I had a strange education during my formative years. I was as happy as the proverbial sandboy at Barley Lane Junior in Chadwell Heath and sat my eleven plus there.
No word of a lie, my pass level was so high that an IQ tester came along to see me and the result couldn’t have been that bad as the headmistress, Mrs Emslie, suggested to my parents that I should be put up for scholarships at public schools.
My pushy mother loved the idea and I ended up at Chigwell in Essex as a day pupil. My classmates were sons of nouveau riche folks – car dealers, estate agents and the guy who invented the Kenwood mixer. Captain Birdseye [actor John Hewer]’s son was there too.
I think the day I started at that school was the day my desire to be educated stopped and I probably went backwards. I didn’t fit in with the rich kids although there were no physical problems as I always stood up for myself – as did most of the others in a juvenile world where the weakest went to the wall, uncared about by traditional schoolmasters.
So Daniel Farke, how might you relate to that? A good performance against Liverpool ended 0-3. Yours was no disgrace.
The 0-5 against Manchester City was disgraceful but equally understandable. We were so much second best to the rich kids on the block.
Samuel and Gary have picked over the bones of the game and delivered their inquest verdicts so I’ll only venture to suggest that the guy I fell in love with last week, Dimitris Giannoulis, is already off my dating roster.
Lukas Rupp too, he was simply too slow, and if Teemu Pukki becomes any more starved of service he might as well not be on the pitch.
The stats are frightening. 33% possession, one corner and not a single shot on target. Over 90+ minutes played and not one effort between the posts is the exact reversal of awesome.
BUT, and it’s quite a significant but – there’s no need to throw in the towel just yet because we cannot compete with the rich kids.
We’ve had two right shellackings in a row but surely we should realise they were against Liverpool and then Manchester City. We all knew that was on the cards and so it has proved.
And, lest we forget, City brought £100million off the bench as in Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling. Makes you wonder!
We still seem to have a heart of glass despite the best efforts of Grant Hanley and Ben Gibson, but as many wiser folks than me suggest our real season starts against Watford on September 18.
Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke have alluded to the fact that we need more physicality in the squad. Over to you gents because I can’t see where that’s coming from just now. Don’t talk about it, do it because if we don’t get a replacement for Ollie Skipp we are going to get mullered time after time in this League as Man City all too adequately illustrated.
Like many of us, my next game will be Leicester on Saturday and I’m hoping for a bit of extra spark on the pitch in a match where we can surely be competitive – and give Madders a round of applause too.
And before readers take the juice, I never did find out what my IQ rating was as my folks wouldn’t tell me but I hope it was less than Daniel Farke’s for the sake of us all.
There are three song titles above if anybody can find them. I had to cheer myself up somehow. And talking of music, I’ll leave you with this wonderful item from the very late 1970s. Enjoy as the lyrics are very appropriate to NCFC.
Oh fear find the hidden songs at 7 in the morning, ug.
Maybe dispatch , Blondie and a glen Matlock bands effort.
Yes lousy way to lose a game if football , seemed every time the went left we opened the door.
Morning Bernie
Gabriel Jesus was made very welcome wasn’t he?
Blondie is right and the Rich Kids in the headline were indeed a Matlock band.
Cheers mate
Hi Martin
Unlike you I stayed at a secondary Mod in Great Yarmouth and got most of my education in the RAF where I got my love of travelling and reading no computers, Internet or social media just face to face or long letters.
All this weekend I have seen and read how great Klopp and Pep are as managers and how they build a team but it is so much easier to build a team when you have rich owners that will buy success.
How would both these two and a few others in the premiership do if they had the resources of Norwich or Bury and have to coach players that aren’t classed as world could they turn a pigs ear into a silk purse I don’t think so.
We all have concerns about how this season will pan out and with 8 days left of the transfer window we keep hearing that we gave to be clever in the market, Rostov have a CDM that we are interested in but will not play ball with a loan to buy and why should they he is on contract and they aren’t in the Norwich fan club and likes other clubs have been hit by the pandemic.
So we are waiting on hearing that Williams has signed from ManU will he take the LB slot from Dimi does DF see him doing a Skipp or is it the RB slot with Aaron’s leaving late in the window.
Do we have the unsung CDM waiting to get time in Sorensen too many questions and answer to some will become apparent next Wednesday but come the following week everyone will be suggesting who we need in January to survive.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Healthy and Keep Safe
Totally agree about Klopp and Pep. Wonder coaches? Not until they show they can get the likes of Salford and Harrogate into the EFL!
Hi Nick
Now that would be interesting 🙂 🙂
H Alex
You pose a couple of good questions there. Personally I’m still struggling to work out why Sorenson isn’t more involved and don’t think I could ever answer the one about Jurgen and Pep!
Williams seems like a definite [announcement later today?] but as for Normann at Rostov I really don’t have a scooby.
As you say, from early next week it will all be about January. Oh gawd 🙂
Cheers
Well it has been said Williams has passed his medical I still can’t see where he will get game time, will DF hope he can do a Skipp or displace Dimi.
We still need at least one bully boy in the midfield that us willing to do the dark arts but we don’t seem to look for this type of player a modern day Chopper Harris would be welcome or Duncan Forbes
Yes the young guns within the media wouldn’t recall those players any more than they would Norman Hunter or Tommy Smith come to that.
Add in Billy Bremner, Dave Mackay or later on Barry Horne and Terry Hurlock. To the new media guys Vinnie Jones is just a film star, if they even remember him for that.
I’m not saying we need anyone of that ilk but a bit 0f steel [and I don’t mean Billy] wouldn’t come amiss.
Good article Martin, and I don’t care about losing these games either. I do care about a sensible setup and we were promised the physical component to compete: I feel let down by that. But let’s go again Saturday. Lose to Scott Parker minus Danjuma and people will be right to be very very very concerned though.
I did submit an article on Saturday night but it’s fallen by the wayside.
Cheers
Hi Mike
Given our record in the League Cup [or whatever we want to call it] over the last few years I’m not attaching too much weight to Bournemouth tomorrow evening regardless of who plays, although the selectin will be very intersting.
I’ll probably give this one a miss in all honesty. I know it’s only a tenner but I’m in Mundesley this week and I do like a bevvy at a game so I guess I’ll swerve it.
Cheers
Well, Mr P; Gary has certainly ‘pulled out all the stops’ with today’s headline.
When as a manager/head coach you can bring on Sterling and Mahrez with a combined transfer fee well in excess of £100M ………
Sadly, as I feared, many fans have short memories and I saw one comment that the failure by SW/DF to replace Skipp was disastrous or words to that effect. They forget that Skipp did not arrive at NR1 as the player that left it after a stellar season, but that his natural talent was developed and enhanced by DF and his assistants. The same also applies to Buendia.
Yes, Saturday was a humiliating defeat, but it is primarily up to the players to brush themselves down and put on a display to have the crowd on its feet as they battle against Bournemouth (I expect quite a few changes for the Carabao Cup game!!) and the Foxes on Saturday. Sadly, I won’t be there to see JM return, as I have a prior arrangement.
I’ve also seen a few suggestions to rest Pukki and I have to say that until he has regained FULL fitness, I’m in complete agreement!!
I’ll end by saying that there is no way that I’m ready to ‘wave the white flag’, but I’d rather wait possibly until the end of September to give all the new signings the chance to adapt and Giannoulis to learn some defensive nous
Hi Ed
I didn’t get the Pistols reference in Gary’s headline first time so thanks for highlighting it!
Actually I agree with you about Pukki, and I think many of us feel that way. You make a very valid point about Skipp and Buendia too.
I’ve consistently said that I’ll reserve judgement until the end of September too, so let’s see where we are then.
I’ll give Madders a salvo of the clapping varety for you on Saturday.
Cheers
As important as Emi was last year I’m certain that without Skipp we probably would not have been promoted.
There were several games where the result hung in the balance for a while and without Skipps defensive abilities we may well have dropped points.
It is inconceivable to me that his replacement wasn’t the first priority of SW and DF.
I was also expecting more athletic players this time round as we were bullied off the field the last time we were in the premiership.
What have done differently this time? Same lightweight wide players that will prove ineffectual in the premiership as they will never receive the ball as we’ll be overrun in midfield by opposition athletes, not to mention the fact that we have nobody in the middle should they receive and cross the ball.
Why didn’t we buy fewer but stronger players rather than a host of weaker hopefuls.
Hi John
I agree with you 100%. It seems like the Club says consistently that anything but a wide player is difficult to source, which I find a little strange, with the caveat that I am not Stuart Webber, of course!
The window isn’t over yet but if you saw that incredible strike from Alex Mowatt at the weekend you might agree that we missed out. Available on a free and I still feel he would have made an excellent addition to the squad.
You’r right, our priorities have thus far been wrong.
Cheers
Totally agree with lightweight comment what bothers me is when we go one down we just seem to accept defeat at no time in past thirteen defeats other then 10mins second half against Liverpool have we showed any fight to take the game to the opponent done care who we’re playing doesn’t cost anything to show passion. 11 sat martin see you there 😊
Hi Kev
Fair do’s with that statement mate.
I doubt you’ll see me tomorrow night but I’ll be there on Saturday for sure 🙂
Cheers
Marty, I’m 77 years old and yet I still fall for the pre-season hype, every year the same, will I ever learn? This squad is the best ever, much better than last time, well maybe but the opposition have gone mega in comparison. Never mind the whys and wherefores things are what they are, we couldn’t beat their second eleven, our great loan players who we hope will be the stars of our show aren’t good enough to get into their first teams. When each Saturday comes around I’ll hide behind the sofa and pray that next season will be better. Still a canary at heart, must be a few ‘Country and Western’ lyrics that would fit my mode.
Hi Cutty.
Subtract Johnny Cash and C&W is not for me but I know what you mean. Play a C&W record backwards and you get your job back, your wife back and quite often your dog back too.
You are so right when you hint that others are improving to a higher level than us.
La tristesse durera and all that.
Cheers mate
The way to progress in life is to learn from your mistakes and improve your shortcomings. Sadly Farke doesn’t seem to be able to do that. When faced with the mega rich teams you need to stop trying to outplay them with fancy passes out from the back and employ different tactics. Maybe Idah up front as a target to allow you to relieve some pressure. It worries me to hear Ben Gibson saying “we won’t change our principles “ as I fear our “principles “ will get us relegated again. Someone said on the radio we should give Farke 10 games which is a bit harsh but I fear we may have to be that brutal to survive.
Hi Cyprus – sound comment.
I dunno if Adam Idah is a genuine target man as I think I’ve seen him play exactly once, can’t remember against who. He was stuck out wide so I didn’t see him in a facsimile of that role.
Ben Gibson is slowly becoming the new Russell Martin – dragged out for a bit of media after a defeat. I hope that changes soon – we’ll simply have to wait and see.
Cheers
Songs-A Strange Education, Rich Kids (twice) and Makes You Wonder and a nod to Pink Floyd’s album The Wall. There’s also a track called No Fun (I know you don’t write the headline, but it is there) on the Sex Pistols’ Album Never Mind The …..Funny that you should use a Rich Kids song when Glen Matlock will, I assume, be celebrating Paul Cook and Steve Jones’ court victory against the butter millionaire which is John Lydon.
At the moment Norwich are like a daughter’s agreeable boyfriend. We’re good to look at, mostly popular (if you don’t listen to TalkSh1t) and not at all rude or aggressive. As you said, we need aggression and physicality to be injected into the team-where that will come from I don’t know. Brandon Williams doesn’t seem to fit that particular bill..
I hope now that DF will be more positive in pre match pressers. I will be making my return to Carrow Road on Saturday (for the first time since we beat Newcastle in 2019) and I’ll be disappointed if we don’t at least compete. Hamza Choudhury seems to be out of the picture there, perhaps he’d like some time at NR1?
Hi Don
You missed a song by our favourite band Yes [see my reply to Kev H below]- the genius for putting No Fun in the headline was Gary’s alone – I think it might have been the B-side to Pretty Vacant?
I’ve only picked up on a few segments of That Broadcast but what I have heard was not inspiring. Ignore the noise has never been more apposite.
Anyway let’s hope you enjoy your Saturday as much as I hope to enjoy mine.
Cheers
Hi Martin,
‘Yours Is No Disgrace’ by Yes, a truly great song from a truly great band, am glancing towards my cd collection as I type!
I first saw Yes on their ‘The Yes Album’ tour at the Norwich Lad’s Club, believe it was Steve Howe’s first full tour with the band having replaced Peter Banks on guitar – awesome! Anyway, enough of these Wondrous Stories!
We’re all agreed that these first games will be tough, Etihad was a bit of a Long Distance Runaround, but I think we’ll weather the storm and start to win matches and thereafter gather points, And You And I may well start to see a Total Mass Retain.
We may look Close To The Edge, but we’re staying up.
COYY !!
Hi Kev
i have to come clean here as although I grew up with Yes I was never a fan. Close to the Edge is the only album I own and Pete Banks’ Flash were the second band I ever saw live. Maybe early 1972 at Redbridge College? They played their Yes-ish take on Every Little Thing anyway!
I was at [I think] the Rainbow when they recorded some of Yessongs live and I and many of us much preferred the support band Badger, fronted by Tony Kaye, of course.
10 years ago I bumped into Rick Wakeman at the Rising Sun in Coltishall and we had a good chat as I sometimes used The Greyhound in Chadwell Heath where he used to work all those years ago.
Smashing geezer is Rick to be sure. I shouldn’t have laughed at his tale about eating a meat curry from the top of his piano just to pi$$ off veggies Howe and Jon Anderson but I did. He said something like if Howe’s solos weren’t so long he wouldn’t have had time to eat it.
Back to the nitty gritty of course we can stay up. The question is, will we?
Maybe we need a starship trooper?
Thanks a lot 🙂
No matter the opposition nothing changes, the same setup the same way played. A better defence ! well it was in the championship, while we spent a season down in the championship, most of the premier teams got stronger and better. We cannot catch up. Took 20 minutes to see we were not really that different.
We had a lot of injuries last time in this league, true, that was said many times, This season we hear covid struck and players had to miss games. True but it has a familiar ring to it. make of that what you will .
We need a result in the League badly, or the rot will soon set in the memories, we have been here before.
I am not so sure all the fringe players should be set against the Cherries tomorrow night, seems to me several 1st teamers should be out there getting it better than what they have.. It appears that our (old Fashioned I lknow) full backs have forgot how to defend.
Early days I know but, unless things change in Farke’s set up we will be fighting again with very little confidence, hope to god I am wrong, I so want to be
Hi Lad – good to hear from you.
I totally take on board what you are saying but as I said to Ed and other [above] I won’t come in heavy handed with judgements until the end of next month.
I want you to be wrong too, but………..
Im almost 100% sure that Pukki is last one Farke is willing to drop. Right now he needs playing time to find his best form. Main problem seems to be defence and midfield, but it has been like that since Pukki arrived. Both are lacking quality so mission to avoid relegation is very very difficult. After next round game there is international break. Finland has scheduled 3 games, dont know how many Scotland has but I suppose there is 3 Norwich players involved. For Finland Pohjanpalo (Leverkusen) and Forss (Brentford) have played only some minutes regularly, so its very difficult to predict how much Teemu is going to play. Teemus form is difficult to know, he barely have got ball and if his teammates are not able to play ball to him then there is very little what he can do. When Finland plays home against Kazakstan then we know way more about his form, if he plays of course. In my opinion he has played ok so far for Norwich this season. I would drop Rashica and I think its obvious that Williams start against Leicester.
Hi 1×2
These international *breaks * come around so quickly, don’t they?
Yes we will have McLean, Hanley & Gilmour involved with Scotland for sure. One is a kid and the other two could use a bit of *gentle* [ha!] game time I guess.
It’s far too early for us to drop Rashica as he’s played less than 180 minutes for us over two games.
As for Teemu Pukki he is looking increasingly isolated at the moment and depending on who Suomi have to play he might be able to get some confidence back. As you suggest Khazakstan could be ideal for this but right now I don’t know who your other fixtures are against 🙂
Kiitos
What worries me about the man is that he looks SO tired.
Well Saturday wasn’t fun by any stretch, but some of the howling ever since by our fans and national media has been laughable.
‘A load of old Squit’ as they say in God’s county, where I’ll be returning on Saturday for the game and I can’t wait.
I think some of our fans would rather we just signed anyone than players that add ability and value to the squad.
Someone suggested Alex Mowatt, not a bad shout, but given he’s just moved to a Championship club, possibly not better than what we’ve got.
Let’s just see what the next few days bring, we are clearly in the market for a midfielder and I trust Webber to make necessary additions – he has repeatedly stressed the need for stronger, athletic players so we don’t repeat the damp squib that was 2019/20.
I’m ever the optimist and feel we’re close to getting it right – feel free to bookmark this post upon relegation!!!
Hi Segura
Mowatt was my mention so I’m guilty as charged. But just think, if we do drop down a level would he be an asset or a liability? I’d suggest the former.
I don’t howl too much as I’ve got a Patterdale Terrier to do that for me with a Jack Russell on backing vocals. The MotD theme always sets them off and we swear the sight of Gary Lineker brings on some low-level growling.
Seriously, with almost exactly a week to go, we have to trust in Webber.
I wouldn’t want his job 🙂