Listening carefully to Stuart Webber discussing supporters frustrations at David Wagner’s football philosophy while at Huddersfield reaffirms the how big a task transforming a football club actually is. Webber speaks of criticism of the ‘tippy-tappy’ football and how the Yorkshire team’s supporters took issue with it in the embryonic stage of Wagner’s reign, stating how they thought it should be exchanged for a more direct style with two ‘up top’.
Now Webber is under the weight of expectation at a club with higher aims, but while some supporters opt to take a more short-term perspective of matters at Carrow Road, Webber and Daniel Farke are seeking a long-term formula. Regretfully, that means a short-term acceptance of up-and-down results in exchange for longevity of success.
Being realistic, it may take a series of seasons for Farke and Webber to undo the mess they inherited upon taking the reins in NR1. For Farke, he discovered an ageing, over-paid and unsettled squad while attempting to implement a radical new philosophy and working style in a frenetic summer of change.
Webber discovered a club with an underperforming academy, senior team and a structure that needed major surgery.
This was never going to be a seamless transition without growing pains and teething issues, both on the pitch and off of it. From Millwall to Ipswich and back to Bolton, the consistent inconsistency epitomises where we stand at present. A team who are in phase one of a mass reconstruction.
Naturally, there are issues. The defensive woes of August, the inability to score goals and the Carrow Road form all need addressing – granted – but the emergence of James Maddison, the ability to grind out results away from home and the defensive stability of late have all been positives.
Being a pragmatist, I would argue the improved away performances were a short-term fix and Farke desires an altogether different way of operating away from home. Nor do I genuinely believe that the lateral style of play is the finished article.
This team has so much more to give.
Never have I encountered a club where the pendulum swings so drastically depending on results. If we lose, the team are relegated according to their fan base, while one victory is met with extol and players are being described alongside hefty price tags.
Norwich fans must take the long-term standpoint and not dismiss new ideas in the same way Huddersfield did initially.
If anybody needs a constant reminder of how far City are off their final destination, then only remember the sheer competence of Wolves and the manner of which they swept us aside at Carrow Road. The argument of financial muscle is another one altogether; while Norwich shouldn’t go seeking external investment, they shouldn’t discount its influence altogether.
Sure, there is imbalance in the team. A 4-2-3-1 requires athletic, direct wingers and shoehorning Wes Hoolahan onto the right side just congests the middle. Six league goals at home aren’t good enough and Cameron Jerome will be inevitably scapegoated, but with him being the only fit striker, is that really his fault?
Tactical imbalance and ineptitude to offensively create chances will be fixed. If you require evidence, reference the creation of a defensively robust Norwich side following the last international hiatus. If Farke has addressed the creativity issues in the same manner this time, this City side will be a free flowing outfit by the time Barnsley visit Norfolk.
But that’s a huge if.
Furthermore, this time a year previous, Norwich sat in the top six of the Championship, while eventual play-off semi-finalists Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham did not. This division requires teams to be in touching distance of the play-offs come New Year. If Norwich are flirting with the top six come January, they still have a real chance of finishing within it.
This is a transition season. A season whereby Norwich will beat some really excellent teams (Middlesbrough and Sheffield United) and get defeated by more substandard ones (Millwall and Bolton), but are we mid-table fodder?
Based on the evidence provided as a third of the season has been played, the answer is yes. This is a team who, by their own admission, haven’t been good enough at times. While arguments can be presented that the absence of certain players will improve results, the style of play needs developing, particularly at home.
The battle of realism versus hope and expectation is rife with supporters. We have no divine right to beat anybody in this league, and the nature of it means complacency will be matched with defeats. The realistic viewpoint is one that is difficult to take, but one which will aid this period of transition.
Being involved with Norwich has been energy sapping in more contemporary times with periods of glory under Lambert and Neil, for a shorter period, being discounted for the poor periods overseen by Hughton and Adams. This is a club who has no time for a short term field of vision, but one which will be built slowly, establishing a DNA in the process.
It may feel like Norwich are going backwards, but the scale of change meant this was always going to occur, and whilst we are slowly rebuilding, we will encounter sides who are destructive and unmanageable, players will leave for silly money with no household names being recruited, but it’s a journey and something special is happening.
A period of good form will always end and a slide will occur; this is a young side who absorb confidence but is also possesses the characteristics of a teenager – sometimes moody, lazy and unresponsive.
Stay with it, this team will only get better and more consistent, but that may not happen anytime soon.
Excellent article Connor and one that I hope the vast majority of NCFC fans will take time to read and digest its contents alongside the interview with Webber and Weaver of their promise to keep and our Cat 1 Academy and also enhance it to develop our own players for the future.
If the evidence from what I witness when attending Under 23 matches is a benchmark, then I feel we are on the right track.
5
Very poorly researched giving credibility to Webber’s quotes. As a season ticket holder at HTFC for many years I can categorically say that if anyone was critical of Wagner’s approach even in those very early days then I never heard it. Town fans were delighted to have someone with fresh eyes and ideas and in my view embraced every change from the word go even in defeat.. I guess expectations at Norwich are generally higher as there has been more recent top flight history but in my view Webber is trying to appease here by making something up! He may have been on our staff for a short while but to my mind he never sat amongst the supporters , drank in the pubs or knew the club as well as the die hards who he claims were critical !. Good luck to Norwich anyway hope they do well.
26
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for your comment. The quotes have come from an interview with Webber via our regional newspaper the EDP. Here is the link to the article but the quotes are also below, hope that clears things up mate.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/creating-the-new-norwich-way-will-be-stuart-webber-s-mission-1-4968138
“We had a stage at the start of the season where we won one in eight after a fantastic start at Huddersfield,” Webber explained of his success working alongside David Wagner.
“People were saying ‘you need to play two up front, everyone’s worked out this tippy-tappy passing’. Actually we were playing really well, we’d just lost a couple of games, that’s football. It’s 11 versus 11, a forward misses a sitter, their centre-forward’s goal goes in off his backside, that happens.”
3
Sorry yes it is not a ‘poorly researched’ article as the quotes are real. Apologies for that. I stand by the view that Webber’s quotes are untrue though and to paint a picture of a period of needing to win fans over etc is so false its embarrassing.
4
Hi Andrew, I suspect you sat in the ‘main stand’ and not the ‘snakepit’ of HTFC…I know a terriers fan who was whinging like hell about the German influence
0
Stuart Webber is making excuses. There was no opposition to Wagner’s style in the early days. It was like a breath of fresh air and the fans loved it.
12
It will be interesting to see how you get on using this identikit Webber approach. At the moment he has quite rightly earned credit for his role at Town but I have to say I totally agree with Andrew Foster and Chris. The style of football changed for the better at HTAFC overnight, with no money spent and no change in personnel the fans were lifted immediately. To say that Town fans took issue with it is just wrong. I think the difference is we would have been happy at mid-table. The rest is history (and Webber was gone).
Anyway good luck this season. I hope you do well!
8
“Norwich shouldn’t go seeking external investment”
Many would beg to differ. Yesterday we were informed that Norwich city season tickets are the most expensive in the second flight. On top of that revelation Stuart Webber has intimated that the revamp of the academy should be funded by supporters. Strange, I thought the club was “self funding”
Should a faceless foreign investor pump up prices, sell playing assets at an unprecedented rate with the promise of more to follow and ask supporters to pay for improvements to,infrastructure and building projects we would doubtless be hearing and reading a lot more about it.
It’s so easy to take a stick to the clubs supporters, it’s nonsense to suggest that city fans are different to any others during a period of austained ineptitude and disappointment, to claim that the other 91 clubs are sweetness and light at all times is preposterous. Where we differ is that we still, despite the high prices, put bums on seats, although to a slightly lesser degree of late.
The constant “city fans must” applied to how we should feel and act is likely to encounter two stiff fingers from most.
Here’s a thought, if the smiths asset is in need of a capital injection maybe they should do as the rest of us do in that situation…. And stump up some bloody cash.
3
You completely miss the point Chris, as a fan I consider myself as part of the Club and am more than happy to stump up my share to support the academy and the future of my Club. You obviously don’t and that probably explains your jaundiced view of the Board
0
Yes, that must be why.
Nothing to do with paying the seventh highest price for my season tickets in the whole country, it costs three times as much for us to watch Marley Watkins as a Manchester fan shells out to watch Kevin de Bruyne. Those damn foreigners eh? Coming over here dropping our prices,
The price is incidental of course, it’s the lack of quality and the rapid decline on the pitch, perhaps that’s the reason for the jaundice.
Or is it the embarrassment of a chairman buffooning his ass off on national tv while the club becomes a punch line. Not jaundiced enough?
Poor decisions, cringeworthy public appearances and utterances, total lack of Financial support. Neither use nor ornament,
What does it say about the “community” ethos when an area of traditional low pay is slapped with the seventh highest season ticket price in Britain as the pitch side cost cutting rages out of all control? We don’t mind paying top dollar if the product is commensurate with the pricing. If the smiths plan to serve up this ambition less, cut price crap every Saturday they should price it accordingly. After all “the supporter should be treated like a king” or should that read, mug.
I feel sorry for Farke. The latest fall guy set up to take the belated blame when it goes belly up and a convenient victim is needed. He seems genuine and honest and has a modicum of ability. He has suffered misfortune with injuries to his thinned out squad and some bad refereeing, all of which mitigate his situation.
Less sympathy for Webber, who it is understood was responsible for bringing the likes of husband, Vrancic and Watkins to the club. Shades of the Bryan Hamilton recruitment drive which attempted to cut costs by bringing in inferior replacements at basement wages, it doesn’t work, it never has and it never will, Ollson is vastly superior to husband, the team is weaker, considerably. Other areas are suffering in the same way, Brady was flogged and free transfers shoe horned in. We are paying to watch Ollson and Brady and being served up rejects and spare parts. The great rock and roll swindle.
1
Good read Connor, I agree with the sentiments expressed. I think at the beginning of the season, most fans realised that this would be a period of transition and that promotion was going to be a big stretch this season with a nearly new team and a number of key departures. We have a young squad (Cam Jam aside, but from the amount of running he does you would never guess he was one of the older ones) and we have a lot of exciting prospects in the U23s team, if we can get another striker maybe on loan in January just to act as cover / another option then I can see us having a strong second half of the season and maybe, you never know, just sneak into the fringes of the playoffs.
Also Andrew F – its always interesting to hear the opinions from supporters of other teams, especially in this case, from a team were are essentially trying to emulate. The fact the Huddersfield are sitting mid table and have been doing well this season further underlies Connor’s point of having patience.
4
I didn’t really know whether to reply to Andrew or London – both make excellent responses to a good article from Connor.
As for Webber drinking in the pubs – I guess he has other people doing that for him, as it were, and reporting back the predominant vibes. The elderly generation of NCFC fans would not be happy to see our Sporting Director spending his time in the boozer, although I think that’s naturally the best way to pick up on fan opinion, for sure.
It is indeed fantastic to hear from supporters of other clubs. We get this from time to time on MFW and are largely grateful for the input, I am sure.
My only issue is a mild one with London: CamJam’s pace has diminished. Ostensibly so and at his age it’s inevitable. Maybe something to be considered by Daniel Farke and coaching team?
0
I always enjoy your articles Connor, well done on another good one.
I am hoping that you get allocated what I presume will be an impending difficult piece on the January transfer window,
Mr Webber will have an unenviable task of selling unused and unwanted players (unwanted by other clubs, not just ours) for a massive profit, keeping all the assets that do have a market value AND all whilst bringing in at least one £15-20m proven Championship striker all from our current financial position.
1
Whilst I agree that we must continue to have patience and give the project time and it may work out well. I am still on the fence as to whether it will workout well. Farke has proven very little so far in my opinion. You say:
“Tactical imbalance and ineptitude to offensively create chances will be fixed. If you require evidence, reference the creation of a defensively robust Norwich side following the last international hiatus. If Farke has addressed the creativity issues in the same manner this time, this City side will be a free flowing outfit by the time Barnsley visit Norfolk.”
I’m not sure why making a team more defensively solid is evidence that he can sort out a more creative attack? His Dortmund II side were very solid at the back, but never prolific in attack, Does he have that in his locker, especially at this higher level? Add to that that after the last international break we started to leak goals again, (It was two breaks ago where he went extremely defensive in personnel and surprisingly got better at the back but worse at getting goals, is that miracle work or some good work that has left a team very unbalanced?) at 2 per game for the last 3 league matches and I’m not sure he has exactly worked magic at the back. It would appear we are utterly dependant on a player he deemed surplus to requirements who is getting on a bit and has dodgy knees.
So whilst more time is needed to see what Farke can do, I am not convinced he can definitely make the step up, what I am more convinced about is that Webber is the right man for the job (Even if Farke turns out to be a mistake), if he thinks Farke is failing I think he will go much faster than Neil or Hughton and the next one could build on the foundations of the youth system and footballing culture that Webber is trying to improve.
I’m not sure I understand or agree with this either:
“The argument of financial muscle is another one altogether; while Norwich shouldn’t go seeking external investment, they shouldn’t discount its influence altogether.”
If they shouldn’t discount the influence of external investment, then why on earth would they not seek it? Or at the very least encourage it?
Bah!
2
This is the beauty of the Head Coach model. On the flip side of the coin we’re only in Nov of Farke’s 1st full season of the Championship. Cut the guy some slack. He was pragmatic in the last Int. break and we went on an unbeaten run. We had to address the leaky defence. Conversely now, we have to address scoring. A victim of our lack of funds and circumstance; I warrant Farke and Webber could easily pick a handful of better Bundesliga players they’d want in this team but owing to finances didn’t have a chance in landing them. As Webber rightly pointed in the recent EDP interview, Wolves came to Carrow with at least two players worth 15 mill, that gives you the kind of idea of how we’re lacking in that department. Webber’s body language cut a figure of frustration when comparing us and Wolves. I dare say our sustainable model will pay off but it won’t be for seasons to come. Unfortunately.
1
That’s the point though, I am cutting him some slack, I’m not calling for his head, I am saying he needs more time to prove himself, I just don’t believe as some do, that he has sorted our defence, (Like I said 6 goals conceded in the last 3. More sieve than solid!
Anyone could pick out better players than those we signed if money is no object, but it is so we got what we got.
I would argue that we do have players not so far from £15m valuations, Maddison certainly, Pritchard in the current market possibly and if Josh ever pulls his finger out maybe we might get a similar fee as for his brother. And heres the rub for many people, we have those players now and others like Oliviera who other covert, fail to get promotion this season and next season we won’t. That is why patience must come with a hardnosed assessment of weather that can truely happen under DF.
Right now I am sceptical whether it can, if he fails but is kept, maybe he’ll learn and maybe with several more Germans from the 2nd to 4th tier in Germany he’ll build a team capable without stars, but that could take a long time or maybe never happe, then you must question was he the right man? Like I say he might be, just hasn’t proved anything for me yet.
Bah!
0
Hi Connor
An enjoyable read but I disagree with you in tha Houghton failed in his time at city,
Firstly he got us our highest place finish in the Premiership since the league was formed.
Secondly during his second season he had a couple of players expected to do well not turn up and Holty was gone but he still was convinced even today that if he had stayed he would have kept city up we will never know being so late in the season the board took the option of putting a novice manager in charge against someone that had gained promotion with Newcastle and saved Birmingham from relegation from the championship.
Adams was well and truely a good coach for the Academy but wasn’t up to managing the first team as seem by him being replaced by AN, possibly if Houghton have been kept he would have got city promoted and even stabilised in the Premiership.
We are all hoping for patients with the new set up but showed no patients with Houghton even the Newcastle owner said he sacked him too soon, we will be lucky if this doen’t come back and haunted city by him keeping Brighton in the Premiership long term but good luck to him he comes across as a gentleman amongst rogues.
Patient is a virtue lets hope that the board and the pessimists that are city supporters give the new structure a chance to prove it’s self.
2
Cannot really agree; surely Hughton was implicit in the sale of Grant Holt?
His success in his first season was largely due to the players left to him by Paul Lambert; it was notable that when Hughton got his “own” players in we really struggled.
I’m sure with a different manager and another year from Holty we would have survived comfortably in the Prem.
2
I read at the time Holty had moved his family back to Cumbria and wanted to be closer to them and the club agreed after a very good offer from Wigan.
As we were near to relegation my point was we should have seen if Houghton could have turned it around he had about 10 games to go instead the board jumped to keep the supporters happy, he knew he was a dead man walking but might have had the experience the club needed at that time not a complete novice.
1
Hi John
You maybe correct but Holty leaving was a number of things.
We had recruited RvW and I think he saw the writting on the wall and both the club and Houghton saw a profit in an aging striker so didn’t put up much of a fight to keep him.
With his family moving back to Cumbria it made sense all round.
Another year a city would have been good for all prties but Lambert left an aging side and got out while the going was good.
We can all read stats and once Houghton purchases bedded in then we had a good run in his first season, but his second season he had a few injuries and loads of bad luck.
0
Hughton’s Norwich reputation is boosted by that ‘ten game unbeaten run’. What people often forget is that he immediately followed it by one win in eighteen, was hurtling down the league, and only managed to get that last little bump in points by playing two teams who were mentally on holiday.
The single period of success he had was directly following our best season in decades, taking over from our legendary manager, and being gifted an extremely tight-knit and well balanced squad.
Within four-five months that was all in tatters.
Anyone still suggesting Hughton was a good manager for us is still trying to hide the egg they have on their face from constantly justifying the keeping of a failing manager. You know who you are!
3
It’s rather old history now, but once again you misrepresent Hughton’s first season. The 10-match unbeaten run did not start until late October; the squad he inherited, and which Lambert didn’t think was good enough to stay up again, actually started poorly.
The unbeaten run began when Hughton’s summer signings – notably most of the defence, with Bassong and Turner at its heart – settled down and put into practice the manager’s plans.
And we finished – as might be not be entirely clear from your analysis – 11th, our highest league finish since 1993.
2
My comment is entirely representative of Hughton’s first season and you can see it for yourself here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Norwich_City_F.C._season#Results_by_round
One decent, short period, then woeful form going from 7th to 15th. The drop down the league hidden by beating two teams who didn’t show up. One of which had just sacked their manager and lost a cup final. The other were on a run of three straight defeats.
Only someone in denial can take a season of 38 games, focus in on a brief 10 game period and ignore the dire form from the other 28.
1
Your comment said that the 10-game unbeaten run “was directly following our best season…”. Wrong.
Your comment said Hughton was gifted a strong squad from Lambert. Wrong (not least in Lambert’s view).
You suggest we’d have gone down had we not won the last two games. Wrong.
I could go on, but I think we’ve nailed the idea that your comment might have been “entirely representative” of that season.
1
Never said Houghton was a great manager for city and yes during his reign we did have major ups and downs my simple point waswe had very little chance of stay up that season.
If the club was going to change the manager they should have got someone in earlier and with experience not give Adams a thankless task that he was ill equipped to do.
If as O’Neill said they had been looking at AN for a long period before getting him why didn’t they take the gamble before being relegated he would have at least some experience.
1
Nail on head David. Hughtons first season relied on the momentum and steam left behind from Lambert.
2
The problem with the patient game is that this season is a crucial one because failure to get promoted will lead to the sale of some of the assets we would like to keep. If (when?) that occurs then is the time to embark on a major rebuilding program. We are making the right choices as far as the academy is concerned but we must do everything possible to achieve our aim this year to try to avoid a situation where the very players we are looking to get back in the team – Oliveira, Pritchard, and the successes of the Season – Maddison, Trybull will be on their way! Take those out of the squad and what are we left with? Gunn and Reed will go back to their parent clubs.
Of course we have to wait to see if Farke can get it right but so far we seem to be where we deserve to be if we are honest.
I agree that you make a good assessment and some fair comments but if we fail this year then next year we will need a very large transition period indeed.
4
Stuart Webber’s problem is that there is only one David Wagner. The chances of Webber finding another Wagner are vanishingly small. Good luck to Norwich but as other HTFC fans have commented above, his comments regarding Town fans not accepting Wagner’s style of play are complete tosh. It sounds like Webber is feeling the pressure and just making stuff up.
9
Hang on. You’re talking as if we’ve 3 seasons into the Championship life under Farke and Webber. I appreciate Farke isn’t Wagner but surely that’s the point of this exercise. There’s similarities in that Wagner and Farke are German and coached BD2 but that’s about it. I don’t read he’s feeling pressure at all, in fact quite the opposite, more relishing the Herculean task at hand. Perhaps his comments were throw away but some folks like to read it into come what may. Who cares anyway, Huddersfield are likely to survive in the PL and Norwich are just starting a root-branch reform and likely to be cemented in the Championship for time to come. You’re doing well, concentrate on your HT fortunes.
2
Really good comment Buttonkiss Pringle and I agree that our run of results in October was exceptional, even though we won all of the games by a mere 1 goal margin. Unfortunately, our results in November were in stark contrast and definitely not helped by some refereeing decisions.
Hopefully, Oliveira will be fully fit again in the very near future and be able to replace the misfiring Jerome and I hope that Farke decides to retain Morris (and possibly Godfrey) rather than send them back to Shrewsbury.
I still believe we will be in the play-offs come May.
0
You point of that Norwich City are some way off their ‘final destination’, but the club ARE at their final destination,
The philosophy that is banded around that we are ‘all in it together for the long term greater good’ is bogus.
Under the current owners, it is about efficiency and consolidation, not about promotion,.
That is why the wait isn’t worth waiting, as there is nothing to wait for. With football that has never, ever been served by the impressive Huddersfield.
3
It’s all very well saying ‘patience’ but for how long and how are we going to judge if he’s the right person? Are we sticking with Farke as long as we’re not in the bottom 3? What about next season when we’ll lose even more of our better players (assuming we don’t go up)… Is success again going to be defined as “stay out of the bottom 3”?
5
Agree 100% with the other HTFC fans, never any criticism of the playing style as we were wanting better than the dull football we had had under the previous manager. Webber is trying it on here, what he says just isnt true.
6
Barely a day goes by without some reference to Huddersfield Town and how Norwich might attempt to emulate their recent success. This, to me is the problem. The two situations are completely different. Yes , there are some common factors; Stuart Webber switched sides last season and has gone on to appoint a German Manager from the same club that produced Wagner – Borussia Dortmund. But that’s where the similarity ends. At Huddersfield, Wagner is the man in charge. He does not report to the Head of Football Operations and he has ultimate control over playing style and who joins the club. The Head of Football Operations (Webber’s old job) clearly has an input but Wagner is the decision maker, the main man. At Norwich, Webber is the man pulling the strings. Despite the acrimony of his leaving, Huddersfield owner Dean Hoyle has paid tribute on a number of occasions to the contribution of Stuart Webber – but be in no doubt – Webber was a key part of the team but NOT the main man. Maybe that was Webber’s frustration; that he did not have the control he wanted? Wagner is a leader and his club has been transformed under his leadership as Head Coach. Be in no doubt that the transformation at Huddersfield would not have happened without one man. That man is Wagner not Webber. Norwich and Huddersfield are two clubs run in very different ways. To draw comparisons is folly.
8
Hes not wrong about being patient, and good luck to norwich…..i never comment on stuff usually. However in the case of us htfc fans not being in instant love with wagner and our new vastly improved ste of play. Webber is lying to you.
4
Webber says supports at Huddersfield didn’t like the ‘tippy tappy’ approach. He’s wrong on two counts, we loved Wagner’s new approach but it wasn’t tippy tappy, it was gegenpressing, it was exciting and we watched distinctly average championship players actually challenge better players and sides, when we were beaten, we were beaten by a better side. We were never beaten on attitude or effort.
Nobody can deny Webber made positive influences while here but I think he is over egging just how big his influence was.
5
Just to echo what’s already been said by other HTAFC fans, Webber’s memory seems to have warped over time. We were always behind Wagner even after the results slumped towards the end of the 15/16 season. Our marketing campaign for 16/17 was ‘The Wagner Revolution’ which says it all about supporter’s excitement for the new season. As much as we thank him for his involvement and respect you for being brave enough to do the same… We gave him the keys to the club to execute his vision and he still walked out halfway through a job. Thankfully it still paid off but don’t count on him sticking around out of loyalty/accountability. He’ll still trade off his part in getting us promoted no matter what he does with you guys. All the best though, I still remember the days you used to beat us 4-1 every year. Darren Eadie a regular name on the teletext scorers!
5
I have said on a few occasions that I respect what Webber has started at city but seeing his record he hasn’t stayed at 1 club long enough to state he was instrumental in its success.
It might be just that he craves the next bigger or better challenge or it could be he knows when he has reached his limits at a club.
If he sees out the season and is still here all of next season that might be his longest stint at 1 club.
So far he has talked about a long project at city does he have the staying power or will he leave at the first signs of a new challenge as at Huddesfield and leave Team Farke to finish the job???????
1
Exactly!
The point of a Sporting Director is to provide stability while managers come and go. It’s one of the reasons to hire someone with more experience, who isn’t looking to jump-start their career. If we really aren’t looking to do business in Jan (as he suggested) and next summer is a case of trying to replace our star players with cheaper equivalents, I can’t see Webber staying here. I may be wrong, but his resume suggests otherwise.
2
His CV is impressive for a 34 year old
Wrexham
Liverpool
QPR
Wolves
Huddersfield
Norwich
Not longer than 18 months in any shows he is always looking for a bigger and better challenge no harm in that but doesn’t give the clubs much stability.
He puts in the start up which all the clubs are grateful for.
These are my opinions but you will possible chose not to see it that way it is only your opinions that you seem to accept and stats
2
Have you listened to his comments on exactly this issue (including his wife’s Norfolk roots)?
0
Judging by the fractious atmosphere all afternoon as city turned in yet another dose of utter garbage for the home crowd the penny is beginning to drop,
Comfortably second best to Barnsley all afternoon, gaps in the crowd, people leaving early, boos at the end, deathly atmosphere and total boredom and disengagement with the “entertainment” on offer,
Christmas is fast appearing over the horizon and as yet, there hasn’t been an ounce of entertainment to be had in a home league match to date.
The only “transition” taking place here is the loss of the last vestiges of the Lambert/McNally legacy and the replacement by lower league, cheaper alternatives to cut costs and drop the club out of the higher e herons into a place more financially manageable for “poor” owners.
If you want to believe and/or propagate the flim flam and propaganda the emanates from the club and the regime apologists that’s up to you but really, in view of the mounting evidence can anyone seriously say they aren’t at least open to the idea of new ownership and investment?
next Saturday brings neils Preston to carrow road and a repeat of the turgid dross for which we have become known will make for a very uncomfortable afternoon.
Driving home after the game i tuned in to the phone in and people,were expounding the theory that Webber needs “2 or 3 transfer windows” to get the players that Farke requires to implement his master plan. Does it not occur to these people that replacing international footballers with journeymen will make it harder for Farke to do that? The degree of nonsense some supporters are prepared to swallow puts North Korea to shame. they will brook no criticism of any person, policy, decision, not question any sale, “jaundiced” ? Good grief.
Good grief.
1