And the horror shows keep on coming…
Getting tonked by Man City and being plucky losers against Liverpool is disappointing, albeit par for the course, but getting stuffed at home by a relegation rival who, prior to the game, had been in freefall is taking it to another level.
To perform so poorly in a game that was deemed must-win is unforgivable.
Yet it’s something in which we specialize when we’re in the Premier League. When crunch time arrives we either freeze or implode. If it’s possible to do both, we do that too.
Yesterday’s disaster was multi-faceted and we can talk all day about odd team selections, under-performing players, VAR and erratic officialdom, but when it’s boiled down we’re just simply not good enough.
We lack quality, we lack speed, we lack strength, we lack physique, we lack dynamism and, perhaps most important of all, we lack mental fortitude.
And it’s not something new. All of these things are missing every single time we manage to escape the clutches of the Championship via the preferred method.
And why? I think we know why.
We tell ourselves that our self-funded way is the right way (and it is) but when the other 19 teams disagree you find yourself the outlier. And we’re certainly that. Completely out on a limb.
The derision that comes flooding in from all angles is, of course, ridiculous and unfair when you’re trying to do it in a way that if followed elsewhere would make football better and fairer, but when the game as a whole refuses to play ball you’re left in a creek and paddle-less. We can’t change football on our own.
So it’s a debate that won’t go away.
Well, it probably would go away if, under the guise of self-financing, we showed ourselves to at least be in with a chance of surviving in the Premier League in any given season. But we don’t.
Mathematically, we still have a chance of survival this season but who genuinely believes it? And, let’s be honest, if we were to pull off a miracle, it would be in spite of being self-financed, not because of it.
‘But we spent nearly £50 million in the summer and were among the biggest spenders in Europe.’
All true, but the bulk of that spend was financed by us selling our best player – probably the only one who had the quality to play consistently at the top level. Without the sale of Emi Buendia, we would have had £15 million to play with – tops.
Equally, we would also have been a better team with Emi in it, although that was never going to be possible given his stated desire to leave. But the point remains – our net spend in the summer was derisory in Premier League terms.
We had and have no choice.
It’s derisory because we operate in that real-world scenario of having to live within our means – that simple but noble concept that ultimately puts this club at a huge disadvantage when competing against every other top-tier club.
As I said, in our dreams every club would be run on this same basis and the playing field would be that little bit more even, given that running a tight ship would be a key component in being a successful football club. But only in our dreams.
For what it’s worth, I also dream of club ownership in this country replicating the German 50+1 model, where fans always have the majority of voting right pertaining to their club – commercial investors, therefore, having a maximum of a 49 percent stake. But that’s an article for another day.
In the here and now, our desire to be self-sufficient – however ideologically sound and worthy it may appear – leaves us with a massive hill to climb to even get close to our competitors even before a ball has been kicked.
Worth noting is that we don’t find ourselves in this position because our mission statement includes a stated aim to be football’s trailblazers. We’re not doing it because we want to lead English football back to a more righteous path.
We’re self-funded because we have no choice.
Our owners, lovely people that they are, are in Delia’s own words, “poor millionaires” and simply don’t have the financial oomph to significantly bolster the club’s finances. And no one expects them to.
It’s their hard-earned money and they do with it as they wish. Along the way, they have loaned the club money at various pinch-points – all of which has now been repaid.
But it has become clearer and more evident with each failing Premier League campaign that we are pursuing a model that, in this current climate, simply does not work.
For most of the season, we have looked horribly out of our depth. Along the way, there have been horror shows aplenty and far too many games where we have been hard pushed to even come second. It’s been joyless and, as ever, comes down to the squad lacking both quality and depth.
There’s no way of knowing for sure if Stuart Webber’s A-list of summer transfer targets, which included Kristoffer Ajer and Philip Billing, would have made us better but to have lost out due to being unable to match the wages or transfer fees offered by others immediately left us playing catch up.
A more substantial transfer pot means potentially higher quality targets in the first place but also helps to get deals over the line when you find yourself in competition with others.
As things stand, Webber has to work miracles to try and convince players that Norwich City is the destination for them when, potentially, they can earn more elsewhere. The same applies to transfer fees and us having zero flexibility when trying to arm wrestle over the services of a player.
Those with the deeper pockets win the day virtually every single time while little old Norwich has to make do with what feels like scraps. In January, we couldn’t even deal in scraps. Even before Adam Idah’s unfortunate injury, it was clear the squad was crying out for a viable alternative to Teemu Pukki.
But that wasn’t an option – the cupboard was bare.
Well, it feels like we’ve made do with scraps for long enough.
Delia and Michael clearly care passionately about this football club – they’re fans just like the rest of us – but they’re also the club’s custodians who have taken on the responsibility of ensuring it is the best it can possibly be.
They now have to ask themselves if they genuinely believe there is no one else out there who, as owner(s) or significant investors, could help make this club better and be more competitive.
During their ill-advised interview with Henry Winter in The Times back in 2016, they declared they would “never sell”.
Quote: “The supporters will be very disappointed to hear that. But no way will we sell. We don’t even listen to any enquiries.”
At the time that sounded pretty emphatic.
Since then the mood has shifted slightly, albeit at last November’s AGM the official line was that the club wasn’t actively seeking investment from third parties while admitting it had received numerous enquiries.
In the words of finance director Anthony Richens; “A lot of them [enquiries] aren’t credible but any that we believe are credible or for consideration, we, of course, pass to Michael and Delia.”
And it was left there.
I suspect Delia and Michael find valid reasons to reject every single one, not least because the plan remains – as far as I’m aware – to hand the reins and the shares over to nephew Tom when the time comes.
All of which has status quo scrawled all over it. And no, I don’t refer to Francis Rossi.
The counter-argument to all of this is obvious and particularly pertinent now as we evaluate the cost and ease with which dodgy foreign money has infiltrated both the City of London and the game of football, but with the help of some forensic due diligence, I refuse to believe that every single proposal that lands on Michael’s desk is iffy.
As Leicester City, Wolves and Aston Villa can testify, there are some good potential owners out there who can take a middling, top 26-type club, and help it smash through the glass ceiling that comes with being self-financed. Yes, I also know there are plenty of examples of very bad owners.
I’ve attempted to word this carefully because I’ve been here before and ended up falling out with folk I like and admire, but in the same way this subject just won’t go away, neither will the fact this club blows every chance it has to stay beyond one season in the Premier League.
It’s tiring and demoralizing.
Fresh investment or new ownership comes with risks and no guarantees, and there’s always a relegation battle just around the corner when you’re Norwich City in the top flight, but it would be nice, just for once, to enter said battle without requiring a water-to-wine miracle to get 17th or better.
To start a PL season without being at a massive disadvantage before a ball has even been kicked would enable a change in mindset – one far removed from the little unfortunate Norwich tone that leads to almost weekly ridicule from the wider media.
I’m tired of us morphing into the hapless blo.ody Washington Generals whenever we face the Harlem Globetrotters of the top six. And tired of watching us being out-played, out-fought and out-muscled when up against mid-table sides like Southampton, and relegation rivals like Brentford.
And I don’t want us to just ‘suck it up’ or ‘take it on the chin’ when we get relegated again on the basis of it being more fun in the Championship. It’s only fun because we win more games and we compete at the top of the table. We should look no further than to West Brom to see that yo-yoing eventually comes to an end.
Then what happens when we get subsumed in the heart of the Championship battle and find ourselves scrapping in mid-table. And then when selling an academy gem isn’t sufficient to plug the inevitable financial black hole?
I don’t have answers I’m afraid, only questions, but I do think it’s time that, at the very least, Michael and Delia give one of two of the more viable offers a second read.
I believe the supporters are owed that much.
If you disagree and are content with this model, then fair play. I respect that.
But I’m not alone…
SURELY NOW !
I know I am Stuart Webbers least favourite fan and some people like or don’t blame him , but how ?!!!
This the man who after a dreadful start bullishly came out and stated that he was sure there was enough quality in this squad that HE assembled to stay in the premier league .
Now this man clearly doesn’t know quality when he sees it , and after originally thinking he was an intelligent man , my mind is firmly changed that he really doesn’t have much of a clue about football after all we don’t seem to have a solid scouting system or an ex professional footballer’s brains for recruitment instead we have an ex groundsman who quite simply is not fit enough to be Director of Football and certainly , certainly not to be head of recruitment ! Dean smith was a knee jerk reaction too that made life easy for him as he had no list beforehand it seemed . This club that you all keep paying and praying will survive won’t unless they get Serious and that starts at the Top were the buck stops .
An excellent read Gary and I would concur with every word.
The real weakness with our model as somebody pointed out in a recent article is it’s title. It’s not self funding it’s buying a number of promising players and hoping we can develop some in to useful earners to subsidise the current ownership.
As a consequence instead of buying three or four players capable of competing in the premiership we’ve purchased a number of hopefuls who apart from Rashica have not been up to the task.
The only other quality player is the loan of Normann. Our other signings have all been woeful due to the fact our club relies on a player gamble.
This is now the third time self funding has failed and surely even Delia must realise after yesterdays appalling showing the time has come to look once more at the viable offers.
Yesterday was the first time people around me were discussing whether to renew season tickets or not. £1200 for my wife and I to watch yesterdays game and several like it this season is extremely poor value.
This piece is bang on. From time to time you have a crossroads game. The home defeat v Huddersfield comes to mind when we changed tack. Brentford are us with funding. Keep top player – check, Signed Ajer – check, when struggling pay some money out on a well planned punt (Eriksen) – check. It’s a wake up call. The rot starts at the top with the owners. Webber needs to get his ego in check and stop believing all his management bs. Dean Smith is not a good fit for us. At best he is a mid Championship manager playing meat and potatoes type football. Just as Moxey didn’t fit Dean Smith is the same. I don’t want a lot of ex Villa players turning up here next season. We need to urgently address the lack of size in our midfield and stop trying to be clever. Don’t ever play Gilmour and McLean together again PLEASE.. No more excuses. Start playing some of the young guys. If nothing else it will put up their sale value. A new dynamic coach is needed or even get Daniel back. We’ve lost our identity, Use the remaining games to plan for the future.
Get the man back that had the worst start of any Premier league manager in history? So you want change, but don’t want things to change. NCFC fans truly are one of a kind. Please cancel my accidental like off this strange comment.
Daniel wasn’t successful at Prem level but we’re only a Prem team in name only now. He knows his way round the Champs. He called Cantwell and Gilmour correctly.. Personally I’d prefer a young dynamic coach on the way up. What is your answer to this situation Jeff?
Yes, get the man back. Who wouldn’t have lost that run of fixtures with the squad he was given? It was Farke who developed Buendia and it was Farke who realised playing Gilmour week in week out might suit Chelsea but it didn’t suit us.
Norwich didnt deserve to loose that game, Norwich deserved at least a draw. Same problem was again reason why you lost, awful individual and very stupid defensive mistakes this time by Gibson. You just cant overplay like he did.
Your recruitment huge mistakes are players which you bought. Winners are PAOK and Werder Bremen. Your fans are complaining about Giilmour, but actually he has improved his game. I would say that he has done ok. Williams has done very well. Outside that Normann struggles not badly but he struggles and Kabak has been obviously waste of money. Its very difficult to make good attacking play when your other attacking player best ability is hard trying and other has bad decision making ability. Its useless in todays football that someone runs with the ball and puts crosses somewhere + he looses basically every possible physical battles. Now that Norwich kid who assisted Teemus goal looked right away better player.
Teemu scores in high percent when he gets in real scoring chances, he didnt had to run with the ball first 30 metres and shoot from wide position. It was where goals are coming from, as closer as middle you get as better chance you have to score. Its depressing to watch game after game how opponents come to hug Teemu and feel very bad for him because he is forced to play in such a bad team. After this season its finally over and Norwich are in deep trouble then. Teemu actually really cared and tried yesterday.
Buendia has not impressed in Aston Villa, surely they feel overpaid. For bench player that is a lot of money. Like I have said before, Norwich has got plenty of more money with their player selling than they should have. This season you have also overpaid and found players which will not make your team better and you have to live with their contracts. Its easy to understand when team plays their own youngsters, you didnt believe on those and instead of that bought nonsense.
Jury still out on Kabak for me , looks like he’s missed half a season due to covid, and related problems.. But as hes on loan he probably wont be here next year.
Normanns played little and is coming back from surgery, before he needed surgery he was starting to look the part, but now hes still in need of match fitness..
and where to start with Tsolis ,???
Player who does not play is of course failure. Kabak is typical example of turkish football, fans are fanatics and overrate their own players very much. Their league is strange, there is plenty of so called has been good foreign players who gets paid well and games are some part football some part something else and I would never watch turkish league games regularly.. I agree that Kabak can do well but not in Norwich and doubtfully in english football With Zsolis you obviously went to greek marketing hype. Smith does not play him because he is not ready to play in premier league, he surely would have got his chances otherwise. Normann too seems to be getting injured often. Loaned players are loaned so they will sure play somewhere else next season.
Wow Gary, what a depressing and thoroughly miserable read that was.
I wish I could debate your points but I just can’t because sad to say, they’re all spot on particularly the terms joyless, out of our depth and not good enough.
Whilst I agree it’s pointless to talk about selection etc, Im struggling to fathom why Dean Smith keeps picking McLean and Gilmour as our midfield two with the likes of Sorensen and Lees Melou warming the bench. Is he really expecting them to suddenly click as a pair when they haven’t done that as yet?, it’s either utter madness or stubbornness on his part.
I know we shouldn’t look back (but I’m going to), Farke didn’t play Gilmour and maybe he was right because he doesn’t have the physicality to operate within our team and just looks like a luxury we can’t afford.
On the subject of Dean Smith, I was disappointed to hear his aftermatch comments suggesting we’d been robbed by VAR. It was almost like listening to Warnock, those two penalties were ‘stone wallers’ without doubt so just say it like it is Dean.
First pen was a ridiculous decision, but we got what we deserved. Persisting with Gilmour is even more ridiculous, I’m sorry to say.
The first was a penalty, the second a dive in all but name as he initiated contact when there was no need but that is where football is I’m afraid. As for Gilmour why did he take every dead ball when he was on they were a crap as they normally are.
I don’t disagree with your analysis Gary. We’re down. What really worries me is that, once you take out the loanees and the likes of Aarons, who’ll be off, we look nowhere near capable of challenging for promotion next season.
That’s the joy of “self- funding” (living in Sky money and other clubs buying our players with it or their owners money. Where is Webber and why is he quiet ? He announced he wanted out to Europe now that dream is over he sacked Farke for not getting the team to be competitive – who agreed to the loans and buys – if it was a team decision the leader of that team has to go. As for Dean Smith I was never impressed at the quick signing and where are we now hoof ball without a striker who can play it. Webber out!
Hiya m8
I can understand all the sentiments of the lack of backing, poor transfer business and lack of understanding of not buying a back up for pukki.
But 54 seconds in the games tone was set for me Anthony Taylor let a Brentford player go though a city player not even a word and for the next 97 mins it happened again and again, Ivan Toney every time he fouled his marker 20mins in a elbow in face Taylor missed it straight red was not even a argument.
All I ask is for a level playing field VAR has made that impossible for us after they a man 150 miles away chalked out a goal that took best part of 2 minutes to call(they even put the ball on spot to restart game). It was the catolist of a mass exodus of dissolution fans for exit not prepared to watch officials and a video screen put any more nails in a game that is slowly dying, if not totally dead to us who care!
The man who who won the game for them should not have been on the pitch!
And as for Thursday 730pm ko my bet carrow Rd will have 16000 max people can just leave work or get time off for games changed at a wim of the Premier league…….
That’s the joy of “self- funding” (living in Sky money and other clubs buying our players with it or their owners money. Where is Webber and why is he quiet ? He announced he wanted out to Europe now that dream is over he sacked Farke for not getting the team to be competitive – who agreed to the loans and buys – if it was a team decision the leader of that team has to go. As for Dean Smith I was never impressed at the quick signing and where are we now hoof ball without a striker who can play it. Webber out!
The fact that we cant physically compete with the likes Brentford says something about our recruitment – Watford have done that to us for a few years – its a mans game and if one side is going in hard and shithousing then we need to do the same – but we have the manchild Gilmour and others who would fall over in a gust of wind. Where was the physicality we were promised ?
One of your best articles Gary . I have a huge respect for Delia and always will do. I have always fought for the self funding model, but I guess this is as far as it takes us. Top 26 in the country is a great result for a club of our size and resources, just ask the people of Bristol who look at us with real envy . Unfortunately the model can’t take us into the top 17 .
I don’t blame Webber , with the resources available you have to “ take a punt” and let’s be honest it worked with Buendia and Pukki , but you can’t keep “ winning the lottery “ . I don’t don’t think Dean Smith is the visionary that Daniel is .
I have attended our last 2 away games and to be honest they were the same , the only difference is Liverpool “ took their foot off” in the Cup game . We get pinned back in defence and just don’t have the players who can take the ball out of defence into attack . Any defence is bound to fail when it’s under constant attack . But let’s be honest we lack PL quality all over the pitch , which brings us back to money.
I hate the way that wealthy foreign owners use clubs as their plaything , the supporters don’t matter and I liken this to a “ pact with the devil”
Is there a middle way ( a pact with a genuine good investor) to be honest I have no idea . But possibly it’s time to be honest with myself .
OTBC
One of the worst managers in Premier league history was a “visionary”? These owners really have done a job on the aspirations and ambitions of our club. This forum is too nice again it seems.
Well Jeff , if you want to be purely destructive, you’re probably right 😃
Brilliantly put, Gary. I felt so despondent after yesterday’s match and pretty much all those thoughts came to mind (though I did invent or excuse us with – poor ref, had we taken our first half chances we would have won etc). But thank you for raising all those issues. – I have no answers either but agree with the final point in your article and have thought that for a few years now.
I’ve heard of a few people who say that they’re thinking seriously about renewing their season tickets. it is another completely joyless season in the PL where we are just making up the numbers and that is so dispiriting. I’m seriously thinking of not going to the Chelsea game though I might just decide to go after remembering that I nearly didn’t go to the Man City game 2 years ago where we witnessed the height of Farkeball. But I can’t see another miracle here.
If you don’t have a big budget you have to spend it wisely!! The self funding model is of course a problem but if you review Webber’s signings since he arrived he has more failures than successes. Rashica and Sargeant had no goal scoring pedigree in a second rate league and Tzolis is merely a prospect. Not to mention Drmic et al that went before!!
Two experienced journeymen would have given us more chance.
If we fail to get promotion next season then I think the future is bleak!!
I dont think a league with Bayern , Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig, etc in it is a second rate league.
Three teams don’t make a top league chap. Spain is a joke outside of the top 3 or 4. Germany is second rate, hence why all the germans want to come here (mainly to Nodge).
Actually La Liga is overall best league and their segunda liga is easily best second league. Premier league has best top 3 clubs. Bundesliga is Bayern Munchen, Serie A is third best league before bundesliga.
Hi 1×2
I’ve seen several La Liga games involving Real Mallorca – not recently, about 10 years ag0 and earlier.
I would say the standard then was reasonably close to the English Premier League but probably not ahead of it.
Most of the teams in Germany would struggle in the PL though. Bit like Scottish PL! My point was that we wasted money we didn’t have and did not improve our squad.
Southampton would struggle in the bundesliga
Hi Gary
A brilliant *nailed it* article and I agree with every comment so far as well.
It was that bad I pi$$ed off home after an hour and I have never done that before.
I’ll have a little cheer for our readers tomorrow. It’s hard to find but it’s in there somewhere!
A friend of mine who is a very loyal and long serving season ticket holder walked out after 75 mins yesterday. He’s not a ‘doom monger’ or ‘happy clapper’ and is usually very rational, Yesterday could be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but potentially there could be worse to come. I hope not.
Top draw stuff Mr G, as per usual. I have grave doubts that this model will work in the championship. League 1 yea convinced it would. Our gates in L1 were awesome, wages lower, but less TV revenue.
The up and downing will stop now, we go down I think we are more likely to stay there, It is an old chestnut The Stowmarket duo stepping aside for someone with the finance and the know-how of football. It will not happen, to me, it is a point-blank refusal to even consider stepping aside. Reminds me of an old TV personality desiring the limelight and ending up on a shopping channel. May be wrong but doubt it. It is their toy and nobody is allowed to play with it, we will keep it in the family. It will come to a head one day. she needs to hear the anger and frustration of the supporters, no ruddy good shouting about it but staying quiet when inside the ground. Other clubs supporters have voiced their frustration. I recall, after organising the Worthy Out demo, I said we should include Doomcaster and the Cook in this., but was shouted down.
How much longer should the supporters put up with her fanciful ideas and mishandling of our club. Yes, they have done good work in the past, but let’s not forget they strengthened their grip on the club in doing so.
Enough is enough, more than enough people are tired of spending bloody good money on watching crap that is served up, this isn’t a flash in the pan it has been seasons of it. The only one that really stood out was Lambert’s first season,had he been given some money he would have stayed overseeing another season. No guarantee that is what would have happened, but I do not think I would have too far off the mark.
I am not one of the elite to see behind the scenes of the running of the club, but just giving my views as supporter of over 50 years.
ENOUGH DELIA & MICHAEL, sell up, move over or suffer what I see as coming. Your fan base is very uneasy and frustrated.
We’d rather knit in the stands than voice our opinion. I saw multiple people knitting before giving up my season ticket…genuinely knitting at football. That tells you all you need to know about where we have headed.
I am sick and tired of hearing, “this is a great family club.” Well scrap that nonsense, the owner is there to be feared and respected, not turn up with cress sandwiches when your wife is feeling down because her heel fell off and still hasn’t receive the replacement.
This is football and we are positioning ourselves as some sort of self funding revolutionary maverick utopia. No, we are merely an embarrassment. Everyone is laughing at us. Everyone.
this model is compatible with premiership survival provide the Euromillions jackpot is won twice a year.
Selfish league one owners obsessed with fame who would sell if they actually cared for the club and fans. Actions speak louder than words. They are clinging onto relevance and fame at our expense. They should have been removed long ago, we have deservedly become a joke and some are calling for the return of DF, one of the worst prem managers in history. Joke on top of joke on top of self inflicted embarrassment. If we don’t remove these self absorbed incumbents, then we are to blame.
And then what ?
Hi Jeff
I don’t want the Smiths either but how exactly would you go about removing them?
Go on, gimme a shout. I’d love to know how you’d do it cos I can’t think of a way.
And as for *MFW is too nice* have a look in the archives.
Previous articles by Gary and myself wouldn’t be a bad starting point.
Spot on again Gary.
This thinking that we can afford to have several players out on loan is proving bad business for a smaller club, we are told that this will improve their development, but most leave for nothing at the end of contract.
We are desperately short of forward options on the bench, Idah injury was unfortunate, but we have 6 strikers out on loan, as a club we are not rich enough to do this.
Most of the players out on loan not getting game time except those with the option to buy
Excellent article Gary.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result.
Albert Einstein.
The trouble is we have had two almost identical EPL seasons. Now as a fan if we had or will go down with fighting spirit, some good football and a never say die attitude then I would except it.
I am not saying these guys are not trying, they are but they lack the skill, physique in most cases, ability and crucially that focused mind set that comes from top players.
Look at Ben Gibson yesterday. I felt a bit sorry for him for the first penalty as he only had eyes for the ball but a penalty it was. You cannot put your foot up that high in the penalty area.
But then moments later he made a mad challenge which despite what Dean Smith said was a stick on penalty. Ben lost control and concentration.
Take Milot Rashica yesterday. He has improved a lot over the season, but can’t he use his left foot ? It was crying out for a left foot shot. His chance was crucial it could have changed the course of the game.
These are just two examples of why it has gone wrong for us this season. There are countless others.
I said months ago on here that the recruitment last summer was been poor but it’s not entirely Stuart Webber’s fault. We are shopping in Lidl ( or more likely Netto 😂 £ 6.37 Supermarket Sweep top prize) while the top four go to Harrods the rest Tesco or Sainsbury.
I have found it very difficult to come off the fence regarding “Self-Funding” as the alternative to Michael and Delia could be disastrous, a big risk. But the last five years have made me realise that we have to move forward. Standing still is moving backwards.
The truth is all it takes is a poor transfer window, a poor managerial appointment or losing your core players to injury and the game is up.
And that means taking a risk and moving from the present board to a new model, as you say Gary here are some good owners out there. And I cannot imagine Delia selling to an Investment Company thank god.
And lets make it clear it is not just in being competitive with other clubs in transfer fee it is on wages as well.
You ask Gary where we go if we are in the middle of the Championship with one or no crown jewel player/s to sell or a poor manager ? I will tell you where we will end up at some point …. League one again.
So I really hope Delia has a very good think on what really is in the interest of Norwich City Football Club.
Finally I am surprised to see that Dean Smith is getting some stick on here. I too miss Daniel but Dean has improved us and is trying his very best. The football is not great I think deep down he knows that, but its horses for course at the moment.
Lets not forget that Nigel’s team of Huckerby, Fleming and McVeigh came from a first season of poor second ball football. Even Dave Stringer had to go that route in his last season.
Both the Villa and Brentford fans love Smith with good reason so please lets give the guy a chance to build his own team before we judge him.
On a positive note we do have some young and hungry players who will return from their loans next season. And young Rowe looks very promising.
This Premier campaign has turned out to be even more disastrous than the last and I can’t see us being back for a while.
We have imported failure and it has spread quicker than Covid. We have spent so much paying people off that we cannot maintain a full squad. We needed a Trevor Hockey,even a Tommy Trybull would have been better in recent performances.
Dean Smith was a mistake,he didn’t know us well enough and was just looking for a quick return. He has turned us into a side that can beat Brentford away to a side that loses at home. He doesn’t get the best out of players and thinks it’s ok to leave dangerous strikers unmarked at corners.He should have pushed for new signings.
How can some players continually walk back into the team after diabolical performances yet others aren’t given enough time.
The manager has to take responsibility
Very good article Gary, agree with all. But it’s a situation that as Canary fans we have to live with.
After 60 minutes yesterday, I was sitting in the south stand just wondering what on earth I am doing here watching this embarrassment? Then thought of Ukraine and NCFC didn’t matter. Kind of puts everything in perspective don’t you think?
Agreed Mick. In the greater scheme of things, it’s just football. A timely reminder. Thanks.
excellent article , The Smiths are the custodians of our great club and have been an asset , but now is the time they must pass the reins onto someone with more financial clout and ambition . They must leave with dignity and not wait until things turn nasty .
Viva la Webberlution. A time of open communication, successful moneyball transfers, long term PL survival, and footballing innovation.
Ignore the noise, this is it!
A truly depressing afternoon. Outfought, outthought, out gunned and poor relations to brentford. Brentford.
In truth, there’s very little to like about City these days.
One one hand we have owners who appear to think its all quite amusing, who clearly care not one jot about on field performance or the standing of the club.
A CEO who apparently has spent most of this year up some mountain or other, channelling his inner george malory.
A manager who repeatedly makes the same errors as his predecessor and compounds them by making a few – gilmour, of his own.
A squad of players, we shan’t call it a team, who are accused by pundits and commentators both friendly and unfriendly of not appearing to give a flying whatsit. Ex pros accusing players of not trying.
The whole thing has deteriorated so rapidly that it might be difficult to keep a lid on the situation before the seasons out.
Self funding has already performed beyond its capabilities due to the efforts of a few managers and sporting director types and the constant level of support which I’d the envy of many a “bigger,” club. When it fails, as it will, the decline will be grievous and spectacular.
The answer to your question Gary, is No it cannot. Anybody who truly cares for the club can see that.
Odd comments about little unfortunate Norwich and media. Interesting how we’re now all experts in models of ownership. I thought we were a public limited company trying to stay solvent in a competitive sporting arena. Good post about Bristol on here, a big city, a la Plymouth etc ; looking up at us, a financially secure Championship club with ambition.
I’m certainly no expert in ownership models, Mike. As I said in the piece, I don’t have any answers. I was merely saying that, in my opinion, the so-called self-funding model is incompatible with Premier League survival. If folk are cool with that, that’s fine.
But people also need to be cool with the fact that periods in The Championship result in financial meltdown, every time.
Bristol is a big city, it is big enough to run two football clubs and a rugby club so there is a lot of competition. We can not compare Norwich to Bristol because we have a whole county more or less to ourselves and thanks to the unappetising County Town it possesses, we have a large number of fans from Suffolk. We can look at cities like Leicester, Brighton and Southampton as the kind that are in the same constraints as us
Good piece Gary – we need change at top and manager didn’t succeed at Brentford. Promised a lot but always fell away lucky to get villa promoted – Derby played no forwards. Should have been relegated next season but for goal-line technology not working – it saved them. An unispiring choice of manager – a safe choice. Not much passion on show again yesterday, just an acceptance of the inevitable as usual for last 20yrs when we need to scrap!
Well said Gary, and as always on MFW some brilliant comments.
Yes; we can all have a go at the owners who are well past their sell by date, but they don’t put the guys out on the pitch.
For me, the worst aspect of a truly abject display, was that our best performer by far was an 18 year old substitute. How/why we keep selecting a midfield containing McLean and Gilmour will (for around 24000 of us) continue to be one of the great mysteries of our time. They must perform somewhat better at Colney than they have this season in the Prem. Just what do Sorenson and PLM have to do now to get a start?
I can well remember Webber saying after DF’s first promotion that we couldn’t invest in the team “because the previous regime had pi$$ed millions up the wall”. Just exactly what did he do last summer I wonder??
I’ve had enough; I can do much better things with the £1200 plus my season tickets cost. There is no more debate; yesterday was the final nail in the coffin for me!
O T B C
Early in the season Farke said that having watched the interchanges between Dimitrios and Tzolis he was sure that that was the way to go at city yer he never gave them a premiership start just a cup game.
Smith has alienated Tzolis and Dimitrios by tell them to get over their price tag sadly not give them a run in the team and proving what they can do doesn’t help them do that.
Playing Williams in midfield along side Normann, Sorensen and PLM with the 2 Greeks on the left could be the answer.
But maybe we should have got Delia’s best friend in till the end of the season one and only Roy Hodgson.
Sheesh , I think I put that out on here , or somewhere similar in October that Giannoulis and Tzolis combine well on the left.
Hi John
I wrote a longer version of nigh on what you’ve just posted for tomorrow but woke up this morning and rehashed it. Possibly that was the wrong decision.
*The Greeks* will not be happy lads and quite rightly so as well.
And Martin, the two of them cost roughly half of what we received from the sale of Emi.
Why, oh why did we not try to sign Eriksen (or maybe our lights are not bright enough!).
In answer to your question in the article header Gary…I.don’t, I never did, and it never was..
Just like the Charlton model, the Parma model, the Auxerre model and McNally’s fve year plan, it feels like we’re coming back to the start again.
Hi Gary
What a great mixed bag of comments to a great article.
I have never been a fan of our owners or the model they endorse, her broken promises started early in the ownership saying she would sell up before she agreed to sell Bellamy but weeks later he was gone.
Self funding was promised with greater capacity and a new city stand to enlarge do that but no sooner had the ink dried on the EDP and it was announced that the club couldn’t afford said funds, still after 25years they say that they are looking at ways to increase the ground, I only hope she knows its not going to get cheaper the longer she waits.
He latest statement on TV saying she has 27k children is symptomatic of their feelings for the supporters we are Mum and we know best, Sorry if you had been my mum I would have left home earlier than 18 as I did.
As for investment enquiries would any real checks have been done personally I don’t think so, they state no sale no investment means no ambition.
Many article on social media today praising their ownership and other clubs saying it’s the way to go I just wonder how many supporters would have put up with this ownership model for as long as city fans have not many I think.
No one wants to see another reaction like Chase got but this time there is no Geoffrey Watling to ride to the rescue but then Alias Smith and Jones wouldn’t have excepted his calls and turned a deaf ear to the protests.
My team for next season
Gunn
Byram Hanley Andrew O Dimitrios
Rashica Sorensen PLM Tzolis
Sargent Idah
Sadly Pukki, Krul and Gibson gone
I think 3 maybe 4 of that team will leave in Summer
Self-funding has demonstrably found its level – and that level is nowhere near being a viable Premier League club. Sadly, there is no way out of this particular trap. The best achievable result is alternative seasons of success then humiliation. And that’s the best. The next best is Championship mid-table obscurity (which, let’s not forget, is where City have spent most seasons under Delia and Michael). And that will inevitably lead to financial deterioration and eventual implosion and relegation.
Question: Would City even be in the top 3 biggest clubs in League One, as it stands?
Be careful what you wish for my learned friend! Yes it’s hard compete in the Premiership with our “modell” . We sold our best player at his bequest and amongst friends I thought we had weaker squad than the one we were promoted with and next season is a real worry. At net spend of £15 million is about right for us but crucially we’ve signed a pile of Pooh and the quality we have is loaned which in the engine room is never gonna work! Also not buying the whole “cuddle gesture” from Williams it typifies us in the Premiership, too nice!!!
I. Can’t see in Delia’s 18 years with 6promotions and near 6relegations and a play off final that we’re spent half her time mid table in the championship most clubs have nothing goin on whatsoever be careful what we wish for is the saying my wish is for a team to play with commitment to the shirt every week and see where that takes us regardless of who the owners are.
Delia & Michael became directors of NCFC just over 25 years ago. 13 of those seasons have ended up outside the play-offs in mid-table in the Championship. 13 out of 25 is more than half, hence ‘most’. Not to mention the Championship relegation season and the following season in L1 which makes 15 out of 25 seasons below the Champ play-off positions.
You are correct my apologies read that she bought club 2003 !
It is only a game of football but how is it that even at primary school level youngsters are taught to mark a man at throw-ins, defend at near and far posts when corners are taken against you and be sure to place defenders in such positions that opposing players cannot rush in with well aimed shots on goal..
At the other end, more shots need to fly in but on target and not high up into the stands. Why can’t highly paid professionals do what youngsters do and keep their shooting foot down as taught by primary school sports teachers?
I am sure that if Norwich City players got back to these basics of the game then there would be a great improvement reflecting in some success in results.
Spot on, Gary.
The legalities of handing down to Tom has already been arranged, so nothing is going to change.
The majority shareholders have no desire to do what is required to stay in the EPL, so the DeliaZone™ of the Championship awaits once more.
Some Norwich City fans are looking forward to The Championship and think that a few seasons will do us good to regroup. That is very dangerous.
While the whole, ‘self funding’ model belongs in the time of Muffin The Mule, Delia & Michael do need us to dip in the top tier much to their disgust to keep this charade going, otherwise the whole thing falls apart and even The Championship looks will beyond us, so potentially back to League One.
If anyone thinks that Delia & Michael put the club interests first, then they really need to think again. They’re placing a pillowcase over the club, in what can best be described as footballing euthanasia.
Not good is it, but we’ve known that all along.
It looks like Robin Sainty is at the point I was at about 5 years ago. I really hoped and expected the “self-funding” method to work but I realised that it just wasn’t no matter how we tried. When we were promoted under Lambert, Delia stood at City Hall and said the financial future of the club was secured. I’m sure she believed it, I certainly did but reality is horrifying. The cashflow seems to be the killer. The worst thing is that self funding can not work in the Championship. It possibly can in League1 but that would require sell out crowds at full whack not at the Ipswich level of discounts.
Hi Gary, great article. For the last two years I have been saying the same thing.
Self funding:
A term used by club owners to dupe a football clubs supporters into thinking we are doing something new.
In the tenre of Delia and Micheal can someone explain when this hasn’t been the case?
Loans have been paid back and I believe supports backed the money for updates at Colney?
I don’t here any other club in the Premier League doing this or the fans being as committed to their club as much as NCFC supporters?
Bad management has been this clubs downfall. I would also remind supporters of the Smith and Jones debacle that when Geoffery Watling sold his shares to them that it was on the proviso we didnt end up with a majority shareholder like Robert Chase.
Over the years they have subsequently brought more shares to put them in exactly the same position.
The great news is that their Nephew will be running the club in a few years time, my point exactly!