Well, that was always going to be a little bit too predictable wasn’t it?
I deliberately didn’t put a personal score guess into the MFW Man Utd preview for just that reason. We’ve been described almost everywhere in the media as “poor” on Saturday and with pretty good reason from what I’ve seen and heard.
No blame to young Adam Idah – he’d have had to send semaphore signals to his team-mates to get the ball. But to counterbalance that I have never seen a Norwich side go into battle with no striker [forget the word recognised] on the bench. This scenario might have happened before but not in my living memory, which goes back to when T. Rex and Slade were topping the charts.
The national media don’t like us [except for novelty value] and I generally don’t like them. But this time around the sun they have a point. We were awful.
Some will cling on to Todd Cantwell’s chance that David de Gea brilliantly kept out and I suppose Emi Buendia had an opportunity too. But that’s clutching at thin air really – we were outclassed and comprehensively beaten. Manchester United almost treated it like a training game.
And that my friends is effectively that.
We could hope that Bournemouth continue their injury-plagued freefall. We could pray that West Ham, Watford and indeed Villa plummet like Harold the flying sheep of Monty Python infamy. But that would be like anchoring a skiff on marsh grass.
Even if those teams do implode I really don’t see where our next point is coming from.
There’s some eejit out there who said he’d have Teemu Pukki’s face tattooed on one of his buttocks if he scored ten PL goals this season. He’s the one with hope – Teemu’s stuck on nine and could be for a very long time.
I’ve nothing against tattoos by the way. I’ve got loads but only because I wanted them – never because of a rash statement or a bet.
We have to try and move on [onwards and upwards is a tainted phrase and I refuse to use it] but that means preparing for the Championship right now. Not next week, not next month but right NOW.
The Norwich City FC 2019-2020 Premier League campaign: c’est fini.
Just out of fast dissipating interest, we have the Slovakian lad Duda coming in on loan. Okay fair enough. But why on earth did they allow Dennis “ICON” Srbeny to join FC Paderborn before this particular match? Surely Paderborn could have waited four days? But no, the deal was done rapidly because we got more for Dennis than we paid for him and although that’s only rumour, there’s enough of it flying around to suggest it might be true.
We must be the only side in Premier League history to take the field at Old Trafford with an 18-year-0ld striker making his PL debut and nada, rien, zilch on the bench to replace him. Don’t be put off Adam, you could shine for us in the Championship and I devoutly hope you do.
I didn’t think any of our talented youngsters would leave in this window but I don’t see the point in Max Aarons hanging about any longer after this abysmal performance. He’s too good to stay here and get a [albeit blameless] relegation on his CV. The same could be said of Todd Cantwell of course although I don’t rate him quite as highly as I do Max. That’s my view anyway.
In a feeble attempt to conclude on a humorous note my mate Dave mailed to say we were cut through at will as if we were beached flounders.
Sorry folks that’s the best I can do – there’s very little to laugh about just now!
And as for those folks who are of a different view to myself and actively want to be in the Championship?
You win out guys. There ain’t no coming back for us from here.
As Cantwell found out, GKs in the PL are just that bit better than in the Championship – something I remember JM saying last season. A needless penalty and a few minutes later failing to defend a simple cross and we were undone.
It’s certainly looking very much as though which other 2 teams will be joining us in the Championship next season and I’m just going to enjoy the remaining home games and look forward to a ‘VAR free’ season.
Interesting that you commented that we need to start preparing for the Championship NOW!! We were just remarking how poorly the Under 23s were performing – they’ve now had back to back wins. Perhaps there is some talent there and of course we have various players on loan who are getting regular game time.
Next Tuesday, our Under 18s take on Man Utd in the FA Youth Cup at CR and entry is free.
Hopefully, WHEN we make it back to the ‘top table’, the issues with the use of technology will be resolved and it will ONLY be used for CLEAR and OBVIOUS errors and not offsides where a player’s elbow/armpit is marginally in front of the last defender and also that a time limit will be applied to the ‘Stockley Stooges’ in reaching their decision and who have effectively destroyed the game as we know and love it!!
PS – Anyone fancy a ‘Cup Run???”
6
Hi Ed
Your question on the “cup run” is an interesting one. Should we lose to Bournemouth [or even draw] we wouldn’t have even a flicker of hope of PL survival.
So imo we might as well go for it, put our best side side out and try and indulge in some Burnley bashing. They’re not doing too well either so you never know.
My real problem is that we have no divine right to bounce back to the PL .
Plus, keeping this squad together will be virtually impossible as the cherry-pickers emerge in May. Exactly who is currently in the under-23s to replace them I am not too sure, apart from possibly the likes of Famewo and Bushiri, who are both out on loan of course..
We will sell anything with two legs in the summer and I would guess that for every £10 million that comes in, £500,000 will go out on replacements. The profits will largely disappear into the black hole of administrative costs – a catch-all term for everything from paying office staff to providing pre and post match hospitality for visiting teams’ board members. And our own board members of course.
The parachute payments will doubtless be retained and stored up until the black hole needs filling again.
Thank you.
5
Yes, if we’re lucky, we may only see 5 players being sold and so bringing in a HUGE amount of £Ms, as most players have shown that they are quite capable of playing in the PL. I’ll be VERY surprised if we see 10% of it reinvested in the squad!! 🙁
You forgot to mention Morris who has recently gone to MK Dons to be reunited with Martin and I feel could certainly play at Championship level.
I’m not expecting us to make the play-offs next season and feel we may have a few seasons before we make it back to the PL.
1
Ed I honestly feel Carlton Morris has been out on loan too many times to be considered part of our future.
Me & Mrs P went to Forest and Chelsea at home in that Youth Cup triumph [for two quid each] and I went to the second leg of the final too.
What a prospect I thought. As I did of Cameron McGeehan and Ben Wyatt. And the Murphy bros of course.
The sad thing is that Coltishall lad Ben [I vaguely knew his mum and dad] is out of the mainstream game, Cameron is becalmed at Portsmouth and the Murphys have fallen from grace. You never truly know what a player will become and I fear that Carlton is a little too old now to make it with us.
4
Quite a night that final at Stamford Bridge, Nathan Ake and Ruben Loftus-Cheek also played in that game, 3000 from Norfolk saw us over the line though
1
i don’t understand this level of negativity. Even if we lose Pukki and a number of our young stars (Arrons, Buendia, Lewis, Cantwell and Godfrey). We would still have a significant number of players well versed in Farkeball and the start of a potentially good side.
Krul
Byram, Zimmermann, Hanley, Klose
McLean, Vrancic, Lietner, Henandez, Stiepermann
Idah
OK we’re short in places, but add in some good players (Webber was great scouting with no budget, with the PL millions and any from those sold, he could do wonders) and I think we can be optimistic about next season and maybe the one after. Go up next season (I know no given) and financially we will be prepared to give it a much better go than this time. (See Burnley model)
Bah!
9
Hi General.
Nothing wrong with a bit of positivity – I’m well up for it if I can find a reason to look on the bright side myself.
Unfortunately I could attempt to tear your “XI” to shreds so I might as well in an intrinsically friendly way!
Krul may be snapped up as cover by an established PL team in the summer. It wouldn’t surprise me tbh.
We will never get a full season out of either Hanley or Klose.
Your midfield quintet do very little for me with the exception of Hernandez, who remains the only player in the squad with any genuine pace.
Idah is still very much an unknown quantity in real terms and we all know how Championship CBs react to players like him.
To be honest I don’t fancy that side in League One!
Anyway great to hear from you – thanks.
6
A little stat for you –
Villa Goals For – 28 Against – 43
Norwich Goals For – 22 Against – 45
I wonder where Villa got those extra 5 goals?? 😉
2
I’m never been a great fan of stats – and even less so after reading that one:-)
2
At last, somebody accepting the inevitable!
3
Hi Tim.
Inevitable it is I’m afraid.
Like many of us I always felt the promotion side should be given every chance but due to injuries earlier in the season, VAR and most teams proving too street-wise for us we won’t survive.
The loan of Duda serves no real purpose to me. Deep down Webber and Farke know the game is up so why bother?
Thank you.
3
We brought in Leitner when everyone said there was no point because we wouldn’t be able to sign him permanently in the Championship. Guess they’re hoping for something similar. Or he’s here to help with the cup run!
1
Hi Tom
I doubt that – Duda’s quoted at 10 million euros by Hertha Berlin!
I’d like to think he’ll help us on our triumphant Cup run but it sounds more like his agent putting him in the shop window to me.
Which said agent cannot do unless he is playing so I guess the Mayor and the Stieperdude had better get used to a bit of bench-squatting.
Thank you.
0
Looking on the bright side at least season ticket prices will be reduced if we’re in the championship!
1
Hi John
I wouldn’t bank on that one if I were you.
My monthly DD has been unchanged for a long time now – the only “saving” is that you get to see 23 home games in the Championship over 19 in the PL.
If they reduce prices for 2020-2021 you can call me Ricky van Wolfswinkel!
Thanks.
3
I don’t expect it Martin as it’s never happened before with the Delia Social Club.
I’m just surprised that a committed socialist would overcharge the working man.
6
We don’t do mainstream politics on MFW John.
But you’re right, right, bl00dy well right as the old song goes.
4
She’s all for austerity and greatly dislikes those from the middle east. Can we say a Conservative in Labour clothing?
2
Ha!
Repeat: MFW doesn’t do mainstream politics.
But sometimes I wish we did:-)
0
Oh dear, that’s a bleak (but probably accurate) summary. I haven’t quite given up on the season, we ‘only’ have to do as well in the second half of the season as Palace, Newcastle, Burnley, Bournemouth and a few others did in the first-but if we lose on Saturday, I will give up on this season.
My memory might be playing tricks but I don’t think there’s ever been a top flight season when we didn’t suffer heavy defeats; even in the season we finished 3rd we got beaten 7-1 by Blackburn. Our performances in the games before Saturday have been good and we’ve been very unlucky not to have picked up a couple more wins. Hopefully there will be another couple of signings to strengthen the team, I know I am grasping at straws but my inner happy clapper won’t let me be as pessimistic (realistic?) as many are.
6
Hi Don
Quite independently of Gary’s piece yesterday – I wrote this long before I’d read his – I too had decided it was time for an abrupt reality check.
I guess there might be another loan or maybe a cheap permanent import but I’m not sure of the value of this . As the board’s aim is to consistently cheapskate, why bother to sign anybody just now?
For what it’s worth I wouldn’t call you a happy clapper – just somebody who, like most of the rest of us, is happy to support the team through thick and thin.
All of us love following our team and the social experience of going to matches. The trouble is Delia knows that too and acts accordingly. We never stood a chance this season.
Cheers.
6
Marty, one day when you have a new set of teeth City may give you something to smile about, so there’s always a bright side of life.
0
Ha!
Teeth will arrive at the end of the season – it’s six months for the gums to settle properly.
If you’re right and we keep the squad together I’ll be smiling all right.
But as it will doubtless be decimated I’m not sure my new teeth will be used for very much more than eating the stuff I like, which will be a treat in itself.
Cheers
0
Chin up Martin plenty of sunshine coming our way, ziperdee Duda ziperdee-ay,
and I’m sure Teemu will soon find another goal after his deserved R&R!
0
Ha!
I was going to use ziperdee Dudah myself but some guy on the Pink Un beat me to it.
Wasn’t you was it?
0
I’m surprised we have signed Duda given we are going down. It is a cost that we didn’t need to make unless we are looking at him for next season.
Like you I can’t see the point in keeping our best players this window if we get decent offers. They may be loaned back in the case of the youngsters.
I can see us selling Aarons, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia and Pukki for decent money. Leitner might well pack his bags. Despite Tettey having a decent season will he get another year? I’m surprised he has played so much. Somebody may try to sign Krul as he has got his mojo back and he has improved his ball playing.
I’m sure Webber will have his plans in place for future signings for the championship but will they take a season to bed into Farkeball. I can’t see us being as strong as the championship winning side as I can’t see us investing lots of cash on new players.
1
No loan back allowed between Premier League teams.
1
Yes Nick that is true.
But a kind of “more than semi-official deal” is possible if the details don’t surface, which amounts pretty much to the same thing.
All to be negotiated in the dead of night by the agents we all love and trust of course. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one or two of ours are not subject to this swerving of the rules already.
0
Hi Colin.
“I’m sure Webber will have his plans in place for future signings for the championship but will they take a season to bed into Farkeball? I can’t see us being as strong as the championship winning side as I can’t see us investing lots of cash on new players”.
A fine speech and you’ve hit that nail on the head with precision.
Thank you.
0
It is all a little predictable, I remember saying and thinking we stood a chance with our style of football, that was in the hope that a decent standard of a defender was found, and Pukki got a suitable understudy.
Neither happened and here we are, two feet in the championship, I expect nothing else now, well perhaps a bit of a go at the FA Cup, the least supporters are owed. Now counting off the players we won’t be cheering next season, hope we have a crop of good young lads on the way through, but looking at the U23 results, that doesn’t fill me with much hope.
We have been guilty of allowing the excitement and over-expectation to let us get carried away, While I thought it was good to allow those players to have a go at the Prem, after they had earned it, but anyone with an eye for players could see some would not cut it, you can very rarely pick up that quality from the markets we had to use. (Pukki & Emi may be the exception)
I know it is the same old story and no doubt the odd clip of the lug is coming via the comments. But this about par for the course with this setup. They opened the purse strings about once, with money being wasted with nobody to block what looked like suspect buys for a lot of money. Had Webber been given the amount Hughton, & Neil was, I believe we would have seen a better choice., that is hindsight and personal belief only
The Purse will stay shut, but for once I do agree with not spending shed loads given the situation and time of the season we are in.
That will be it, no matter how many times we go up, the scenario will stay the same, no matter how the loyalty of supporters stays the same. It will be exactly like this. Worthington suffered from it, Lambert, Hughton, and Neil to some extent.
If nothing changes – things will stay the same
5
As previously stated in a comment yesterday, I don’t expect Delia to spend her money on the club but I do wish that she would realise she can no longer fund the club and sell to somebody who can.
5
As there’s a bit of French in the headline: je suis en accord. Totalement.
Votre mots sont parfait.
1
Hi Lad
I think the root of the problem here lies firmly at the door of the occasions on which money was released for RvW and Naismith.
The fingers of the joint majority shareholders [God I hate that description] were well and truly burned both times. I wonder to this day what Hughton and then Neil thought they were buying.
But we have to consider: £5m and then £8m. Even Bournemouth wouldn’t consider that a drop in the ocean. And that puts it all into clear perspective. The panic buy of Wildschut under Neil didn’t help either.
Klose was slightly different because when he was fit he was great. When he was fit.
Thanks for keeping up an element of this thread with your last sentence. I don’t know the exact French equivalent and I never resort to Google Translate cos it’s cheating but I sure do recognise it!
Thanks as always.
1
What more could you say Martin after another pathetic display, our club is a laughing stock outside of Norfolk,records are being broken and not in a good way.The cheap imports of last season are not good enough and the young lads who will make it are having their confidence eroded with every defeat…..what makes it so hard to take is that we haven’t even tried to compete and have failed a generaly very loyal fan base.The happy clappers keep quoting Fulham and 100 million …well other amounts are available, 10,15,20,25,30 million would have given us maybe 2 or 3 extra players, maybe a striker and centre half in the summer would surely have helped tip the balance in some games,as you say Martin a 18 year old striker at Old Trafford and none on the bench,the defensive problems we have ,a bit of investment in the summer…well who knows, now in January is much too late.
The line that keeps getting put out about being ahead of the curve,promoted too early is really ridiculous and takes us supporters for fools,opportunities should be grasped with both hands as nothing in the future in football is guaranteed
4
At least we have a recognised striker in reserve. Spurs had NOT ONE to replace Kane. Same with Man City and centre backs. They lose ONE key player and go into panic mode. We lose ALL FOUR and guess what we struggle even more…..
Events conspired to, with 20/20 hindsight, to make us look like we had not invested enough in the squad. When the season kicked off our squad was fine.
4
Maybe Nick but if my CB options were the injury-prone Klose and Hanley plus the youthful Godfrey and the unproven Zimbo I would have been very concerned going into a PL season.
That’s just me of course.
My original point was that on Saturday we didn’t have a striker in reserve – the 18-y-0 was on the pitch. And who eventually replaced the poor little $od? Onel.
6
See my comment re: Spurs and Kane. Also the Man City centre back meltdown.
0
Fair enough in that respect Nick.
I don’t actually disagree with you in either case tbh. Spurs are my “second side” and the absence of Kane is ruining them. Son is no central striker.
Can’t remember the name of the Citeh CB who got crocked early doors tbh beyond the fact that he’s French and a bl00dy good player.
Maybe they should have kept Vincent Kompany for one more year?
0
Hi Martin.
You speak so much common sense there. Too much for some folks I am afraid.
£20 million on a CB and a decent, fit, back-up for Pukki would have signalled a bit of intent and given us a fighting chance. Of all the summer signings only Sam Byram has proved judicious. And he was a bargain too it must be said.
I’m not that keen to use the term happy clapper myself – I connotate it with Delia aficionados and the easily satisfied, of whom there are plenty, especially away from the Pit and the Barclay.
And how can you be promoted too early when you have all summer to prepare for it? I’m not buying that one at all.
We’re cheapskates and known for it throughout the football world.
Thanks for a great comment.
4
OK. Consensus is the regime has failed. But…… this may signal the end, however it is only the end of the beginning. Did nobody read all the club statements that this season was a free hit? That we are way ahead of schedule? That the investment was to be in the root not the flower?
How short is the collective memory!
I’m looking forward to next season with full coffers and another set of kids and cheap rough diamonds to get behind for another promotion push.
The club has been absolutely open and honest about this. Why the wailing and gnashing of teeth?
8
At last! Thank you! Reading the comments above has been pretty depressing up to this point; how short people’s memories are. This team was not expected to get promoted, but everyone seemed quite happy when we did. The club has an ethos about what type of players it should buy, and I don’t expect, nor want, that to change. You can’t alter a business model that pulled this club from the brink of financial meltdown not three years ago just because you move up a league, empty your bath of what got you there and replace it with cash that you may just be flushing down the plughole. Get a bit of realism, please.
I know that fans want to see their team win, and it hurts when we don’t, but can we please concede that perhaps, just perhaps, Webber and Farke know a bit more about what they’re doing than fans of the club? And anyone blaming Delia for not “loosening the purse strings” needs to look long and hard at what they are wishing for, take a look over your shoulder at what the club has been through. Getting pretty tired of hearing that line again 🙂
7
Hi Justin
I understand your point of view but the trouble is that Delia doesn’t have enough in her personal purse to make loosening its strings worthwhile.
And after all she IS Norwich City, in her own mind anyway.
We will continue to squirrel massive amounts of money away to fill those black holes to keep the club up and running [in one division or another or even a third] so what’s the point in hope?
Of course SW & DF know what they’re doing. I’ve never said anything contrary to that. But they are fighting with their arms tightly tied behind their backs.
We had yet another chance and yet again the Board blew it.
Thank you – nice comment, although I disagree with the bulk of it:-)
6
Nick,read the last 3 lines of my comment, my memory is fine thanks
2
The most pertinent part of the self sustaining plan was the number 26.
Don’t expect anything other than survival under the present regime.
4
Whose survival John?
NCFC in the Championship or the Smiths’ social club?
7
Wholeheartedly agree Nick.
As I’ve frequently said, at the start of last season, how many City fans REALLY thought we stood any chance of even being in the play-offs, let alone storming through the season and winning the league?
Also, how many of these (now) so called “stars” will actually move on if we do get relegated? I guess Buendia, Aarons and possibly Krul could hold down a starting position in other Premier League teams, but in all honesty would Lewis/Cantwell/Godfrey et al?? Surely they will realise that another year with NCFC actually playing games has to be a better option than being bench-warmers elsewhere……..
O T B C
2
Hi John
I seriously reckon we’ll deffo lose Aarons, Cantwell, Godfrey and Buendia. And possibly Pukki and Lewis too.
It’s as much about wages as where you stand in the squad pecking order.
Ask any agent.
Thanks.
4
Hi Nick.
Yeah sure, the end of the beginning.
But what is the next chapter going to offer?
Yet more of bring those good enough through and sell ’em I would imagine.
Crewe Alex did this for years under their Board and the admirable Dario Gradi. We got the legend who is Dean Ashton from them after all.
Look where Crewe are now.
Thank you.
6
Absolutely the cycle of buy or grow the youngsters, sell when the market is right. Rinse and repeat. The intention is to improve at each iteration.
What has prompted me to really pile in today is the fact that all this has been pointed out by the club, ad nauseam, and still the majority of comments imply somehow we are being misled. We are not.
1
Pile in any time mate.
Although I don’t totally agree with you [or you with me] we obviously have some common ground which leads to great debate.
Cheers.
0
Awful afternoon spent cursing at the radio at every misplaced pass, half-hearted tackle, unmarked goal from a corner etc etc. Nobody comes out of this with even a modicum of credit. Truly shocking.
Failure to beat Bournemouth on Saturday and things might get tasty. There are some unhappy canaries out there.
I made the common mistake of leaving the radio on to take in Canary Call after the commentary. Always the vain hope that Butler will allow people that aren’t his personal friends or “super fans” or self-appointed mouthpieces that are well in with the local media or just plain fruit loops. This proved to be a terminal error.
Things were simmering nicely when I finally came to the boil when a Delia lover and part-time space cadet took to the airwaves.
He pronounced himself to be delighted with the state of the club, everything in his world was hunky-dory. He then expounded the theory that once relegated (hurrah) we should sell 100 million pounds worth of footballers, and here’s the best bit, spend absolutely nothing on replacements.
In his eyes and to quote “this would make Norwich City even more beautiful”
At this point, I decided that for my sanity and the safety of my radio I needed to switch off, which I did.
This is the nature of the problem at the club. Lady Gaga and her band of disciples imposing this kind of crapola are turning the club into a laughing stock. There’s no other way to describe it. Stinking out the league, seemingly desperate to grasp the opportunity of relegation from the most prestigious and elite competition in world sport.
Having turned away from all football after Canary Call from the planet Lala – on reflection maybe this guy was in fact somebody’s nephew, Norwich city’s own Granville.
10
Hi Chris.
Sure there are some unhappy, even angry Canaries around. Me? I’ve seen it all before so I’m not at all surprised, although I’m as depressed as any Carrow Road neophyte.
The lady Delia is not for turning and she has many adherents. Unfortunately.
There’s nothing we can do to get rid of her mate and as I’ve said before I would feel extremely uncomfortable making unpleasant chants and gestures towards a little old lady.
And that statement comes from a veteran of the “Chase Out” campaign who earned his spurs [no pun intended] on more than one occasion.
As for Canary Call a certain gent regularly gets on my threepennies so I’ve not listened to it in something like four years. However I must say this:
I phoned the previous Radio Norfolk station director [DC] to complain after said gent beasted an obviously sad old fella to the point of humiliation – and beyond. I wasn’t the only complainant apparently. By a long chalk.
DC took the time and trouble to explain the raison d’etre of Canary Call and the role of said gent as agent provocateur. He was very forthcoming and as I knew a couple of ex-colleagues of his we bantered away for a few happy minutes afterwards.
CC is what it is mate – I voted with my off button years ago.
Cheers.
2
Saturday was clearly not great but away to Man U and the like it’s going to happen from time to time; in fact in past PL seasons it’s happened several times. It’s when it happens at home to Villa you’ve really got a problem.
If things pan out as expected then next season will see us in a strong position back in the Championship. We will sell 2 or 3 players back to the PL, and maybe a couple into Europe (I think Pukki and Buendia would be of interest to UEFA Cup qualifiers on the continent, but not necessarily here).
Some of that money WILL be reinvested, I’m sure, but how much? £10m maybe over 3 – 5 players? Certainly not the level Wolves spent on promotion a couple of years back.
And that’s the problem isn’t it? We can probably go and find a few more Vrancics and Leitners, maybe another Buendia or Pukki. The new group may well win the Championship again, especially if we have last season’s luck rather this. But then we’re back to where we were in August – a squad that plays some attractive football, but full of players who are just not quite good enough to compete in the PL.
Above all though I think the biggest issue will be Farke. I get the feeling his current mindset is that he understands the financial limitations., he likes the club and he’ll be prepared to have another crack at the Championship. But that doesn’t stop other people coveting him.
Sooner or later someone, probably back in Germany, will be in for him, and however loyal he is, the offer of a bigger job at a bigger club with a bigger budget is likely to something he just can’t refuse.
1
Hi Keith
Yeah I agree with a great deal of what you’ve said there.
Nobody really minds a 4-0 stuffing at Old Trafford any more than anybody expected a 3-2 win over Man Citeh.
But it’s how we’ve performed against the bottom feeders around us that has killed this season stone dead in early January.
You suggest an investment of £10 million over three to five players. I doubt we’ll spend that over three to five YEARS on players.
Delia’s hoarding to keep the Club afloat. And henceforth her personal choice of lifestyle. Wouldn’t it be awful with nowhere to go and show off on a Saturday if you weren’t in complete control?
I am not one of those folks who suggests Delia hives off money for herself but our published accounts are not very transparent to eejits like myself who are entitled to question: where has the money gone, where is it now and where will it be in the future?
It won’t be seen on the pitch and that is for sure.
I completely agree with you about Daniel Farke [and his coaching team]. He seems a patient, uncomplaining type. But we can all change our loyalties and I wouldn’t blame Farke for a single second if he did just that.
Thanks as always – good stuff.
3
Hi Martin
Great read and what a discussion it has stirred up.
We all as city supporters say “City till I Die” but know one means it to be taken literally or too the extreme hopefully.
It has been said that Tom will take over the mantle once Auntie decides enought is enough, it has also been said that he has influence in how the club is being run, and had a big imput in the new set up if that is the case then why is he not advising her either to look for outside investment or take a roll as life President and let him take the lead otherwise he will inherit an empty club.
The comment saying that the club is a year ahead of schedule is utter rubbish to many clubs say that when they are promoted it is a coverall comment wether you stay up or go back down, if you stay up all is well with the world, if you go down then you have lost nothing except all the players that got you promoted in the first place.
The other statement is we will not be forced to sell players that is a panto comment as the answer is “Yes you will” these young players will gave their heads turned by the experience of the Premiership season, clubs will be snapping at city to get young tallent as bargain prices, agents will be wanting to move their clients on to earn their share of any fee’s, it is really a question of loyalty to a club or your bank balance/pocket I know which I would chose.
Until it is mathematical certain city are down like many others I live in hope maybe it is turning a blind eye to the inevitable season ending but hope is better than no hope.
Duda in and possibly a new left back from spain, a CB from Holland who said we are leaveing the EU lol.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
2
Hi Alex
Yeah I’ve been a bit busy today for sure – sometimes the voluntary stuff can be as demanding as the paid-for but the difference is I am early retired and thoroughly enjoy MFW so am very happy to do it.
Auntie will never decide enough is enough until she does, well, what my father and mother did in 2000 and 2014 respectively. I admire her tenacity but not much else about her tbh.
All this stuff about schedules, plans and all that is bunk. McNally used to say we’re ahead of schedule and now the new incumbents echo it. It’s all a load of row-locks – yet again we had a sustainable Premiership chance and blew it. This will never change with any of the Smiths at the helm. So if Delia lives as long as her dear mum Etty [and I sincerely hope she does] we’ve got another 20 years of this which will most probably see thee and me out.
And as Robert Chase said about Chris Sutton and so many others: “We can’t stand in their way if they want to move on”.
Delia is just the same but unlike Chase I doubt it’s for personal gain beyond wishing to show off within her own social circle.
Cheers.
4
Martin I’d like to see you confront SW with your third para!
0
Ha!
I get the feeling that if I ever got to meet SW I’d like him very much. He might not think the same of me, he he.
We owe the guy a lot and that’s for sure. I’ve total respect for the man as I think just about all of us here on MFW have as well.
Would I present my third para to SW face to face? Sure I would. I might not like his response but I’d be delighted to meet him anyway!
1
I think everything has been covered but I’ll just add my 2 pennyworth.
1 I think most fans knew that we needed a central defender and another striker for this campaign (just like when we were promoted with Neill). This time we had more time for planning and it didn’t happen. It’s a joke being promoted and spending less than a million. I am aware that you have to spend the money well and need more luck than we’ve had.
2 We need outside investment if we want to stay up when we get promoted. If that dilutes Delia’s power, so be it.
3 We need to expand the ground. In the PL we could sell 35,000 + for most games (would another bond issue help here?) Forest are currently planning to extend their ground (but they are owned by a Greek shipping magnate)
4 Each time we’re relegated I fear that it will be a long time before we clamber back. And each time we’re promoted we don’t seem to show enough ambition and nous to stay there.
5 The last 10 years of yoyoing has been fun (when we’re doing well)
2
Not sure if my memory serves me well but wasn’t Delia once quoted as saying yoyoing will help the club grow into a premiership team worthy of a long term future in that league.
My question to ask her how many times do we need to be yoyoing to achive this wonderous aim.
Other memorable quotes
Charlton are a club we beed to follow as they are a well run club
WBA another well run club and yes they had a few consecutive year in the Prem.
It seems thst the clubs she wants to follow all fell on hard times some took longer to recover than others next she will don he blue scaff and say we need to be more like Ipshite
2
Yeah that blue and white scarf may well still be in her walk-in wardrobe in her well-constructed older-style residence just outside of Stowmarket.
Basically it’s as fundamentally flawed as me writing on an 1p5wich site and you commenting on it. Or the other way round of course.
I openly admit to an allegiance to Spurs [second to City] so at least I’m honest.
We’ve got to laugh.
There’s nothing else we can do my friend.
1
Hi Paul.
1: Spot on.
2: That’s a lovely thought but Delia will never sanction it.
3: I think any sensible NCFC supporter would agree with you. I do.
4: You’re right on the money again.
5: Yeah it’s been good times bad times [my borrow from Led Zep] but somehow Delia always ensures our PL sustainability is impossible. Kudos to Lambert and indeed Hughton for somehow keeping us in the PL for two seasons on the trot.
Thanks a lot.
3
Just picking up Paul Harley’s point 4
“Each time we’re relegated I fear that it will be a long time before we clamber back.”
True, but the curious thing is that since our debut in 1972 the first 3 times we were relegated from the top flight we bounced straight back; we did the same in 2015, and after immediate relegation subsequently waited 3 years to get back up again, which is long enough, but not that many compared to many comparable clubs (Derby, Leeds, Forest for example).
Only between 1995 and 2011 have we gone long spells outside the PL. Those were the early Delia years and the key figure on whom she over-relied for much of that time was Neil Doncaster. In first McNally and now Webber we’ve had two guys at the helm since then who have known what they are doing, and it doesn’t half make a difference.
1
Absolutely Keith.
Doncaster aka “Doomcaster” presided over our very worst years. I had a lot of time for McNally [I know he split opinion but I rated him] and Webber seems to be even better.
In the case of SW, how long can we hang on to him?
1
If we were the ones with Juan Mata then we possibly get a result in that game. He proved the biggest difference not wasting the ball at the crucial moment. Even with Idah up front, we could have gone in 1-1 at half time. That is how close it was before Krul’s error. It ain’t over til it’s over!
1
Hi Tony.
Yeah Daniel Farke was praising Mata to the hilt after the game and that cross for Rashford was truly sublime.
I’ll go back to the 60s Stones [and Bobby Womack who wrote it]: It’s All Over Now.
Thank you.
0
Indeed, it’s not over until the fat lady sings.
People keep saying we spent less than a million on the squad. I’m sure the loan players weren’t free. We need a striker and CB and what do we get but two more midfielders! Hope Webber knows what he’s doing.
I’m quite relaxed about where we are this season, it’s all about more than just this season in the general scheme of things.
1
Hi Andrew
You’re quite right – of course the loans weren’t free.
Rumour has it that we paid around £1.5million for Ralf Fahrmann alone and he’s yet to set foot on the Carrow Road pitch. Patrick Roberts was a disaster and Ibrahim Amadou is the only one of said loans to have made any kind of tangible contribution.
Duda is apparently a No. 10 so I can see some logic in that but as for Rupp we have so many fielders already…
I’m kind of relaxed too, but I think I’d go for the word *resigned* myself.
Thank you.
0
Do teams bounce back after relegation to the champ. The last 6 relegatees are still there, WBA could get out this year, Fulham could be in play offs. The rest are looking to another season in purgatory. Newcastle did though, but exception rather than the rule. With a fair wind it takes 2-3 goes at it to escape. If you take longer its a lottery. A good number of the contributors today are thinking we’ll do a Newcastle. Hmmm
1
Hi Bernie
We have absolutely no divine right to bounce back so imo we should have fought a little harder to make the most of this current opportunity.
I think we can more accurately assess how we’ll do next season when we see how many of the current squad have left and who has been got in on the cheap to replace them.
Wasn’t a Relagatee the Roman gladiator who had the net and trident?
Cheers.
2
When we beat Bournemouth on Saturday, we could be only 5 points off safety with 15 games to go and 45 points still to play for.
Can’t believe people are chucking in the towel now.
0
Hi Derek.
I’ll be there to see IF we can beat Bournemouth or not.
Sorry my towel is thrown in I’m afraid and I’m very far from alone.
Mind you if you’re right…:-)
0
Then I will be sure to remind you where you heard it first! 🙂
0
Btw 3 wins and the table would look very different.
0
Hi Tony.
Sure it would. But I’m so cynical I gave up on the tooth fairy when I was about seven, around the time Dad admitted Santa wasn’t real
Yours is a lovely positive thought but unfortunately it ain’t gonna happen.
Thanks.
0
Glad you are not doing the team talks!
0
So am I:-)
0