Having been in receipt of a German A level for 20 years (and sadly hardly ever using it) you come to realise that the Germans have a word for almost anything and some of these words have started to find their way into our vocabulary. Particularly if your beloved football team are now lovers of all things black, red and yellow.
I’m going to nail my colours firmly to the mast early on. I love Delia, I love Webber and I really love Farke. Heck, I’d even love cousin Tom if I knew what he looked like! I regularly find myself humming ‘FARKE’S on a horse…’ and still hoping we sign Jordan Rhodes. So it’s with a sense of more than frustration that I pen this article.
Rewind back a few years. Alan Irvine has just thumped Reading 7-1 and when quizzed about the managerial vacancy, openly states that ‘he has never applied for a job in his life’. I’m sure most of us gave him a guilty thought or two in respect of the manager’s vacancy. What none of us saw coming was the complete left-field appointment of firstly one Stuart Webber, secondly one Daniel Farke and thirdly a slew of previously unheard of backroom staff and new players (Angus and Hanley aside).
It was a gamble, an experiment, a chance to make a bold statement of intent about the direction of the club we all bleed yellow and green for. As a veteran of 26 years of Championship Manager (I still refuse to call it Football Manager) ripping up a club and starting again is what a lot of us die-hard fans enjoy doing. And to see it playing out in real life at your own club, was the stuff of schoolboy dreams.
This gamble finally spluttered into life in season two. Season one was poor, at times I found it hard to keep the faith, but keep the faith I did. For every Millwall (a) there was a Sheff Utd (a). For every Marley Watkins, there was James Maddison. Yet it was in season two that we suddenly exploded into life (that Cardiff game, possibly soon to be akin to a ‘JFK’ or ‘911’ moment, as in where were you when…).
None of us saw it coming. Not one.
I challenge any of you to find me someone who thought at the commencement of last season that we would win the league. And win it by playing the most superb, graceful, balletic football ever to have graced the hallowed turf. For those of you who say we got promoted too early, there’s never a right or wrong time to go up. You go up and you take your chances. Yes, we are well ahead of schedule and we haven’t thrown money at it, but we are doing it our way and for me that is, without doubt, the best way for the club.
Rhetorical question. What do you want out of football?
- To win every game no matter how we play? – Forget it. Every team loses, accept the fact we will lose and I have no stomach for boring insipid football.
- To win and play attractive football? – Surely the dream. Won’t happen every week though, so get used to losses.
- Play attractive football and when we win just bl**dy well enjoy it…?
Option 3 for me every day. I want to be entertained and I love watching how we play. I have no stomach for a Pulis/Hughton approach. We won’t win every game and we will never ever have the backing that teams like Liverpool have, simply due to geography and global fan base.
I love seeing us play great football and I am a firm believer that if you get the process right, the results will follow. But it’s what’s on the pitch that I enjoy, and enjoy it I am.
So I think Norwich fans could be categorised into the aforementioned German words in the title.
Gemütlichkeit
the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer. Other qualities encompassed by the term include coziness, peace of mind and a sense of belonging and well-being.
These are fans who just enjoy being a fan come what may. Promotion, relegation or simply mid-table obscurity. We turn out, we support and whilst constructive criticism is accepted, moaning and whinging is conspicuous by its absence.
Zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular time.
Those that enjoy our current situation wherever that may be, but perhaps yearn for a bit more. At times it’s articulated, at times it isn’t. At times it’s articulated sensibly, at times it isn’t. Delight when we win, but über critical when we don’t.
Schadenfreude
pleasure derived by someone from a particular person’s misfortune.
Those fans who seem, perversely, to take utter enjoyment or delight in any iota of misfortune that befalls us. I stumbled across a post on the PinkUn message board entitled; ‘what makes Farke special then’ and then went on to question what Farke has actually done for us or why he’s so special. Baffling.
And it is with the latter of these that I take umbrage. I’d like to think that no Canary fan would take pleasure in us losing, yet as soon as we look like we are taking a turn for the worse, or results aren’t going our way, then all of these keyboard warriors appear.
‘Sack Delia’ … The ‘Stowmarket two’ … ‘What is Webber doing’.
In this day and age of needing instant gratification – the success and endeavours of last season, and be under no illusions, NO-ONE saw that coming, are swiftly forgotten. Football, for me, is about entertainment. I want to be entertained. And if that means we don’t win every game (name me a team that ever has) then so be it. I’m loving the ride.
I don’t think we need a change at the top. We are fortunate to have owners who love and care for the club and what a ride it’s been. Four promotions in the last few years coupled with a Wembley visit. For me, superb.
I’d like to pay a quick tribute to South West Canaries with whom I am a fortunate, albeit infrequent attender, of matches. They all radiate such positivity and trek hundreds of miles to follow our beloved club. I rarely, if ever, hear a moan about the club from them.
They all believe the club is in a great place and is run by people with nothing but the club at heart. Some are even doing Newcastle (and back) In a day. Not bad going when you’re starting from Bristol!
And it was a pleasure to hear that they’d been invited to spend some time with Ben Kensell and Delia before the Man Utd game, discussing the membership scheme. The club genuinely values their opinion. I can’t think of many owners who would have offered the same. The SWC even gave Delia a beach towel (which she loved!). The unity between board and fans has surely never been stronger?
I appreciate we are all entitled to our opinions and I’m no advocate of stifling free speech… nonetheless…
Bedenke, was Du Dir wünschst, es könnte Dir gewährt werden.
You Sir have written the most delightful article I have ever read on MFW. It’s difficult to find a single word I disagree with.
9
Hi Andy, thank you very much for your most gracious comment. I write my reply to you from the maternity ward in Bristol hospital as I await the birth (c-section) of my daughter. The sun has appeared, we’re in the 5th round of the cup and my family is soon to get bigger.
OTBC.
3
UPDATE. I now have a beautiful baby daughter – Tessa. Mum and baby are doing well.
What a marvellous day.
7
Congratulations!
My daughter was born the day Hughton was sacked. I wonder what’s in store for Tessa.
0
The signing of Sitti it would appear!!
I clearly remember the day Hughton was sacked, sitting in work when the news flashed up.
0
Hearty congratters old chap.
My daughter was born on Christmas Day and spent at least 15 years bemoaning that fact as she always felt her special day was neglected.
Mind you my Rachel’s 31 now so I guess she’s got over it!
0
Cheers’ Martin.
I’m no t sure I’d ever get over sharing my birthday with Jesus!
I saw you biog mentioned you were in the met?
I might pen an article about my grandad that may interest you….
0
A rather superb article Martin (no, not you Mr P!!) and I have to say that I gave up my Season Ticket after the 16-17 season as I felt I wasn’t being entertained. Two reasons –
1. I wanted to sample sitting in different areas of the ground except the Barclay
2,. The fan sitting next to me wanted my seat, so that his mate could have his seat.
I went to around 12 games during DF’s first season and so thought I would try to get an ST again and I was fortunate enough to get a seat 1 row in front of where I’d sat for the previous 10 years or so.
I’m a ‘Fully Paid-up Member’ of group 3, in that I want to go to games to be entertained and boy do we get entertained???? Not for me a Pullis, Big Sam, ‘Colin’ or whoever and we can only hope that SW and DF are replaced with like-minded replacements.
To witness first-hand the development of Maddison, Aarons, Lewis, Godfrey and last but not least TC (aka Cantwell). Many of us thought that he was rather lightweight last season, but I was fortunate enough to see him in both pre-season friendlies – it was his number on the shirt, but he was playing a totally different game. He was much more involved, he was running at defenders and making mostly accurate passes. It’s only to be expected that he and the others I’ve mentioned will make mistakes/errors of judgement, but DF and his staff have instilled such belief that they pick themselves up etc.
The draw for the 5th round of the FA Cup certainly hasn’t been kind to us, but I’m hoping that Spurs win their replay and then I should be able to visit their new stadium.
I’ll end by saying that IF we can avoid defeat at SJP (I’m sure IF MA sells, it will be renamed to satisfy the new Saudi owners), that the miracle is still possible!! 😀
1
To some of us it will forever be The Sports Direct Arena
0
Thanks, Ed! I’ve realised from your comments that I haven’t even mentioned the policy of blooding and developing our youngsters! And what a crop we have.
I think the saddest part of being relegated would actually be the dismantling of our team. What a group of players.
Glad you enjoyed it and glad you’re back at Carrow Road and loving the football again!
2
Hi Martin.
A first-class article which proves yet again that nobody is too old to learn – I knew zeitgeist and schadenfreude but had never heard of gemütlichkeit before.
Personally I fall under the middle category and am quite possibly the living embodiment of it – your football-adapted description of “zeitgeist” sums me up perfectly. And most of my mates too if I’m honest.
I really enjoyed reading that.
3
I knew you’d fall Into that category… I almost referenced you in the article! Haha.
Glad you enjoyed it.
0
Forgot to add, not sure if you’ve ever frequented a bier Keller before…
but here are the lyrics from a regular song of theirs;
German Ein Prosit Lyrics
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit.
A great opportunity for a beer if nothing else.
Prosit!
0
Ha!
Yes I’ve heard it – in Mannheim of all places, followed by Palma de Mallorca later at an {almost] German only Bierkeller celebration for a huge group of cyclists who’d just done the “round the island” tour.
I worked for BASF for nearly 20 years and went to Ludwigshafen on several occasions. I never learned the language cos my colleagues all spoke excellent American and loved soaking up a few “informal” words of English from me.
Prosit was an often-used word between us in der Kleine Bar [ironic as it was massive] after work!
0
Does anyone remember the Hofbrauhaus in Anglia Square??
I recall the 3 line toast being yelled out there rather too much!!
0
Well well the happy clapper tendency is out in force today! Hurrah! I’m totally with you there. Those taking a longer view can see that the club are on the right track to a golden future. Onwards and upwards even if we have to take a step backwards in 20-21. OTBC
3
Thanks, Nick! Of course I’d be gutted if we got relegated, more so due to the dismantling of the squad than the league we are in. But we will retain the majority and go again.
3 pts at Newcastle and the game is back on!
0
Martin a superbly crafted piece and I agree with you that I want to be entertained. The worst option is losing and not playing entertaining football, which is what we have had a lot of, even under Daniel Farke in his first season.
I think what is refreshing with NCFC now is that the Board are supporting the Head Coach, most clubs would have sacked him by now. In Stuart Webber we have a man with a plan, who is determined to implement it. My disappointment is that he has stated that he will leave in a couple of seasons.
Interestingly Brentford have been getting some positive comments about their recruitment of players using statistics. Sounds familiar. Webber has done it at two clubs now with good success by getting them both out of the Championship. Unfortunately both clubs could not afford to invest big money when they got to the Premier League.
The more I think about what has happened this season our downfall has been not being able to get a second goal when we have taken the lead in games. Last season the goals were spread around the team but this season the only major contributions have been from Pukki and Cantwell.
Win at Newcastle and the great escape might still be possible.
OTBC
1
Cheers, Colin and thanks for reading. Do you know, I’ve been listening to the Brentford story in recent days and my interest was piqued in their approach to the game/running of the club.
They have clearly adopted some from the same approach as us and it’s looking like it could pay off.
In this day and age of obscene transfers and salaries, it’s most refreshing….
1
To be honest I can’t understand why anyone would opt for anything but option 2? Options 2 and 3 are very similar, just 3 seems absent the mindset of wishing to win, except that you then say that you should enjoy it. So really still option 2, no?
This attempt to portray extremes of mindset once again only speaks for a very small set of our fan base.
Do I love Delia, of course not. Do I hate her, no. Do I think she represents the best ownership for our club? No. Is she the worst? not even close. Any change is a gamble and I sit in the lets wait and see camp. But surely Webber and the current structure represents the last role of the dice for her to make a degree of success in running the club.
I know people will say ‘but she has saved us’, but she has also subsequently driven us to the brink of ruin twice more. By my thinking even a modest investment by PL standards and a modest gamble against the worth of our youngsters of £15-30m might have made the difference this summer between where we are and a significantly improved shot at safety. (Webbers recruitment is not infalible, but with that much, I really believe our chances of staying up would have been decent.
I know people might play the hindsight card, but whilst agreeing the squad should be given a chance, they also needed competition, added quality and to be in particular enhanced defensively. I believed that before a ball was kicked this season and so it has been proved.
So onto your definitions, my interpretation.
Gemütlichkeit = Happyclapper
I’m sure its wonderful to meander through life, football and all things in delerious happiness at everything and nothing. But failure to investigate and discuss both success and failure without constructive criticism will ensure longterm malais or deterioration. I also fail to believe that people really exist to this end.
OK, you may not criticise anyone; the players, the board or the management (Though it seems with your labels, fellow fans are fair game). But are you really trying to tell me you still were warm and fuzzy and happy week in week out as Hughton bored us to death?
Zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular time.
Those that enjoy our current situation wherever that may be, but perhaps yearn for a bit more. At times it’s articulated, at times it isn’t. At times it’s articulated sensibly, at times it isn’t. Delight when we win, but über critical when we don’t.
I can relate to this position the most but ‘at times sensibly, at times it isn’t’ belies your position of happyclappery, it infers that even these fans you believe are Schadenfreude for daring to be unhappy with something.
I would say most fans maybe Zeitgeist, but whilst we might well wish for better we are not flipflopping with each result (Though some will, I believe a small twatter and CC minority), most of us see a bigger picture, perhaps more so than anyone in the Gemütlichkeit’s. We want us to get better and be the best we can be to do that we analyse; praise and criticise. But constructively.
Can anyone honestly say that Every team picked, late substitution made or traansfer has been a success and beyond criticism? I think most however realise DF is learning and only a very limited bunch will be calling for his head. Criticising the board for a lack of ambition is another thing entirely.
The Schadenfreude bunch as you describe them are to me as ridiculous as the happy clappers, both sets relishing bashing the others (A certain irony not lost on me in that I am bashing both!) but we are all fans in our own way, there is no absolute right or wrong way, though I think being overly critical especiailly if it gets to the point of abuse and Twatter account blocking is the least helpful.
Bah!
10
Hi Martin B
A very interesting read and I agree with most of what you have written but not so sure on the Smith’s I am of the opinion that they have out lived there sell by date just like any thing you must know when to quit, and not looking for investment is a sad way to run a business.
I am with you on style of the football city play having been an ST during the Bond era which was also entertaining.
So now we have 2 days of rumours to help build the great escape and the first today is Amadou going to Genoa then city can recruit the Luxembourg goal a game forward, and that city are trying to get a deal done for Shankland for next season.
Famewo is getting rave reviews at St Mirren so he us the next big CB for city.
Hope all goes well in the Maternity.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
2
This is a good point to insert a line I somehow managed to omit earlier although Alex has said it for me I’ll still piggyback on his post.
Best wishes to you, your partner and your imminent new arrival from me too, Martin. Hope you’ve stocked up on NCFC babygros!
1
Continued
Brentford and now Barnsley are owned by people involved with moneyball.
0
Excellent column Martin;
Many thanks for pointing out that many of the “quiet” supporters are in group 3.
Personally I think I’m somewhere between 2 and 3, but have to totally agree that had ANY of us thought back in August 2018 that we would already have completed nearly two thirds of a Premier League season under Farke, then the men in white coats would have had a field day.
The football from last and this season has been a joy to watch (Villa at home excepted), but this time the gods just don’t seem with us.
If we get relegated then yes, some of the current crop will depart. However, with SW and DF around I’m confident that we will have replacements lined up.
I hope that the wait at the hospital brings you everything you wish for – apart from another season in the Prem which may well have to wait!
O T B C
0
I think balance is needed here. I’ve supported the club for over sixty years and have always hoped for what was best for the club which meant playing in the top division.
I freely admit Delia saved the club in the 90s and will be forever grateful.
But the time comes in every business when change at the top is required and I would argue that this has been overdue for the past ten years.
Huge wealth is required to establish a club in the top league thanks to TV money. I don’t agree with this state of affairs but have to accept it as the way of the world.
The one thing Delia has brought to the club is luck. Every time the finances dictated she could no longer survive financially along came Lambert, Neil and Farke at regular intervals. Nobody gave them much hope at the time of appointment but they managed a promotion to the premier league which provided parachute payments that have allowed Delia to cling to her hobby rather than establish the club in the top league.
After more than twenty years of ownership during which time we’ve been very close, by her own admission, to administration we are still “little Norwich” with no money.
We are slowly but surely going backwards to a lower league existence which to me is nothing to rejoice in.
12
Not luck, it’s courage to make brave decisions. Stuff happens of course but over time we make our own luck. The past ten years have been the most exciting in our history with 5 of them spent in the PL. As for your final sentence I just can’t understand why you feel this way. We are a yo-yo club and always will be but I’m certain the solid foundation now in place ensures we have a bright future to look forward to plus we may be good enough to stay up this time around.
1
Hi Colin and John. Thanks for both reading.
The beauty of opinions is that they are all different!
But I was also going to pick up on John’s last comment and was going to ask him to qualify the statement, because I’m failing to see a measure that is worse than prior to Delia’s arrival or that would be any better under any other owner other than a billionaire…
for every Leicester there are reams of other clubs who gambled and failed.
1
It’s worth noting that Robert Chase was run out of the club in no small part for selling our best players.
Yet this is now embraced as Delia’s strategy.
So I think that’s a measurable that’s easy to see the decline.
6
The difference is that Chase did it without financial or other necessity. Delia has been delighted to oversee Norwich as a buying club when circumstances allow (eg Jan 2016).
In 2017-18 we simply had to be a selling club in order to avoid insolvency – as you yourself highlighted, as I recall. Right now we can retain our best players, and financially probably wouldn’t have to sell next summer. We’ll sell one or two because, under Farke’s tutelage, they’ve simply become too good for a non-top-ten club to keep.
So selling was indeed Chase’s strategy – but it’s only ever been tactical for Delia, when the situation doesn’t allow anything else.
2
Hi David
I think I’ve said this before in some form or the other in that there was something odious about Mr Chase we could use as a focal point and address that issue as supporters. He buckled and fled.
Delia? No, it’s different. I’ve no time for her whatsoever but I couldn’t bring myself to physically demonstrate against her. I bet very few of us could tbh.
I agree it’s a measurable. It peaked in 1993 and then self-destructed. Since then peaks and troughs of course. Including more than a whole decade of troughs between 1996 and 2009. Under Delia.
What success we have had over the last ten years is not down to Delia because she doesn’t really care too much where we are in the football hierarchy anyway.
10
I think that’s an oversimplification Stewart. The whole club strategy right now is growing young players and signing cheap players to sell at a profit. It is to be self-sustaining. That’s the clubs line, not mine.
They aren’t saying they want to be a top 10 team. They aren’t saying they want to be the best we can be.
The whole ethos is – we need to make sure the owners don’t have to put any money in. It’s that simple and it sits under everything at the club.
I bet you if Robert Chase had said that, or if a foreign owner came in and said the same thing, there would be outcry.
3
I could easily argue that for every brave decision there have been; no decisions, or too long delayed decisions. For example, when sacking managers might have saved us. Was this cowardice? misguided loyalty? Are they brave because they succeeded?
Whether you believe appointing Webber was lucky, brave or genius, I see it as a great move, stay up or go down we are in a better place than when he arrived. But the board for me will be judged on the level of investment next season and subsequently. If we do not follow Burnley’s example, if we do not invest relatively heavily (For our standards) out of the PL millions and potential sales, then my patience with her would run out. I agree that yoyoing is our place in things, but with the right and ambitious people running us we can at least be more up than down.
Bah!
12
If you look at her other appointments, Grant, Roeder, Gunn and Adams it was luck.
5
I agree. I do think it’s a generational thing.
It is not their fault, but there’s a lot of folk making #ncfc content now that only remember Lambert onwards. What a rollercoaster of a decade.
But that means they don’t remember the 80’s and early 90’s. A period of consistent top flight football, a cup win, getting into Europe, being real contenders to winning the PL.
Yes Delia saved the club and she should have a statue and a stand named after her. But since she took over we’ve consistently fallen down the football pecking order, had a numerous scrapes with insolvency every time we’re in The Championship, an entirely dire decade of football (the 00’s) with one bonkers appointment after another.
Then we reached the ’10’s. We witnessed the astonishing escape from the bank’s clutches to reach PL safety and being debt free, only to blow it time and time again for the same reasons.
The Delia project hinges on trips to the PL every 2-3 years. It falls apart after that. So as to what football do I like? The brand that keeps us in the PL and keeps us solvent.
Farkeball may be nice, but if it’s less successful than Hughton and Neil, who were both relegated, I don’t see how it’s ‘better’. Getting beaten most weeks hurts the players, the fans, the staff, everyone. If it keeps us up, fine, but we shouldn’t romanticize losing in a game where our existence depends on us winning.
10
Delia did not ‘save the club’. It is the biggest myth that many still buy into. She helped, certainly, but would she have done if she would was only allowed one seat on the board? Methinks not.
2
Sums my feelings up perfectly Martin, one of the best articles ever on MFW.
Hated learning German at School which was back in the days of CSE’s and O-Levels in the early 70’s but through parrot fashion learning your article brought those phrases back to mind.
Klapp zu, Affe tot!
0
Martin , Congrats on the Birth of another South West Canaries Member, Great read , Cant agree more with the article more , and as a positive South West Canary , The Mission this season is to get as many points as possible from the remaining games , whether we survive or not I will be cheering us on next season Either in the best league in the world or still in the premier league , OTBC NMTD
1
Cheers mate. Hopefully I can join you for another game soon!
0
We have been a Yo-Yo club for the past ten years but things progress. Many fail to see that a lot of owners in the championship are now far wealthier than in the past which will make regaining premiership status much harder next time.
Looking at the last accounts if we are down for more than three years the debt accrual will be beyond Delia’s means.
There are now several clubs like Leicester who have succeeded with wealthy owners.
I would suggest that in recent times this is a more secure path than the self funded one which will struggle to produce enough revenues to ensure championship survival.
12
You seem to be equating the many supporters who wish to see Delia ssmith and her families reign come to a belated end with people who for some reason wish to see Norwich city lose football matches. Simplistic and insulting.
16
Great article and many congratulations, Martin.
0
Hi Stew
I bet Martin’s had a terrific day although he might not get a lot of sleep for quite a few months – we all remember those days!
Couldn’t reply to you above so I’ll do it here: Back in the day Chase had to have a firesale so off went Jon Newsome and Ashley Ward, which basically removed 66% of that team’s spine.
Chase had pushed his agenda too far and was brought to book for it – as you, I and the rest of the paying NCFC public had no choice but to endure that inglorious relegation.
I don’t feel the same way about Delia at all who at least comes across as benevolent in her stance – although she’s more than a little naïve and has proved that too often for my liking. However there’s a difference between self-centred arrogance and well-meaning ignorance.
Delia’s impossible to detest, unlike a previous head honcho.
Hope all is good with you.
0
Hi Martin P
Firstly many congrats to Martin M
As I said a few days ago its toys for her and no one else can play with them.
As you say she has been naive at times and we all remember her saying Bellamy would never be sold on her watch then sold him for £6m a few weeks later.
I watched her interview with Gary Neville and she came across very opinionated and it was only her way that matters the old man sat there with very little to say so she is the boss.
Her record at city isn’t the greatest and everytime the club is in trouble it has been someone else that has saved the day with the banks never her millions
2
Excellent article. Superbly written. Congrats on the birth of your baby daughter. Big up the South West Canaries. Otbc xx
0
Thank you all for your informative comments and well wishes for my daughter. I write this as my toddler screams for me to get him up – looks like I’ve doubled the lack of sleep!
Balance is indeed needed and appreciated – otherwise we’d never have anything to discuss.
That said I’d like to pick up on a few points raised above;
I was a fan through Europe, but I wasn’t really interested in football in the 80s so missed the Cup final and the top league finishes under Brown and Stringer, but I was most certainly a fan during those, at times, dire days under Delia in the 90s and 00s. So whilst I have only made reference to the last ten years in this article, do I think we’d have done any better under different ownership? Not really. The era was completely different under Chase and he was one of a number of a chairmen who simply couldn’t adapt to or deal with the swiftly changing nature of the modern game, as outlined superbly in Ed Couzen-Lake’s book ‘the 90s’. So, yes there was success during his tenure, but it was relative for the time. He didn’t know how to evolve once SKY got involved and was highlighted as the dinosaur he was.
Foreign ownership – billionaires? I don’t have time to look at the stats on the success ratio of billionaire ownership. But the first headline I read this morning was about Ed Woodward’s house being attacked. And just think of the billions they’ve spent on players. Evidence surely, that if you don’t get your club structure right, you can throw whatever money you want at the project and it won’t work. Would i trade Webber and Farke for Woodward and Ole?!?
Mike Ashley might be available soon….I assume that some of you might fancy getting Delia to tender the club to him?
Managerial appointments;
Walker – I genuinely think was unlucky with injuries and given more time would’ve had a good crack at promotion.
Rioch/Hamilton – awful
Worthington – playoffs and promotion (successful)
Grant – awful
Roeder – awful
Gunn – awful
Lambert – speaks for itself
Hughton – football dire, some success but awful to watch and ultimately got us relegated.
Adams – tactically savvy, out of his depth with the players, but left us in or around the playoffs
Neil – galvanised a squad and won at Wembley.
Farke.
Those appointments smack far more of success than failure, so I do think she has got more right than wrong there – certainly not ‘lucky’. You may get lucky once, but not thrice.
Selling our best young players. This has always grated on me. But players simply don’t have club loyalty anymore. The game is different. Would I want the Murphys back on the wing instead of Todd and Hernandez/Rupp? Nope. Absolutely not. But we got paid handsomely for them.
Maddison or Beundia? Buendia for me every day.
We are only idolising Aarons and Lewis because Farke gave them a chance. If he hadn’t we be clamouring for us to spend millions on a right and left back. Now we have a coach who will give youth a chance AND we are under no financial pressure to sell. I’m struggling to see how this new project is anything other than a mitigated success….
And if a player wants to leave, then there is precious little we can do about it.
Throwing money at this season to stay up? Oh how short are ye memories… I was personally delighted at the signing of Naismith, Fer, Jarvis, Klose and especially the Wolf. Those five signings nearly destroyed the club. So you can’t blame Delia for trying to do it on the cheap and then when the purse strings were loosened in a vain attempt to remain in the premier league, accuse her of taking the club to the brink of administration..!
Personally I am loving our new ‘money ball’ approach and firmly believe the club is in good hands. I trust in Webber and Farke and wouldn’t want a change (I’m dreading the day Webber says his goodbyes).
Anyhow, opinions are what make us unique and if they were all the same then what would we have to discuss over a beer (Stein anyone?)
Thanks again for all your comments and well wishes.
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Possibly the best article I’ve ever read on MFW!
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Thank you! Made my day.
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