“The Play-Offs are gloriously British. If your team isn’t involved it’s all about choosing which team you hate more and screaming for them to lose. Lots of opportunities for visceral catharsis.”
The words of a wise man.
Henry Winter? Paddy Barclay? Brian Glanville?
Nope. Instead, from the keyboard of our own Andy Head – him of the ‘Headteacher’s’ reports – and delivered with perfect timing on Twitter as the Cherries of Bournemouth licked their wounds after their brutal defeat by Brentford in yesterday’s playoff semifinal.
That the Bees had to overcome a one-goal deficit from the first leg and then the concession of an early goal yesterday made it all the more painful for fans of Bournemouth and all the sweeter for just about everyone else.
Well, I say everyone. I’m probably mainly talking about City supporters who were united in their very temporary support of Brentford – the same Brentford who we’ll probably rally against next Saturday when they take on Swansea for a place in the Premier League.
Because Andy is right. There really is nothing like the playoffs to stoke the fire, and that goes way beyond the players and fans of the teams involved. And after Bournemouth’s fairly unedifying Carrow Road performance on the night our promotion was confirmed, it was fairly obvious which side of the fence we were all going to land when Bees and Cherries collided – regardless of the faux beef we have with a couple of our west London brethren.
The schadenfreude came thick and fast as the Sky cameras broke away from Brentford celebrations to capture the desolation and heartache etched on the faces of, among others, Ben Pearson, Jonathan Woodgate and Asmir Begovic.
Given Pearson’s rambunctious approach to controlling those central areas of the pitch and his penchant for hitting the deck and wailing like a banshee when suffering the merest of touches from opponents, it’s fair to assume City fans weren’t alone in not feeling sorry for the hirsute one, but given his Carrow Road histrionics on the night in question, if he was looking to Norfolk for a consoling arm in the Brentford aftermath, he was urinating in the wind.
I’m also not expecting Pearson to have been in receipt of a ‘hard luck, you’ll come back stronger’ text from Dimitri Giannoulis. While his Carrow Road tears may have been of the crocodile variety, those on display in west London were real.
Shame.
And while the Jonathan Woodgate frown is a permanent feature, the spitting of post-match feathers was a new addition to the look. He may, of course, had a point about the award of the Brentford penalty that changed the game (he did have a point about the award of the Brentford penalty that changed the game) but the usual passive-aggressive edge to pre and post-match interviews came with added salt last night.
So forgive me the churlishness of harking back to his pre-match interview at Carrow Road, when he offered his congratulations to City on their promotion through gritted teeth before making the point that City’s success was achieved by virtue of keeping together a Premier League squad, compared to the poor Cherries who had had to undertake a squad overhaul.
The same threadbare squad that still includes Danjuma (bought for £14m), Jefferson Lerma (£25m), Dominic Solanke (£19m), Philip Billing (£15m), and Ben Pearson (six bags of crisps).
So, please forgive us, Jonathan, for neither buying this sob story nor for feeling not the slightest grain of sympathy at the prospect of the Vitality hosting Championship football again next season. I was going to say ‘echoing to the sound of Championship football’, but while others have managed – with their vastly reduced numbers – to create a cauldron of noise, the good folk of Bournemouth created, in the first leg of the playoff semi, all the menace of a summer fete.
The is the same AFC Bournemouth who, apparently, thought they could lure Daniel Farke from us last summer and a director of whom, in the Vitality boardroom after City’s 0-0 draw there last season, offered a condescending “you must be really chuffed with getting a point here” to a member of the City board.
Enough now? Okay. Good luck to Bournemouth in next season’s Championship.
But talking of clubs and fans who have an inflated sense of importance, it’s been quite the week of Emi Buendia rumours – something we, of course, have to get used to over the next few months.
That we have on our hands at least two other very saleable assets, is going to make it the close season excruciating, and I mean *really* excruciating. Already Arsenal and Villa fans have seized on the slightest sliver of the faintest rumour and are both now salivating at the prospect of Emi adorning their colours next season.
Fans of both have proclaimed the deal all but done while reminding us in, no uncertain terms, of Little Norwich’s place in the footballing food chain; both citing ‘he’ll soon be an *insert name of club here* player and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Well, good folk, I’d suggest that’s where you’re wrong. We can do something about it. We can say no.
Stuart Webber has made crystal clear that any deals will be done to the benefit of the player and Norwich City Football Club, and so it will take more than Arsenal fans just willing it to happen and for a few fake ‘in the know’ Twitter accounts to say it’s happening for it to actually do so.
For what it’s worth, I do believe we may have seen the last of Emi in a yellow shirt and am less convinced than others that his inclusion in the Argentina squad for some upcoming friendlies will enhance his desire to say with us. International training camps are fertile ground for rumour, conjecture and discussions around who’s earning what, so let’s not kid ourselves that Emi’s relationship with Norwich City is anything more than employee-employer.
I hope I’m wrong. I usually am.
But, equally, such is Webber’s record in filling gaps that appear in the squad, even if the worst does happen then I’m confident there will some incomings to enhance the collective, creative spark.
Any signings will, I suspect, remain of the modest variety in terms of £s and the post-playoff chatter around City making a move for Danjuma looks highly ambitious and unlikely from where I’m standing. And besides, getting too carried away with unsubstantiated rumours turns us into Arsenal and Villa fans, doesn’t it? 😀
I say we sit tight, let Stuart weave his summer magic, and gear ourselves up for some full-on Thomas Frank and Ivan Toney baiting next Saturday.
C’mon you Swans.
You’re right, Andy. Tis indeed cathartic.
***
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Gary
Emi may leave, but certainly not for Villa if his agent is any good. But for an incorrectly disallowed goal, Villa would have played us twice this season in the Championship. Plus, on the financial side for us, what add ons could we insist on that we could realistically expect to profit from. Only avoiding relegation I would guess, but in their over inflated opinion of themselves they would reject this as there will be no chance of that happening. Like you I will be rooting for the Swans next weekend, and am so glad Bournemouth failed. About time FFP caught up with them.
Cheers for commenting Roger.
Yes, indeed, Villa fans have short memories. Could sooo easily have been a Championship side this season but for a technological failure.
I would actually prefer Brentford to win the final but as you so rightly say Bournemouth have failed and that’s all that really matters.
Sad to be so vindictive but they got exactly what they deserved.
Pearson? I heard it was a box of twiglets plus a big mac for every time he hit the deck.
Having seen Reading’s accounts for the past 2 seasons, I’m not sure FFP even exists any more!
Why would we sell Buendia? It makes no sense. It would have to be something obscene like £60M for me to even contemplate it.
He through his toys out last season when we were in the Championship, the only difference now is that we’re PL. With that in mind, we have no reason to sell. Especially, to teams who offer no more than us. Sorry Arsenal fans but your club is poo!
He’s the one player we have to keep.
I don’t think Buendia would have been called up to the Argentinian squad if he was a squad player at a mid table PL club so it makes little sense for him to move unless he is more or less guaranteed first team football. Logically he could stay here and if we are relegated he would move on but if we stay up then he would have made his case for first team football at one of the clubs in European competition. Of course this doesn’t necessarily fit with the reality of football
“It would have to be something obscene like £60M for me to even contemplate it.”
The problem for the club is that Emi is worth far more to us than he is to potential suitors. Likewise Cantwell and Aarons.
With due respect to him, Emis are two a penny in the top divisions across Europe. For all the twitter talk I’d be very surprised if anyone is willing to pay more for him than Leicester did for Maddison. And then if we do dig our heels in we have an unhappy player who sees himself as being priced out of the market.
And talking of Maddison let’s hope Liverpool falter against Hodgson’s Palace and let Leicester in to the Champions League.
Good morning all. Certainly more than a grain of truth in what you say Gary. I celebrated the Bournemouth Red card with about 75 percent of the fervour I deployed when we hit the third against reading, to confirm the title. And that is a whole lotta fervour.
The satisfaction of watching that overfunded, under supported apology of a village team from a retirement dormitory beaten in similar circumstances to the way they beat us was immense. Karma, times ten.
Im with Martin in hoping brentford win the golden ticket, let’s keep those dull anglophobes out of the top flight.
Excellent. The start especially. Tailed off a bit after that but overall a sterling effort. 😉
Hi Gary.
I would have liked to seen Cameron Vickers Carter playing at city well worth the couple of million that Spurs want but as things stand we have a full complement of CB I would presume with Klose returning unless SW can find another loan or buyer.
Bournemouth is a strange one I think they have the smallest ground ever in the Premiership and their owners have been trying to build a new one similar to the Brighton one in the rolling hills of the south downs or was it in Redcrapps back yard Sandbanks.
Do we feel sorry for any of the teams that made the play offs Brentford and Barnsley both owned but people involved in Moneyball schemes, Swansea by American Investors and Bournemouth by a Russian Oligarch family so no.
Bournemouth will now start a rebuild with or without Woodgate and a few will be cherry picked by premiership clubs.
Barnsley the surprise package a few players out of contract but their big problem will be to hold on to the management CP, WBA, Brighton, Leicester could come calling.
Swansea another club that could lose 1/3 of it’s team if not promoted.
Brentford could be the first team promoted and see their top scorer sold plus a few others.
So from me no we done it the hard way now we have to prove we can stay their by convincing SW and DF that their future is at Carrow Rd.
Buendia, Todd, Aaron’s will be the conundrum and speculation will swirl around them until the window shuts, unlike Kane none have said their future is in their hands ✋in reality they all signed long term contracts and have to accept the club will sell at the right price to the right club for them so let’s hold on for the speculation to get ramped up but the unscrupulous media that really has no better idea than us supporters what’s going on.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Healthy and Stay safe 🙏
Interesting to think Gary that we won the Championship in 2019/20 spending less on the whole team than Bournemouth paid for just one of the players you mentioned.
Personally I still hope Brentford see off Swansea on Saturday, they deserve to make the Premiership after so much consistency over the last few years.
I did think they would “bottle” the semi-final play-off with Bournemouth, just like they did when they got to the top of the Championship earlier this year, but like all city supporters was pleased to see they didn’t.
Again I felt the ref had little choice to give a penalty as the defender’s arms were up in the air and stopped the cross going into the box.
Bournemouth have a massive problem keeping those players especially Danjuma, it will be interesting to see how they cope next season.
I was also sorry to hear Timm Klose’s news, as many of us thought that last injury looks to have done for TImm at this level of football. He has been a great servant to our club despite some terrible luck with injuries, so I am sure those who sort out these things will come to a happy compromise between player and club as to how they both go forward.
Thanks Gary for a good Sunday morning read and to those who have replied so far. In the days of Eddie Howe I liked Bournemouth. Yes they had financial backing but he did a good job in developing and improving players and played some good football. A nice guy too. How it changes. I shared all the delight that others felt when they lost to Brentford. Felt like justice for a number of decisions and events. I think I hope Brentford win the final as they are capable of playing good attacking football. Not sure Swansea are.
I hope that Emi takes the chance of playing Premiership football next season with us rather than the lottery of another club. He easily gets frustrated and sitting on the bench will make that worse. If he can show his talents next season he will get a move to a top club and play for them. If he does go and we have some money to spend David Brooks looks a good bet to me. But Webber pulls players out of nowhere. So fingers crossed that our best young players stay and display their skills for us in helping us stay up.
Apart from Ivan Toney, I have no beef with Brentford, so I hope they win next Saturday. Would be nice to go to a new ground!
On Emi, I just don’t see him going. He won’t stomach another Championship campaign, if the worst should happen, but it makes no sense to go now. Unless it’s to one of the big boys. Certainly not Aston Villa or Arsenal.
Bournemouth have messed up big time off the field. They got their post-Howe managerial appointments totally wrong. With the squad they have they would have walked the division with the right manager – very similar to WBA the last time we won it.
They seem to have made themselves pretty unpopular on the field too, as the Watford brawl showed. Listening to the last few minutes in the car yesterday it sounded as though knowing they were out for the count they were still trying to get Brentford players red carded and thus missing Wembley. They will surely lose a few big players this year. In two years they will be back in League One.
As for Swansea, they dived their way into the play-offs with a number of penalties so for I’m in the Brentford camp. I don’t like Toney much but have to admit that given the number of goals AND assists he had this year he was probably unlucky not to get POTS in the Championship.
Whichever wins I think we can finish above them again next year; I’m not so confident we can keep above Watford.
Some stats said the team finishing second in the championship had a better chance of finishing higher the the league champions so you could be proved right
Excellence as always GG!