Not since 2006/07, a season so forgettable we had Peter Grant in charge for most of it, have we had a run-in that was without even the slightest hint of jeopardy. But we have one now – and it’s not much fun.
It didn’t matter that City dropped two points yesterday, in the same way it didn’t really matter that Mitchell Dijks got sent off, that we went ahead, that we went behind, or even that ultimately Cameron Jerome (bless him) salvaged us a point. None of it really mattered.
And it won’t for the remaining nine games – unless by some miracle Leeds, Reading or Sheffield Wednesday hit an iceberg en route to the play-offs while City miraculously discover the formula for winning a game away from home. Not going to happen.
So we’d best get used to it.
It doesn’t help that several players in the current squad know full well that their days in the Fine City are numbered and that all those nine games offer them, if they actually make it onto the grass, is a shop window.
But that’s of course not to say that the talking points have dried up. Quite the opposite. It’s just that 99.9 per cent of talking points between now and the start of next season will pertain to events off the pitch.
What is clear, and was confirmed by Ed Balls in his series of interviews pre-match, is that Alex Neil’s P45 was but the first in a chain of events designed to gear this club up for life in the 21st century.
We’ve long established that while Alex was deemed not up to the job by the majority as winter gave way to spring – and eventually the Board agreed – his failings were far from being the sole reason this club has bumbled along outside the Championship’s play-off places via several car crashes.
One could argue that any success on his part would have been in spite of the system.
Balls’ admission that the sheet of paper is blank is at least an admission on the Board’s part that they too recognise the current structure as being one that’s unfit for purpose. That’s a start. They also need to recognise that there are several personnel in that same structure who are equally unworthy of being part of it.
What it can’t be is a cosmetic exercise designed to appease the “moaners” that Delia so despises; one that essentially just shuffles around the building blocks to such an extent it becomes unrecognisable but offers more of the same.
What it needs to be is innovative, yet sound and sustainable, and one that achieves the full buy in from top to bottom. And if that means Michael Wynn-Jones and Delia having to alter their view on the evils of anyone or anything that threatens their stranglehold on this football club then all well and good.
They were part of the solution in the mid-90s. In 2017 they are part of the problem.
Whether a revised structure that includes the pair of them at its heart, however the boxes are linked up, can propel this club forward will only be revealed in the coming months and years; indeed if they are at its heart, and part of me wonders if now is Tom Smith’s time.
Either way, if his time is now or if he’ll be eased into the hot-seat in the months/years to come, it’s clear there will be limitations placed on what exactly he can do with his shares, so modernisation and clarity have to be key in this brave new world.
With the parachute payments running out in just over a year’s time and the current financial model being only workable if propped up by massive dollops of Sky and BT money, the new model will need to be embedded in a long-term plan; one that recognises, as much as we all wish otherwise, that this club may be in receipt of second tier revenue for the foreseeable.
I wrote around this time last season my theory on how to be a Premier League club this club needed to do something different and extraordinary. That we’re no longer one suggests we did neither. Now, one year on, I stand by that theory albeit it now needs to happen in order for this club to sustain itself as a competitive Championship club.
Minus any financial support from outside the existing streams we’re threatened with a future as Championship also-rans. Those we consider direct rivals will, in many cases, be in receipt of financial help from outside of just gate receipts and incoming transfer fees and we’ll be the poor relations of many – just how we were in the mid to late 90s.
History revisited.
But, as Huddersfield have shown, thinking outside of the box and doing well with what you have within a structure that works can be sufficient to propel you beyond some with deeper pockets. We should know.
Yet it’s going to take bravery, a willingness to admit mistakes of the past and a desire to do what’s best for this club regardless of self-interest to make it work. Only then can we genuinely look forward with ‘hope in our hearts’.
All will hopefully be revealed in the next few days.
It will also help enormously if our local media get back behind the club rather than looking for every stick to beat them with. Some of the fake news stories that are embellished are ridiculous and just talks the club down and adds fuel to the fire. All has been far from well at the club for sure but let’s at least get behind the efforts to change things even though we will not all agree with them whatever they are.
Shame you had to use ‘in and around’ Gary. Deffo a point deducted for that..
Reading your excellent piece though it strikes me just how chaotic our squad structure has been of late. And if there’s one recipe for Championship success it’s a balanced, ordered squad made up mostly of capable, brave, committed players with a sprinkling if two or three high quality talents. Much like Worthy’s promotion year – which let’s not forget, Delia contributed to so much.
It’d be great if Delia & co could go use a bit of hindsight like that because when they have got it right it’s been very right.
#1 Richard: you make a fair point or two, but I would like to add that I believe the local media have been exceptionally kind to “The Club”.
Maybe a little too generous at times?
Anyway I agree with you that we should all get behind any genuine effort to achieve positive change. It will potentially be an interesting week. “Moaning” is off the menu for me this week.
1. ‘Fake news’ – oh please, getting a little excited there. You must have been on breitbart.com/ncfc
Think there’s been a bit too much sympathy for AN. Some of his recent decisions reek of trying to get dismissed, pass go and pick up his £2m. Let’s no equate it with the average joe losing his livlihood. He spent all our cash and our squad is still ridiculously unbalanced.
The board have blood on their hands. Not to back Neil in the market when he got promoted was an unforgivable abdication. And by delaying the inevitable this season they have squandered our best chance to get back to the prem. We can only pray that the decisions they make in the next few weeks give us a chance next year otherwise we may be getting clapped on 15mins in years to come.
Cityfan (2) – Good point re ‘in and around’. Awful. Even worse that I wrote it on autopilot, without thinking.
Better now? 🙂
I’m normally an optimistic person however this boardroom and its occupants don’t fill me with any at all.
Yes Delia and Michael saved the club going under. Yes they are passionate and yes there’s no doubt they love the club. However, these points are not enough in my book to take the club forward.
Recent success has not been down to them, they’ve just presided over it. It could be argued by some, that they appointed the people who gave us the success. I on the other hand would counter that with these decisions were made because they had no other choice and success more through luck than judgement on their part, occurred.
I’m sick of this group lurching from one potential disaster to another with the only apparent result of saving their skins. Football whether they like it or not has moved on immeasurably in the 20 odd years they have been here, however they haven’t and it would seem it’s obvious to everyone except themselves.(the infamous Times article reinforces that)
The club is in a better position than when they stepped in so now would be a great time to walk away with their heads held high and with a hearty thank you from everyone. If they continue to linger I feel it will become far to toxic and their legacy will be one of the failures and not successes.
Somehow though I have a terrible feeling this isn’t going to happen…..
Good piece Gary.
What worries me for the future is if there is any shred of truth in Charlie Wyett’s piece yesterday…
If the “final straw” for AN was his desire to sell Hoolahan prior to next season, then how much other input (possibly regarding team selection) have outside influences had? At least it could be a reason for Russell Martin being a fixture in the back four despite some very ordinary performances.
Let’s hope whoever is chosen has carte blanche to do whatever is necessary to make us contenders next season.
O T B C