I went through a latter middle-aged guy’s nightmare to get to Carrow Road on Boxing Day. Earlier last week my daughter got me the NHS Covid pass on my smartphone but being an eejit I forgot to ask her how to download the .pdf file to register my vaccination status with Norwich City Football Club.
The very day after, Mrs P’s number two son was fortuitously on hand and I, therefore, had the download as well as the original NHS pass. I tried to upload this to the NCFC official website but might as well not have bothered as the site itself crashed and never recovered.
I uploaded my Covid status to the Club via the general messages section and, to the club’s credit, I got an automated message back – just a case of jumping through hoops and all that I suppose.
On Sunday I went to watch us against Arsenal [more of that in a short while] and what Covid-19 check was there on my turnstile? Nada, rien, zero, zilch. A quick flash of an illuminated smartphone was enough for me to gain entry. Fine, I’ve been double jabbed and had a booster but when you make a lot of effort to get that QD code and it isn’t checked you tend to wonder why you bothered in the first place.
Very few folks I spoke with had even made that level of effort but we all got in.
On gaining barely admission to the Barclay I had a grin with the usual *hooligans* aka my matchday mates and I half-jokingly said I would leave when Arsenal scored their third. When they did score that third goal one of the guys in the row behind prodded me in the back, gave a non-malicious smile and said “off you go then” and said that he’d be following very soon.
It felt like a large proportion of Carrow Road were sufficiently primed to quit by that point and I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with a yearning for rehashed Christmas Day leftovers. We had bubble and squeak and a half-ar$ed turkey curry with pineapple or some other fruit remainders which I can assure you good MFW readers was nothing to hurry home for.
There’s no point in me picking over the details of the game itself; that’s already been done.
If you consider an automatic gearbox on a typical car Arsenal went straight into *D* for Drive and never once in the game did they need to chop down into manual over-ride. We made it that easy for them as their combination of high press and cultured defending meant they were rarely put under stress.
I am not the first writer to say this and will certainly not be the last but we are not currently able to field players of Premier League quality.
Arsenal showed us up for what we are with no mercy whatsoever and my stand-out “oh shucks” moment was when their fans serenaded Aaron Ramsdale with *England’s Number One* to which the keeper responded with a sustained clap back, even moving a few yards towards that area of the South Stand to confirm his appreciation of them.
Where do we go from here? Where can we go from here is a more considered question.
Okay, we were missing Grant Hanley, Tim Krul, Milot Rashica and a couple of others including Mathias Normann, who quite possibly will never be seen in a yellow shirt again. Poor old Teemu Pukki didn’t really have any scraps to feed off and Angus Gunn prefers to kick it long, which is fair enough but who do we have that might win an aerial ball anyway?
After a period of consideration [okay a few hours after the game] I don’t see this side pulling up any mighty oaks in the Championship, I really don’t. The mindset isn’t there and that’s for sure, let alone the physicality.
Daniel Farke couldn’t get much out of the current squad this season and Dean Smith isn’t faring much better after half a dozen games. We will not spend a penny in January but what concerns me far more is our lack of potential to escape the clutches of the Championship next season. This current crew don’t have that in them.
If Max Aarons isn’t sold in January I will be extremely surprised, which might not detract too much from us according to some observers but many of those will miss him when he’s gone. I definitely will.
So if Farke couldn’t cope with the expensive summer intake and Dean Smith appears to be struggling with them doesn’t the problem lie at the door of the executive foreman of the recruitment section? Methinks it might.
I can’t recall his name right now although I think he might have a very soft but nevertheless discernible Welsh accent.
Sometimes gambling on injury-prone players, 19-year-old starlets and a clutch of youngsters from the Under-23s doesn’t work out if they all flatter to deceive simultaneously.
Maybe we’ve been rumbled.
Hi Martin;
Well, at least you went; with all the hassle for codes etc (I don’t have a smartphone), I just couldn’t be bothered…..but you’re not the only person who has told me that checks were cursory at best.
“We will not spend a penny in January but what concerns me far more is our lack of potential to escape the clutches of the Championship next season. This current crew don’t have that in them.”
Re your quote above……..with this crop (and along with Max, I don’t think Krul or Pukki will be here next season)….we WILL escape the Championship, but I fear it will be downwards rather than up!!
Those left really have nothing; absolutely nothing about them.
O T B C
Hi John
A sobering situation, isn’t it?
As for the Covid pass thingy I tend to do what I think is for the collective good but I swear if I had switched on a torch at point of entry I would have got in. Most folks were not even asked for their pieces of cardboard, let alone the NHS app.
No queues at all – which is good, bad or indifferent depending on your point of view of course. I fall firmly in the latter category but when a guy you know quite well says *you’re a d*ck for going through that hassle* it does start to make me wonder what’s going down.
And we seem to have nothing going for us at all.
It was barely worth the effort I can assure you.
Cheers
Hi Martin
Which ever way you dress this up the season was overbefore it began.
Buendia and Skipp is the mantra everyone says we should have tried harder to keep, But one wanted out at any costs and Spurs had seen enough of the other to want him in their team so on both accounts no chance.
Did the powers that be make the wrong decision in keeping Farke aswe know everyone has a sell buy date and city could have paid him and his staff their promotion bonus and waved good bye instead 6months later a compensation package had to be agreed, the question is could we have gotten a body to take the job maybe Cooper who left Swansea???
Did the recruitment team spent too much time trying for the impossible targets and not enough time on the obtainable ones.
Since Webber took over it has been about building a style, the first season was poor and the team had players over priced and paid thread to go.
2 X Murphy’s sold neither pulling up trees Total £21+m
Lewis to NUFC £15m
Godfrey to Everton £20+m
All the above purchased or signed prior to Webber arriving
Buendua to Villa £33+m
Only Webber signing to make a profit(that I call recall)
Numerous youth players released as not making the grade for our new style and bucket loads out on loan trying to make the grade.
If a self funding club needs money the players sold need to bring in more that we are currently getting with Aarons or Cantwell bring in money to finance a couple of purchases this January on both I can see sales but the boat has sunk on getting large fee’s, other clubs knows cities financial situation and will look to steal a deal they will not want to help us survive.
Hi Alex
Emi made it plain he wanted out and we were never going to get Olly Skipp back as both Nuno and later Conte are far too sharp to allow that to happen.
You pose many questions that I cannot answer but I’ll attempt to sum it up thus:
Norwich City will never sign anybody without a view to a future profit with Delia as the owner and Stuart Webber as Sporting Director. This strategy has failed us big time this time around as in who the living heck would want to buy Rashica, Tzolis or Sergant?
We’re looking at north of £25 million for the three of them in terms of purchase price. Current retail value? I don’t want to think about it tbh and that’s at Webber’s door I’m afraid.
Cheers
…. too much time trying for the impossible targets and not enough time on the obtainable ones….
Isn’t that just the case. Chased Normann and Kabak for months? My Arse. Both signed with hours to spare when they didn’t get other offers.
PLM was meant to be a CDM, YouTube showed him to be a lesser Vrancic.
Meanwhile, Alex Mowatt was a free agent. QPR got Andre Gray, blistering quick and dangerous, from Watford, who paid less for Dennis than we did for the combined sum of Tzolis and PLM. We then signed a right footed left back from Man Utd and capable Gilmour in a completely inappropriate team.
As for signings? I’m not in complete agreement with Martin, the author. We were happy to sign Grant Holt, Drury, Ruddy, Bennet(s), Pilks, Wes Hoolahan, BJ, Lappin etc at various stages and none were ever likely to make a profit…. And at various stages under Lambert and NA (then AN) both squads looked far more suitable for an effort in the top flight. In fact Neil Adams built Alex Neil’s team from the shadow of a relegation where he had (or chose) to forgo Bassong, Turner, Fer, Snodgrsss etc etc.
It can be done and I trust S&S to do it. There’s a 50/50 with the current league table a miracle could happen, but otherwise they will tear up SW’s playbook in the summer and built a far more appropriate team.
Hi Mike
Yes you are completely right about the players you mention but I was referring to those puchased under Webber – all the others were before he came on the scene,
Every name you mention in your first list was a great servant to the Club and we even made a nice little earner on Bradders.
Cheers
Glad you got home ok mate might be idea to recall some of our loan players can’t do any worse Hernandez is as able if not better then we have at club at the moment not a fan of hugill but if we’re punting long balls up pitch because we can’t play out from back he’s an option like you said yesterday what’s Sorenson done wrong reads he should be shoein reads the game well we so weak in midfield it’s embarrassing can’t recall such a weak midfield at the club clueless .hope you enjoy match tomorrow dreading it myself think it be 30 CP keep well mate
Hi Kev
I think Sorensen had a touch of the Covids rather than being *dropped from the squad* but that is something, understandably, that we never find out until later. I still don’t know now tbh.
Onel is a bit of a loose cannon but he could be handy next season. Maybe for Boro rather than us as things are shaping up just now.
Cheers mate
Fan comment from BBC report on West Brom v Derby:
Yet another catalogue of missed chances from an inept WBA, managed by an inept manager who was appointed by an inept board. Hugill cannot be considered a footballer let alone a striker, he’s shocking. WBA have only themselves to blame. [36 thumbs up and 2 down]
Hi In extremis
Hugill never gave me the same sense of *I see why why we got him on board* that Jordan Rhodes did.
My most abiding memory of him is the online cooking contest he had with Emi during lockdown. It was great fun but hardly great stuff in aon on the pitch sense.
Cheers
“We will not spend a penny in January”
I beg to differ. Everyone goes on about the £50m we’ve spent. We haven’t. We spent about a net £20m, maybe not even that much if you discount Giannoulis and Gibson which came from last years budget.
We still have money to spend. Three experienced PL players would transform this team. It is a miracle that we are still in touch with 17th but somehow we are.
We are about to see how serious Mr Webber and Mr Smith are about staying in this league.
I think you mean mrs D smith!
Missed this earlier
🙂
Think you might want to find a transcript of the AGM where it was said no money to do any business in January or words to that effect from Webber himself
Webber was widely quoted saying just that around AGM time.
Hi sgncfc
Fair points all BUT… how on earth are we going to attract three experienced PL players here in January? Maybe Dean Smith has enough clout to entice Conor Hourihane but we do not buy 30-y-o players so even that one might hit the buffers. Probably already has.
It really does not matter how serious Mr Smith is about staying in the PL as it’s all down to Ms Smith [no relation] and there is only one winner there.
Without googling I think it was the TV barrister Horace Rumpole who referred to his wife as *she who must be obeyed* in the pre-PC days.
I rest my case.
Cheers – good comment.
If the basis of self funding was to gradually build the club to a point where they become an established premiership club why is the current side worse than our premiership side of five years ago?
Because we gave Webber the money.
And you’ve certainly got a good answer to John’s question, Cyprus!
We all know the real basis of self funding John, and it has nowt to do with establishing a premier league football team.
Hi Chris
Spot on there.
The world and its terrier know what I think about the Smith regime so this time round I thought I’d leave Auntie D and her concept of *sporting morality* out of it although my thoughts and feeelings towards her attitude have not changed.
Cheers
That is a very good question, John!
Norwich-Arsenal game I would call as lesson of how to pass a ball. Difference was huge and so was result. Krul would have kept final score little bit closer, it didnt help that Gunn was not able to save much anything.
Norwich biggest issue, which you must solve somehow , is how to play after Pukki has left. This is 100% sure his last season in Norwich. You have to start rebuilding and even selling Teemu in january will be seen as giving up its vital preparing time for next season in championship. There must be given possibility to others to show that they are able play enough well to make promotion happen again. If it does not look like that and no one step up at all after Teemu has left, its still possible to solve during the summer. Its obvious no one will step up now at all. Teemu cant keep Norwich in premier league, no matter if he scores 90% of Norwich goals it will not be enough. In january Norwich would also get transfer fee. This is win-win situation to both parties, Teemus prime career time is starting and Norwich must start new period of their football history. Dean Smith does not differ much from Farke, both stick desperately to Teemu and plays Teemu every possible minute and hope he makes difference. That is called 1 player football system and it makes even more sure that others will not improve. Maybe they are not able to improve but you must at least give them a chance.
Hi 1×2
I can certainly see the logic in what you are saying about the Teemu Pukki situation and personally I agree with you but I don’t know how most fans would react if he were sold off in January. Not very well I would think!
It is very true that he has been flogged to death by both Farke and so far Smith as well but even in the Championship Jordan Rhodes and Jordan Hugill were simply a rather poor alternative. Adam Idah is not the player our coaches thought he would become.
hyvaa uutta vuotta!
I’d love to see them sell Pukki just to see what reaction they get!
It’s probably the only way we’re going to get any fun out of this season.
Oh I dunno about that. If I win Euromillions sometime soon I’d love to see the look on Delia’s face when I offer to buy her out.
Mind you she’d probably find a way to say I wasn’t a suitable purchaser.
ST holder for 33 years, Canaries Trust member and living in Norfolk for about 32 years?
No way would I fit her criteria!
Now come on Martin I am the one who does the negative stuff!! I watched glimpses of the game whilst playing a quiz game online with the family in Reading and Freiburg! Even then I could see the poor play. However I am hoping a new experienced pair of signings in Jan could do the trick but has Mr Webber got the nous or money to do that. Hope springs eternal.
Hi Cyprus
Negative or realistic 🙂
I’d be amazed if we brought anybody in with any relevant experience as we simply do not buy anybody who would not have the potential for a resale value and the key factor – PROFIT!
Buendia [Webber] and Maddison [not Webber] will serve as examples but Buendia remains Webber’s only success in this respect in nearly four years. Lewis & the Murphy’s were homegrown & Ben Godfrey probably the work of Neil Adams.
That quiz of yours sounds a bit special!
Cheers
In an odd sort of way Farke might not have lost the dressing room,
Chances are , given the results , Smith has as much of the dressing room as Farke had.
Are we saying that our collection of young full internationals are not good enough, or not good enough for a premiership relegation fight.
You don’t Tzolis getting full Greek caps at 19 if he can’t play. Same applies to most of the others.
However are they the ones you want in a backs to the wall fight in a battle to survive.
Now that’s down to Martin’s quietly spoken Welsh bloke who will now have an association with three premiership relegations.
A couple of gnarled warriors would have been more effective than a couple of the young guns.
Hi Bernie
Absolutely. We are really suffering from the lack of a Skipp or a Tettey replacement. Expecting Gilmour or McLean to play that role is completely unrealistic and Normann isn’t similar either, although after that type of surgery he will be out for some considerable time anyway.
Giannoulis and Tzolis have often been the left flank for the Greek national side. Good enough for World Cup qualifiers but not for Norwich City, who go with Williams and Placeta instead at the moment.
Cheers
Good morning Martin on this miserable day. At least I was able to have a very nice pint with a couple of mates post-match and we all were wondering if we can get above Derby’s points total of 2007-2008. On Sunday’s showing we’ll need a miracle. 😳
A fan sitting next to me said before kick off that he doesn’t rate Gunn and I kind of agreed with him. The stats at the end of the games showed he made one save which any schoolboy/schoolgirl could have made.
If you take the £5M we paid for Gunn and the £8M we got conned out of for Sargent, that is quite a tidy sum to have put towards better quality, but fewer new signings.
I’d love us to be able to send our loan players back to their parent clubs, as IMO, they don’t add anything to the squad. Definitely recall Drmic and Onel if we can, but neither is likely to happen. Maybe the time has come for D&M to step down and let someone who has a few £M to spend take over. I guess the icing on the cake would be to see NUFC relegated with us, but there are too many players who value an exorbitant salary for that to happen.
I’m totally convinced that we would be at best mid table in the Championship, but at least we should have one season without an Old Farm derby.
I said to the fan sitting next to me, that maybe it’s time to get fuel injection and ditch the ‘Webber’ (apologies to younger readers!!). As you said at the outset, we’ve been well and truly rumbled and at least we’ll have a few extra games next season.
Morning Ed
Yes the weather doesn’t help the general mood this morning but at least it’s dry and I’m thankful for that. Angus Gunn was not all that but I’d like to hope he’d be okay in the Championship next season. Should have saved at least Saka’s opener.
I like the motoring analogy. I used to have a 1969 Alfa 1750 GTV with twin Weber 45s on it. God that thing was fast for its time. Rust sent it to the great scrapyard in the sky far too early but I did get a fair few bob for the carbs and the drivetrain. I’m sure there’s an NCFC comparison in there somewhere.
Cheers
Not all that long ago webbers name was being heavily linked with a top job at Manchester United. His stock has fallen so low now that he would be laughed out of Salford city.
The business conducted during the summer defies belief. Even in spite of the hugely mitigating state of affairs surrounding our budgetary limitations. The alarm bells should have been ringing from the moment we had to sell before we could begin our “spending spree”.
Quality not quantity was needed and it was not forthcoming.
I would like Webber to explain the rationale of each individual signing. From blowing 9 million quid on useless sargent before doubling it up on some Greek kid we can’t even use. The totally unsuitable gilmour and Williams need some explanation too.
As for spending 5 million more on a bog standard second choice keeper when that money was needed elsewhere words fail. I’ve witnessed Gunn on three occasions this season. On the first occasion he didn’t have a single shot to,save. On the second, Liverpool had three shots, all of which hit the net. Against arsenal, he appeared to be playing dodgeball. Shocking. I’m sure there were 30 year old journeyman custodians who know their way around a penalty area available who would be happy to provide back up for a fraction of the cost.
The strategy appears to have been very muddled. Perhaps due to the fact we wouldn’t go the extra mile to get secure our first targets, which led to us scrabbling around for scraps. Laughably being outbid for a player by Brentford.
Amateur doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Hi Chris
The one I object to the most was Ajer. Rumour says an extra £2 million would have brought him here and please don’t anybody tell me that we cannot match Brentford in salary and perks.
Instead we end up with Sargent, Tzolis and PML. I’ve yet to see enough of Rashica on the pitch to judge him properly which is why I didn’t include him in my trio of duds.
I doubt Max will break eight digits without add-ons and if Santa Todd attracts anything like that I will be surprised. No disrespect to TC btw, that was a fine gesture.
Then there’s bugg*r all left to sell.
What’s Webber gonna do in January? Buy a latter-day Dean Ashton. Ho Ho Ho!
As you said above we’ll need a laugh in the January window and I know the RoI are pretty short on strikers but quite how Stephen Kenny makes Adam Idah his regular #9 is beyond me.
So if Pukki is sold, surely not the return of the giant Hugill – doesn’t bear thinking about!
Cheers – good comment.
Sad thing is that whilst it was happening over the summer, it was not making sense. But the happy clappers loved it. But there again, the happy clappers thought this team was exponentially better than 2-3 seasons ago.
SW performed exactly like this at Huddersfield.
The state of this squad is blood on his and DF’s hands. Stupid recruitment for a completely inappropriate base formation
What went largely unmentioned when Webber arrived is that his strategy involved vast amounts of gambling (and I don’t mean the BK8 type).
He will happily step in front of cameras and discuss the players he’s sold. But like any gambler, you’ll never hear the loses brought up and those losses are mounting.
Hi Dave
That’s a simple *yep* from me. Spot on. SW has really gone down in my estimation from what i’ve seen this calendar year.
Cheers