses. Neil seemed to be good at motivating a squad which wasn’t his, instilling discipline, keeping the players focused, but building a team of his own and getting them organised is apparently something he struggles with.
I hate to scapegoat one man for our decline, but we have been playing far below the sum of our parts for quite a while, and it can’t go on. Alex Neil is no longer an asset.
I feel sorry for him in a way. His players have let him down. Take a look at Martin and Bennett as Olsson does his swan-dive. That ball could have come loose anywhere, but they stand there like de rigueur mannequins, the very definition of statuesque, blissfully unaware of the attacker on his own at the near post, ready for a tap-in. And this is in the first minute. Shameful.
Great article and very much my thoughts. He has to go but with a thanks. Unfortunately I don’t think he will this side of Christmas 2025! Still I probably won’t be caring then!
el dingo (22): Hope you really read my post. I was making the point, exactly, that Thompson was injured. As I expected, some conspiracy theorists have come back doubting that truth; delighted you’ve confirmed it.
Johnstonpickle (24): Apart from stating the fact that Thompson was injured, I’m not sure what your problem is with me. The history of Allardyce at West Ham in 2013-14 seems to me relevant if we’re thinking of hiring him: like many managers, he came through a sticky patch when fans lost faith in him. No more, no less.
I’m neither scared of change, nor arguing against it. My view of AN is that the jury must be out. I hope and assume that the Board, as they did under McNally, want to be as well informed as possible and are taking private soundings from senior players.
I’ll continue to put my head above the parapet – but a seat on the Norwich board is neither sought nor expected!
I noticed with interest that a few are saying Moxley needs to act, sadly he is Delia’s yes man and will only act, when she says so. McNally would have been recommending he is sacked and then sanctioned to get the next victim for the hotseat
Alex Neils time is well and truly up, things started to go wrong the moment he had to start adding players to Neil Adams squad . Never before (and probably never again)has a Norwich manager had so many millions to spend yet brought in so much rubbish ,he should lose his job for starting the season with no real goalscorer in the squad apart from anything else .
As for the owners, well they are the real problem , clueless amateurs passing away their boring weekends playing football club owners. In one interview they have just about killed every fans hopes for the club.I fully expect us to be back in League 1 within 5 years unless they are forced out .
Everyone seems damned if they do or damned if they don’t. The board get critisied for being silent and saying nothing. They come out and say something, to some stating their commitment to the club, to others announcing themselves as an ongoing millstone around it’s neck.
Alex Neil finally makes some changes to the line up and is castigated further. Some players seem immune from critism like Klose, but he like many of the others has been well below par and has not looked the player we all hoped we could build our title charge on.
Would I have picked that team? No. But he made a number of changes gave others a chance. That’s what everyone was calling for.
The reality for me is that our failures in the transfer window in addition to a manager broken by that toon game leave us with little choice.
The players are letting Neil down, but he is also letting them down. Neil has reached his use by date and we need a fresh set of experienced eyes. We have to weed out the dead wood ASAP. And go again. The sooner the better for me, as a new manager needs time to turn it around and assess the squad before january.
And if by some miracle you’re reading this Moxey. Please don’t read twitter, some of the proposed managers are lunacy of the highest order.
Giggs – beggar all experience, Hoddle!!! – No recent experience and a complete fruitloop.
Of the others mentioned; Allardyce – terrible but possibly successful football, Warburton – Not too sure, better footy than Sam but juries out on him, O’Neill – so little club experience would be a worry. Pearson – After Derby, not too sure either. So whilst it would make me feel dirty and a little hollow inside, Allardyce is the best bet for the club long term, but then I don’t suppose he’d come near us with Delia still running the show.
Bah!
I think it is an indication of the seriousness of the situation when contributors on this site, where balanced views are more normal, are so harsh in their criticisms of manager, board and players. I beleive the club took an enormous gamble appointing Neil and it was apparent to me in the early premiership games that he lacked the tactical and man management skills required. However, no-one in any walk of life can take such a big step up without having to learn quickly how to deal with the situations that this new job may throw at them. Last January it was apparent to me that lessons were not being learned and the dogmatic approach to the job would see us relegated if we didn’t change tack or manager. Sadly that came to pass with all of the financial implications that go with it. Now we have the same situation developing again – our overall strategy is still as fixed as ever it was and, if we are honest, we were lucky to top the league in those early weeks. I fear that AN is no Sir Alex in the making and as a club we cannot afford to sacrifice a chance of promotion, whilst we have the parachute payments, in the hope that he will improve his tactical awareness and man management skills in time to turn things around. It is difficult, as I am sure he is a decent guy but football is a tough business and time is up.
Who do we think would come in and sort everything out? Pearson has been mentioned – Derby looked a disaster under him and he was sacked very quickly. Their squad has been looking very capable since he left, with no new players. Allardyce? I’m sure he could organise well, but his strength seems to lie in getting the right players into a club (see last season; Sunderland didn’t get going until he’d been able to bring in Kone, Kirchoff and Khazri), and I wouldn’t fancy his chances of doing that in January with us. Plus, Hughton got stick for negative football and now we want Allardyce?
Anyone else?
As far as the QPR match goes, who out of the alternatives could effectively deal with losing a player after 30 seconds? I remember just over two years ago when a Watford side that would end the season automatically promoted came to Carrow Road and suffered an equally early loss of a player. They just couldn’t deal with playing an entire game with ten men and lost 3-0.
As an aside, I was glad to be part of the travelling supporters, who made a lot of noise in support of their team at 2-0 down in the second half on Saturday. It’s impossible to say whether that made the difference, of course, but there was a resurgence, for more than 15 minutes in my view. When you’re 2-0 down away from home, with ten men, with the Brighton mauling in recent memory, you don’t want to go throwing everything at it for fear of another hiding. But, in the end, we could’ve got something from the game.