Alex Neil doesn’t seem to be doing himself a lot of favours.
By his frank admission, he was wrong to stick as far as possible with the same team that beat Brentford. With Naismith unavailable, he kept the same system and put Josh Murphy into the open slot. It didn’t work.
His honest confession has been gleefully seized on by his critics as proof of his incompetence and the urgency of replacing him.
Whatever the merits of that view – which I’ll come to – I’m starting to see why other managers are so doggedly determined not to admit their mistakes.
Alex clearly felt pressured to give a vote of confidence to the team that won so well a week ago. Where did that pressure come from? From me, for one.
I argued in a couple of forums that – even in a different and tougher game – the XI who did so well for him against Brentford should get another start. To have changed more than necessary seemed to me to send out the wrong signal.
With the wisdom of hindsight, of course, I can see that he should have brought in Youssouf Mulumbu, Martin Olsson and whoever else. And perhaps replaced Seb Bassong with Timm Klose (though on form that would have been both cruel and unjustified).
In my defence, it wasn’t just me. The mood during the week appeared to be in the same direction, among fans and pundits alike. Cyprus Canary, whose comments on this site I’ve quoted before, seemed to encapsulate the feelings of many:
“This week will be the acid test for Neil. Surely the 5-0 team should be unchanged”
Two things should be said, in fairness. First, I didn’t see everyone’s views. I don’t know whether he reads these columns, but Donald Parish tells me on Twitter he thought replacing Graham Dorrans with Mulumbu in the starting line-up was such an obvious step that it wasn’t worth him mentioning.
I’m happy to give Donald the benefit of the doubt, especially as he pointed out that a couple of local journalists had raised the same suggestion.
Second, and clearly a key point: it’s fine for fans to be wrong (though it might be nice if we had the humility to acknowledge it a bit more often). On the other hand, Alex Neil is paid not to get it wrong.
He did on Saturday, and there’s a powerful argument that he’s got it wrong too often this season.
As regular readers know, I’ve been hesitant to join the call for AN’s dismissal. Perhaps I can try to explain that hesitation, while acknowledging the view that seems to be now prevailing.
It has much to do with season 2014-15 when he joined us. I’ve read a lot in the last few weeks – and especially since 5pm on Saturday – that Alex was lucky with what he inherited, and is essentially no different from Neil Adams.
I don’t buy it. Adams’ record was 37 points from 24 games. With the same players (ie Adams’ squad), AN got 49 points from 22 games. Tactically and motivationally, he proved himself in a different league.
Which is, literally, where he took us. But with the club’s failure to deliver his key targets before the Premier League season, he was left with a squad which only an exceptional managerial performance would have kept up.
To my mind, then, nothing before this season raised serious questions over his ability, or the desirability of our keeping him. I was with the majority of Carrow Road in acclaiming him at the end of the Watford game in May.
I guess, also, I’d have been inclined to join the “sack him now” camp earlier if I thought we had the right squad. I know that sounds strange. Beyond the business we did last summer, though, AN identified further changes he thought were important to make (both ins and outs).
They didn’t materialize, in part because players for whom we set up departure deals wouldn’t accept them.
Whatever we think of the managerial situation, I suspect we’d all agree there needs to be significant re-jigging of the squad in January. AN knows what he wanted, and the past five months will have confirmed and consolidated those ideas.
Another manager, coming in fresh at this point, would probably bring a breath of fresh air and get a ‘bounce’. But would he be able to instantly analyse the needs of the squad, and put it on the kind of sustained positive footing that Alex Neil did two years ago?
Perhaps. But far from a guarantee, surely?
It’s obvious that Alex Neil is in a sticky patch. He seems less sure of his tactics, and of his judgement, than before. Perhaps reflecting that, the players don’t seem to revere him as they once did. It’s serious.
Despite the claims of some City fans that any other club would have sacked its manager at this point, most of my friends who support other clubs think AN has done enough at Norwich to buy himself at least this season. I don’t share that view, but it’s interesting to hear.
The question is: has he irretrievably lost his grip to the point where it’s better to roll the dice, whatever that may bring? Or is the essence of the old Alex Neil still there?
One thing’s for sure. It won’t work for the Board to keep him, but not back him to the hilt in January. If they say they have faith in him, they’d better be prepared to put their money where their mouths are.
It seems you’re more willing to blame yourself for this downturn than Neil. Doesn’t the guilt you place on yourself and other norwich fans weigh you down? Also, how do you explain him being a good manager after spending £50m and going backwards? Apparently he’s not even to blame for sanctioning the purchase of 436 midfielders we don’t need. Our priority is promotion…Neil will deliver anything but
Top, top article Stewart. Rolling the dice could set us back years. Only Alex Neil knows what he wants from a January transfer window. Bring in a new manager and expect Martin, Whittaker, Turner, Bassong et al to still all be here. I trust Alex will deliver. Plus, I love Delia too xxx
After playing several years in this cut and thrust league, being a midfielder himself, he could not see that not having a ball winner, the muscle, the spoiler to break up play in the midfield was vital.
This and many other things add up to the fact we are heading backwards. He spends millions on players and banishes them to the second string or sends them away.
One player another midfeilder, was almost brought down to Norfolk with him, but then suddenly he is not good enough at either Prem or Championship level. He draw this conclusion after working with the guy as player and manager. I agree that in today’s market a Million pounds isn’t a lot, but something a club who claim hardship can ill afford. Along with millions worth of talent sitting twiddling their thumbs week after week, yet are either internationals, or far good enough for other teams at and above this level.
He really hasn’t a clue of what he is doing and that isn’t this season he is continuing where he left off last season
I think our problems are much deeper than the performance of the manager. Our team is hugely over rated, whatever pretty patterns they can weave against weak opposition, they lack the character and application to consistently games – we need a huge clear out that in the current transfer framework will take about 2 years. Personally for various reasons I think Whittaker, Turner, Bassong, Olsson, Klose, Brady, Tettey, Mulumbu, Jarvis, Lafferty & Naismith are all dead wood that needs to be cut out.
That would be bad enough but it’s excerbated by a CEO who is unproven (but his unwillingness to engage with fans doesn’t build confidence) and a recruitment team that has a truly terrible record (pretty scary when you consider the level of change the squad requires). Previously, we have been able to use loans to get poor performers off the wages and allow lower league players to come in a prove their hunger was matched by their quality, but AN is not able to play that game.
NCFC is too big an organisation to rely on one person to dictate its fortunes, one person hasn’t caused our malaise, changing one person isn’t going to cure it either (even after a short term boost). Of course a previously confident Alex Neil now looks uncertain and lacking in conviction, he is being asked to complete a huge job without the tools to do it or the support required.
You might think someone else could do it better (but as usual very few people say who that is), but I think all they are going to do is roll Alex Neil’s polished turd in glitter.
It is always easy for those outside a club looking in to make these sort of proclaimations:-
“Despite the claims of some City fans that any other club would have sacked its manager at this point, most of my friends who support other clubs think AN has done enough at Norwich to buy himself at least this season.”
But I bet they are the same fans that have been baying for blood at their own clubs for a manager that we and others as outsiders would say are worthy of more time.
Whilst I agree that the board could and should have done more in successive transfer windows and their failure to do so has hurt Neils chances of doing well. Neil presumably signed off on signing Pritchard. Pritchard as talented as he is, was a long way down the list on what the team needed. But then that supposes that Neil actually knows what the team needs? I’m not sure he does, its been a long time since our team have looked like there is a coherent tactical plan, that they are adding layers of complexity to his simple master plan. He looks like a broken manager now, he had one ridgid plan of how to play. It worked for a time, until every man and his dog realised how to counter it. During our PL campaign there was a stat that we did less running than any other team, I don’t see much evidence that that has changed. At the time I think he said that it was because he wanted them working smarter not harder. Well neither smarter or harder is what has us in this current tailspin.
At last Stuart a sane voice. Very well thought out article and i agree he hasn’t been backed properly. Also i believe there are a lack of exciting talented candidates out there to take his place. It seems that us fans who can see that its not always possible to win every game are slated for being happy clappers etc. History shows that teams who get relegated from the premiership struggle to go straight back up. Even if we were not to go up this season does that mean instantly that AN should be sacked? I would say yes if the the man taking his place is guaranteed to get promotion but of course there are no guarantees. Years ago managers were given several seasons to build a squad bring through the youngsters etc now its all about the quick fix. AN has brought several promising youngsters to the club and needs to time to work with the players. If we had bundles of money then yes we could bring in a new manager buy loads of star signings and get instant promotion ie Newcastle, we haven’t so we can’t. We have the same problem with the National side constant changing of managers where has it got us? Obviously if we carry on losing it has to change but lets be patient afterall if it had been up to our fans the most successfull manager in Bristish history Sir Alex Ferguson would have been sacked before he had won the his first of many trophies. Ladies and gentlemen i rest my case
Stewart, if you believe the board, upon keeping Neil will “back him to the hilt” then I want a pint of what you are having! This mirrors the hughton fiasco where smith and co kept the hapless hughton but only coughed up Joseph yobo on loan in the window. Truly the definition of complete and utter incompetence and an admittance that they had no confidence in the manager despite an unwillingness to take positive action.
As for,”gleefully seizing upon” our latest in the pantheon of rotten defeats, I can’t recall the number any more, it’s been so many, that’s utter nonsense. I can assure you that glee wasn’t the emotion I was feeling on Saturday at 5 pm. Try anger, disgust and a growing loathing of all involved in the set up.
We’re looking at total and utter failure from the top down at the club. How some people can absorb this much awfulness is beyond me. It just stinks.
I do not love Delia xxx
Jeff refers to 436 midfielders we don’t need. I would argue that it is in midfield we are sadly lacking in this league. Look at other clubs & they have strong athletic mobile midfielders. We have only Jonny Howson that falls into that category. We have no end of nice footballing number 10s but if you haven’t got the physical ability to back it up it’s useless (see Pritchard Saturday) So sorry Jeff if we sign another Bradley Johnson type midfielder in January I will be delighted.
Hi Stewart,
I do indeed, from time to time, read these columns just as I do the wider variety of opinions from supporters on other sites such as TLYBP and ACN, in addition to Archant.
I guess unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way of individual supporters being able to tweet EVERY passing thought or opinion on NCFC, although occasionally they might get verbalised in say, a face to face conversation with a colleague, a telephone call with a Dad, or a WhatsApp group with friends. Sometimes, I’d imagine thoughts enter our heads that we never get the chance to pass on, maybe because we quickly forget as we are in the middle of something, or because the only person you’re with is the 5 month old son whose nappy you are changing (I probably would tell my son in that scenario).
In short, and I know you believe this already because you’ve given me the benefit of your doubt, yes I did believe Youssouf Mulumbu would be selected this weekend. What I was so disappointed about, as somebody who up until this recent result was still behind retaining Alex Neil, was that the Brentford win and momentum should have given Neil a little latitude to breathe and consider again exactly what was needed to deliver another key result. Virtually all our wins this season have come off the back of mainly poorer teams in the division, sitting back and allowing us to play, but everything we knew (and Neil identified beforehand) suggested that Barnsley would not play in that manner. Dorrans is a classy operator when the team is on top, but the weight of recent evidence, particularly in away games, shows that is not happening with him as part of the central two. Neil himself praised the solid foothold that Mulumbu and Tettey provided against Derby as a key reason why we were able to compete in that match (although the bar had become so low, even a merely turgid performance in its own right was an indication of a step in the right direction). So for that reason alone, I expected Mulumbu to be brought in alongside Howson to stiffen up the middle for an away battle.
With the fact that Howson was likely to perform less dynamically in the absence of adrenaline in his 2nd match back (something which in fairness didn’t occur to me after the match, when I tweeted about it (the irony)), and Naismith’s unfortunate injury, it makes it even more baffling. As exciting as it was to see Josh starting – surely at that point it became even more important for us to be solid in the middle?
So, what next? I fully understand your view Stewart, that if Neil is to remain, then he does need to be backed to the hilt for a full revamp this January. I was in exactly the same place, before this weekend. I’d rather have given Neil one game too many, than one game too few. Sadly, it feels like that very match took place at Oakwell on Saturday.
The problem is that if the summer window is tough, then the January edition is even more difficult to drastically alter the spine of a playing squad. That would now be gambling on a genuinely unlikely outcome. For that reason, I feel the balance of the argument has now shifted to a point where, assuming promotion really is the aim this season, the change has to happen now.
But if we do indeed sit here, in early February, with a refreshed and motivated squad that Neil has managed to get back on track starting with a win at home to Aston Villa, nobody will be more delighted than I. And I’m happy to put that in a tweet.
Donald x
Neil is shot. Whatever he did in the promotion year was then, not now. Yes the board have let him down to a degree, but what did you expect from a bunch of amateurs?
Ideally Neil should be sacked and the board to look to sell instead of wallowing in ignorance that they are the best people for the job – They are not and are making mistake after mistake after mistake.
I really wish Neil was going to be the next big thing, but that was never really going to happen and I wish him well for the future, but he is past the point of no return. It is just that the main reason why he is still in his position will not act and I have never known such a period where there is so much divide between fans and the board.
Management on and off the pitch at it’s worst, that’s Norwich City.
Thanks everyone for the thoughtful and passionate comments. Whatever our view of the current situation, there’s no doubting it’s driven by our love for City.
Donald (9): Glad to see you’re a reader! Very well laid out thoughts, and hard to find fault with.
General M (5): Fair enough – my friends probably WOULD be baying for blood if it was their own manager. But sometimes we just might be too close to a situation – so I’m always interested in their (sympathetic) point of view.
Kobecanary (4): Very good points.
I love this forum.
Julian, the game has changed, clubs and managers can no longer build a side over several seasons, If AN as seems increasingly likely cannot get us promoted this season then what do you suppose will happen with our best players? Our most promising youngsters? They will be cherry picked by PL clubs paying PL wages. Can you agree that this season is our best chance of a return to the PL? And that with each passing season there after our financial clout and chances deminish? If you do then why would you be content to watch Alex flush those chances away? He has no idea how to change his one failing game plan. The team consistently look less than the sum of there parts, most players appear to be regressing not improving under him. Apart from the promotion a season and 1/2 ago, hat positive have you seen fom him that makes you believe that he has what it takes? I’m not having a go, I am just genuinely interested because any lingering positivity I had that he was capable has been extinguished with this run. I certainly had doubts after last season and even when we topped the table this, because the football, defense and attitude of the team have not looked right since Blackburn on the openning day.
Bah!
The manager has stated we have the best squad in the division. So does that indicate that the reason for recent results must simply been down to him and his management team?
Said we have the best left back in the division then leaves him on the bench.
The outstanding player the previous week, taken of at half time,the one player who could age things happen.
Even the players must wonder what on earth is going on
Once you lose the players it’s over. He has. On top of that they are so clearly mentally and physically unfit which is solely down to him. Zero – literally zero – progress as a manager in over 12 months. Whether it’s his squad or not he should be able to motivate, show tactical awareness and get players fit.
What has Alex Neil done to deserve backing in the transfer market with yet more cash? He has wasted tens of millions on players who are not being picked to start.
Every Club struggles to make many transfers in January, and prices are high. We know that he has to sell/loan out before he can buy in January, because our wage bill is so bloated.
As you quoted me in the article I guess I should respond. Yes I would have kept the same side that had delivered the win against Brentford. However, with Naismith not available surely the obvious move would be to bring in Olsson and move Brady up the field. I accept that it is quite possible the resulting performance may not have been any better. I don’t beleive you manage a successful team by constantly changing it to counter the opposition. I think you develop your own team and style based on the abilities you have at your disposal. Certainly as Sir ALEX has been mentioned above I suggest he would say we play the game our way and let the opposition worry about us. I would have been delighted to see us succeed with this young manager but it was clear to me early in the premiership season that the move from Hamilton was too soon in his career and, I’m sorry, but NCFC is my club and not a school for prospective managers. As for those who beleive he is the right man please list the qualities and evidence to support that claim. For me the evidence all points the other way. As I have always said – other opinions are allowed.
Cyprus Canary (16): Fair points.
Pab (15): I wonder if it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Any decent transfer policy is a mix of short-term and long-term. It seems we’ve been pretty at successful at acquiring the long-term targets on AN’s list (Pritchard, Canos, Maddison etc), but much less successful with the short-term ones (other than Brady and Klose).
I suspect you’re right about wage deals. Not AN’s department, of course.