It’s almost two years since I interviewed Stuart Webber for these pages.
It was before we appointed – and in most cases before we’d ever heard of – Daniel Farke. We now know that Daniel was top of Stuart’s list, but very different names were on our lips.
Thank goodness it was, and is, Stuart making the decisions.
Those of you who’ve heard Stuart since – perhaps at the recent Canaries Trust AGM? – will know the clarity of thought and purpose that shines through when he talks. It can’t fail to lift your confidence, and his words from the interview certainly helped sustain my faith through lean spells last season.
He talked a good game, but the questions remained: could we implement what he described, and if so, would it actually work?
He emphasized some key points of his thinking. First, that it would take three to four windows to create the right kind of squad. We didn’t necessarily need the best players (thankfully, given the financial situation he and Daniel inherited), but the right players for the club’s new philosophy and style.
Nelson Oliveira and Cameron Jerome were good players – just not right for our future.
Second, the new philosophy had to be instilled throughout the club, and especially in every playing level. A youth player coming into the first team (and he knew there’d be some) must know exactly what’s expected and be used to the system and approach.
Because of our straightened circumstances, one of Stuart’s key criteria for a Head Coach was someone who could improve players: ‘He needs to be able to develop players, whether they’re 21 or 28’.
But ability and philosophy aren’t enough, and another point he emphasized has perhaps been just as crucial to our success this season: the need for hunger.
While Stuart was impressed by the quality of the players he inherited at Norwich, he was less impressed by some of the attitude he found. He watched an easy-on-the-eye demolition of Reading at Carrow Road – but also a 5-1 capitulation by our highly-paid players at Sheffield Wednesday. Not to his taste.
Hence a central point of his recruitment: ‘we want players who are desperate to come and play here’. That might be a Max Aarons or Ben Godfrey who’s risen through the ranks; a Tom Trybull or Moritz Leitner whose career had gone off track; or an Emi Buendia emerging from obscurity. The common denominator is a passion to pull on the Canary shirt and show what they can do.
Stuart promised that the team he and the Head Coach were going to assemble, over the next three to four transfer windows, would never give up on the pitch as he’d seen Alex Neil’s team do.
How can we judge City’s progress towards that? Yes, it feels as if they’ve progressed. But I propose an evidence-based test: my BRM Test.
BRM is the away games at Bolton, Rotherham and Millwall.
With some of them being relegated along the way, we had a total of three such fixtures in our first two seasons after relegation. We lost all three.
We’ve had all three fixtures this season – all in the depth of winter, with our opponents fighting and scrapping for the points. And we won all three.
Much has been made – and rightly so – of the silky football we’ve produced this season. But it won’t get you promotion out of the Championship if it’s not backed up by resilience and sheer bloody-minded determination to get results at places like Rotherham and Millwall.
The hunger and resilience of this squad is a big reason for my optimism about the rest of the season. I’m certainly not counting chickens. But if we get eight or nine points from the next four games (Boro and Wigan away, QPR and Reading at home), then I might start dreaming of open-top parades.
—————————————————–
Irrespective of the season’s final outcome, there’s another idea that’s grown on me.
Never has it felt so difficult or inappropriate to single out one individual as Player of the Season. For one thing, there are at least five truly outstanding candidates in different ways (Aarons, Zimmermann, Stiepermann, Buendia, Pukki).
For another, this has truly been a team effort – including those not in the starting XI.
You can probably see where I’m going with this. Should we consider replacing the individual award this season with a team award? I was sceptical when I first heard the idea, but I like it more and more. There’s some precedent at other clubs, including Bristol City a couple of years ago.
This idea has been floated on social media, provoking strong and well-argued views on both sides. I’m wondering – and it would certainly influence my opinion – what the players might feel about it.
Over to you…
******
You may have noticed that in order to *hopefully* safeguard the future of MyFootballWriter, we’ve started a fund-raising drive using the Patreon membership model. If you think you could help, or if you’re at least intrigued as to what it’s all about, please have a look here.
We’ve made a steady start but there’s still some way to go before we can look forward to, hopefully, reporting on City as they mix it with the elite of the English game. We’d really appreciate your help people.
Many thanks
I remember quite well (not bad for me age) hear of Farke’s appointment, surfing to find as much about him I could, Can’t say at the time Iwas overly impressed. My thoughts were Webber was trying to replicate Huddersfield, on the football side that would not be too bad, they did play some noce stuff under Wagner. But caught out somewhere they have been with second season syndrome.
Now after the first season being a litmus paper test in some ways, I tried to see where this all leading, I believe we could see the style being tried but the players did not fit it. Onto this second season which beyond what anyone could expect even Webber and Farke. But ooking back a little bit, I am a little less surprised in some ways, my simple reasons, the team has many continental players who would be suited to his style, then we come younger players who could adapt to change quicker than a seasoned pro could or perhaps in some case would.
The buzz would is Teamwork; from the top of the club all the way down, But would a collective team award be the best choice ?, would meaning be lost ? We all value, support everyone of the squad, or we would not give what we give to that support. (support does not seem adequate word to use, I support the work of the Stop Fox Hunting, but do little else )
Personally I cannot find one player, I would put higher than the next man, sure others followers find that to, so just a thought no doubt suggested before. Take the ranking marks a player has received over the season, the one with the highest gets the award as most consistant performer.
I know what the award means to the players, a couple of discussions in passing with 3 past winners, set that one straight in my mind, so if anything is chosen to replace POTS, needs very carefull thought indeed.
To be honest as long as we break that tape FIRST or second, I care not much about anything else.
Hi Stew – a very good read.
There is indeed a groundswell of support for the Barry Butler Trophy to become a “team award” at the end of the season (for this campaign only as a one-off) and very few people I know disparage the idea.
A friend of mine suggests Webber and Farke should be included in said award, although I’m not sure of the ramifications of that scenario but personally I would not object.
As for the players themselves there are ostensibly no huge egos within our squad so I would predict very little opposition from that quarter should it come to pass. Only guessing of course but that’s my take on it.
Only time will tell!
Nice piece as ever Stew.
I accept there’s a groundswell of opinion around the team rather than an individual winning the Barry Butler, but I’m not part of it. If there is to be a team award, it will be in the form of (hopefully/possibly) a trophy to lift or (hopefully/possibly), an open-top bus parade.
That there are a lot of very viable contenders for the crown doesn’t – to me at least – seem reason to dodge it and give to them as a collective. We’re far from the first club to have had a very good *team*; the POTS just boils down to an individual’s choice as to who they think contributed the most.
But, we could always hold a referendum to see if we need a Barry Butler ‘referendum’ 😉
I demand a meaningful vote. Then maybe another one…
And then another and another until the right outcome results????????
O T B C
That’s too many referenda for my liking. I’ve kind of gone off the concept recently – I can’t think why:-)
If push came to shove right now I would go for Zimbo, Emi and Max. In that order. But that means I can’t acknowledge Pukki and so many others. A hard one to call.
I’ll Brexit on that one
Squad joint award gets my vote. The squad approach, rather than the reliance on a few individuals marks the real divide between last season and this.
Let’s stick with convention and let the fans decide otherwise it creates a potential difficulty in the future. I’d vote for Buendia he’s on another level for me. Give the runners-up spot to the Squad.
Championship team of the season will make fun reading I bet we don’t have more than a couple.
Thanks – all good thoughts. Can’t speak for others, but it would really pain me to see two of Pukki, Stiepermann, Zimmermann, Aarons and Buendia not even make the top three.
Re Player of the year – I have been thinking this for some weeks! It’s almost impossible to name one player who has impressed me that much over many many others, each playing their role oustandingly. I know that strikers get all the plaudits, but who could deny the claims of a Trybull, a Godfrey, an Aarons, a Lewis, and so on and on…? If “The Starting XI” were an option on the ballot, I would place my tick in that box. It’s been a special year, why not cap it with something that recognises it as such?
Vrancic, Klose, Leitner? At various stages of the season each of these has been our best player, possibly in a couple of cases the leagues best player. Robbed of their chance of the award by cruel injury.
Perhaps the winner will be decided in an eight game shoot out between now and may?
For me Its called ‘Player of the Season’ and so it should remain. I get the sentiment behind suggesting the team gets it, but what happens next season if we have a great season, once again built on teamwork with few stars? Does it become the team of the season? Or only as long as we’re doing well or under Farke? To say this team is worthy of taking the title might also denigrate former teams. Was there really a star head and shoulders above the others in AN’s 2015 season? BJ got it (Great goals admittedly) But should the team have won it then too?
Could this be another step to the Nanny state? You’re all worthy lads, none of you did better than another! Again a nice sentiment, but really not necessary for my money. It’s a tough call, but I’d go for:
1] Pukki (not just his goals, but his work rate and assists have been instrumental in our good season)
2] Arrons (Simply brilliant, I don’t even think he needs a ‘for one so young’. he has been consistently brilliant since being promoted to the team.)
3] Buendia (upto injury I might have gone for Leitner, even then Vrancic, Tettey was great until Trybull took over who has also been brilliant. But Buendia has been great all the way through, such a magician. If asked again after the next 8 games I could see him being number 1, because his form seems to be on such an upward trajectory.)
the reality is that as per everyones point, I’ve mentioned half the team, but those others, Like Stiepermann, Lewis, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Klose, Hernandez and even Krul have all been brilliant when in the team.
Maybe you all have a point, that top 3 maybe even top 5 are super tough to pick like never before. but my original point still stands, its PotS!
Bah!