And then there was nothing…
Well, not quite nothing. There will be stuff, like a new head coach, lots and lots of rumours and, eventually, (probably) lots and lots of new faces.
But until pre-season eventually manifests itself into games of actual football all we have left is to cogitate on what might have been and dream of what may lie ahead.
As it transpired yesterday was littered with fun, poignancy and frustration in almost equal measure, and there’s no question we can do good send-offs when they’re warranted; John Ruddy’s final hurrah being right up there with anything witnessed in the old place.
What happened on the green stuff was almost a sideshow to everything else but we were left with one final reminder of what might have been if Alex Neil had been able to add backbone and Championship standard defending to City’s unquestionable creativity and thrust when heading in a forward direction, particularly away from home.
City brushed aside QPR with nonchalance. Ian Holloway’s said afterwards, “We were beaten by a better side, a better club at the moment…” and based on the evidence put before us he absolutely spot on. It was men against boys as they say.
All of which unfortunately means ‘Jack’ in the greater scheme of things and what remains significant, regardless of the pleasing aesthetics we were treated to yesterday, is that City finished the season a whopping ten points shy of sixth place. And however we wish to dress it up…
But we’re good at doing ‘joie de vivre’ on the final day of the season, as Watford can testify, and despite underwhelming the faithful over the last nine months there was a sense of carnival as Ruddy’s farewell, along with several other rather more low key departures, was given the full Carrow Road treatment.
Seven years of service were given due recognition from all four corners and there was added poignancy to the pre-match and post-match hugs afforded the Big Man by his team-mates; warmth and respect being evident in every embrace.
But we move on and we move on apace. Ruddy spoke post-match of recognising his fate before it was formally revealed to him and it’s clear the players have been made acutely aware that some serious clothing-cutting is underway.
The low-hanging fruit – aka those out of contract and who would be costly to retain – have been picked but now the real work begins for Mr Webber.
Alan Irvine alluded to the fact that most of the players (not the staff) know their fate, or at least the plan – or otherwise – for their Carrow Road future, but it’s crystal clear that some big earners are not going to be easy to shift even if that’s the ideal scenario, such are the terms of their existing deals.
We watch and we wait.
Interestingly, one of two of the senior pros who would may have been on the ‘available’ list have put forward a case in the last few weeks for being retained, and I’m talking in particular Graham Dorrans, who was excellent yesterday.
Whether Stuart Webber agrees is an entirely different matter – and right now his view is the only one that matters – but Dorrans has reminded us that sitting deep alongside Jonny Howson he’s able to offer a range of passing that’s not perhaps the Championship norm. On his day he can be an asset.
Wes too, on his big day, reminded us that there are scenarios where he and Alex Pritchard can dovetail nicely together, and while the time for offering Webber food for thought has probably gone it’s worth acknowledging that even as things stand there appears more than a little to work with. To go the full Edwin Collins would risk losing some of the good things we have.
But there goes 2016/17, albeit the preparations for 2017/18 are well and truly underway.
How do you think we will all be feeling on May 8, 2018?
“On the Ball City…”
Did anybody manage to ascertain the whereabouts of a Mr S Naismith yesterday? Banned from playing, yes, but his name wasn’t mentioned on the radio when the end of season lap of the pitch was described? Pretty disrespectful to the club (which fills his rice bowl up very nicely every week, thank you), the fans and most of all those players departing the NCFC fray – especially John Ruddy.
That aside, the closed season promises to be far more exciting than the playing season just ended. Intriguing times ahead!
Ha! I was wondering how A Girl Like You could be relevant until you reminded me Edwyn Collins was once the figurehead of Orange Juice:-)
We do last home matches of the season rather well, don’t we?
Didn’t go yesterday all a bit too sycophantic and the golf course was a better option. It’s important to realise that none of these guys who have been laid off are going to struggle to pay the mortgage. Like any organisational restructuring there will be casualties and that will include folk who are not on footballers wages. So thanks to Alex Neil and his woeful management of the playing side and to the poor attitudes of some players those ordinary folk who earn a less profligate wage at the club are the ones who deserve the thoughts of the supporters.
Yes I guess now it is a case of wait and see what tomorrow brings. Fleetwood’s season has ended so if Rossler is the choice he should now be available. I am unsure about him though. It will be frustrating and exiting in equal measure I think as we wait to see who goes, who comes and who stays. A word should be said about Alan Irvine though who, in my opinion, has done a remarkably good job in difficult circumstances. As it was last year it is a case of “if only the board had dispensed with Neil ” never mind things can only get better (I hope).
On May 8 2018? We will be looking forward to participating in the Play Offs …. (and celebrating Ipswich’s relegation, maybe).
Hopefully will not be as frustrated as at the end of this wasted season, led by an incompetent Board who obviously should have sacked AN much sooner.
Like Ruddy, a mixture of scenarios has led me to retire as member of the NCFC furniture (although this one was all my decision). Many will not be sad to see me go, but my failure to win over the masses won’t end up in strange lap of ‘honour’ like it did for the big man I’m sure. The 2016/17 season has claimed Jeff and his support for his boyhood club. The board’s recent admission of fault and requirement for progression has come too late for me. I just can’t find the spark to reignite the yellow flame and it’s taken me some time to admit it. Farewell Jeff (not John).
It is that time of the year we all hate with no football to watch, now we watch the more sedate cricket.
It is the time of speculation who will be sold, who will be purchased, the papers setting supporters against each other with rumours of the same.
At city there sre players other clubs would like to sign and will hoping the fire sale continues in the hope of picking up a bargain or two.
If we are to sell the likes of Howson, Pritchard, Klose and Pinto lets hope it is either overseas or to a Premiership club so they don’t come back to haunt us.
The other uncertainty is getting players in by the looks of it we will require a complete new defence, lets pray that this is underway and the club are doing a diligent search to ensure thst they suite the style of play, Who ever has the final say on recruitment (HC) must be in place soon for this process to begin.
Last comment lets not get emboiled in a long running sage for a HC, pay stupid money to get him or pay over the odds for players.
The stand out moment yesterday for me was Alan Irvine’s visible frustration with the perceived lack of empathy at board level.
Normally guarded, he let rip with his feelings about the treatment of ‘the staff’. Only he knows what he means, but to criticize without being specific shows there are cracks at the highest levels of the club.
Methinks he will be on Delia’s naughty step this morning.
I won’t criticize the board, but it seems the same arrogance that has prevailed over many, many years still continues. The arrogance over the way Iwan Roberts deduced his contract was not being renewed through not getting an invite to Delia’s Xmas Party; the timing of Grant Holt’s ‘sacking’ to ensure there would be no farewell; the ‘Let’s Be Having You’ affair; Delia’s drunken expletives at City Hall live on national TV before Chris Goram wrestles the mic off her; the astonishing walkouts of the Turners (remember them?) and Dave McN without so much as a by-your-leave; the appointment of Young Tom; the refusal to do the honourable thing with a hopelessly clueless and floundering AN…. etc etc.
I like arrogance: it shows confidence, despite the fallout it inflicts at all levels. And wherever we go next under the eccentric leadership of The Smiffs, it’ll always be an entertaining rollercoaster of a ride.
Better than supporting Arsenal, that’s for sure.
OTBC.
PS Great Vid, Gary
#6 Jeff: I hope you won’t be deserting us. The site wouldn’t be the same without you, believe me.
#8 Azores: Yes, I believe there are “staff issues” out there, but I would expect them to be sorted out over the summer. Change is afoot in just about every area.
And probably not before time…
Farewell Big John; here’s hoping that you get the deal you want for next and subsequent seasons. You have been a great servant to our club, but one hopes that this does not mean Mr McGovern will be our first choice next season…..
The poor season was surely summed up with Wes getting the Player of the Season award!
QPR played and performed as if they were already on the beach in their deckchairs and with their sunglasses on.
The stand out moment had to be the final goal with an excellent Maddison interception and pass, followed by the driving run of Jacob Murphy at the heart of QPR’s defence…..is it too soon to dream of similar things for next season in the same team as Pritchard and Dijks??
O T B C
I really fancied Norwich yesterday and was not surprised that we showed what we can do.
Despite the fact that I still believe the club are far, far better without Smith & Jones, the fact that we will have less money next season can be turned into a positive, as the more money we have, the more money we waste because we haven’t had the people at the club to know what to do with it.
This season has been in many ways in how not to run a football club and I wonder if Delia will ever admit that she made a hugely expensive error in not takings her Chairman’s advice last summer to part ways with Alex Neil. That is what happens when you have a ‘fan as owner’ rather than a footballing person making key decisions of which there were none on the board this season.
There are reasons to be cheerful as Webber is already making his mark with a huge dose of common sense – before he inevitably goes off to bigger and greater things in a couple of years – but the owners will always be the problem for me as if they were what the club needed some years back, they are definitely not what the club needs now.
I found AI’s remarks completely out of order. How can decisions about staff, and players under contract, be made until a new HC is appointed?
The only feasible decision that SW could make at the moment is to sack all the coaching staff so as to give the new HC tabula rasa; but who knows what the new HC will want? Certainly not SW and the board.
A normally rational man lost it; I hope he has apologised. I did wonder whether he was ear-marked for the u23s coaching vacancy. That bridge may have been burned yesterday…..
I am a Great believer in stability and all the benefits that it brings but it can also bring contempt in believing that you are the best and only solution to a club or company.
Stability has it draw back in not allowing progress and stifferling ideas from others on a board this hasnow happened at city, it is time for a change in the old guard.
It seems that the board all agree to agree as long as the Smiths agree no dissent will be allowed and to enforce this they bring in younger family members as heir apparent that no one hears from.
It is perfectly clear that there could be a number of changes in the coaching and backroom staff and that those depend on the new Head coach. However, it seems that the uncertainty is not being well managed by the club. Irvine has conducted himself admirably over these ten games and deserves better. I for one think Mr Webber made a mistake ruling him out before taking the opportunity to see what he could do. I think he would be an excellent person to head up the youth setup.
Nick (13) Offering Irvine the U23’s would be taking the p****. It’s a nothing role, demeaning for someone with his experience.
He was only offering his perspective of what he thinks needs to change, which is probably less change than what Webber thinks.
Or another take on what his is saying is ‘Yes the squad needs improving, but the problem wasn’t the squad – it was Alex Neil…’
AI has been put in astonishing situations the last few months (i.e. not even knowing if he’s taking training the next week, let along the match). He’s handled it professionally while finally showing off some of the talent hidden within the squad.
He deserves to have a say. Knowing the Smith’s previous response to dissent, it probably won’t end well for him.
#NoJeffNoParty
Darren (15). I think this was his role at Everton… Always thought that such a developmental function was his forte, and preference. Didn’t imply any pee taking.
Alex B #13/Dave B #16: Tom Smith wasn’t brought in to the Board to agree with Delia & Michael, but to challenge them.
If your assertions were right, we’d still have Alex Neil as manager and certainly wouldn’t have re-structured the club, let alone brought in someone like Stuart Webber who will insist on doing things his way.
Delia & Michael have been persuaded to make changes they wouldn’t have otherwise made, giving up power in the process. No-one pretended that the changes would benefit Delia & Michael, except in the sense that they would benefit the club. With Delia & Michael, though, that’s the clinching argument.
Jeff #6: I genuinely hope you won’t stop posting on here.
You should take heart from the number of times during the season that people have posted ‘Jeff was right’. I won’t flatter you by adding myself to that list; I think you’ve been justified on some things, plain and stubbornly wrong on others. But the site would be poorer and less interesting without you.
Don’t retire.
Ahh Stewart. I should never underestimate your ability to ignore actual data in favour of your personal friendships. Tom has been present as a board member for seventeen months of failure. Including all of this season, our worst finish in nearly a decade.
If Tom was brought in to challenge Delia & Michael, he didn’t do a very good job, since Alex Neil kept his position longer than every writer on this site thought acceptable, even you. Well, maybe not Mick. He kept remarkably quiet during that period.
Dave B #21: In case anyone should think you know what you’re talking about, none of the Board is a personal friend of mine. None.
I can see your struggle to find ways of being negative, even when the club is changing in ways you specifically called on it to do. But untrue insinuations should be beneath you.
Stewart you’ve specifically talked about chatting with Tom Smith at games and how “all the times you’ve met him you’ve been very impressed”.
You can’t have it both ways.
I asked for change 9 months ago. As usual we waste every opportunity presented to us.
Dave B #23: I’ve talked to many people – I’d guess hundreds, if not thousands – as much as I have to Tom. They’re not “personal friendships”, any more than my relationship with Tom is.
As Tom & Steve Stone have now said in public, they supported the change of structure last summer. It was decided that with all the other upheaval of that time, the club would keep its traditional structure for the time being. The innovators have now prevailed, of course.
PS Glad to see your acknowledgement (#21) that I wrote critically. It’s something you’ve repeatedly denied, so I appreciate the recognition.