The season that promised so much according to the powers that be at Carrow Road has delivered rien, nada, zero, zilch.
I am not Mystic Meg, in fact I’m don’t even have the insight of MFW’s *Mystic Kev*
but I commented on an article during this week that our season was finished on 05/03/22 after that shameless, gutless defeat at home to Brentford.
Chelsea didn’t improve our collective mood and after Sunday’s cruel but ultimately fair defeat to Leeds at Elland Road, we are dead and buried. Those in charge can say what they like but we ain’t Lazarus and there’s no miracle coming along the tracks for us.
We can blame poor refereeing and VAR all we like but ultimately we have got exactly what we’ve deserved all season. I’m ashamed to say that I can see why the rest of the PL don’t want us in the ‘club’ and as much as I dislike people like Rick ‘stop the parachute payments’ Parry I am unfortunately slowly starting to become aligned with them.
I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to use this comment from MFW regular John F on James Colman’s article but something told me to save it on a template for this week and it was a wise decision because we will not be a big fish in the Championship next season.
“It looks as if the Championship is now going to become as expensive as the Premiership has been judging by the recent influx of very wealthy owners.
“Does this mean that Delia prefers to stick to the self-funding principle even if it means EFL Leagues One or Two?
“How many City fans would be happy under those circumstances to buy season tickets at inflated prices to support her dream?”
We’ll be buying in Poundland next summer with no Max Aarons, Teemu Pukki and quite possibly Tim Krul as well. Precious little of that sales value – which admittedly will not total a relative fortune – will be reinvested on the pitch.
When it comes to the loanees there will be no Brandon Williams and despite his balls-up for the Leeds winner with help from Ben Gibson, he’s been the pick of the crop. No Billy Gilmour either although I can’t say I’m exactly devastated about that.
What will happen with Mathias Normann and Ozan Kabak I know not. But I doubt if either has bought a property in East Anglia in order to put down roots. I hope they haven’t for both their sakes anyway.
Anybody who thinks we will come straight back up from the Championship really needs to get a spiritualist to feel their bumps.
None of the parachute money will be spent on the oh-so-necessary squad rebuild. Self-funding doesn’t allow for it I’m afraid.
Right now it is utterly joyless to be a Norwich City supporter and the lingering death of this season equates to what we all experienced two years ago under Project Restart. It’s like being forced to be present while a beloved pet – companion really cos that’s what they are – is awaiting euthanization from the vet.
Plus, just like a beloved dog, cat, horse if you’re rich or whatever kind of pet takes your fancy they always have their own personalities, and oh Lordy, isn’t that just what we’ve been missing this season.***
MFW slightly overdosed on the Delia issue last week and her very recent comments on the BBC relayed via a myriad of online outlets have, in her often tactless way, only served to add fuel to the fire of the debate which is very often extant amongst us.
My opinions concerning this matter are often uttered and some folks agree with me while others most certainly do not – and that’s what it’s all about as MFW seems to be one of the ever-decreasing places where non-offensive free speech is still welcomed – and I’m sure not just talking about football-related sites when I say that.
To some NCFC supporters, she is the Wicked Witch of the East; to others, she is more akin to a Florence Nightingale or an Edith Cavell with many views between the extremes.
*** I’ll be back later on Thursday to discuss our lack of on and off-field charisma over the past months in order to attempt to provide some happy memories from previous seasons under Daniel Farke. Maybe writing it will even cheer me up a bit.
As I’m firmly in the Morgan Le Fay camp I am going to use this brilliant song from the 80s as a piece of propaganda. Not really, it’s a great track from the days when UB40 were valid and any old excuse to listen to it again is fine by me:
I feel totally deflated and resigned Martin.
Its been a totally dispiriting season, as Gary described, totally joyless.
The 6 or so hours I spend with my kids on a football Saturday mean so much for so many reasons. We’re it not for their company I wouldn’t be renewing or returning.
JohnF is of course correct. Only a fool can fail to see that without the constant dipping of our toe into the Premier league, the money will run out quickly.
Some People actually think that the championship will be fun., but forget that the successful seasons have been funded by Premier league sky money, inflating the meagre budget to a competitive level. Think back to the years of dross under Hamilton, grant, roder and gunn. Amongst others. Getting battered by Preston or Reading g at home is even less edifying than this seasons efforts.
We need a miracle and if it doesn’t happen things are going to get very nasty.
Hi Chris
Some people don’t remember the *dark ages* which is either because they are too young or might be older and deliberately choose to forget them.
How nasty might it get?
Probably not very as us NCFC types aren’t the sort to protest against an 80-year-old.
She wouldn’t give a damn if we mounted the barricades anyway.
Cheers
Quite apt to have UB40 providing the song. They were brilliant for a while but fell apart and are now a shadow of what they used to be. They used to play at the great venues but are now little more than a pub band. I hope NCFC’s demise doesn’t completely follow that of Birmingham’s finest.
I do wonder what the future holds as far as the ownership issue is concerned. I think the fit and proper person criteria will be tightened (if the FA can find a fit and proper person to write a fit and proper policy). This may result in a reduction of rich people prepared to have the source of their wealth properly investigated in the hope of owning one of England’s top 26 clubs. Obviously, something needs to be done differently and more finance must be found. The Webber Prem seasons have been horrible and, if we’re not cast adrift in the Championship or lower, the next Prem season simply has to be better.
It does seem that prior to every game I implore the team ‘Please Don’t Make Me Cry’ and after the game I often think ‘If It Happens Again I’m Leaving.’ Still, there’s always Food For Thought when following City. One thing that will never change is that we will always Sing Our Own Song.
Hi Don
I’ll never forget driving to the Isle of Wight with my mate Richie and our then girlfriends in an unfit for purpose Morris Marina 1.8 TC.
The only thing reliable about it was the radio/cassette that I put in myself and *Signing Off* was played on the return journey. I had *Give ’em Enough Rope* as well but the girls didn’t lie it so it was back to UB40.
The definition of a *fit and proper person* becomes muddier by the day.
Somebody should buy Delia a nice retirement home on Echo Beach.
Cheers
Definitely food for thought there, but little by little people could come round to my way of thinking and we will not accept the burden of shame of winning just 1 in 10 games. On a more serious note I’m aware that we are seeing a bit of staff turnover behind the scenes. Are we making cutbacks? Are we already in financial difficulties? This could be our last season away from the pit of despair that is the lower reaches of the Championship, so my advice is don’t let it pass you by
Hi John
Most of us will keep going, but I do know personally of a full handful of people who are not renewing after many years.
I can’t yet bring myself to cancel but if we are indeed consigned to the doldrums of the Championship there will come a time.
Cheers
Great piece Martin. It does worry me that ‘our model’ won’t even be competitive in the Championship next season. Could be playing our delightful neighbours in :League 1 soon.
Guess its Goodbye yellow brick road.
Hi Simonx2
I’m afraid you’re right and I totally agree with you.
I got the Elton reference but I’m not a fan. The only things of his I can bear to listen to are *I’m Still Standing* and *Funeral for a Friend*.
Cheers
I was going for Rat in my kitchen by UB40 but felt that a little harsh
🤣
🙂
Well put Martin,totally agree.Though the happy clappers and Delia lovers cant or dont want to see what will happen when all that money dries up,although some would probably look forward to a derby with Kings Lynn!
Hi Tony
It’s funny really in that some of us can envisage what might happen while others don’t even consider it a possibility.
Never the twain and all that – but don’t worry about a trip to The Walks, Lynn are in just as much bother as we are right now.
Cheers
Look on the bright side mate, we’ve still got nine games to go to passed the 20 points we got last time around.
Perhaps we should call Webber the 20 point man.
Oh and what’s more successful NCFC or a compass,?
A compass has more points.
I’ll get me coat.
Hi Bernie
It’s better than the one about Dean Smith appearing on *Pointless* I guess.
Bright side? Tell me more.
Cheers mate
Hi Martin
Breaking News 9n Sky Chelsea are asking for the FA Cup game to be played behind closed doors for football integrity as they can’t sell away tickets if they get to the final will they have a similar request.
Like many on this and other sites the amount of disgruntled supporters after the latest announcement has been growing and over many years I have had my m9ans and groans about our ownership and that will not change.
If protests start then will they just hunker down in Stowmarket and hope it will all blow over and will it be another interview stating they will not sell, being Bloody minded is a thing we all have in common at times and thinking we know best is a trait again we have in common but not listening to advice when given I hope most of us will realise when it is good to heed that advice.
Do we 2ant an Oligarch or Oil rich Bedouin to by the club NO
Is there someone interested in City YES
The 2 questions and my answers might be flippant to some but Chelsea have according to some media outlets over 200 groups looking to buy the club the same outlets have said these groups have looked at this sale knowing there is no short term gain and many know that they will not get passed the first cut next week but have started to look at other clubs were they could get their foot in the door both in Premiership and Championship clubs.
Many will say with no capital debts we are or could be a great club for them to invest in but that will mean big changes I just wonder if the lesser share holders might be convinced to sell up to these investors there by undermining the owners power.
Great read look forward to Thursday read
Hi Alex
Even if all the lesser shareholders got together they could do nothing as with a cunning plan Delia ensured that her and MWJ together will own 51% of NCFC in perpetuity. Against the rules in spirit definitely but in practise legal due to some smart thinking. Lawyers will have been behind it once again I would imagine.
The Canaries Trust, of which I am a member, owns something like 13% of the Club. I’m sure Rob Sainty or Gary Field will put me right on that if I’m wrong.
You cannot remove the Lorelei from the Rhine so lesser shareholders are stuffed.
Cheers mate
It was a ridiculous request – I think the term level sporting integrity was used without any sense of irony, given that Abramovic has ensured that there is no level playing field when he has subsidised Chelsea to the tune of £1.5 billion and that their wage bill is £28m a month. Interesting too that the government response to the request referred to Abramovic being linked to a ‘barbaric regime’ – aregime as barbaric as the Saudis? who executed (beheaded apparently)81 people on Saturday, the day before Chelsea played Newcastle Utd – owned by a fund headed by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.
As for Norwich, I just don’t know. My inclination is to get more outside investment in the club but to do that Delia and Michael will have to relinquish some control.
Hi Paul
I cannot really get my head around comparing Putin with the Saudis but as much as I have seriously had enough of Delia and MWJ I don’t think any of us can question their ethical credentials.
While I’m slightly to the left of centre myself I did find it a bit disappointing that she announced to the world that she was sponsoring rent-a-mob to travel to London for demonstrations. That’s not for me.
Back to earth Delia will never relinquish control while she breathes. She watches over us and knows what’s best for us.
Thank you for a thought-provoking comment.
I want to be happy about the season, really I do. But… No, let’s fight the dark thoughts. Let’s be positive and ask: ‘What has been good about this season?’ Well, the fans’ support has been excellent home and away I suppose. Their patience has been sorely tested but remained immense. The club is not in debt. The club owns all its own stuff; ie. stadium, the land it all sits on, the training ground, and a selection of those little training cones to run around. And the legendary Soccerbot too. Who could forget that?
Erm, sadly we’ve lost the goodwill of the media and other club’s players and supporters but, hey ho, what yer gonna do. We have a fuller season of fixtures to look forward to next year and a chance – a fairly novel prospect – of winning a few games along the way. See, it’s not all bad. And there’s the new badge too! Ooh, we are swimming in roses! Just try to ignore the thorns…
Hi PSoT
I don’t live too far from Trunch for many months of the year [winter too, I’m no second homer] and I’m glad to see that black humour exists within proximity of the awesome North Norfolk coast.
Great comment – drier than an empty firkin!
Cheers
Well Mr P, as late as March when the death march started, I will go back a little further just before Christmas, the 2-nil defeat to Villa, all after that was up for a couple of games and then downhill after the Palarse game. The Leeds defeat has not got us relegated it is all the other games we have failed to hell in.
The bloody-mindedness of two octogenarians leaves me absolutely angry, fuming and dam right depressed. She will at least be the big fish in league 1, she will be able swank around the boardroom areas of the smaller clubs.
Money will be as rare as rocking horse poo, what little that will be available with be as much use as a chocolate saucepan. Time for another Glenn Roeder to enter the fray, with many far and distant loan deals. Sprinkled with some youth players. Which won’t be a bad thing, I remember Korey Smith flogging his guts while the rest went through the motions. Then after that she went the cheap, clueless option. Have they learned anything in their 25 years of holding the club, not a freaking thing.
Normann was making the right noises about wanting to stay, they FIFA or whoever announced contracts with Russian clubs could be broken, has he signed, or has the club made any moves. To me he will be holding out to see what comes up from a premier team. if there are any which I doubt. As for Kabak, his club really don’t want him back, we won’t buy for sure, feel a bit sorry for him after the season he has had. While we bought into the dream, so did these two and the other EMI players who walked through the door, wonder if they would run like hell out of it now.
I like other readers on this site, have passed the 50-year mark of following City in that time we have seen some crap but never have I been so bloody embarrassed and ruddy despondent by my club as I am now. As to the other low points, several come in these last 25 years. The golden opportunities of being a decent premiership team, this regime has really not cashed in on.
I have not got the will to tune in via Radio, TV or try to get a ticket anymore. She has achieved what Chase couldn’t nor those pre-Saunders days either. We could show our disproval and vote with our feet. it would be squeaky bum time for them if we could.
I have had more enjoyment watching Dereham Town play and my lad team on a sunday . Had more than a gut full of it all
Hi Lad
I can empathise with everything you say. It’s one big downer.
Like many folks I share the sense of frustration that we can do nothing about the situation we find ourselves in. We’re not the Queen Bee [or Dee], just the workers and we all know what happens to them every season away from the pitch.
The worst thing is when you cannot be bothered to pick up on the progress of an away game as you suggest – it serves to illustrate just how low you feel.
The trouble is that most of us would find it emotionally very difficult to vote with our feet but the Smiths know this only too well.
And they are not personally responsible for any debts the club might attract.
Pretty cunning for a pair of gerries ain’t they.
Cheers is inappropriate, so
Thanks!
Hi Martin,
I asked a question of those who clamour for new owners last evening in Gary’s column. How many investors will be out there to throw money at Norwich in order to just maybe remain in the Premier League?? What would be the attraction in haemorrhaging money in this monster and how much per year would the fan base expect to receive from said donor??
Your question is a good one but no buyer or investor will want to work with these owners and sadly she will not sell.
Now I wonder how her nephew will get round the 51% rule I suppose if one ot other passed then he would get their share but when the second goes is their another nice or nephew waiting to be acknowledged and will the want the hassle of owning the club
I believe Tom Smith is either married or has a partner so I’m pretty sure that would mean that the dynasty will prevail in the manner of its founders.
Like a modern day upstairs downstairs or Downton Abbey.
Young master Tom or Tim or whatever his name us strides into the old stately Manor to take up his birthright while all the staff stand by sycophantically tugging their forelocks.
Modern day elitism.
There’s a horrible connection there Chris. I don’t do modern TV as such but I sure remember Upstairs Downstairs – even if only for the presence of the gorgeous Lesley-Anne Down.
In a parallel universe Delia might be Mrs Bridges and MWJ a diminutive version of Mr Hudson.
Hope I got the names right – couldn’t be ar$ed to look them up.
As for elite, Delia isn’t in that bracket in financial terms – take a look at the *rich list* of the footy world.
I believe the 51% rule is actually a folk tale. I may be wrong.
Hi Dave
It’s not a jackanory.
After the demise of Chase, Sir Geoffrey Watling very publicly declared that no single person will ever be allowed to own over 50% of the Club under its constitutional legislation.
Well that requirement was quickly circumvented by two individuals in a cunning but ultimately simple way of course.
Cheers
Personal experience tells me that wishes attached to wills are just that: wishes.
These can be overturned if all Trustees are in agreement.
If it’s just Tom Smith & his partner involved they can do what they like unless Delia has attached the pass-on of *stewardship* to involve any adult children Tom Smith may or may not have. Her & MWJ have no issue of their own but while Delia remains on this mortal coil Tom will have no room for manoeuvre whatsoever without her explicit permission for any action he might want to take.
Despite all that, somewhere in my heart tells me I should wish that Delia lives to 100 just as her mother did. She’ll be in charge until the very end of her life and, for various reasons, is nailed on to outlive me 🙂
Hi Brendan
That’s a very fair question to ask.
Personally I wouldn’t get involved with any football club even if I won the Euromillions lottery but the idea of owning a team has proven to be attractive to some – those with big egos or the need to erm, dispose of the money that maybe they haven’t acquired legally.
Delia fails the ego test but passes the legality one so at least that’s something.
Cheers
The last time I had an away season ticket was in 2009-10 because I thought that demand for some League One fixtures would be high, especially – as I expected that summer – we were to somehow sneak into the play-offs.
In 2022-23, after more than 20 years, I do not anticipate having even a home season ticket. I have simply reached a ‘What’s the point?’ stage. Yes, you can make a case for us having the wherewithal to bounce back next season – although probably not with 90+ points – but as I have said before, why would our hopes in 2023-24 be any better than they have been in this campaign?
Something has to give, be it a change to modern football, or a reset at Carrow Road. I think the latter is more likely. After a year in which we have bought players to resell in the future rather than keep us in the Premier League now, and made far too many purchases which data-driven personnel with no actual playing experience failed to see would not complement our existing squad, I do not expect it to happen for some time, however.
In any other business sector I would expect, as a long-serving customer, to be contacted to ask why I was walking away. Somehow, I can’t see the football club doing that. (Wish they would; I could then try to keep them hanging on the phone for ages like that time I tried to ring the ‘ticket office’.) It’s ironic that Ms Smith has brought out a book called ‘You Matter’, because plainly no-one else at Carrow Road does.
No, I intend to buy casual tickets next season – don’t forget that there’s a very early start on July 30 and at least three weekends off due to Qatar, so it will be hard for plenty of people to get to all 23 home fixtures. It doesn’t help either that there are no stand-out opponents – for that reason I hope Everton come down with us for the Schadenfrende factor if nothing else.
All those people eagerly looking forward to the Championship will soon change their tune if there is a final position along the lines of 16th (95-96), 9th (05-06) or 8th (16-17) after some previous relegations from the Premier League. Make no mistake, the financial wheels will come right off if we don’t finish in the top six next season. It’s one thing to lose 3-1 to Brentford in the PL; get beaten by Championship minnows as we did in 2016-17 (at Burton and Rotherham) and even the Delia fan club might start to get a tad concerned…
Hi O-t-a-s-t-h
You make some good points and the first thing I’ll say is that – via a membership anyway – casual tickets will be much easier to acquire next season.
There will not be a reset at Carrow Road. The five year plan has returned us to ground zero and no further such plan [if there even is one] will be taken seriously.
NCFC have a PR-driven ability to claim they care about supporters while in reality they don’t give a rat’s butt once they’ve got your money.
I don’t care what happens to Everton [although my Toffee mate Sean who has helped me with MFW previews does very much] but something tells me they won’t go down.
The PL wouldn’t like that, would they?
Thanks – good comment.
The club couldn’t give a monkeys……
After an un-broken 20 year run of season tickets (and having ST’s on and off for the previous 20 too), I can assure you that they honestly don’t care.
I returned my forms marked to show that I’m not renewing/had enough, and have received a very curt e-mail with merely says “cancelled”.
That’s it; one word…..not why; what’s the reason, or even thank you for your long and loyal support.
They are as cold and distant now as they were under the (luckily) short lived Moxey regime.
Hi John
I used to casually know the person in charge of ticketing operations and they said that it was a great, happy environment to work in and that they tried to go the extra yard for customers whenever they could. That was my experience too and they were very helpful – particularly with the Cardiff play-off final when they managed to get six of us seats together!
Mind you that was long before the days of Stuart Webber and Zoe Ward.
*Cancelled* is hardly a communication, I would agree.
Cheers
I think Delia’s recent statement deflated all of us Martin.
As to next season in the championship as I recall last season although we triumphed a team without Skipp and Buendia looked pretty ordinary and in their absence we often struggled.
The “find a Maddison each year” to subsidise the self funding plan has finally come off the rails and we are left with a comparatively far weaker team than the last championship side.
Football is supposed to be an entertainment and to provide this a team needs to be competitive. It’s becoming very hard to work up enthusiasm to renew my season tickets.
Hi John
Sorry to quote you without written permission but that comment really resonated 🙂
The idol [or model if you prefer] has feet of clay – you only have to read what Todd Cantwell is saying to the local Press in Dorset to endorse that, especially with a little it of reading between the lines.
With Omobamidele and Idah out for the season, we only have Max left to sell.
Delia won’t like that.
Cheers
Here we go again. Awful season, can’t argue with that. Very disappointed.
But every time this happens we get all this squit about losing this or that player, heading for League One (or worse) etc. etc. What actually happens is we lose one or two at most and discover that our underpeforming squad isn’t quite as in demand as we’d like to think.
Krul may well want, and get, a last fling at the top, with the World Cup in mind. Gunn isn’t as capable, but surely good enough for the Championship.
It seems to me we’ve been going to lose Aarons, “guaranteed”, every season since he wore nappies. If he’s up for another PL relegation fight with someone else perhaps we will – but the days when he was heading for the top 6, here or abroad, look to be over.
And why will we lose Pukki? As far as I know nobody came after him 2 years ago, when he was probably at his sharpest. Why would they now?
I’d be more concerned about losing Rashica, who has caught the eye of a few pundits; had Omobamidele not been injured we might be worrying about losing him too.
And the other side of the coin is that a division lower gives Rowe, Tzolis, Sargent and indeed Omo a much better chance of fulfilling their potential. Had a raw Buendia arrived at the start of a PL season, like Tzolis and Sargent, I doubt if he’d have been able to make the impact he eventually did. We might also finally see MacCullum in a yellow shirt.
So OK assume Krul. Pukki, Rashica and Aarons all move on – far from certain – and that none of this year’s loanees stay.
That leaves something like Gunn, Byram, Giannoulis, Hanley, Gibson, Zimmerman, Omobamidele, Rupp, Dowell, Placheta, Lees- Milou, Sorensen, McLean, Tszolis, Sargent and Idah. No second keeper, no proven goalscorer, and a lack of steel in midfield. Not sure if any are out of contract.
I think MacCullum will be there. Unfortunately I think Huddersfield have their own option on Sinani – a shame, as he’s clearly proved himself at the right end of the division.
I assume others out on loan won’t be involved and it would of course need a new number 9, and a second keeper, and still looks short of the sort of steel and flair required to build not only a team capable of promotion, but having a chance once up there. But there’s still a lot of experience and know-how, especially at the back. And obviously we will continue to use the loan market.
Nobody can ever confidently predict promotion from the Championship. Relegated sides often start slowly, and there are a lot of twists and turns, not least with the crowded fixture list and injuries. But I don’t see any reason why the sort of squad we are likely to have there won’t be capable of being a force to be reckoned with. Whether thy can go all the way yet again remains to be seen.
Nice post, Keith.
There’ll be an article here tomorrow from Andy Head that’s along very similar lines.
Hi Keith
An excellent post indeed as Gary has said but a couple of points from me if I may.
Teemu Pukki is nearly 32 now and clearly doesn’t have that explosive pace over 10 yards that he once possessed. Just like Flecky in a similar but different kind of way – I’m by no means directly comparing the two of them.
Our Finnish MFW friend *1×2* reckons Teemu would like to see out the end of is career in mainland Europe rather than *suffer* another season in the Championship here in the UK and I tend to agree with him. It’s what I’d do anyway.
I’m sorry to say it but the XI you’ve posted for next season – while it’s 100% accurate – frightens the livings out of me.
And what will they do about a striker? Gamble on the cheapest option, which is Adam Idah as he’s already in situ. It doesn’t bode well to me.
Cheers
Sorry i cant see that squad scoring many in the chumps myself.
WHAT!
Hugill has another year on his contract 🙂 🙂 🙂
Did the season really promise so much? Myself like others wondered where the goals for going to come from and as it turned out, not very often. The squad was too large and too mediocre with it, which is the worst of both worlds. Better to have a smaller, but higher quality squad than a larger unhappy one. More players at £60K p/w, but less players to balance that out overall had to be the better way to go?
But what’s done is done.
Smith has had precisely zero pounds budget and has had to work with the increasingly suspect Webber and Farke’s squad. How many of those players would he have bought given the choice? Very few at best I suspect. That is why I’m giving him the benefit of any doubt until he gets his own squad together as I couldn’t see any manager getting enough out of the squad to survive. For those who still ache for Farkeball, we all know that produced F-all where it really mattered.
There’s enough Norwich fans who are more than happy to be in The Championship, but Delia still needs the EPL – of which she finds so disgusting – money every 2/3 seasons to keep the flagging self funding model alive, which is on its last legs. Norwich City have gone from a neutrals favourite to be seen as money grabbers and skinflints who make no effort to stay in the league they have no care for.
If Dean Smith somehow could get us back up, he should resign. He knows what Norwich City are about – More interested in community projects than the Premier League, he could walk away from this parochial nonsense with his held high.
Hi IR
You’re quite right to pick me up on my *season that promised so much* line but I was thinking about the end of May 2021 as my starting point – not after Webber had spent a lot of money on dubious permanents and loans.
*Norwich City have gone from a neutral’s favourite to being seen as money grabbers and skinflints who make no effort to stay in the league they have no care for.*
Amen to that and the entire football world has rumbled us.
Shades of Blackadder’s Curtis & Elton in that post, intentional or not.
Nice one!
Martin;
What makes it so painful is the amount of money which SW (to quote him from some years ago) pi$$ed up the wall during the summer.
We needed PL know how and desire; we definitely got neither of either, and to my eyes, so many of our players give the impression that they just don’t care. Pick up the weekly/monthly wage and away they go.
It’s also astonished me to find out that (much to my amazement) our players wage bill is NOT the lowest in the PL. Apparently that honour falls to Brentford, and even Leeds (yes; that lot) have a smaller outlay than NCFC.
When you remember that we finished 10 points ahead of Brentford last season, it really does beg the question….where did it all go so, so wrong??
O T B C
*When you remember that we finished 10 points ahead of Brentford last season, it really does beg the question….where did it all go so, so wrong?*
A heady cocktail of poor recruitment and the self funding scheme I’d say.
That may be because of the grossly inflated pay of the loanees. I believe Brandon Williams is our top paid player. Hopefully his parent club are meeting some of the costs.
Bl00dy wars!
I had no realisation of that.
Thank you.
There may have been some promise in May, but I don’t think there was much promise by August!
Hi Tony
That’s a good way of looking at it 🙂
Cheers
Late to the party today Martin, Cheltenham taking my mind of matters Norwich City.
Everything you say encapsulates the problems we have.
On Delia Smith. I have always tried to keep my opinions fair to her stewardship of the club, which is has been both good and bad.
But to hear her say in a interview on the BBC that she has no intention of considering any decent, appropriate or well meaning offer for the club is not in the long term interests of Norwich City Football Club. That is a fact.
For many, many years me and my mate Marty have agreed on most things Norwich City but I did disagree with his opinion that he was sure there was or would be interested parties out there willing to invest in the club. Imagine my surprise when it was revealed at the AGM that there had been frivolous offers for the club and serious ones which were then passed on to Delia and Michael.
I was wrong, there have been offers, some serious it seems.
Not A serious offer, but plural. So I now wonder how many have there been ?
Now she wants to hand the club over the club to her nephew, nepotism at it’s worse. As I have said before Tom is a very nice chap. But is he in a better financial position to push the club forward than any of these prospective bidders with much deeper pockets ?
This club is not her fiefdom.
I was thinking of how our situation is becoming like a comedy movie. A bit like in Blazing Saddles where everyone in the town is called Johnson. We have Delia Smith, Dean Smith (they may well be long lost cousins😂) Tom Smith. I half expect to hear our new chief scout for next season to be a Zachariah Smith or a new coach called Aberama Smith.
I agree it will not be money alone that gives us a chance at a sustained period in the EPL. We will also need a top board who back an excellent sporting director as much as they can, a visionary coaching team and hungry, ambitious, athletic players. All who are in tune with the fans. Just like the Championship seasons under Daniel Farke.
Delia really angered me with her comment saying football is so unfair in the Premier League. Really ? of course there is a massive disparity. That is called life.
Really unfair is living in Ukraine at the moment. Really unfair is getting bloody cancer twice at 30 and not knowing if you will see your kids grow up. Really unfair is losing close friends far to early in their lives.
Here is a question Delia. What would you have done in 1992 when the old First Division chairman came to you and said we are breaking away to form our own league to increase our income.
Would you have said no and said we will take relegation ? And lost our place in the inaugural EPL ?
No way would you have done anything different to what Robert Chase did. For once he was doing something that was definitely in the interests of the club. But it was a greedy stitch up on all the clubs not in the First Division at that time.
Its like p…ing against the wind in saying the Premier League is, in her words unfair.
I am not as pessimistic for next season as some fellow fans. I still think we will have the basis of a decent team. A lot will depend on recruitment ( I hate that word) as our midfield will need rebuilding and it will be interesting to see what Pukki wants to do next season, will he want another 46 game marathon that is the Championship ?
Interestingly Martin you mention Robert Fleck, when he came back to the club for his second spell he played more like a no 10 and he was brilliant at it. Perhaps Teemu could play that roll with someone stronger and quicker in the more forward position.
Do I see us romping to the title like the last two times ? No. But I feel we can be top 6 under Dean Smith. I definitely want us all to get behind him.
I see our real problems being in 2 years time when the parachute payments will have ran out and if we are still in the Championship with no £ 20-30 million player/s to sell then all Delia’s problems will really start .
Hi Tim
You make a couple of great references in there and Blazing Saddles is one of my all-time favourite big screen experiences as I was just the right age to *get it*.
Dad was a massive Western fan so I got most of the references, especially the Mayor being *Hedley Lamarr* and the immortal line: *you’d do it for Randolph Scott*!
Teemu, just like Flecky, is actually far stronger than he sometimes appears to be.
The next time *1×2* from Finland posts I’ll ask him what he thinks about Pukki in the #10 role. It’s certainly a possibility but he likes to play off the shoulder so personally I’m not too sure but as you say Flecky adapted once his pace dropped off and quite possibly Teemu could do the same.
We will need a LOT of stars to align to be top six next season, believe me.
Thanks as always.
Spooky!
1×2 has just posted this on Andy Head’s MFW article this morning:
Pukki is 100% sure gone after this season. There is reasons why Norwich will not even try to take option for 1 year staying. First, there is no sense to try to keep a player who wants away. Second, he is too expensive player in championship. Turkish media have already reported that negotiations with Pukki and Norwich have failed some months a go, only possibility to option is that Norwich stays in premier league and still very unlikely. Teemu came as free transfer, Norwich let him leave free. Its fair and both sides respect each other. Norwich will not let him leave to other championship club, doubtfully he would not be interested about that either.
He go either after money or take ambitious challenge. If he goes after money and less ambitious option, he plays next in Turkey, MLS or China. Little possibility also to some arabic club and to japanese or korean league. Ambitious challenges are premier league, La Liga, Serie A, 1 club in bundesliga because there is obvious contacts and they are heading to something interesting. There is so many football people who have worked with him before, his history is not only Farke.