There’s little point in sugar coating it. Anyone who watched or listened to yesterday’s dismal draw with Barnsley will know that what was produced was a far cry from what we desired.
Whether it was a far cry from what we expected however is a different question because in reality yesterday was merely a continuation of almost all that has gone before at Carrow Road this season – albeit this time with added exasperation and frustration.
There’s a danger too of us slipping into this general acceptance of ‘in transition’ and ‘work-in-progress’ equating only to very ordinary, lifeless performances. Yet surely while in the midst of evolving we are still entitled to expect a few thrills and spills along the way even if we also also accept these will be interspersed with setbacks?
In isolation yesterday’s soul-less display could have been assigned to the one-of-those-days category but so much of it bore all the hallmarks of the eight home games that had gone before it and it most certainly wasn’t just one of those days. In fact if anything it was a deterioration, even to the extent that yesterday Barnsley edged the possession stat that Daniel Farke holds so dear.
Yet for all the ills on display it was the apparent listlessness and lack of energy that was most startling, with zero evidence of the freshness and eagerness you normally expect to see after a two-week international break.
Quite what has happened since that heroic defeat at the Emirates is the $64,000 question but its upshot is that before that run we were getting 7/10 performances across the board that have now dropped of to 4s and 5s. Only Grant Hanley, James Maddison and Angus emerged from the wreckage of yesterday with anything resembling credit, the rest I’m afraid mere shadows of the heroes who triumphed at Brammall Lane, the Riverside, the Madjeski and Portman Road.
Where my take on it differs from some is that I still believe there is a team in there that can compete at this level. We’re clearly nowhere close to top-two material, top-six is an optimistic shout as things stand, but the eight-game unbeaten run was sufficient for me to believe there is enough here – even in transitional form – to be a competitive Championship outfit. I do agree however that we didn’t look like one yesterday and we have to remember said eight-game run included just a single home win.
I’m also unconvinced by the argument that says we’re seeing now the impact of dumbing down the quality of our squad. Yes, we have – through necessity – slimmed down the squad in terms of numbers and value but, as Barnsley proved yesterday, the Championship is not just about big names, big fees and big wage packets. It is possible to produce a side that plays with tempo, verve and desire in the division and not be solely reliant on a bottomless pit of cash.
Unfortunately that brings us back full circle to the $64,000 question again – why are we currently so void of that tempo, verve and desire?
Worryingly Farke was asking those same questions post-match and other than offer up nervousness as mitigation he was unable to explain why the passing was so slow, laboured and without purpose. Worrying too was that a 4-1-4-1 formation that had been two weeks in the making was deemed unfit for purpose just 45 minutes into its introduction; the reversion to three at the back then contributing to the Tykes equaliser.
What followed was the head coach trying everything in his power to find a formation and formula that would help us gain a proper foothold in the game but to absolutely no avail and Adam Davies in the Barnsley goal was in truth comfortably protected by his back-four for most of the afternoon. And there’s the rub – Carrow Road holds not the slightest fear for opposition teams. They arrive knowing if they stick to their defensive plan we’re unlikely to hurt them and that if they stay in the game there are points to be had.
That only QPR and Birmingham have been unable to successfully execute their game plans is a telling stat, so too that we have only scored seven goals in nine home games, of which only two have been scored in the first half.
The stats make for ugly reading, the performance had ugly stamped all over it and the mood inside Carrow Road was most definitely turning that way by the end of the game; the smattering of boos being the loudest noise the ground was able to muster all afternoon.
Normally an away game in just a couple of days would be perceived as an ideal way to get this defeat out of the system but unless, from somewhere, Team Farke can inject some pace, life and vigour then Tuesday night at the City Ground could be a tricky one.
But, we’ve been here before and recent history tells us Novembers and Norwich City are not always a good combination. Let’s stick with it and keep the toys in the pram.
Because, as fans, we are at heart, hopeless optimists, we start every season believing that this will be our year.
I went to the Swindon match, and even though our defence got turned over embarrassingly easily, purred like a contented cat at the potential of what was laid before me.
Even though even now I see enough positive flashes in the Farke project, that eternal pre-season is ebbing away as the artistry is being clubbed to death by less technically skilled teams that we should be flowing through, and brushing aside.
This season is probably the best shot we have of a return to Premiership glory. There will be no Angus Gunn next season, he is destined for far greater things, as are Maddison, and probably Pritchard.
This team has greatness within it. The question is can it learn to shine in the face of unsophisticated, sometimes brutal unartistic opposition?
On the evidence of the Burtons, the Boltons, the Barnsleys, sadly not.
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BARNSLEY are doing pretty well considering its a tottaly rebuilt sqaud yet again and team spirit in the dressing room
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Utter nonsense mate. Barnsley are more artistic and ambitious on the pitch than Norwich.
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This has never been a work in progress but rather the decline of a club who’s owners can no longer compete financially with the recent influx of wealthy investors in the Championship.
If Delia and Michael do not look to follow the lead of our competitors and seek new owners or substantial outside investment then I’m afraid Norwich City will slowly but surely sink into the lower divisions.
As much as I would like to retain local owners I’m afraid that money talks louder in the football league.
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Fair play Gary, you have somehow managed to find some positives from yesterday’s abysmal performance while remaining cheerful and optimistic, just.
You mention a general acceptance of this transition mantra as if everyone is onboard with that. In my experience this is not the case. Simply writing off a football season in August is pathetic and defeatist. An admission that we cannot compete so we aren’t going to try. What is the point? Improvement? Hardly.
At the half way point of this turgid bore draw some solace was gained from the knowledge that Hanley and Klose looked strong and secure in the most part and may have enough to keep out Barnsley and get us some desperately needed but ugly points and a rarer than hens teeth home win. A minute later and we were staring down the barrel of a home defeat to Barnsley having thrown another centre half into the mix and confused the issue. Removing the hapless husband was a positive but why on earth wasn’t stiepermann allowed to replace him at left back? Thankfully husband is suspended for the midweek match, another positive to come from yesterday,
Trybull has lost his verve of late and looks ordinary. Ironically as his song rang out, claiming he never gives the ball away, he did just that. Clearly he misses Tettey. As we all do I suspect.
Murphy appears stuck in reverse, the fortuitous opener should have been the precursor to a confident display, with time aplenty to add to his tally or set up a goal for a team mate. Unfortunately he decided to make some point to the crowd. He should learn that if he feels the need to take that course of action he should make sure and follow it up with a pretty damn good performance or it will return to bite him. It did.
As you point out Gary, even Paul Lambert served up the occasional turkey, a goal less draw with Walsall that was gruesome from start to finish springs to mind. However the slow moving, pointless passing between defenders, dire set pieces and casual mistakes and lack of urgency and desire are a regular feature. We are simply dreadful to watch. The lack of effort is unforgivable.
A couple of thousand empty seats pass silent comment on the developments at the club on and off the pitch and the mood of thousands of supporters yesterday should send a shiver down the collective spines of the hierarchy. With no parachute payments and a complete lack of investment from the boardroom the supporter is the only source of income short of selling off all the playing assets. During the long trudge back to my car after the referee brought a merciful close to the afternoons entertainment I heard snippets of a good many conversations. Not once did I hear the words “patience” “work in progress” webberlution” uttered.
The dross we are witnessing defies description as football, there is no structure, no commitment, no excitement, no anticipation and no,sense of theatre. Barring The late miraculous intervention of pinto, who appears to see the captains role as a personal honour and performs with pride and the kind of effort that four or five of his team mates would do well to emulate, we would be discussing a home defeat to Barnsley. It’s ironic that pinto plays in a mask. Some of his team mates are stealing a living.
If Farke can indeed inject some pace and verve into that shower on Tuesday I will be both delighted and surprised. If he fails to do it next Saturday then the toys may well come hurtling out of the pram.
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Well said Chris; I think that sums up to mood of most supporters after (yet another) no show yesterday.
I too was full of optimism with the steps the club took in the summer, but it seems the more we paid for our German players, the poorer they are. On yesterday’s performance, can someone please tell me exactly what Stiepermann and particularly Vrancic bring to the party??
For a German fourth division player, Zimmermann has been pretty good.
I thought Hanley looked half decent yesterday, but what happened to the quote that goals breed confidence? It certainly doesn’t currently apply to Murphy who is fast becoming a liability for us.
What of course kills us all most is the hope – and no doubt if we get a point or three somehow on Tuesday much will be forgiven at least until 3 O’clock next Saturday; when hopefully, we will witness a performance from some men in yellow and green who really do want to wear the shirt!
O T B C
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Terrific comment Chris. I’d normally expand that remark but no need in this case.
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Brilliant Chris, you’ve put everything and more that I was thinking after watching that appalling match yesterday , I’ve been going to Carrow Rd since 1971 and so have seen more than my fair share of poor games, that one was right up there….one or two of the annoying “happy clapper” writers on here keep calling for Farke to be given time “a work in progress” , well that’s all very well if there seems to be progress , that was most certainly not what I saw yesterday.Garys right, only Gunn, Maddison and Hanley looked good. , I was bored, very bored.it was in a nutshell crap…..somebody will now say ” we’ll you all asked for change “yes we did but not this turgid unexciting change. It was noticeable that Hanley looked the part…because he is used to this league/British game etc,that is the type of change I was hoping for or player’s like Lambert brought in from league’s 1 and 2 not 2nd rate player’s and managers from foreign reserve leagues
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Ha ha Chris – “It’s ironic that pinto plays in a mask. Some of his team mates are stealing a living.”
If there was an award for best comment…
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Thanks Eddie. I uttered it on the way down the steps after the game and judging by the laughter it seemed too good a line to throw away.
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Well, what can you expect, when you appoint someone with as unimpressive a CV as Neil Adams´s and Bryan Gunn´s put together, who has absolutely no knowledge whatever of the English Championship, and who then surrounds himself with more of the same from the Bundesliga, before setting out to conquer this League. I almost couldn´t believe what Webber was thinking when he appointed him, in fact I think I could, but I just didn´t want to believe it, he was trying to prove he could pull off the same trick (ie the David Wagner touch) twice – well someone should have told him, lightning very rarely strikes in the same place more than once. The very least Farke could have done, or been persuaded to do, was to completely wrap himself in coaches, experienced and steeped in this division, then one might have felt slightly more comfortable, as it is, he´s captaining a rudderless ship, lost at sea, with a crew, equally as mystified as he is.
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Farke is playing a system that cannot possibly work. It is too methodical and completely unnecessary, as he should be playing to the players strengths, but the reverse is true here. The crowd are bored to tears and the penny is dropping for many of them is that we’re never going to grace the top tier again under the current majority shareholders.
You need absolutely top class personnel to successfully play the Farke way, which we understandably do not possess. So why?
The club needs to be sold and the only benefit of the majority shareholders continued ownership is for them and them alone.
While we should not be arrogant enough to assume we should automatically be a top tier club, I think all fans deserve better than this, as the route back to the EPL is simply a mirage of smoke and mirrors.
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Agreed. Last season after the belated sacking of Neil, Irvine stepped in and simply picked the best players available and allowed them to do what they were good at. Results and performances picked up,
I wonder if the post Neil norwich city would be outperforming the current model?
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It was awful; truly awful. We were lucky to escape with a point. At home. versus Barnsley (no disrepect to them, they smelled blood and very nearly got in for the kill) .
I must keep my powder dry until after Forest. Which is probably just as well. A poxy performance.
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I was going to apologise before I start but decided against it.
Some of the new players in the squad are not good enough to sustain the levels that are needed to see through the season. Some were picked from the lower leagues in Europe, they were there for a reason ?
There was a load of talk on Canary Call about Motivation (and Tea Towels) these players should not need to be motivated, they are doing what vast amounts of us would dearly loved to have been a Professional, and they are paid handsomely for that Privilege too. Easy to be up for a game at one of the best stadiums in Europe against a top 6 team (even with their 2nd string players starring ) I discount that to be honest a gallant and brave effort. But in the scale of things a one off. It is the league where it counts, slowly but surely we are seeing that players are being weighed and found wanting.
Did I expect anything different ? Being honest I didn’t , nor did I believe that we would be anywhere near the play-offs . And I sure didn’t swallow Trybull could be snapped up by a bigger club. And he has been one of the better buys, and wonder why he was only given a year’s contract, didn’t Webber expect him to be worth more ? Franke was first choice because of injury, now invisible. Zimmerman was improving now he is resigned to the bench. Vrancic a shadow of what was expected . Stiepermann, I have seen listed on several sites as a striker, or attacking midfielder, but has been a defender. Husband, being brutal, I can see why he hardly played at Middles’bro.
For me the best of all signings are both loans.
While I think Farke is a breath of fresh air, his honesty and calming manner are different to what we are used to, I do believe he needs to adapt more to the English game than what he is used to, namely zonal marking, I believe it simply will not work in this league, a shame that Irvine didn’t stay and been one of his assistants.
I expect more of the same as what we have seen so far , I do not expect the cogs fall into place until February .
Closing question, what has happened to the remaining Murphy, he seems to be not bothered, we have seen him disciplined for unprofessional behaviour, does he miss his brother or does he want to be with him at Newcastle ? Something has happened to the lad.
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To be fair i thought the defence did rather well to keep out the onslaught from Barnsley , a point gained i would say and luckily to boot,
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Cheers for talking the time to read and the comment folks. Never taken for granted. Was difficult to know where even to start to be honest but the positives were so few and are between it was almost impossible to strike a balance.
As you know, my glass is usually half full but that was a tough one to take… and if there is another positive to find I guess that it’s we somehow emerged with a point from something that was really quite horrible.
One thing I did omit but which Chris, in his excellent post, picked up on, is the slowly reducing crowd numbers… something that hopefully won’t have gone unnoticed in the corridors of power. Given we are in the grip of a ‘self-financing’ model – for which there appears no appetite to change – we will, before the season is out, be reliant heavily on match-day revenue. By some very rudimentary maths, for every 1000 empty seats the club is missing out on £20,000 – a decent chunk of the Naismith weekly wedge or, if you like, a Stiepermann, Trybull and Zimmermann per week (perhaps… maybe).
Either way, in the world of self-funding every empty seat literally comes at a cost and with folk already voting with their feet and talk after yesterday of more doing the same there is now a tangible impact on this acute lack of entertainment.
There was just a different feel to the place yesterday. Whether it was resignation, acceptance or indifference I’m really at a loss to say. but defeat next Saturday to you-know-who and it could turn ugly.
Hopefully it won’t be an issue.
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All good comments.
One of the main things I picked up on yesterday was the body language of Murphy in particular and Farke.
At times Murphy looked disinterested and not focused on the game and Farke spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the dugout with his head in his hands. He should be on his feet in the technical area encouraging and organising his team – they certainly needed him.
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I think there is a general trend which is making it easier for away teams. They now play so deep that it is hard to get behind the defence or to go through. Josh’s game is based on speed but at home he rarely gets a chance to run on to through balls or to show his speed. It is hard for him and must be frustrating. Maddison has less chance for the glorious balls he can hit as at Arsenal.
The real issue for me was the selection. That was clearly wrong after ten minutes. Trybull looked ordinary because he had no support. Steipermann started on the right instead of beside Trybull and clearly hadn’t a clue what he was supposed to be doing. He looked lost until he started to wander into the middle and win a few tackles. Which is something Vrancic couldn’t do if his life depended on it. He is undoubtedly gifted but is also a passenger in most aspects of play.
I think if we has started with someone, either Reed or Steipermann alongside Trybull and Wes or Widschut for Vrancic, we would have seen a different game.
I don’t blame Farke for getting it wrong but I do blame him for not changing it
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Addressing the elephant, I don’t think the majority of fans have the patience this overhaul desires. They’ve been long suffering for too lengthy a period of time now which I can forgive them for. To have a decent yo yo period to now being faced with championship averageness and to watch peers the likes of clubs aka Sheff Utd and Wolves climb higher is galling.
Personally I think we were too hasty in removing Irvine. Could he not of worked under the DoF role? We’ll never know but the football we played under him was a balanced lot. However Farke is an experiment, if he continues in this vein then summer will be interesting especially given Shrewsbury ascendency, given 3 of our decent youth players are getting on extremely well there, it’s not outside the realms of imagination to think the Shrews coach could be a viable option and how, from the outside at least, there seems to be a vested interest into what’s going on there. Farke’s concern is now to get this squad playing entertaining football, as written above, should we lose to Preston at home I think Team Farke will lose all credit previously built up and the crowd will turn. Webber will need to summon all his professionalism in fighting fires rangng from vitriol at the HC to the big bird albatross that is Delia Smith.
Webber’s signing was the most important of the lot, under him I feel positive more about the long term investment in the academy. If nothing else, this is ‘back to basics’ adding a caveat albeit a little too late to party. Watching Webber’s most recent EDP interview there’s a slight hint of frustration when talking about the wealth of finances at our disposal leading me to think if just for tiny bit more of investment from somewhere this academy focus would see Norwich is good stead – without it… no idea.
However heart should be taken in we’ve at least tried to shake things up than still be in the previous rut shipping money with Ricky Martin, Darnborough et al still at the club. I think despite the poor lot on the pitch currently, there’s future positives to be had even though we might have to accept the mid-table finish this season is a likelihood now.
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Webber will be gone by the end of next season, when he finally realise that his own ambitions and views are increasingly at odds than the boards.
We’re in for one, hell of a boring ride.
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I wonder if you may be right Inside Right. Webber has admitted public ally that the problems at the club are deeper than he originally thought were the case.
It could be that while his stop is still high from his Huddersfield time that he takes an offer from another club. Potentially this could save us a fortune. His reputation will certainly take a battering from being associated with this board of directors and their shanny ideas. To be honest, I don’t think he is the miracle man we were hoping for, many of his signings are awful in the extreme.
One thing is certain, to survive in its current state, the club or more accurately, the board, needs crowds of over 26k on a weekly basis. The current trend seems to indicate that will not remain the case. Once that income stream is hit the whole thing will unravel very quickly, hopefully without causing too much damage to the clubs standing.
We are at a crossroads, the mood is ready to turn against the way the club is run, or more accurately, run down and it’s likely Webber will wish to disassociate himself from the fall out.
Unless a rabbit or two is pulled from the hat in terms of an immediate upturn in results over a sustained period, this desperate roll of the dice has run its course.
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Chris, your article hits the nail on the head.
I was worried that the possession game would not sit well with Norwich fans who crave fast moving exciting wing play, hard tackling mid fielders who win the ball and make a defence splitting pass ,strikers with thunderous shots who shoot on sight and centre backs built like brick —-houses who let nothing past, and if they do a keeper who makes cat like saves.(we still have this) . We can but dream.
What do we have?
Wingers who can on their day be exciting (just look at clips of Watkins and Wildschutt with previous clubs) but lose their spark and brains when joining Norwich. Others have severe attitude problems.
Mid fielders who go missing and seem to want to hide (I exclude Maddison from this -but even he is starting to get disillusioned)
Forwards who somehow forget why they are on the pitch and never get in the box.
Defenders who have the build ,but not the ability to defend.
What is the point of aimless crossfield passes culminating in a hoofed ball forward which 50% of the time goes to the opposition? When we lose the ball, back tracking goes only to the extent of that players “zone” -often 10 yards or so , he then stops running- lets somebody else who can’t tackle allow the opposition to progress through their zone ,and so on.
Of course this is exaggeration but ,worryingly,not by much.
What has happened to the tightly marshalled team of several weeks ago? What has happened to destroy that group dynamic?
I find myself calling for the return of Jerome up front but in my heart of hearts know that this is the thoughts of someone who is getting desperate.It may not improve our goals tally(which itself is dire) but may improve team spirit.
Once again I fear we are in for a winter of discontent (or a season of rich harvest for those whose positions of power may have to be terminated) .Mr Webber’s convincing words have yet to be backed up with actions on the pitch.
He calls for more time, but there has to be evidence that we are moving in the right direction.
One can endure boredom when a positive outcome is perceived ,but not when it is accompanied by lack of discernible progress ,and even worse, lack of application or skills to make it work!
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