Delia Smith turned to Paul Lambert after they had watched Norwich City’s dismal defeat at Brentford and gave him a blunt, five-word summation of the task he had accepted a few hours previously.
It was Wednesday, 19 August, 2009. Lambert became Norwich manager that day, but too late for him to play any significant part at Griffin Park. So he opted to keep away from the players and coaches and to watch the match alongside the City board.
Norwich were abject. They lost 2-1. The result left them 22nd of the 24 teams in League One.
So Delia said to Lambert: “Good luck with that lot”.
I don’t know what she said to him 33 months later, but I’m sure it included: “Thank you”. Because on Sunday, 13 May, 2012, Norwich beat Aston Villa at Carrow Road to finish the season in 12th place in the Premier League.
That proved to be Lambert’s final game in charge. He had lifted City 54 places up the League ladder.
So I won’t boo Paul Lambert. Not on Sunday. Not ever.
Some want to greet him with scorn when he shows up with our inept neighbours for the last ever Old Farm league derby, but without him, I doubt we’d have a club to be exultant about. After all, it was in real and imminent danger when he arrived in 2009.
City’s debts stood at £23m. Most of the money was owed to two organisations: AXA and Bank of Scotland. They wanted their money back and insisted that the club call in accountants Deloitte and property consultants King Sturge — the former to see if there was any money to be made by any means possible, and the latter to look at whether Carrow Road and/or Colney should be sold.
When the accounts for 2008-09 were published, the club’s own auditors reported that there were doubts about Norwich City being able to continue as “a going concern”.
So Lambert could well have said to Delia: “Good luck with that lot”.
But two key appointments had been made before Lambert. Alan Bowkett, a strident critic of the board, took over as chairman, and a chap called David McNally became chief executive.
It was the triumvirate of Bowkett, McNally and Lambert who combined to turn the fortunes of Norwich City around — and the extraordinary thing is that by the end of their time together, none of them got along with the others.
The details of their turbulent relationships must wait for another day — when I can afford a good lawyer. But what can be stated with absolute certainty is that the barnstorming surge up the table under Lambert was a crucial ingredient in saving Norwich City.
I don’t think there has been a better managerial achievement by anyone in English football during the Premier League era.
As far as I can discover, only three other managers have achieved successive promotions from what is now League One to the Premier League: Joe Royle (Manchester City, 1998-2000), Graham Taylor (Watford, 1998-2000) and Nigel Adkins (Southampton, 2010-12). But Royle and Taylor both gained one of their promotions via the playoffs and their teams only spent one season in the Prem. Adkins did not survive for the entirety of Southampton’s first Premier League season.
Lambert led City to two automatic promotions, charging to the title in League One and galloping straight into the Prem as Championship runners up. And then he kept us up. Along the way, as we all recall with such glee, there were great dramas, magnificent wins — and two demolition derbies, in which the team he now manages were humiliated.
Of course, he had some help.
Alongside Bowkett and McNally, four other board members played key roles: Delia and Michael Wynn Jones, Michael Foulger and the quiet but properly involved Stephan Phillips.
Lambert’s predecessor, Bryan Gunn left three important players in place: he signed Grant Holt, rehabilitated Chris Martin and persuaded Wes Hoolahan to stay when others quit in the summer after relegation to the third tier.
And the value of Lambert’s assistants — Ian Culverhouse, who was effectively head coach and leading tactician, and Gary Karsa — might be guessed from Lambert’s lack of success since he ceased using them.
And then there was the Yellow Army. We did our bit. Just over three weeks after City were relegated to League One they announced something remarkable — inexplicable, really. A stupendous 18,376 season ticket holders had already renewed: 18,376 supporters had decided that they would remain steadfast. They were going back to Carrow Road for another season, even if it was in the third tier. Amazing. Wonderful.
And as the Lambert crusade began to gather pace, it became enormous fun to swamp away ends at places like Stockport and Swindon and produce support that home supporters couldn’t believe or match.
My enjoyment was enhanced by getting to know Lambert as well as I have known any Norwich manager. I found him engaging and inspirational.
But I thought it significant that he seemed to need to antagonise his former clubs. For instance, in League One, when Norwich grabbed a win at Wycombe (on the coldest day I have ever spent watching football), Lambert greeted the game’s late, only goal by sprinting up the touchline towards the Norwich fans, jumping up and punching the air. That display of triumphalism was smack in front of the main stand, and home directors were not impressed.
Two weeks later, at Colchester, on the only occasion their stadium has been full, Lambert strutted out onto the side of the pitch long before the teams came out to wave to the assembled Norwich fans behind the goal on his left. What was the real purpose of his early appearance though? Could it be that he wanted to wallow in the abuse from home supporters? That would be belligerence personified, wouldn’t it?
I relished it all at the time because his bullishness was on behalf of the club I support. But it occurred to me that he might need to fall out of love with former clubs to commit so fully to the current one.
It’s a tad silly for journalists (or retired ones, come to that) to attempt amateur psychoanalysis. But Lambert’s behaviour towards Norwich since he left us has not done anything to dissuade me from my theory.
And perhaps something similar — a need to fall out with people so that he can fully sign up for new projects — is behind the fact that he and Culverhouse are said not to be sending each other Christmas cards these days. And the words that were conspicuously absent from Karsa’s comments in the excellent recent Talk Norwich City video interview were “Paul” and “Lambert”. Karsa just couldn’t bring himself to say the man’s name.
So I expect Lambert will try to wind up City supporters before and during Sunday’s entertainment.
But, sorry Paul, I’m going to applaud you as a genuine expression of my profound gratitude for what you achieved at Norwich City. It was an utterly magnificent three years.
When you took over, we were level on points (one!) with Hartlepool and Stockport, Neither is now in the Football League. And it wasn’t written in stone that we’d travel in the opposite direction to them. You made sure we went upwards and not down again, by ensuring that no Norwich team you sent out ever took a backwards step or stopped trying to score.
Thank you.
But after I’ve clapped you I am going to cheer myself hoarse supporting Daniel Farke. No offence to your current employers, Paul, but in football you can’t live in the past.
Wise words. Lambert always struck me as slightly distanced from Norwich, always referring to it as “the club’, not ‘we’. But those years were fundamental to modern Norwich City and for that, he rightly has his place in the annals.
100% with you on this Mick.
I posted this comment on the previous piece earlier.
The Lambert years were fantastic for us and without him and Ian Culverhouse I wonder where we would be today?
He’s expecting a less than friendly reception come Sunday but I for one won’t be joining in. In years to come Club History will remember him as one of our best. It’s a great shame he’s gone to that lot but he needed a job.
If we gave him a round of applause come 11.59 am Sunday that would upset him far more I suggest.
” …in football you can’t live in the past.” Lovely last little dig in the ribs.
Great read and thoroughly agree – he should be politely applauded which will baffle the bejasus out of him. And then everyone should sing for Norwich and Norwich alone. Can’t wait for Sunday. OTBC.
Spot on Mick.
I wrote on MFW on Monday that while PL may be perceived by some as a panto villain I will certainly not be booing him either.
His effect on NCFC was instant and ultimately uplifting and glorious.
Sure he’s a journeyman(ager) but who of us hasn’t been in their working lives?
Any issues should be sorted out by our boys on the pitch – as I’m sure they will be.
A terrific read.
Hi Mick
Recently read an article on Villa and the bullying abuse that caused the sacking of both Culverhouse and Karsa, and that has now got their coach Mcdonald suspended. It seems it was going on for much longer and way before PL and his staff turned up, but that Lambert hung his own backroom staff out to dry while he kept his own position suggests he seems to lack any loyalty to those around him.
As you say, the fundamentals of the team was laid down to Gunn but it seems to be forgotten that part of the backroom staff for that first season was Ian Crook, who stayed on once Gunn and the others left.
Ian left at the end of the League 1 season to return to Oz and his family and the best of luck to him. I hope he has had some success since like I wish all ex-city players.
As for Sunday, Lambert will do something unexpected to goad City supporters or at least try. I just hope that for once they ignore the antics and give a roaring shout when City come on to the pitch and cheer Team Farke. Any sort of abuse towards PL will be a winning situation for him to gee his new relegation-threatened team up and give the Ipshite supporters something to cheer about.
Don’t give an inch OTBC
Hi Alex
You make a lot of sense.
Writers cannot deal with rumour (or at least they shouldn’t, tempted as they occasionally might be) but I will stick my neck out and say this.
I understand Paul Lambert had a particularly sensitive personal issue at Norwich City towards the end of his tenure here. From a good source? Oh yes. The very best. Which would point to the fact that his game was up here at the end of that season anyway.
Sorry I can’t be more specific but neither MFW or myself wishes incoming legal action!
I don’t reference his alleged demands for Benteke and Michu. I know nothing of the truth of that anyway beyond Alan Bowkett’s comment: “the most impatient man I’ve ever met”, which tends to give that some currency.
Anyway that’s all in the past and even a boring 1-0 on Sunday will do for me:-)
The one thing that goes without saying his short stay in Norfolk was eventful but it seems that he has a built in survival radar he has jumped ship before a downward spiral starts. It finally failed him with a relegation at Stoke.
I suppose grugingly we should be pleased we had the best out of him as a manager but then was it due to his backroom staff at the time that have never really got the credit they deserve.
It is team work and Lambert, Culverhouse and Karsa did the unexpected for city so lets remember that team not just an egocentric where it was all about him, not once have I read him giving them any credit???? I might be wrong.
I don’t begrudge Lambert his success here – it brought joy to all of us.
Most of us older souls now realise that much of that was down to Cully – I never quite worked out what Karsa did!
He (Lambert) is a busted flush and I quietly, very quietly, hope we remind him of that on the pitch this Sunday.
Mick Dennis’ sentiments are in total alignment with my own.
Cheers pal.
Brilliant stuff, Mick.
Having supported NCFC for over 40 years now, I can honestly say they were the best consecutive three seasons ever. So many highs and we never felt under the threat of relegation during his Premier League season.
For all of that Paul deserves polite applause – nothing else.
He moved on and, more importantly, so have we.
PL will certainly be remembered for turning the club around, but the way he left will always leave a nasty taste in the mouth. The man will always sell his soul to the highest bidder, that’s his nature. I for one would not object to him getting stick from the crowd, he deserves it. Can’t wait for the game, let’s hope we stick to our fluid style and really show PL how it should be done. OTBC
100% agreed, Mick. PL led us out of the doldrums and gave us so many great memories. Left under a cloud but I say let bygones be bygones, our future is much more exciting. Let’s focus all our efforts on getting behind the team, turn CR into a wall of noise on Sunday, and do our talking on the pitch. OTBC!
Good read Mick.
I’ll not applaud PL because he knows there was only one job that would be out of bounds in City fans eyes.
I find it amusing that the Binners have probably signed the wrong man.
Since he parted with Culverhouse his record has been poor whereas looking at the work Culverhouse has done at Lynn he seems to be the very coach the Binners needed.
Excellent read Mick.
PL was, let’s face it, just what we needed at that time, and for 3 seasons we had the greatest time imaginable – until now.
I think he would be well confused if we applaud him on Sunday, and recognise him for just what he and his helpers did for our football club.
Then turn to the matter in hand, cheer and sing like demons, play like we have been for the past 4 months, and put another half-dozen nails in the 1p5wich relegation coffin.
Oh; and remind him to mind the gap/chasm/canyon (delete as necessary).
O T B C
PL was undoubtedly great for us, no question. He’s now on his 5th job (I think) since leaving us and my feelings about him now are no different from any of his predecessors.
No booing or applause from me (it would be pointless from my living room in Wolverhampton)
Brilliant read Mick.
A polite clap is fine with me this Sunday. Lambert is the past and our interest must focus on the future. Let’s give everything to help our team get the win and ignore any wind ups.
I remember Colchester fans telling us when Lambert came to Carrow Road: “Enjoy it til he gets a better offer”. I attributed that to sour grapes at the time, but there was more than a grain of truth in it.
Like Mick, I’ll applaud him for what he did at Norwich; it was wonderful for us. But we have something wonderful in the present, too – that’s where our focus needs to be on Sunday.
Hang on – why would we we pay any attention to him at all? We don’t boo or applaud any other visiting managers, so why acknowledge him at all (even with a round of applause)?
Best to simply ignore, and spend that breath, time and energy getting behind Herr Farke and his boys.
It’s strange how fans always expect loyalty to their own team but dont care about that applying towards other clubs.
If Lambert was a ‘loyal sort’ he would not have left Colchester a few games into the season to join us in the first place.
We were fortunate to acquire him, and in turn it was immediately obvious that he would leave us as soon as he could join someone bigger and or better. .
A very good article.
It’s good for some of the moaners to be reminded that the directors were instrumental in saving the club and did not deserve the abuse that they got at the beginning of the season.
I’ve been a critic of Mick’s party political broadcast according to all things Delia and Michael but when he produces a piece like this there is none finer. Well done Mick, a great read!