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Out of the frying pan…

Out of the frying pan…

30th October 2021 By Chris Sadler 11 Comments

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Struggling to replace the dour but solid Mick McCarthy in advance of the 2018/19 season, Ipswich Town appointed Paul Hurst (erstwhile of Shrewsbury Town) as their new manager. 

Hurst was young, bright and heralded as one of the potential management diamonds in the game. Sadly, he had a dismal time at Portman Road. The season start was dreadful and, well, it just kept ongoing. His 14 league games yielded only 1 win and he was sacked on 25th October after a 2-0 defeat against Leeds. 

His league stats for that season were:

P14 W1 D6 L7 GF11 GA22 Pts9 

I have no bone to pick with Hurst – or Ipswich for that matter – but his as his reign became increasingly miserable it was a watch-through-your-fingers affair as his inability to generate any sort of positive results from his players became almost laughable.

I had sympathy for him and it was a horrible situation. However, one which obviously could not continue and the Blues’ board came to the same conclusion and ended his contract on 25th October after a 2-0 loss against Leeds. 

Interestingly, Ipswich went on to lose five of the next seven games, so the change made no immediate difference to club fortunes. As always in that situation, the problems normally run deeper than replacing one individual.

I make no judgement in comparing Hurst’s figures with Norwich’s poor start to the Premier League this season – and I am certainly not suggesting replacing any one individual – but, for the sake of comparison, here are Norwich’s league stats for this season as we approach the end of October and a game against Leeds.

P9 W0 D2 L7 GF2 GA23 Pts 2

These figures, if anything, are even worse than Hurst’s.

Even more sadly, the same terms apply. Miserable, laughable, pitiful.

City’s impressive Sporting Director Stuart Webber has made strong statements this week, drawing deeply into the credit he and Daniel Farke have built up over four years with the club.

In doing so he has made vigorous demands on the fans. Fans who’ve known nothing but abject misery and surrender in the Premier League under their regime.

A genuine, heartfelt and necessary plea. Things definitely need to improve. Have to improve.

But, how much credit have Webber and Farke got left?

Sunday v Leeds, 2pm, Carrow Road, is when the creditors get their say…


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Filed Under: Chris Sadler, Column

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Comments

  1. Colin M says

    30th October 2021 at 7:42 am

    Plenty I’d say after back to back Championship wins plus an FA Cup quarter final. Look again after 18 games.
    Its a shame you had to post yet another negative article as a result of last week’s drubbing.
    Odd comparison, Paul Hurst Shrewsbury and Ipswich when there are so many managers who have been sacked after doing really well at the same club, eg. Eddie Howe, Nigel Pearson, Tinkerman etc.

    6
    Reply
    • Cyprus canary says

      30th October 2021 at 10:23 am

      I would say that this was a realistic article although the negative tone is inevitable. If you look at it through impartial eyes (which is of course difficult when it is your club) Farke’s record at PL level is abysmal. Sometimes you can be going through a bad spell but see signs of progress. Sadly there are none.

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      • Chris S says

        30th October 2021 at 1:06 pm

        Thanks Cyprus Canary. I did write a positive article a few weeks ago (see below). But to be positive you need at least some positive strands to work with. Those are pretty thin on the ground at the moment unfortunately. The stats speak for themselves.
        Article: Reasons to be cheerful – https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2021/09/20/reasons-to-be-cheerful/

        Reply
  2. Suencfc says

    30th October 2021 at 8:13 am

    Is your point that sacking the manager does not bring success? Look at Ipswich now.

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    • Chris S says

      30th October 2021 at 10:53 am

      In the circumstance mentioned, Ipswich sacked their manager, replaced him with a caretaker, Brian Klug, then with a permanent manager, Paul Lambert. Despite those changes the conclusion was that Ipswich still finished bottom of the league and were relegated to League One. Infer from that what you will. I just quoted the stats and the feelings abroad at the time.

      Reply
  3. Manfromthesouth says

    30th October 2021 at 8:25 am

    Without pace in the EPL you are lost,so step up Rashica, Tsolis and Placheta at least two of whom I would expect to figure at some point..Sorenson iin midfield to replace the ineffectual McLean and Gilmour to play his Scottish role behind the strikers
    I also feel that Max needs a rest (Opposition teams are starting to expolt his lack of height) and I think Bali deserves a chance..Also Idah should start a nd Pikki on the bench.
    Am I confident that these changes will bring a victory .? No, but I think they will at least give us some effort and carry more potential goal threat than last week
    We need an early break eg a deflection , an og or a penalty to get that vital first goal. If Leeds score first then step up a leader of men to instill belief and commitment -it has to be Krul,
    Team then;
    Krul, Mumba,Kabak,Hanley, Giannoulis,Normann, Sorenson, Rashica, Gilmour, Tsolis (or Placheta )Idah:.

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  4. Chris S says

    30th October 2021 at 10:24 am

    For those mistakenly sniffing out more negativity in this article than there is, when the message is clearly supportive of Webber and Farke in saying that making a managerial change at this point won’t necessarily solve anything, here’s an demonstrably cheery and positive article I wrote a month ago when City were pointless and confidence was ebbing…. If you didn’t thank me for that at the time, don’t criticise me now. If you have things to say, why not write your article?
    Article: Reasons to be cheerful – https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2021/09/20/reasons-to-be-cheerful/

    1
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      30th October 2021 at 2:20 pm

      Hi Chris

      I put in positives where I can find them in my pieces too – always have and always will and there’s five years of evidence of that on MFW for anybody bored enough to look the articles up!

      Maybe I have a pop at the ownership sometimes and there’s no way I’m denying that. But equally I don’t castigate Webber, Farke or the players, or at least exceptionally rarely if I have done and forgotten about it.

      When things aren’t going well on the field MFW won’t escape the fractious nature of people having very different opinions – heaven forbid we all thought the same because if we did MFW and every site like it would be in serious trouble.

      I respect every single comment I get and try to reply to all of them and I must be honest in that I love the ensuing debate.

      But I do occasionally pose the question, even if only to myself: Is it easier to make a comment or write an original article?

      I think we both know the answer to that one.

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      • Chris S says

        30th October 2021 at 3:16 pm

        Thanks Martin. The problem is when it comes to positives City aren’t giving us much to work with at the moment! One exception I suppose is the finances, which seem to be OK. That’s a pretty crucial one. I wouldn’t want to be £200M in debt in our position.

        Reply
  5. Chris S says

    30th October 2021 at 11:00 am

    I agree about pace, MFTS. City learnt they were disastrously short of pace, power and athleticism (not to mention talent) with their last jaunt into the top division. Normann apart, I don’t see they’ve done anything about that. Pukki is a wasted selection as things stand because he scores only one type of goal. and City don’t play that way. I would like to see a striker who can score headers from a corner for example, or from free-kicks, of from scruffy possession in the box, or from shots from 20yards. Norwich just don’t score those type of goals. Extremely one-dimensional, predictable and easy to defend against, because they don’t offer a threat. From minute one the opposition defence have got their feet up and the cigars on. It’s like the Hughton era, who thought football teams shouldn’t have strikers and should just play the ball around in defence until you conceded. And then do it again.
    The one message I would give the team is: ‘You’re allowed to score, you know. In fact it’s positively encouraged in some quarters of the game.’

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    • Carl says

      1st November 2021 at 2:12 am

      I often thought that about the Hughton “game plan” try and win the ball in midfield and then gradually move the ball back to the keeper

      1
      Reply

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