Contrary to some who air their views on Canary Call, I don’t believe this club lacks ambition. Nor does Delia strip the club bare of its resources. You only need to research the Oyston’s destruction of Blackpool to realise what a low blow that was to land on someone who adores the club.
The process of a journey is something human beings often fail to adhere to. The only aim is to reach the destination. We dream of the final product and perfection without realizing the bumps in the road are pivotal to the journey. Without the journey, you don’t reach the destination.
But that’s enough extended metaphors.
The soundbites of figures and financial reports coming out of the Club (and being reported at the AGM) don’t make for appreciable viewing and everything appears to entering a cycle of regression. The new regime hasn’t been aesthetically pleasing nor winning. Carrow Road is becoming a cauldron of frustration, one that is slowly bubbling over the edge.
But who can blame supporters for the jeers and boos at the final whistle of another stalemate at home? Ultimately talk of the entertainment factor remains but winning is intrinsic to the mood of supporters. The form of September and October culminating in an East Anglican Derby win only reinforces this.
On the road, Norwich were a completely different animal. Daniel Farke’s philosophy resembled a Neil Warnock away performance with defensive solidarity the underpinning premise to Norwich’s success at Middleborough, Reading and Ipswich.
The cognition of games at home has seen Norwich develop an anxiety and a lack of intelligence in the final third. This squad still looks asymmetrical and for a club with declining finances, that is deeply concerning.
Norwich are enduring their worst run of form at Carrow Road since 1998/99 season under Bruce Rioch. To put that into perspective as of the length, I wasn’t even born.
There are a series of mitigating factors contributing to this freefall. The lack of depth is testing Farke’s wits at present. FarkeLife may just enter another gear upon the imminent return of Alex Tettey, Alex Pritchard and Timm Klose.
I would argue Farke hasn’t been able to field his strongest team since his arrival. The squad has been riddled with injuries and this has led to a devastating diagnosis on the pitch whereby a lack of energy, creativity and a will to wager are infecting Farke’s patients.
An injection of Pritchard may lift spirits, but it remains to be seen as to how long it’ll take to mend, particularly if he shoehorned in out wide.
There is an obvious lack of equilibrium disrupting the side’s momentum. Farke’s insistence on playing inverted wingers simply isn’t working. A striker isn’t a priority at present but a pair of dynamic wingers and a central midfield player who can fill the void vacated by Tettey must be priorities.
But this is no crisis.
This is a rut, yes, but no crisis whereby every Dick, Tom and Harry needs to vacant their executive positions. This is Norwich moving backwards temporarily to then move forwards in a stronger fashion. The style of play is un-finalised. Farke keeps reinforcing the parallel of his ‘brand’ of football with Thomas Tuchel and anybody who watched Dortmund last season will conclude their play doesn’t resemble that of City’s at present.
Historically, Norwich have been a middle of the road club. Successes are rare, and this club is currently residing in a position it deserves to be in due currently to gross mismanagement and mistakes of previous regimes.
I’m not sure external investment will be a short term fix to this issue. When times are tough people crave greater resources; you only have to look at QPR, Leyton Orient and Portsmouth’s recent history to see that wealthy benefactors are not a simple solution. Admittedly, for every failure there is a success, but when the poker chips is a football club loved by so many, is that risk worth it?
Take the Championship for example – besides Wolves, Villa and Derby the top six consists of teams who have fairly modest resources. Bristol City have spent large sums but not to the degree of the aforementioned sides. Cardiff and Sheffield United have developed a formula on the cheap that has taken time.
That’s a 50:50 chance of success.
This radical new structure is still in its infancy. Farke is a human being and needs time to resolve the issues. Anyone expecting a polished and fully functioning Norwich City was being aspirational.
This season is still young and Norwich sit only lie eight points off the play-offs. They don’t look like play-off material at present but they could still evolve. Could. A revision of offensive creativity and improvement could transform this squad.
We are four months into a mass reconstruction, the concrete isn’t set and the foundations haven’t been built. Keep the faith. Starting tonight in South Wales.
The reconstruction of the club is going nowhere.
The majority shareholders won’t sell because they are nothing without Norwich City. Delia’s ship sailed long ago, yet is kept afloat by her continuing shareholding of this club with the disturbing goodwill of a large section of supporters. As a result, the club has suffered, and will continue to suffer, because they are massively out of their depth with their parochial view of football of long shorts and mild ale. Gone.
The sale of Norwich City will not guarantee success, that is absolutely clear. But it is the only chance we have, as the current set-up is going through the motions and a best, flatters to deceive. Nobody will seriously invest in the club while they are here.
They are a liability.
I thought long and hard about replying to your post (for about three hours actually, with the dogs on the beach) but:
“Nobody will seriously invest in the club while they are here.”
Exactly.
Because you could chip in, say, ten million quid for a seat on the Board and still be over-ruled by Delia & the crew. Nobody in their right mind would do that.
No investment for us unless it’s a takeover, which is equally unlikely due to the parameters she has set.
Tom’s in place for the future: we’re stuck. In some horrible mud. No way out that I can see.
Hi Martin
Yes I am in full agreement no one in a sound mind would buy into city unless they have a majority share holding, Tom might decide once he takes over he doesn’t want the hassle and sell but at the present feels that he has to plsy lip service to his Aunty and Uncle.
My one great worry is will the Smiths put conditions on his take over ?????
Surely the answer is for season ticket holders to stop being treated like mugs and refuse to renew.
This is a crisis because our deluded owners are taking us inextricably to the lower leagues.
The performances this year are dire and at a point where it is no longer worth paying to watch.
Who honestly would want to pay to watch the likes of Vrancic plod around a field?
Connor,I don’t mean to be patronizing, by due to your age you’re missing a key perspective… that all of this has happened before. The same mistakes, the same financial difficulties, the same reliance on untested players and managers.
It’s Groundhog Day come early.
I have zero confidence Delia has learned a single thing and I have no evidence to believe Tom will do any better.
Interesting. However, the successes (and there have been some) were under the supervision of McNally and Bowkett. Both had knowledge of the game. Arguably McNally lost his drive after the Bowkett retirement.
We know that Moxey was an error as is Balls, who according to the AGM shows little faith in the Farke/Webber movement.
Why this is is anyone’s guess, my take is Webber has rustled feathers in his approach, he’s hardly been positive about criticism aimed at the board about how they messed the finances up these past few seasons. I wonder if that’s at a detriment to his position as the majority shareholders egos take a significant knock from an outsider with a brutally honest streak.
Of late, I would agree, the same old. However there is a hope in me that with Webber comes a fresh mindset with him enbedding this into NCFC and it filtering into Tom Smith. It’s 2017, not 2007 and ambling through, like the Smith and Joneses have done the last 5 years is no longer cutting it. Webber is a football man and has the credentials to back this up, I just hope there isn’t any underlying resentment from the board about Webber’s no nonsense, honest approach to the reformation of Norwich City, as any bad blood could lead to a disharmony and a distrust when we need cohesion the most.
What is worrying about the current situation is the seeming lack of ambition shown ON the field. People said when Oliveira was back the goals will come – we could have played another 30 minutes of added time on Saturday and not scored. Look at his body language and that of the young talent that is Josh Murphy it had frustration written all over it. Frustrated presumably with a style of play so turgid it will never bring in high scores. Now we pin our hopes on Alex Pritchard’s return but will that bring about the positive reactions on the pitch so obviously missing at the moment? I want to see us playing good stylish football but football with a purpose. Can Farke deliver that?? The jury is out I think.
As I wrote the other day, recalling Toffolo, dispensing of Husband and pushing Stiepermann into a attacking winger role with Yanic opposite means we should express a stronger, more direct style of play. These are your wingers you mention we require. Murphy then gets a rest.
And we do need another striker, either a loanee or a Morris recall. He can’t do any worse than Jerome or Oliveira right now.
Insight Right you are quite correct, to not act on a chance of investment in the next 18 months could mean the club not only struggles for the play offs but to stay in the league as whole. That is entirely in the view that Farke cannot get a tune out of his team. Don’t forget Farke and Team have been cobbled together from mud, that’s to say brand new to this league and brand new to themselves. The unbeaten run, as great as it was, was mainly fluke. I reserve judgement until the latter half of the season and early next. It will become clear whether Farke is indeed the man for the job. If he isn’t, the pay off will be further crippling which then leads us back to the notion of outside investment.
A balanced piece by Connor. Who knows whether the current setup and team will be successful. Football is always a gamble.
Additional investment would be good but is no substitute for astute recruitment, good coaching, teamwork and hard graft. It’s easy to burn through money in football especially when agents know a club has plenty. I’ve witnessed and suffered many of the clubs up and downs and a blip like this is not unusual in our long history. As Connor says life’s a bumpy road. Farke seems an intelligent guy and l’m sure he’ll learn from spells like this and get us going in the right direction again.
Anyway, there don’t seem to be a bunch of billionaires knocking at our door. If l was lucky enough to be that wealthy l certainly wouldn’t be “investing” in the bottomless pit that is football.
Hi Connor
You mentioned the Oystons, well being a city supporter since the late 50’s and a ST till 82 and having resided in Blackpool since then I have watched from afar as the debacle named as the Oystons has unfolded.
They purchased the club at it lowest ebb similar to the Smiths.
Similarly they stabilised it and took it forward again similar to the Smiths
Won promotion to the premiership and got relegated again similar to the Smiths
Thought they new it all similar to the Smiths
Lastly they stayed to long similar to the Smiths
Every manager or owner of a football club will have their ups and downs but the art in both is knowing when enough is a enough and leave with a good feeling to both club and supporters.
No one can denie what good the Smiths have done for city in the past but as Delias would do in the kitchen get rid of the out dated food.
Farke has referenced the young prospects in Abrahams and Fonkeu saying they are good but not ready for the championship, I can remember Bill Nicholson at spurs saying if they are good enought give them a chance, We will never know if they can cut it at championship level unless the get game time.
As someone mentioned above and something I have said a few times Farke came to city as untried at this level be came with his assistance coach from Dortmund his other staff came from other clubs.
Maybe he doesn’t have the last say on recruitment maybe he is told this is what you have get on with it, according to reports Mark Franke cost city £2.5m he has had a couple of bad games and not getting a look in so is this one of his recommendations or a Webber buy.
Has city been getting players that Webber wanted at Huddersfield and Wagner didn’t, he had a good teacher in Damien Comoly at Liverpool who got players in a Arsenal, Spurs as well that never achieved what was expected.
That my opinion and they will possibly be shot down in flames
Good read Connor, although you’re making me feel old and I’m only 34!
I remember that Rioch season as if it was yesterday, it was well and truly middle of the road stuff although results were cruelly impacted by a certain Mr Muscat.
I’m adamant that we have a better side compared to those desperate days, but at the moment results aren’t exactly bearing that out.
Apologies if this suggestion has been mooted on here before, but all this talk of seasons past has made me reflect back to the lovely Lambert days.
Did our meteoric rise actually cause us severe issues behind the scenes, in that our successes on the pitch far eclipsed our infrastructure and we’ve been desperately playing catch-up since?
Fans, myself included, like to point the figure at the board for repeating mistakes and not making plans while the going was good, but I wonder if things got too good too quickly and we simply couldn’t cope behind the scenes?
Football can be hard to predict at the best of times, but that era surely surpassed even the most optimistic fan’s expectations.
I’m sure we can all agree that our subsequent recruitment on the whole, post Lambert, has been poor and just maybe the seeds or current demise can be traced back to those halcyon days.
It’s just a thought and I would be interested to hear people’s opinions.
I remember the Rioch years but I also remember what went before. We had our “lambert moment” with Mike Walker followed by a succession of managers who tried to emulate the success and expectation similar to the experience we are in now… Deehan and Megson, (Now there were two guys who were great coaches but extremely out of their depth as managers). There was the Martin O’Neil appointment which promised much, but wasn’t allowed to flourish (due to a similarly stoically boardroom to what we have now, if not for different reasons) . We then had a further stint of Megson and Walker in an attempt to breed familiarity without contempt. Then came Rioch. I actually thought when he was appointed it was exactly what was needed at the time. A Pro footballer who I knew had played for him at Middlesborough and told me he was a great manager. (The same player had worked for Brian Clough and Howard Kendall so he had some good comparisons) Although it wasn’t pretty but he managed to put a team together with what he had and I believe he laid the foundations for Worthington’s eventual success 2 or 3 seasons later. If it wasn’t for a rash Muscat challenge we I think, could have made the play offs.
In my reply to segura I got bit wax lyrical. Apologies, but it’s made me think.
How have the Chase years differed from the present regime? I’m afraid to say in my view not a lot… Decision wise, there are lots of similarities.
The only difference I can see are personalities.
Chase didn’t actually endear himself to the fan base. The most recent comparison I’d give (for fans who are too young to remember him) is, he was “a bit of a Moxey.”
In comparison our present owner has over the decades been gladly allowed into our living rooms via TV and the written word. She’s gained our trust in showing us how to boil an egg and make a perfect Christmas spread. So in our minds she means well, in a homely comforting sort of way…
I’m just saying don’t get swayed by personality… look at decisions…
One man’s personality meant Police Horses were seen regularly on Carrow Road for a situation not dissimilar to now.
Some will agree it was necessary, I don’t. No situation football related does… However due to her personality and the other reasons I’ve mentioned Delia won’t get that. The facts still remain though the state of NCFC then and now are very similar…