The last time Norwich City won a Premier League away game was in November 2019.
Jeremy Corbyn was preparing to lead the Labour Party into a general election, FIFA 20 was the football game of choice and Covid-19 hadn’t even entered the English vocabulary.
As the light dimmed in Merseyside and optimism started to re-enter the fray in Norfolk, no City fan thought that they’d be in a worse position in two years’ time.
That so much has changed and yet so little feels like it has at Carrow Road speaks of the cyclical nature of City’s struggle. The squad may be different and the system may have been altered but the increasingly defeatist nature of performances is all too familiar as the Canaries look to rival Derby County for the worst ever Premier League season.
As in the miserable Project Restart period, Norwich are beginning to look beaten before the first whistle, and every fan is tuning in to find out how many minutes of action they’ll be able to enjoy before the first goal goes in and the dream dies.
On Saturday they got seven.
Inevitably, the calls for Daniel Farke to be relieved of his duties have come louder than ever before, and the remorse attached to them tells you all you need to know.
City’s fanbase is desperate for Farke to be the man to bring them consistent Premier League football, but it is sadly true that memories only afford you a certain amount of grace. Even Leicester City’s famously well-meaning owners gave Claudio Ranieri the chop, less than a year after the Italian had won them the Premier League title.
Only Stuart Webber truly knows how many more defeats Farke will be allowed, as the Welshman’s belief that his colleague is “a future Champions League coach” faces its greatest ever test.
Farke has claimed that his side “cannot dwell” on Saturday’s performance, but if the German remains in position some serious reflection must be undertaken. Quite how a side built around experienced top-flight operators and clearly talented professionals has failed miserably to even compete in the Premier League must be studied and rectified, if the ability to turn things around is within the current Colney setup.
The worrying issue is that Farke’s track record shows little by way of turning things around. Even with a squad far superior to the rest of the Championship it took several months to find league-winning form in 2020 and when City went on their 10-game losing slide they allowed their issues to snowball until the end of the season felt merciful.
The ensuing recovery only came with a lot of time and money spent, along with an arduous process of scrapping for Championship points and adapting to new teammates. Unfortunately for the German that process doesn’t appear to be going so well this time around.
The Canaries looked disjointed, disconnected and lacking coherence at Stamford Bridge; worrying signs given they were the strengths of their two solid if uninspiring previous games.
There was always a worry that the visit to Chelsea would provide unfavourable context to those two points, which now feel more like the seriously low high points of a desperate season than the foundations on which to build.
Added to the mess is the mysterious case of Todd Cantwell, who missed the trip to Burnley because of personal issues but whose cryptic social media posts have done nothing but stoke the fires of speculation. It was perhaps not the best idea to share an Instagram post by Romelu Lukaku the day after the demolition.
City’s 2019/20 campaign was refreshingly lacking in training ground drama in comparison to rival embarrassing relegations, so at least this aspect feels new.
Cantwell was the only member of the Canaries’ first-team squad to taste victory this weekend, scoring a penalty in a 2-1 win for the Under-23s. You can draw your own conclusions as to what his place in that team means.
The fact is that Farke’s ever-growing list of problems is only helping compound the unrest, and very few solutions are being found.
An avoidance of the classic ‘we go again’ acceptance of defeat is key and the focus must switch to what can be changed. The obvious decision looks increasingly unlikely to be made in the coming days, but it’s looming large on the horizon.
The Premier League waits for nobody and City’s sliding doors moment is coming alarmingly early.
What saddens me more than the results is the clubs attitude towards the EPL. That filters down and this season is one of apathy. Unless they start changing their ethos pretty quickly, they will come to regret their actions this season as a watershed moment.
In the light of our lacklustre attitude and performance in the top tier, there is an increasing band of fans that want parachute payments banned for Norwich, or more to the point, clubs that ‘Do a Norwich’.
If the club really believed in itself and really wanted to be in this league for more than a season, you would see a different Norwich City. The results would probably still not be great, but the effort would be all to see and the criticism would not be any the level it is now. If a team lacks quality, it will always win praise for trying.
As a club, Norwich City do not seem up for the fight on and off the pitch. You can draw your own conclusions why that is and what if any, you are prepared to do about it. I suspect the same 25,000 + fans will still go week in, week out no matter how contemptuous the club is and their attitude is towards the top tier.
Has the club’s Winterland moment finally arrived? I know I’ve been cheated and I’m sure the EPL does to – but many still have to figure it out.
Maybe they never will.
This constant reference by so called Norwich City fans that the “club” do not want to be in the EPL is quite bizarre. I get that outsiders might hold that view, because mostly they don’t care about us, but from “fans” it is a worry.
So you are saying that the players, being paid something between £25k and £40k a week, some of whom have moved country to join us, are not trying very hard because the club don’t want to stay in the EPL. Is that what you are seriously saying? That professional sportsmen, at the elite level, are not trying and don’t care whether they win or lose?
So the owners of the club, the entire coaching and management team have quietly taken them all aside and whispered in their ears – “Don’t worry boys, we’re just gonna take the money so we can pay you, then win the Championship again if you fancy hanging around for that. But don’t try too hard to win any games in the meantime.”
And DF and SW will be very happy to have yet another abject relegation on their CVs obviously, not to mention those international players we have whose place might just depend on them playing well.
You see, to me, it just comes across as complete and utter garbage, written by idiots. But what do I know, you may be right.
Sams best article to date.
1) Are the players as individuals good enough? Yes.
Then it is the system that doesn’t work, which lies with DF.
2) DF doesn’t have an appropriate tactical template commensurate with this group of players
and possibly worse,
3) I think the dressing room has gone.
Either of these 3 points result in inevitable parting of ways, and therefore the sooner the better in order to save this season.
I love the guy but once a dressing room has gone, it’s not recoverable so we are now at a point, SADLY, of delaying the inevitable.
The longer we wait, the greater the risk the 2 best candidates, Eddie Howe and Chris Wilder, going elsewhere.
Oh my days. Chris Wilder or Eddie Howe. Sheffield’s finest relegation specialist (I think you’ll find he hit the exact same problem last season and couldn’t solve it) or the South Coast’s family man who won’t move away, but did manage to get a Bournemouth team relegated who should never have gone down that season.
If they are the two best candidates, perhaps we should give Neil Adams another try. Chris Hughton, Alex Neill and Paul Lambert are also available I believe.
If you want to reply, don’t pick up on a suggestion, challenge points 1-3.
Why on earth not – you made the suggestion and I, for one, agree with sgncfc’s response!
If you do not want replies do not make the suggestion.
The point is that there 3 statements that underpin my reasoning and it makes more sense to contest those than my whimsical considerations for possible replacements. Do either of you want to talk through points 1-3 because those are the only reasons anyone on MFW has an opinion about stick or twist.
I seem to be unable to reply to MM’s comment below, but it is truly absurd. When you make a comment it is all up for debate, not just some part of it that you failed to highlight as the only part that you *wish* to have contested.
Neil Adams built from CH’s shattered team that were inevitably relegated a squad and a base formation that Alex Neil was able to complete. NA lost Snodgrass, RVW, Leroy Fer and benched the pop stars like Bassong and went about focusing on Bradley Johnson’s strengths and leadership, added Gary O Neil for experience abs brought in Jerome and Grabham. His team far out scored the team of 2020/21 before his limits were realised and he had the charisma to step aside and let someone else that he knew to be a better coach step in and take the team. He did it right.
What baffles me, is is how a side so lacking in confidence and self-belief (whatever they try to say in public, this is patently where we are at), has a head coach who states that he has no time for sports psychologists – preferring to trust his own motivational skills – whilst allowing players to self-refer to someone outside the football club, if they want to.
Motivation, whether from the players themselves,or the coaching staff, was shockingly absent during Project Restart. The fact that there was none to be found either on, or off, the pitch against Chelsea, sbould have surprised nobody.
Having invested heavily at Colney, in providing the peak of physical training aids, it beggars beloef that the same care and attention is not being apploed to the players’ mental state. I don’t believe this should be a decision made arbitrarily by Daniel Farke – rather, Stuart Webber and the Drectors ought to be stepping in and providing this support. Better for the club to carry out due dilogece and find a proven, trusted sports psychologist to work with the team, than sit and hope that either Farke, or individual players, will magically spin this defeatist, lacklustre mental fog from the Canary mindset.
Rant over.
Credence I think is the key word here and Daniel Farke has plenty of this in the championship and it instils confidence because what he says works in that league and the players thrive on it .
But it’s the absolute opposite in the premier for some reason unknown ,what he says doesn’t work and it creates negativity and so he has no Credence whatsoever which is disturbing for the squad and us they want to hear someone who has a plan b if it goes wrong and knows what to say and do to make them believe again .
I don’t know if Farke played at the top under a top manager in a top league but the evidence is making me think he hasn’t , this could also be said of Stuart Webber I suppose Huddersfield weren’t exactly world beaters .
But he has brought a lot to the club in terms of development of the training facilities etc .
It seems to be the recruitment we are struggling with this year lots of roots but yet no fruits .
To keep with a championship manager and squad tells you all you need to know but how long can it last before people see you for what you are and don’t want to play , join or support you anymore !!
We have 4 loan players 2 that if we stay up will be made permanent.
Like Skipp last season Gilmour and Williams they know come what may they will be at a premiership club but unlike Skipp they haven’t proved their worth.
Kabak and Normann both have their possible futures in their own hands and both agreed to the permanent clause knowing that if it all went sunnyside down then they hadn’t lost out in real terms.
My question to Webber is why did you sign players low on confidence after relegation in Germany knowing we needed players with the knowledge of how tough this season was going to be only Gibson knew that.
Some have named players city could have or should have recruited for this battle maybe they tried but again our self financing model couldn’t or wouldn’t afford them.
Lots of questions with many answers but the biggest is how long before the powers that be realise city needs large investment to survive even in the championship
My main worry is that we’re not in this position with 7 games of the season left (which would be unbearable, but shortlived – and possibly understandable); but that we’re in this position with more than three-quarters of the season to go. There is months of excruciating pain to go yet – with no glimmer of improvement. A pitiful effort.
It’s so hard to get into the Premier League and to waste the two chances we’ve had recently so dismally seems a desperate shame. And if (ho-ho!) they go down, they may not be promoted again for years.
And by then the Premier league will probably have closed their shutters to unwanted clubs.
Again, a pitiful effort.
Hi Chris
Good comment on a good article from Sam.
It will be like death by 1,000 cuts or something like that.
Unravelling? implosion? waiting for the lightning to strike? All three probably.
I see the Pinkun headline Samuel, says Dimitris is up for the Premiership fight and I like sgncfc agree that the club/team aren’t throwing in the towel.
I also agree with sgncfc on the players own interests, if they get relegated we all know they will lose half their salary or in the case of the loan players return to their parent club. So even if they are not rampant City fans they still have a vested interest in remaining in the EPL.
Todd being the exception and he really needs to look at himself. We need him. Badly.
I know things looked bad on Saturday and quite rightly all bar Hanley and Krul have had their determination and effort questioned. But I believe it goes beyond that, I think a lot of it is mind set.
We all know how poorly we performed in Project Restart and it looks like the players are stuck in the same rut.
And Daniel Farke must take some of the blame for this along with his coaching staff.
My old team West Point would go out there and try like headless chickens but still get tanked.
Of course you need effort that’s the first thing but as I say confidence, understanding of your own job, how the team is set up to play, press or no press, tactical awareness it goes on and on.
Its so many things, primarily confidence of which we have little or none.
Again is Daniel getting his instructions across to the players. It maybe that they are just not good enough I’m afraid only time will tell.
The fact the Greek fullback is considering his options before January speaks volumes about the situation at the club if you can call them that .
Yes just looked Farkes playing career lower league German Sv Lippstadt 08 how do we expect this guy to be a Prem manager let alone a champions league manager Mr Webber pmsl .
Klopp was also a lower league player in German football.
Paul Gascoigne was a sublime player but would you want him as a manager .
Just not relevant. Klopp, Mourinho, Wenger, Rafa, Tuchel, none of them played at a high level. Other than D F the other coaches are rarely mentioned so I would be looking to some fresh impetus in that area.
Was that not an article in the Greek equivalent of the Daily Heil that the player and his agents promptly contested!
I hate that its the case as he’s done a lot for us but i am increasingly of the view that we have to change the coach and we must not delay. If we don’t beat Leeds the trigger needs to be pulled. Personally i would have done it this week. We cannot waste these games coming up which perhaps represent the only opportunity to haul ourselves back up off the canvass and be competitive this season.
As much as I like Farke and as good as he is at coaching certain things (and as much as I think Webber has let him down again by not signing the CDM we so obviously needed) the bacis are just not there defensively and if we are honest they never have been. It didn;t matter in the championship as teams sat off us or missed their chances or we out scored them. But in the premier league defensive shape, pressing and marking are important and these have never been something farke has been great at instilling into the team. As a consequence he’s now abandoned all the things we are good at and stuck all our creative players on the bench or in Todd’s case in the U23s. I looked at that display on saturday and we were so far off what we were or what we could be. I just don;t see how he pulls it back from here as much as i’d like him to. More than anything though I want us to be decisive and show we are bothered about staying in this division.
the bacis are just not there defensively and if we are honest they never have been.
That so accurate. Thwnn be wonderful thing from 2 years ago was that random players formed a fabulous team. Last season, we got promoted because of Buendia and Skipp, end of. Had either, let alone both, been unavailable last season for any period, we would have been MID TABLE. The limitations of DF were clearly apparent to me at many times during his tenure but I’ve always been happy to let him build his experience and ability with the Canaries. But now it is different. We’ve conceded something stupid, like 100 goals, since we last won a game in the Premier League. Recruitment is frankly bazaar because I don’t think he gave SW definitive guidance in what he wanted in the summer.
But most importantly, I think we must chance soonest because there is a perfect storm brewing for NEXT season. I don’t care if we are relegated if we are suitably equipped for next year, but THIS TIME WE ARE NOT. It is frightening how few seniors will be available, that at least 6 or 7 young guys fall
Over each other for the same positions and none are world beaters, we will have no worthy midfielders at all and when we are relegated; that is PRECISLEY WHEN WE WON’T pay the wages for new signings that should already be in the battle.
Chris Wilder: a team that has consistently outplayed Norwich, albeit with mixed results, over the past few seasons. Brought them from league 1 and did something DF hasn’t been able to do: survive the PL in the first season. I suspect the real reason people don’t want him is that they consider him to be too prickly, which is ultimately why PL lost the fans.
Eddie Howe, a disaster at Burnley. But then…. He took charge of a Bournemouth side facing relegation to the Conference National in January 2009. Under his guidance, Bournemouth were able to survive relegation during his first season in charge, having started the season on minus 17 points, and were promoted to League One the following campaign.
After a disastrous spell as manager at Burnley, Howe returned to Bournemouth and led them to two further promotions in three seasons, sound familiar? Bournemouth survived in the Premier League for five seasons under Howe, before suffering relegation to the Championship in 2020. What a terrible CV.