What if, improbable as it seems, we claw our way to safety in the brutally unforgiving Premier League?
Without quibble or fudge I agree with those who say that, currently, we look a long way off being able to compete, let alone linger, in the top tier.
I’ve been there to see every ball we’ve kicked this season, and all those balls we didn’t get close enough to kick. It has been, truly, a lot of balls.
We had moderately decent spells in each game but didn’t do enough to get anything. Instead, we did enough – in the way of defensive howlers – to make conceding goals inevitable. We’ve been soft and compliant. We’ve not “taken care of the football”, as another cliché demands. Our attack has been flaccid. It has been unremittingly grim.
Yeah, but what if we survive?
What if our first point – whenever and however it arrives – lifts the mood and morale? And then, without any sustained form, we pick up so some more points? What if, agonisingly slowly, among the remaining 32 games, eventually we glean the nine wins and nine draws it will probably take to avoid relegation?
Yes, I know. “If is the biggest word in football,” insists the cliché. And if my Auntie Vera had testicles … that would now be entirely acceptable.
But if we could survive this season it would be a significant moment in the history, not just of the great club in the fine city, but of football. I believe that because, whatever our glib detractors say, what Norwich City are attempting is the most ambitious project in English football of the post-Abramovich era.
Ignorant broadcasters and phone-in know-nothing know-alls can just about be excused for saying we lack ambition, but it is utterly bewildering that some of our own supporters still spout that arrant tosh too.
Nobody else has tried to do what we are striving to achieve. Just saying, “We’re self-sustaining” doesn’t begin to tell the story of our vaulting aspirations.
Our plan is to become established in the Premier League, while building long-term financial stability, using as many home-grown players as we can and playing attractive, possession-based football.
Nobody is trying all that. In fact, every time you see what appears to be a brave “little” club earning plaudits for making an impact in the Premier League without financial clout, a closer inspection will reveal different details.
Brentford? They’re this season’s media darlings. They recruit using “Moneyball” principles, a bit like us. But they had a chunk of the £71m cost of their new stadium underwritten by their owner Matthew Benham.
And, anyway, it’s a tad premature to laud Brentford as a miracle. Their success needs to last longer than the Sheffield United miracle before anyone gets carried too away about them.
So let’s just worry about us at the moment. There’s plenty of scope for anxiety, after all.
But if we can perform an historic miracle, I’d ring up some old friends on TalkSPORT radio and demand a chance to crow.
We are four points worse off than we were at this stage after our first promotion to the Premier League, in 2004 under Nigel Worthington, but that squad had some dreadful subsequent spells – losing 12 and winning just two of 16 matches from the start of December.
The tide turned spectacularly when Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie scored second-half goals to vanquish Manchester United at Carrow Road in the second game of April. That sparked a spirited run of four wins, a draw and a very narrow defeat so that we arrived at the last game of the season knowing a win would keep us up.
That made the final fixture so crushing; a 6-0 defeat at Fulham has left scars. But it remains a fact that, in a season which saw us plumb the depths of form and belief, we finished only two points short of survival.
In 2013, under Chris Hughton, relegation looked a distinct possibility until West Brom (“already on the beach” according to Hughton’s detractors) were thrashed at Carrow Road in the last home game of the season.
And there are plenty of examples of Houdini acts by Premier League clubs. Southampton (1999), Sunderland (2014 and 2016), Wolves (2011) and Wigan (also 2011) all stayed up despite spending 200 days or more – two-thirds of the season – in the relegation zone.
Palace started the 2017-18 season with four straight defeats without scoring a solitary goal. They finished the campaign in 11th place.
Stewart Lewis wrote yesterday that he was refusing to lose faith yet. He probably learned his stoicism waiting forlornly for an acceptable pass when he used to play as a striker in front of my ageing attempts to operate at fullback.
I find fatalism is a lot easier. The only way I was able to cope with the misery of the long, detour-filled drive home from Everton was to cast all hope aside. Because, as we all know, it is the hope that gets you.
It was John Cleese who popularised that thought. In the film Clockwise, he said: “It’s not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.” His character, a headmaster, was trying desperately to reach a conference. It was in Norwich.
So I tend towards beaten-down resignation when things are as bleak as they appear at the moment for the football club about which I care.
But … but what if we can survive? Wouldn’t that be something?
Somehow Mick you manage to find the words most of us are thinking, I guess that’s why you’ve done what you’ve done for so long and so successfully.
Your last two paragraphs say it all, Valium at the ready!
An eminently sensible piece, Mick.
The fact that we’re even having this conversation after six games is ridiculous. We’ve lost one game we might have realistically hoped to get something from. Beyond that, all our games have been against teams from last season’s top ten, three who finished in the top five and the other two away from home. We know our team and squad is far better than the results and indeed performances show.
Watford was terrible but we still have 32 games to fix it. Or we can talk ourselves into relegation now. What choice do we have? Are we going to give up that easily and not drive our team on? That’s just what the pundits want. Well I say f**k them. Let’s get behind the boys and remind them why we went up in such style twice in three years. And what a strong city we are. OTBC
I think WBA under Bryan Robson were the greatest Houdini act in the Premiership but could be wrong bottom of the league till January so there must be hope for us all I suppose.
Having followed city since 58/59 season I think I have seen most things that can hit us but trying to be self financing in a league of mainly Billionaire’s is like Kanute trying to hold back the sea.
Some supporters have said look at the good old days of the 1st Division but even then there was a vast disparity in how the clubs spent and after Jimmy Hill and George Eastman breaking the wage structure it became the start of the big boys domination of the trophies.
After winning the double Spurs spent £99k on J Greaves, Man United £110k on D Law slowly but surely it headed to what we have now.
All businesses need investment to survive especially in this league can we dream of survival on a shoestring we hope so because that’s all we have for a foreseeable future and beyond.
Chances have been missed to increase the ground capacity namely when the city stand burnt down now we are told it’s to expensive so that will never happen as it’s not going to get any cheaper, but to survive those extra seats would have put more money in the pot.
Doing the impossible and surviving would be fantastic and I will never give up hope of it happening but as I was once told live in the real world without rose tinted glasses and see how things really are.
Like Derby supporters many of whom wanted the club to spend for success and the owner chased that dream and look where they are now, we aren’t asking for the earth just a little bit of parity with other clubs are size in this league.
Wasting opportunity to increase revenue by adding seas in an open corner, building over the existing city stand to incense capacity could dent transfers or try for a new bond issue to fund the work all adds to our dream of a stable premiership club.
Gary Neville said that the customer facilities at Old Trafford was appalling on match day everything was 20 years out of date and it is similar at most clubs, I was told that pontin’s communal toilets re better than the ones at Carrow Rd, he last comment was the board gets the money in and wait till something falls down before it gets repaired and every bit of metal supports are coated in rust.
I hope that city survive but maybe it’s not only the 19 other clubs that wants us to fail
Matchday revenue, including ticket sales, are a tiny proportion of income in the Premier League. If we increased capacity at Carrow Road by 10,000 and filled the ground, it wouldn’t make a significant difference. But if we were then relegated we’d still have to finance the debt incurred building the added capacity.
So you aren’t interested in a modernised ground with bigger crowds then just stay the same.
Other clubs increase capacity and city says that they have a waiting list for ST, yes there will be debts even with relegation but like any other business that would have to be managed properly and not let it get out of hand.
There was a rumour that if an offer came in for the ground then it could be sold and moved to the City show ground or near it now that would drive a big wedge in the club support, and make it difficult for many supporters to get too
A really interesting article Mick and I expect it will attract quite a bit of debate.
For what it’s worth, my glass is still half full and will remain so until the once mighty Leeds visit this parish. Their last visit really stands out for me, as we were thrashed 0-3 – a score that could do easily have been different had a Leeds defender not got a lucky block on a Rhodes’ goal bound shot when it was still 0-1. Leeds scored their 2nd a few minutes later …..
Our next home game was V Boro, when we defended heroicly and clumg for an amazing 1-0 win and began our climb out of the bottom half of the championship, eventually reaching its summit.
IMO, DF has 2 problems which he needs to solve rather rapidly –
1. His preferred starting 11.
Hanley played really well against Liverpool, but I’ve not been quite so impressed in recent games and I was disgusted by his actions after we conceded the 2nd goal against Liverpool in the EFL Cup, when he walked back looking dejected, rather than urging his teammates on, as the previous GH would have done. 👍
2. As a result of Covid infections and new signings arriving just before the Transfer window closed, getting the new players accustomed to the intricacies of Farkeball.
It’s interesting that you mention Brentford’s ‘Community’ stadium, so they obviously don’t own it and are not wholly responsible for all of the running costs associated with it.
I’ll end by saying – ‘remember Leicester 7 years ago’, when out of the last 30 points available, picked up 22.
#itcanbedone
Ed, I sit in the River End where LFC scored their second cup goal and GH looked dejected. He was screwed, he was near post and the cross was stood up. GIBSON was facing play and had the run on that header…. And GIBSON grilled Hanley which was, to a point, subordinate. When Hanley is getting chastised by a golden boy that didn’t react appropriately to a stood-up cross, then GH either looks dejected or he knocks out his team mate…. Or at least puts him in a box.
What SHOULD happen is that Hanley be given the freedom to defend without the burden of leadership. He, McLean, Pukki…. These guys can barely compete, but they are being asked to carry youth around them. What SHOULD have happened is that SW got guys like Johny Evans to put an arm around Hanley and to boss around Andy O or Kabak as necessary. Just like Tettey could do with McLean, like Rhodes was good at with Pukki when the GOAT had an occasional off-day. But what should never happen is Gibson chastise the Captain for being flat footed defending the near post after our right side had been shredded and Hanley needed to cover.
My new mantra
#itcanbedone!
Thank you
Great article, Mick. We’ve got to keep perspective and positivity I equal measure. Keep up the good work.
Good thoughts, Mick – other than over-modesty about your Sunday morning football ability (and probably exaggerating mine).
I could have been quicker. 🤓
It’s been said.
Hi Mick, a brilliant and eloquent piece.
I take 3 points to heart:
1) 9 wins and 9 draws. And you’ve seen every minute of every game? That might whimsically happen with either
A) DF making the tweaks that soooooo many agree need to happen yet which DF doesn’t even seem to acknowledge, let alone try
B) DF is therefore replaced by someone with a new approach breathing fresh life into this
C) I hope it is A).
2) Brentford. I think that they have played a fabulous bat. They kept it simple and have done everything correctly. They’ve not spent big. Toney was a gamble from P’Boro. Funny, pay all you can for the best goal scorer you can get. This season, they played a pre-season of 3-5-2, kicked out their Buendia for more balance in their team (Emi Marcondes) and have drilled themselves to be hard to beat. They didn’t spend a bomb, they bought a CB and CDM and some other periphery players. They didn’t get a CM from Chelsea, whom would be a crux, they got a wide midfielder from Chelsea. If he has an off day or doesn’t produce, it isn’t the end of the world. Brentford have done it right.
3) I 100% believe and love our self funding model. You wouldn’t teach a kid a credit card is a good idea. NCFC are the only club following through on such fair and sensible advice. And SW gets 75% of it right. The 25%, in my opinion, that he gets wrong, is why we are a million miles off so far this season and why…. See 2) Brentford…. Are on it. Buying youth to develop and sell on at huge profit is the 75%. But this is Little Old Norwich. Youth and the old guard need to be aligned on a timeline that bears fruit in the Premier League, not the promotion season. Young players won’t like it here; they will be bored out of their tree after a couple of years. Olly Skipp; this season: Newcastle or Norwich. Would he have come back? Buendia, was always going to leave. Madders. Godfrey. And this season? Please don’t count Gianoullis and Gibson….. Kabak, Normann, Tzolis, Williams, Sarjent, Rashica….. whilst likely frustrating the development of our own youth to some extent, limiting chances for Andy O, Idah, Cantwell, even guys like Placheta…. Come the end of the season there is a perfect storm of unhappy people if we are relegated. PLM is the only player genuinely signed for the longer term and he doesn’t really look capable.
In my opinion, that 25% needs to encompass like Sam Clucas, Conour Hourihane, Alex Mowatt, Yakou Meite…. If he won’t get guys like this then that 25% will never get Kris Ajer
We are doing almost everything right. Except tactically, and the 25% of getting Bradley Johnson’s and John Ruddys and Grant Holts into this club.
But I love this club and our philosophy. I just hope we apply our lessons in time to save the season. Cheers
As others have said, one positive result could provide a massive confidence boost to our squad. Normann, Kabak and Williams will now be more familiar with Farke ball and the rest of our squad. I, for one, look forward to results improving starting against Burnley. It will still be a hard slog for the next 32 matches, but we now have a squad that is somewhat superior to our last PL excursion. Alex B, historical note. King Canute was demonstrating that even a King could not stop nature be trying to stop the annual tidal bore on the River Trent at Gainsborough.
Great article Mick,
Our small club philosophy probably frightens the Premier League as it threatens their preferred ‘Money, Money, Money’ model. They appear to think we get then relegated for parachute payments – which is quite insulting either way – and I would query whether our first four fixtures were chosen by hand or computer?
People who say we lack ambition are being fuelled by the timid, error-strewn way we have played thus far this season. So galling as we have done incredible things already, two promotions, a working business model, and an academy system many other clubs envy.
We are not truly self-sustaining as we have to let our best players go to balance the books, thus weakening the squad on an annual basis, so for self-sustainability to be a success this season, the new players need to hit their straps soon while the current players need to maintain their ability to shine – and I think they all will.
Self-sustainability is a very clever and manipulable system though, so I don’t suggest we should stop doing it; simply that we have to create additional methods of pulling in new money which will keep us moving onwards and upwards – faster than we are currently doing.
Brentford are the season’s media darlings because they are apparently worth approaching £300m – and growing! Large city, new ground, potential to expand their fanbase, participate in several local derbies. Again, the Premier League’s preferred ‘Money, Money, Money’ model … could take us five or six seasons in the Premiership to reach the same value.
I get your point regarding Crystal Palace 2017-2018, and I really hope our game against Burnley is the turning point, it would be a fantastic turnaround for the Canaries! Hope we keep two up front, hope the midfield grafts and creates, hope the defence slugs it out, at Turf Moor as we need a win now – and we need to keep on winning after another international break.
OTBC !!.
Very interesting article as always Mick.
I do not believe self-funding can work in this situation but I have never said the club lack ambition. I do not believe that. I bet Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich would like to be a top 26 club in the country at the moment. And to be fair to the club they have gone further than that ambition now and I do feel that the work going on at Colney will help us for many years to come.
But this start has been embarrassing to say the least, and I accept Farke was dealt an awful blow when all his pre-season arrangements which were cancelled because of Covid. The late signings haven’t helped either.
I have sat on the fence for this for years and it is only this awful start that has prompted me to come to the conclusion that for all the fine efforts by people at the club self-funding just can’t work.
I said on here in a reply to Martin Penney’s excellent article on “Can self-funding work in the EPL”, that I am worried if Delia and Michael sell up and just as concerned if they don’t !!!
There are risks either way and I agree Derby are just the latest club who have fallen into debt because the owner either cannot or will not spend what the fans want.
Blackburn, Charlton, Wigan etc the list is endless of good football clubs being mismanaged and who gets hurt ….the fans. Also I have noticed that many of these clubs in the EFL are owned by very wealthy individuals, much more so than Delia and Michael, but they haven’t been spending much at all.
Also look at Burnley, poor old Dyche is performing miracles and getting precious little help from the new owners. So I hate it when journalists and well known fans say get rid of Delia and we will be back in Europe etc etc. There is no guarantee of this at all. In fact I despair because some people really believe this.
But Mick there is the opposite side of the coin. Leicester, Wolves, Leeds among some seem to have some very good, progressive owners.
Also imagine we did have better financial backing, could we have got Ajer and Billing over the line ?
Again had we got them in the building early it would have helped Daniel Farke with all his planning for the coming season.
Many of the signings this summer are 21 or under without EPL experience, perhaps with more backing we could have got in a little bit more battle hardened players with Premier League experience.
I feel Delia and Michael have done some excellent things for the club, but like all of us in life have made mistakes along the way. There is nothing wrong with fans just asking if she would consider a bid if it came from a very good, trusted source.
I know for a fact she did look for investment some years ago, and got knocked back which perhaps has made her reluctant to do so again.
I would love it !! if we could stay up and shut up people like O’Hara and his Mutley like colleague on Talksport and as you say I still hope that we will.
But I have massive doubts that until Daniels sorts out his starting 11 that isn’t going to happen.
Nobody seems to have noticed that the self funding model is falling farther and farther behind the other clubs we are hoping to compete against.