Here are some comments made in the last month. I have précised some a little, but the tone and specifics are faithfully recorded. The names of those saying these things and the people to whom they are referring have been replaced by letters, to protect the guilty.
I offer them without comment from me.
EX-player M: “The club has done brilliantly with certain things, but recruitment is a strange one, particularly in January. I speak to fans regularly who say we should have signed another striker and a creative midfielder then, and I agree with that. We did get injuries but when that is not addressed, it comes back to bite you. Sacking the manager when we did, and replacing him, got us a few points initially but all season we’ve conceded too many goals.”
Supporters’ organisation official N: “The board have not done enough to keep the squad pushing forward. They might have got away with it if it were not for some of the injuries. Can the sporting director justify his recruitment? For every A there have been several questionable signings. And I’ve seen nothing to suggest the new manager is the man to take us forward.”
Broadcaster L: “By sacking the manager who gave the club its identity and way of playing, the owners have removed part of the football club’s soul. To sack him, and effectively blame him for our position in the division, was repugnant.”
Player B: “I think people, even referees, want to see us gone, out of the Premier League. It’s another thing we had to try to overcome”
Journalist S: “The intangible thing about making a football club ‘believe’ is a weird but intangible part of the job. If you watched that first half, though, you would have concluded that there was no belief. The team were overrun. They were dominated in midfield, they were physically beaten, they didn’t appear to have a method by which to score a goal and somehow they failed to translate the desperation of their situation into a passion in their performance.”
Journalist P: “There will be a strategic review of the season (by the board). This season must act as the fright of their lives, the result of several seasons of horrendous decision-making at the very top, funds squandered on an industrial scale. The biggest mistake the rather self-congratulatory board could make is to ignore how badly they’ve done their job over many years.”
Journalist A: “The season has been an unmitigated disaster. If there were a place on the club badge for the quote ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’, it wouldn’t look out of place. Somehow a mirror image of the last relegation form the Premier League has unfolded, but this one has felt worse.
“We have heard nothing from the owners or any executive other than the manager, which demonstrates a lack of respect. The connection between fans and ‘the project’ is frayed. Arrogance, secrecy and ruthlessness need replacing with warmth, transparency and respect.
“A fish rots from the head down, they say, and this relegation must be the equivalent of an intervention. The owners sitting in the padded directors’ box seats while presiding over a disjointed, disillusioned team on the pitch turned into the darkest of comedies. One club insider admitted, ‘The club has become a laughingstock’. The buck stops with the owner.
***
M and N were talking about Leeds; L and B about Burnley; S and P about Everton. A’s diatribe is about Watford.
Excellent!
It is a game of human experience as fans of many clubs share their experience of triumph and disaster or somewhere in between.
Sadly for us this season has been an extreme example of the second of those three.
I don’t believe you’re making the point you think you are.
All those teams were dreadful this season and deserving of criticism. Yet we barely achieved half the points of some, and two thirds of another.
Here we go again: excuse culture. Other clubs have had problems this season so it somehow excuses Norwich City’s utterly pathetic 2021/22 campaign (possibly the worst top flight season in the club’s history).
It’s about time as a club we owned this, from Webber, the board to the manager and players. We were nowhere near good enough and those responsible should have accountability.
And your point is ?? Other clubs are annoyed with how they are run too ? We should accept we are a joke as well ??? Norwich is a laughing stock it has become the muppet show and most of you suck it up !!! Unbelievably .
Well that’s alright then isn’t it Mick? If other clubs are in the s*** then NCFC must be doing the right thing.
Anyway, in the the real world City supporters are really p***ed off being patronised and generally taken for granted by the owners and management (and apologists like yourself).
And?
Hi Mick
A great concept for an article and extremely well put together.
However the fact remains that all of those quotes could easily refer to NCFC and that’s nothing any of us supporters should have to consider admirable in my opinion.
I knew there would be a sting in the tale!
I have to agree Martin.
Whilst there are 7 collated quotes about 4 clubs, EVERY single one of them applies to our own club…..probably with the addition of a load of bells and whistles.
How can the hierarchy be so unaware that as the club is tearing itself away from their loyal fans, they are quite happy to continue sipping their sherries and eating their canapes!
O T B C
Whatever was said by who about what, the fact remains we finished bottom and the table doesn’t lie!
At least Burnley and Watford have made apologies to their supporters – and particularly Burnley went down fighting with their dignity very much intact.
Unlike good old Norwich.
Hi Mick
What was the point of this article? Just because it happens to other clubs doesn’t mean we have a get out clause for our owners. Anyway, all those comments apply to us. My beef with the current owners is that they appear to completely rule out a change in case we become like Derby or Newcastle. I don’t want to be like Derby or Newcastle but we are being denied the chance to find out. For every Derby there is a Brighton and doing nothing in business generally results in going backwards, which is where we are heading. I have followed this club for 55 years home and away and it means so much to me but I have reached the conclusion that there is no point anymore so have walked away-its the only sanction I seem to have as protest falls on deaf ears. Do not assume that i am in the minority as so many of my friends and contacts tell me they really can’t be bothered anymore
Ha Richard;
After 60 years I’ve done the same…..welcome to the “club”.
O T B C
I’ve lost my passion for the club after 60 years and most as a season tkt holder. We have learned absolutely zero from our last Premier league debacle. Not one word has come from the hierarchy, apart from putting that poor sod Smith fronting up for the worst top-flight performance in my memory. When are we going to hear from them?
I’m waiting with baited breath for the comings and goings before I decide on going again. That is said with a very heavy heart. Make me love my club like I used to, is what I’m asking those in the hot seats.
Yes ,it could be said about any of the clubs you mention but this is Norwich City….our club
Sorry, your point is? The fact that all of those statements have been made about other clubs doesn’t make it any better that they could equally have been said about ours
What a bizarre piece ? Seems Mick has his head in the clouds . How many weeks/ days post relegation and still nothing from the club ?!’
Along comes Mick to deflect the attention away from his beloved Carrow Road hierarchy…
While I would be the first to admit that a lot of NCFC’s difficulties this season are down to the way that modern top-flight football is going, the fact remains that certain executive-level individuals would have been straight out the door were they to have been employed by any multi-million-pound operation not based on Carrow Road. Too many people in senior roles are no longer fit for purpose now.
Those who wish to find scapegoats will find scapegoats, whether it is justified or not. Most football supporters haven’t got a clue about structure, accountability, organisation, finance etc. They see 90 minutes every week (or two; or maybe less or two games a year on TV) and make judgements based on what they see, or think they see. Someone has to be to blame. If Shearer, Lineker, Murphy, Savage, Sutton and O’Hara all agree that we’re a laughing stock we must be, right? (But not Micah Richards, please. All Micah Richards can do is laugh in a silly way. If he ever says anything remotely sensible I’ll fall off my chair. He should wear a red nose and big shoes.)
Of course it’s been a dreadful season. We were totally ill prepared. We spent what money we had very poorly. None of that is particularly hard to see now.
Yet in August we were all quietly confident. We thought we’d had a good window. We thought we had better players than we clearly did. Yes, perhaps Webber should have known better. Certainly Farke should have – reputedly his No 1 target was PLM! A year ago we were “the best ever Championship club” and “very well run”. Seems that even those pundits all agreed with those two sentiments.
What I still don’t quite get is why the owners are getting the blame. Other than being criticised for delegating the football side of the club to people who are supposed to know football (I think that’s generally what owners do), being over 80, not having £1bn to give to the club and refusing to countenance selling their shares to unsuitable people who may risk the club’s very existence, I genuinely don’t know why they are taking such flak.
The football department had funds. They recruited players they thought were good. They weren’t. At least blame those who are responsible. The players; the coaches; the recruiters. In that order.
I agree entirely but suppose I will be termed a happy clapper. One of the things that puzzles me is that we have enjoyed success in recent seasons playing 4-2-3-1. Our latest attempt at the premier league was based upon Pukki continuing to score goals. Why on earth did Farke, presumably, think he would prosper with 2 wide men? We knew that Buendia was leaving as soon as we got promotion. Hard to replace a £35m player without spending the £35m again. But there must have been players in the championship who could have done a job. In my view we needed 3 players. One to play in the role of Buendia, a second to fill Skipp’s shoes and a central defender. We didn’t do any of those.
Much was said at the time of appointing Webber and Farke that we would establish a style of playing which we could recruit new coaches to continue with. The decision was made to sack Farke, a falling out with Webber I hear, but we recruited a manager who plays completely differently. I’m sure Smith is a good bloke and a decent manager but he doesn’t fit our style. But we couldnt expect much until he got his own players in. Well why didn’t we appoint a coach who could follow Farkes style. Most of the fans enjoyed it certainly in the championship. I would guess that Farke said what he wanted and Webber went out to get them. I don’t understand their thinking.
I think we lost a lot with the sacking of Farke though. The club could do worse than getting him back.
Let me explain it to you.
I have nothing against Delia and Michael. However, they have been at the helm for 25 years and we are no better off than where we were when they started. That’s not progress. To me, they are happy with the status quo. Or perhaps the status, to stay relevant in the public domain.
They can’t provide the additional funds to help the Club succeed at the highest level. If they loved the Club (As they claim), they would pass it onto another who can. Nepotism is not the answer.
They’ve done great things for the Club in that time, but they’ve also made some incredible mistakes.
It’s time to move on.
What I take from this is that ALL of these points can be aptly applied to Norwich City, and yet these are people talking about four different clubs who have all had bad seasons – which shows how our season went. I think some people are missing the point and being a bit harsh on Mick here. it’s valid to say that many fans were disappointed in their seasons (frankly if I were an Everton fan I would be more upset than I am as a Norwich fan, given their recent expenditure and surfeit of talent they have underperformed more than we, imho). What I take from this is that there are multiple areas where we have lost our way; the vision, the method, the style of play, the ethos. And I don’t know how that’s going to change. I would be happier seeing us in the EFL if we got some of that style and swagger back, than see us scrapping in the EPL in the manner we have been – even if we’d snuck into 17th.
Utterly bizarre… I’m sure you think you’re making a really astute point but this is the most tepid ‘hot take’ Ive read on the situation so far. As others have pointed out just because other clubs who have had awful seasons can say some of the same things doesn’t excuse them being true of Norwich.
Plus these quotes relate to a number of different clubs who have been terrible for the various reason listed but ALL of the criticisms apply to Norwich!
All of them had a bad season but we were worst as in finished bottom .
Mick. Please have a word with your friends and point out that players, managers/head coach, chief executive and owners/custodians have a shelf life. DS as a cook must now this so why is she still there?
Those of us who demonstrated against Chase have also a shelf life on protests.
New blood needed at the top or younger generation to learn how to protest as we did.
Personally I hope that DS leaves with reputation and integrity still in tact rather than tarnished but I fear it will be the later.
A clear pattern is emerging from Mick Dennis and his articles , as in defending the indefensible . Clearly a very intelligent person , but sadly losing copious amounts of credibility due to his divine hero worship of Delia !
So we’ve got the same problems as clubs that are much wealthier,so money is not the problem?
We are not rotting yet, we are continually jumping back upstream. Back to a place where we are in a position to do something. What happened this season was a footballing catastrophe.
I feel better now knowing 2 or 3 other clubs are in a complete mess from top to bottom like Ncfc are!
Whilst it’s noteworthy that perceptions align as to the failings of the relegated (+ nearly relegated) clubs, the inference seems to be that all relegated teams will be subjected to the same criticism, regardless of whether that’s grounded in fact.
An alternative viewpoint would be that these teams were relegated precisely because they shared the same fundamental problems of mismanagement.
There’s a danger that we write off some very legitimate concerns and criticisms as simply being the products of disappointed fans.
Your piece highlights the ups and downs of supporting a football club Mick.
We all want someone to blame when things go wrong.
And if you need proof that money alone is not the answer then look at Everton, nearly half a billion wasted to be nearly as bad as us.
Thank god for them Manchester United and Chelsea “really” put the effort in in their games at Goodison.
I have said on here many times that Delia and Michael have done a lot of good for our club.
I would also struggle to criticize any friend who owned Norwich City. And that loyalty is a good thing but it can also blind ones opinion of things.
Delia has said she is not selling the club, despite a fellow board member saying that “reasonable” offers have been passed on to Delia and Michael.
As I have said earlier ££££ is not a guarantee of anything but it is clear last summer’s recruitment was hamstrung by a inability to pay, especially in wages, what may be necessary to stay in the EPL.
Delia gives the impression that this increase in the wealth sloshing about the EPL is really annoying her.
In truth it bugs me but so does many things in the world today.
The EPL is a different world from even 5 years ago and we have to except it.
Delia and Michael trying to buy Norwich City FC today, I have been led to believe would not pass the financial test.
Here is another thing Mick, I’m not going to moan if the team/club fight to stay in the EPL like Burnley did.
We all knew relegation was probable if not possible.
But can you really say these performances bar a few this season are exceptable ?
Many of us were critical of our recruitment last summer very early in the season because we brought in too many young players.
Now I have heard and I stand to be corrected that way of doing business comes right from the Top. From the board themselves.
I still cannot believe Delia hasn’t followed Watford and Burnley in apologising to the fans for this absolutely dreadful season.
Ok it may only be words but Delia is alienating herself from the fans.
As you have said she is understandably worried on being misquoted by a journalist, okay fair enough but go on Look East or About Anglia. Where you can say what you want without that worry.
Delia and Michael cannot be immune from criticism Mick, they are the figure heads of our club.
I hate that word customer, we are fans but as customers for argument sake have those home and away had value for money this season ?
So now it has become as clear as day that they can no longer fund this club in the EPL then surely it is in the best interests of Norwich City FC that they listen to reasonable offers for the club.
Not a leveraged buyout, not in a million years, but someone who could increase our financial situation.
Just a bit more money going into the club from a new custodian would help us with the spiralling wages you need to compete in the EPL.
I fear as soon as the parachute payments dry up we could be back to another Championship relegation battle unless we get back to the Premier League within the next two years.
OTBC
Ah I see what you did there Mick. Fair enough, but how about some comments from Brentford fans, or maybe Leicester who I once considered a similar sized club to ourselves but who have now left us for dust.
There are no easy answers, I accept that because of course for every Leicester there’s an Ipswich, but let’s at least acknowledge our failings and try to move forward. I’m afraid this article seems to me like a deflection and even I’m a boring old happy clapper, or whatever they’re known as these days!
One thing I will say for Delia is that she has at times in the past acted ruthlessly when things weren’t working – Moxey springs to mind. If the Smiths are to remain I would at least like to see some sort of shake up behind the scenes.
One thing to remember Segura is that Marcus Evans put in over £ 100 million into Ipswich Town during his time at the club.
Despite whatever Town supporters think it was wasted by awful managerial appointments.
I exempt Mick McCarthy from that as he performed miracles.
That is massively more than Delia and Michael have put into us.
We have become a “self-funding” club out of necessity not necessarily out of choice.
Bizarre article. Very strange indeed. Can I have some of your commission?
I enjoyed the article – I’m sure other teams could have been included to further illustrate the point. As football fans we have short memories and hopefully this nightmare of a season with the many variables that have contrived against us this season, can soon be forgotten. I’m looking forward to seeing how Dean Smith influences the Summer transfer window.
Mick – I usually enjoy the balance and level-headedness you bring to debates. I think this one misses the target, however. Of course other fans are hurting and of course there are similarities with our own failures.
That doesn’t mean we should not be critically scrutinizing our club at a time when we have performed so poorly. In fact, you could suggest the Board and Football Department has got off lightly when you consider just how far off it we have been.
You have just quoted comments on clubs that have far higher expectations than us. We could say exactly the same about NCFC but it would just be an understatement compared to the reality of our Premier League experience in the last 10 years. Instead apathy and resignation abound. At least those people and clubs want success – we are now terrified of what success might bring such has been the depth of humiliations that we have now plumbed. How many of the teams above lost 5-0 at home to Spurs when it should have been 8?
Norwich’s recruitment
When a team finish bottom, you know something has gone wrong. Few expected Norwich to stay up but ending with 22 points will hurt. Teemu Pukki has 11 goals but their second-top scorer in the league is Josh Sargent with two, which he scored in a 3-0 win over Watford. The director of football, Stewart Webber, has received plenty of criticism for his recruitment strategy. Their most creative asset, Emi Buendía, was sold over the summer and not replaced, despite the club bringing in 11 first-team signings. Few had Premier League experience and the Chelsea loanee Billy Gilmour never looked like fitting into the system. Daniel Farke was sacked in October; Dean Smith has overseen a slight improvement and will be confident of bringing them back up. He will hope the players, like the hierarchy, will learn from their mistakes. from the Guardian
From one of your own contributors writing in the Guardian Fans view of the year
Norwich
Take your pick from woeful, gutless, pathetic, joyless and/or abject. Despite many members of Delia Smith’s fan club arguing otherwise, there’s no evidence whatsoever that being a self-funded club and being in the Premier League are even close to being compatible. It’s a noble ideal, but football is never going to wait for Norwich City. Neither Daniel Farke nor Dean Smith are responsible for this mess – that rests firmly with the owners and the board. 1/10
Stars/flops It’s probably easier to say who hasn’t flopped, and that boils down to just Grant Hanley and Teemu Pukki. Nine new faces arrived last summer and none made us any better, and that includes Billy Gilmour. While he (and Chelsea) will benefit from his season in Norfolk, he wasn’t what was needed in a relegation-battling team feeding off scraps.
Biggest surprise A lot of what’s happened behind the scenes, with a series of high-profile blunders – like having to ditch a far east betting company as the main shirt sponsor when it became clear their advertising was full-throttle Carry on Thailand – and some equally high-profile departures on the admin side have left us looking unprofessional and rudderless.
Best/worst away fans Newcastle’s are the best for their noise and passion, and the worst for the way they’ve allowed themselves to be seduced by Amanda Staveley and co, and that pile of Saudi riyals. Eugh.
Moment that made me smile Leeds’ fans telling our prime minister what they thought of him on live TV. And our fans’ chant at Selhurst – “Let’s pretend we scored a goal” – followed by a raucous faux-celebration. Gallows humour at its finest.
Gary Gowers myfootballwriter.com; @Gary_Gowers; @MFW_NCFC
A petulant piece not worthy of MFW readers time or effort.