While Samuel Seaman has departed the good ship MFW for pastures greener with our good wishes, his shoes have been filled by another football journalism student of Derby University, Louis Woodrow.
Louis was granted his first access to a press box yesterday and so, from the best seat in the house, penned this piece for the university website…
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Norwich manager Dean Smith believes his side have lacked quality following relegation but believes they should aspire to win the Championship next season.
The City manager, following the Canaries’ record sixth relegation from the Premier League, admitted that he expected relegation to come in recent weeks.
The Canaries fell victim to goals from Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings in a 2-0 loss against Smith’s former club Aston Villa, condemning them back to the Championship. Burnley also completed a comeback win away at Watford to seal Norwich City’s fate.
Smith said: ‘Unfortunately, over the season our performances haven’t been good enough, we’ve lacked the quality required in this league, as we all know it’s a very tough league.’
‘Over the last four or five weeks there’s probably been an inevitability about it.’ The 51-year-old added.
Smith admitted that errors from individual players have crucially costed the club this year, he said: ‘Unfortunately, probably over the last 10 or 11 games a slip or an individual error has cost us.’
Villa’s first goal came after Brandon Williams slipped, allowing Watkins a clear shot on goal. The result leaves Smith’s side 13 points behind Leeds United in 17th place with just four games left to play.
Smith gave his initial thoughts on the club’s relegation to the Championship, he said: ‘My reaction is obviously bitter disappointment, and I take full responsibility as well.’
He admitted that the club’s demotion wasn’t unexpected, and that he had been expecting it for several weeks.
The 51-year-old said: ‘Over the last four or five weeks there’s probably been an inevitability about it.
‘We’ve been planning for two scenarios for the past three months, and one of them has been confirmed today.’
Smith offered some comfort to the no doubt grieving Norwich fans however as he gave his thoughts on next season: It’s imperative that we all stick together, learn our lessons, and get ready for another tilt at the championship.
‘The last two times this club have been in it (the Championship), we’ve won it, and that’s what we have to aspire to now.
‘The club’s very well run, there’s only one player out of contract at the end of the season so there’s not an awful lot we’ve got to do.’
Smith even went as far as to admit that planning for the Championship next season is already in place. He said: ‘We haven’t improved enough to stay in the league but there’s certainly a lot to work with.
‘There are some really good players at this football club that I think can get better, but they’ve found the step to the Premier League a bit hard.’
Norwich have four remaining Premier League fixtures to play out before they head to the Championship ahead of the 2022/23 season.
On planning for next season, no loan players on the field in the next 4 games unless we are keeping them.
Can see where you’re coming from Bernard but I’d sooner risk Williams, Gilmour and Normann breaking a leg than one of those who’ll still be here.
Hi Louis
As I said the other day planning for next season should be neat complete as they have know this was going to happen from day one when Smith took the job saying otherwise is just to appease the useless Board and up management at the club or just cloud cuckoo land not sure which.
With players facing a large drop in their wages you can bet some will want out but the question is who will want them maybe Cantwell will get his move to Bournemouth for £11m plus add ons already agreed, then Max Aarons with 4 or 5 clubs suppose to be interested only time will tell on both.
So we have our loans
Normann going back to Rostov but both Leicester and Leeds could be interest
Kabak back to Shalka04 with no prospects they are peddling him around Europe for £9m plus add ons not sure with his injuries there will be many takers at that price.
Williams has told ManU he only will return if he is a first team regular again I can’t see him getting that.
Gilmour personally he hasn’t preformed be it our style or as one pundit put it no class players around him my argument is that the Scotland team has no class players around him so was it him thinking he is better that city, let’s see how his next loan goes maybe at Rangers.
We now have a bunch of loanees returning
Martin from Doncaster Relegated
Adshead and Dickson-Peters form Gillingham Relegated
Denis mid table non league with Southend
Reece McAlear may return from ICT but his contract is out has another club already grabbed him
A total of 18 players out on loan someone has to deal with all that and Hughs as loan manager doesn’t inspire me but only time will tell how it all transpires come the first game at the end of July.
Sadly we could have done no worse that keep Daniel Farke and should have sacked Webber.
Williams – countless mistakes – Gibson fast catching up towards the end of the season. Aarons vulnerable in the air, McLean made stacks of errors for the second time of asking. Maybe Krul, Hanley, and Pukki come out with any serious degree of credit. Difficult to say much about the others apart from the occasional flashes of quality by Normann, Dowell, Bryan and Giannoulis. Thin pickings.
He should sit his team down and make them watch, on loop, how a team in a relegation fight plays. That team is Everton today against Chelsea. Pure grit, determination, and desire. All those things have been lacking at Norwich.