As the teamsheets dropped around 2pm on Saturday I felt a little bit of a smug glow. I had got ten right, my only error being Dean Smith’s retrospectively wrong decision to start Josh Sargent over Danel Sinani.
Any form of glow had long gone at the final whistle, of course, replaced by that all too familiar feeling of disappointment coupled with frustration and an all too realistic fear for the Yellow and Green future.
Revisiting the teamsheets, there was no sign of Adam Idah but more of a conundrum concerned the right back spot. Who would have taken over on Saturday if anything had happened to Max Aarons? Dimi cannot play on the right and I doubt Sam McCallum can either as he never has, to my knowledge anyway, including all that time at Coventry.
Sam Byram is a marvellous player when he’s available but he rarely seems to be fit as one issue seems to be overtaken by another, so I doubt he’s a reliable option. And in full knowledge of this, Stuart Webber comes up with the masterplan of “see yer later Bali Mumba, you’re off to Plymouth for the season”.
Mindblowing.
Grant Hanley’s cheap second yellow ensures him a one-match ban so he will miss Wigan and this is where it gets a bit too concerning for my liking. Should Ben Gibson not recover by Saturday we face the prospect of the admirable Andrew Omobamidele, 20, trying to school absolute rookie Jon Tomkinson through 90 minutes as well as playing his own game.
And all with no cover from the bench whatsoever as Lungi Sorensen will surely have to start alongside the seemingly undroppable Kenny McLean.
Webber’s masterplan was to “sell” Zimbo on one of his infamous “undiscloseds”.
Mindblowing again.
As for the cavalry coming over the hill, Isaac Hayden won’t be available during the calendar month of August. Gaby Sara is apparently in training – but there’s a big difference between being in training and facing the rigours of your very first EFL Championship match.
Do I expect Sara to start against Wigan? No, if I’m honest.
Webber’s magic wand has brought two more injured players. Wouldn’t you think he’d have learned his lesson by now?
Mindblowing once more.
While watching the EFL highlights – come back quickly Colin Murray and Quest, please!!! – one salient point crossed my mind. The WBA goal against Boro was assisted by Jed Wallace, ex of Millwall, and scored by John Swift, formerly of Reading.
Many MFW readers will, like me, have seen these guys play a few times and realise what good buys they would have been for us. Well within our price range too.
But under Webber we cannot sign players like these. Oh no. Because they don’t have any potential sell-on value you see, so to our Sporting Director they exist only in a parallel universe. British players with a proven Championship pedigree to help us gain promotion are not welcome at Carrow Road.
Mindblowing ad nauseum.
I wonder what the £30 million Webber spaffed on Tzolis, Rashica and Sargent is worth right now. I’ve no idea of the actual figure but maybe about half of that at best would seem a pretty fair guess. We might as well write off the loan fees for Normann and Kabak too while we’re at it.
A few random comments from friends and elsewhere on the internet over the weekend included such gems as “I’ll give Smith until September”… “we should have got the guy from Bodo/Glimt” … “who in their right mind would want to come here” … “no identity” … “no fight, no team spirit and no shape” and “poor old Pukki, he’ll never score with this lot failing to supply him”.
I fancy Wigan will be licking their chops.
***
Congratulations to England’s mighty Lionesses on their European Championship win yesterday.
2-1 against Germany after extra time at a sold-out Wembley – it simply doesn’t come any sweeter than that.
What a thoroughly absorbing, sometimes heart-stopping match it was too. I loved the final five minutes down by the corner flag where the Germans simply couldn’t get the ball out of their own half.
Mrs P and I watched every England game and my enthusiasm simply grew and grew throughout the tournament. I know that many of my footy friends from MFW and elsewhere thoroughly enjoyed it too. Let’s hope the women’s game really kicks on from here all over the world.
***
[There’ll be a full Lionesses piece on MFW later today from our Kathy – Ed.]
***
Back to reality – this is an unusual choice from me to sign off with but I can’t think of anything more appropriate:
Quick correction. Sam played RB for QPR and as I recall scored a belter from that position for the hoops.
Hi Nick
Thanks for that. I didn’t take in much of the Championship last season so I must have just missed it.
It’s good to know that Sam can play RB after all if he has to.
Cheers
Why am I reading so much panic & negativity concerning game 1 of 46 ?
Defeat ? Yes. Performance ? Scratchy but not disheartening.
We lost 1-0 by a cross-come shot that nestled into the bottom corner. Krul had nothing else to do apart from pick the ball out of the net. Lot of possession, but not a cutting edge. It’s disappointing but not panic stations just yet.
A 1-0 opening defeat is not a disaster. Cardiff away always a potential banana skin. I agree with you Martin I would’ve started Sinani over the Sarge and brought Onel on earlier as he looked the most threatening once introduced. Lungi at CB if Gibson not fit. All this doom dust…I tell you we all felt a lot worse after 7-1 against Colchester and 4-0 against Millwall all those years ago didn’t we ???? OTBC
Hi Mark
Yes of course we have the capacity to improve but the point I was really trying to make is that starting the season with newly bought injured players and a lack of cover for both CB and RB isn’t the brightest thing to do.
Poor old Lungi can seemingly play anywhere but has never managed to cement a regular starting berth unless you consider a run of about 20 games at LB a couple of yearrs back.
You’re quite right about Colchester and Millwall of course. I’d add Luton in the Cup to your short list of ignominy – but at least I didn’t go to that one.
Thanks – good comment.
Last year following the sale of Buendia we spent nearly £60m. This equates to about £20m after the income from sales.
I think it is now fair to say that we wasted virtually every penny as none of the new recruits look anywhere near the quality of the players they were supposed to replace and worse still it seems we can’t give them away.
Due to the fact Delia has ended up owning a business she cannot afford to operate in the higher leagues of English football we’ve gambled a lot of money away on bright young prospects rather than fewer proven players. This means we now lack cover all over the place and no budget to renew.
Perhaps Mr Webber will step forward and tell us in his usual blunt way how he hopes to rectify the mistakes he made during last summer’s transfer window.
Hi John
The only mistake I can remember Webber acknowledging was sending Farke into battle without a gun Fast forward to when he did exactly the same thing but no acknowledgement this time, let alone an explanation.
I could be wrong but the only *proven* player we have bought in recent times is Angus Gunn and he remains [rightly or wrongly] in the shadow of Tim Krul.
This business model doesn’t appear to be sustainable.
Cheers
First, huge congratulations for the England European Championships win! Its definitely not easy to win a major football tournament, it took almost 60 years to make it happen again. Again, just like 1966 winning goal speculations, there is going to be forever speculation about Williamson handball var decision. It was a very even game, as a neutral watcher I can guarantee that England winning the tournament was the best possible outcome for womens football overall. The future looks very bright for womens football and WSL is engine and example to other leagues in Europe. Everything was great and perfect in this tournament, games were very entertaining and the atmosphere was how it should be, no hate, violence and other stuff which has nothing to do with football. For sure I will watch more womens league games than before, WSL and champions league especially.
I saw only highlights of Cardiff-Norwich game. Overall there have now been played 11 championship games and only 1 game had more than 2 goals and that 3 goal game third goal came at extra time. Lack of scoring chances indicates in that case, that championship is heading more towards football where trying is more important than skills. I have understood that the Cardiff game plan was also hurting Pukki, its not surprising but pathetic tactics. Only club fans are going to watch football which is based on hard trying, games like that are obviously low scoring games. I cant see how Pukki fits in football like that, this is getting worse now. Marcus Forss made a transfer to Middlesbrough, its interesting to see how it goes for him. I cant see him either as a battler.
Hi 1×2
Yes it was a great tournament with a terrific final between the two teams who deserved to be there.
I grew to enjoy it more and more with every passing match and so many friends have said the same thing.
You and I have agreed several times that this is not ideal for Pukki and I have not changed my mind on that one bit.
As for Forss it will be up to him what he makes of it at Middlesbrough but at least he should be guaranteed first team football there.
Kiitos
Webber has alot to answer for,buying injured players,selling or loaning out players too early and buying players that are simply not good enough for their price tag ie Rashica and Sargent.Cant blame him entirely though,the board and Dean Smith can take some of the blame for the shambles the club is in,cant and never will afford to buy ready made top championship quality players and if they did i dont think the head coach would know what to do with them.
Hi Tony
I cannot believe Dean Smith has much say in the signing of Sara or the lad from Chile if we get him either.
You highlight Sargent and Rashica and I must say I’ve yet to see on-field worth in either of them. A combined £20 million straight down the khazi.
Cheers
Morning Martin what worries me as past 12months whatever 11 on pitch doesn’t play as a team no pattern or style to our game just conceding we are good at .4points from 5games been a norm for us for years just hope the 2 south Americans can add the zip to the team cause we are so boring to watch at moment .might see you Sat depends on work 1230 ridiculous.
Afternoon Kev – I’m late on parade today.
I’m not feeling too sharp right now but I’ll be there on Saturday but only out of a misplaced sense of duty.
Haven’t heard about the Chilean lad signing yet but as always with Webber he looks good on video so let’s hope for the best.
Hope to see you there.
A sobering read Martin.
A bog standard Dean Smith performance. Gutless, disjointed, sloppy weak and seemingly lacking any motivation.
Having waxed lyrical about rashica and his apparent fitness levels and commitment to NCFC, smiths judgment is once again called into question by the performance. Rashica has talent, he simply doesn’t try.
Compounding that error by picking the college quarterback to act as a physical presence was a stroke of genius. Pukki looks one side and then the other and sees hinge and bracket and despairs.
Given the helping hand of a red card to the opposition Smith appeared to concentrate everything into the centre where three big centre halves waited to lump clear. Hernandez, who offers width and energy wasn’t introduced until the 84th minute. Major error.
Frankly we appear uncoated and totally undercooked, bereft of the major surgery required after last seasons fiasco. Some 20 plus players removed from the roster and not a single refreshing new face ready to go on day one.
Speaking to someone who actually went to the game on Sunday morning highlighted the terrible body language of the players, the frustration they showed from very early on and the return of that old favourite from last season, the totally pissed off away support. The only difference from a few short months ago is the absence of good opposition and Billy gilmour. For palace read Cardiff.
Wigan on Saturday and with the recent memory of 3 nil 4 nil 5 nil reversals the last time we attended carrow Road Smith had better get his prayer beads out and hope for a good performance and a solid win.
Hi Chris
Hinge & Bracket – good one 🙂
I’ll be interested to watch the body language on Saturday myself. It’s the biggest giveaway in most sports and will tell us a lot.
Sure you can say it’s only two games into a long, long season but I believe that if there isn’t a good performance against Wigan there will be some very disgruntled types making their feelings clear.
Loved the ironic comment on Gary’s piece yesterday btw 🙂
Cheers
😁 the gallows humour has started early this season martin!
Indeed it has. My mate Steve yesterday compared the pace of Kenny McLean to that of a geriatric sloth 🙂
I’m not QUITE at the stage of hitting the panic button, but if we suffer another loss by 3pm next Saturday, then the safety cover will be removed.
From the reports/comments I’ve read, DS is TOTALLY devoid of ideas and his preferred starting 11. I’d love to hear him explain why McLean is virtually undroppable – it just ‘beggars belief’ as they say.
Where do we go from here??
Unless the attitude and effort improved in leaps and bounds, I predict that we could be swapping places with our neighbours.
Sadly Delia and co don’t appear to care any more. The link between the Board, the players and the fans got ditched when SW opted to sack DF, rather than ‘fall on his sword!!’
PS – Great result for the Lionesses and thoroughly deserved..
No arguing with the referee, no going down as though they’d been shot etc. ⚽ 😳
Hi Ed
When you see that Gladbach won 9-1 yesterday it does make you think!
I don’t worry about Delia any more.
More difficult to shift than Japanese Knotweed and in her way, equally stealthy in the way much-valued foundations will crumble.
Cheers
Marty, after last season’s debacle we’re all desperate for some winning football but Cardiff’s spoiling tactics and our inabilities at the sharp end have given us more grief. Thank goodness the Lionesses gave us something to cheer about yesterday. My expectations of Saturday’s game were low, 0-0 was my forecast but Cardiff got a lucky goal. S&S are not charismatic leaders, we have a bunch of average players and some untested new boys, going to be hard going this season. Glory days are a long way off, think I’ll take up knitting.
Hi Cutty
So you’re gonna be the Tom Daley of Bruindale – good luck to you.
We don’t have it in us to combat the spoilers I’m afraid although that disaster of a referee really didn’t help in that respect.
Glory for us this season appears unlikely at this early stage.
Cheers
Hi Martin
A sobering article after the joyous mod of last night well done the Lionesses.
Dean Ashton has stated that City need to back Smith and let him get his own players in does this ex player realise that he’s had 9months to coach them into his team, also does he live with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds where’s the money coming from for such whole sale changes.
Saturdays game needed someone that would have complemented Sorensen not McLean so maybe Sinani could have filled that spot.
Wigan could be a massive call for Smith not win this and possibly the vocal dissent will start to get louder for him and Webber.
Daniel Farke has bounced back with his new club just maybe the wrong person was sacked.
Hi Alex
I don’t think Sinani can play that deep – he’s more or less a striker for Luxembourg after all.
Any money we had was obliterated last summer on bad signings and loans [Brandon Williams excepted].
Cheers
A good start would obviously be preferable to a poor one.
As for “signing injured players”, though: personally I’m glad Stuart Webber isn’t so short-sighted as to abandon signing players he’d targeted carefully and over a long time (which clearly applies to Hayden and Sara) because they might miss the first 3-4 games of a 46-game season.
Hayden’s out for the whole of August 8 games. Then he will need a further 5-6 games to get up to speed. And that’s if he doesn’t get any reactions to his surgery.
Hi Bernie
That’s the reality as I understand it too.
Cheers
“personally I’m glad Stuart Webber isn’t so short-sighted as to abandon signing players he’d targeted carefully”
There are literally benches worth of players Webber has abandoned after signing them. Perhaps he could be a little more selective before hand.
Hi Dave
Nobody minds a £1 million gamble on a promising youngster but three speculative bets at £10 million each during the same window is reckless.
So reckless that we could end up stuck with three players that noboby, nowhere, will want to buy – even at a loss.
Cheers
🤣🤣🤣 I wonder how “carefully ” he targeted the dross he signed last summer.
Webber is getting a lot of flack at the moment. Gambling only pays when you win and he’s been on a losing streak for far too long now.
Hi Stew
To counterbalance that, we have no way of knowing how these injuries will settle down and as I said in the original article and Bernie points out [below] Isaac Hayden is out for the whole of August. Minimum.
Knees are complicated joints as we all well know, so who can say where or when it might flare up again. Even Isaac himself won’t know the answer to that one.
The loans of Kabak and Normann go to show that Stuart Webber is no medico, but possibly more of a gambler.
To me it’s a deeply flawed strategy, as in I’d never buy a car with a known electrical fault. Unfortunately not everybody is as naturally resilient as Alex Tettey 🙂
Cheers
Morning Mr P, still on a high from last night’s efforts. enjoyed every second of it, made a great antidote to suffering Saturday. I am beginning to think Smith has been told to play Sargent and Rashica to keep them in the window. well, I can dream.
The one man who made an inroads was our Mr Argos, how any one of the other two gets the nod above him I struggle, he played in a winning championship team alongside the dejected-looking Pukki. give the guy the service he thrives on. If you don’t know Smithy turn to past seasons videos, or talk with the guys who watch.
Lungi the only other that stood out to me I feel for the lad, trouble of being a Mr Versatile.
If I expected Morrison to resort to old Millwall tactics, if I could surely shouldn’t have the coaching team ? We still have not got any muscle a Bradley Johnson type or for us old un’s Trever Hockey. If Hayden can stay fit we might be lucky, but I have doubts over that.
In the weeks we go without that new blood and looking somewhat clueless, we could fall several points behind and the losing mentality gets a stronger hold.
The team sheet was exactly what I expected, these guys failed so badly under Smith, yet he sticks with them he got nowt out of them last season does he expect to now? I know it is only one game but I am struggling to see him changing suddenly, it will not define our season but glaring mistakes are still being made.
9 more games if no improvement I am afraid we need to be knocking on perhaps Rotherhams door.
Hi Lad
I feel for Onel, I really do. He was binned off for *not being good enough for the PL* before being brought back from Birmingham for wat looks like being a bit part in the Championship. I don’t have a huge ego but I’m not sure I could cope with that.
Paul Warne is by all accounts a very shrewd man. Maybe we could tempt him because of his local origins and connections but I reckon he’d think twice about working for somebody like Stuart Webber.
I’m not sure what I’ll be seeing on Saturday, and that’s for sure.
Cheers
Good morning Martin.
Though it is not if you are like us Canary fans.
There is a case for the defense regarding Saturday which I will give.
The team had not one new player in the lineup, so a culture of losing games is how Deano described them. So who do we ” blame” ? SW has to take the rap. So Dean Smith still hasn’t put out his own team.
It is early in the season and one win in 20 opening league games is shocking, but seemingly par for the course. Forest were stone bottom after 8 games and look what happened to them.
So many players unavailable. No new signings available.
Cardiff offered little and Kenny McClean was very unlucky not to equalise.
Buendia and Skipp made such a difference to the last championship winning side with so many new and injured players to come back who knows what difference that may make.
Still 45 matches to play. It will take time to meld together the new and the old.
Now the case for the prosecution.
So many Players unavailable. No new signings available…..again.
What is going on with our recruitment ? did we learn nothing from last year ? Why do we sign so many injured players ? Kabak and Normann last season Sara and Hayden this.
Why can’t we be ready from the get go ? Like you say Martin sign some proven championship players. You cannot build a EPL team in the championship so go for the best championship team you can build.
Josh Sargent. As I feared not a championship player, by any stretch of the imagination and Rashica looks as if he can’t wait to get out of here
1 fit or available centre back for Wigan unless Ben Gibson gets fit. Madness. But we do have a plethora of midfield/wide forwards available.
I think the squad is unbalanced. Something I think Daniel Farke said when he first arrived !
We offered close to little and while I still want Dean Smith to be given time it was worrying that he thought Saturday was okay. One shot on target😱 against a team that had 7 new players. Which just goes to show …get your business done ready for the start of the season.
Finally in fairness it is too early to call for sackings so we need to get behind Dean Smith and the team.
I do wonder if Daniel Farke has set a template for how to win the championship as Burnley under Vincent Kompany look to be playing Farkeball on Friday nights showing. Again its really early days but interesting.
Hi Tim
Any interesting commen,many people are harping on that this isn’t Smith’s team he has had 9months to mould them into a team but they look worse now than when DF left.
Can Smith get a tune out of this squad we have to hope so as the owners will not be putting money into buying players.
As for proven Championship players there were quality players available on free transfers Cardiff signed Sawyer, WBA signed Swift and the list goes on.
Is our recruitment team looking at these players or concentrating on imports.
The time could soon be up for more than Smith.
I agree Alex that the time during this pre season there should be now more of a “style” becoming apparent.
But I struggle to find many City managers that had a particular style. Ron Saunders, John Bond and Daniel Farke definitely did but even Dave Stringer whose team was brilliant had to go “second ball” in his last season. He just didn’t have the players to play the way we had under Bond, Brown and Dave himself.
And that maybe Dean Smith’s problem he has so many situations not of his making to deal with.
I maybe biased but I loved watching Brentford under Smith so that probably is the reason I want him to be given time.
Last season proved beyond a doubt that Daniel Farke was not the main problem, recruitment was. Klopp nor Pep would have rescued that side from its abject awfulness.
I just fear Dean Smith will not get the support from the fans and will be thrown to the wolves just like Daniel was.
I am with Martin on this, why are we not going for the best proven championship players we can get with a mixture of our foreign imports. Colney, parachute payments and our status would surely tempt some of these lads to Carrow Road.
Hi Tim Smith’s success at Brentford was built on a team made up of Warburton players who missed out on promotion, just like his playoff team were players recruited by Bruce when he had money to spend he failed and got the boot
We don’t sign the cream of the Championship at half the price of gambles for the future from foreign climes.
It’s not Club policy, apparently.
Hi Tim
I’ll go with the case for the prosecution if I may.
Webber reminds me of the strapline to an old Beano character called Roger the Dodger.
Words like *excuses* and *ruses* featured prominently.
You make a very good point about Vincent Kompany.
Cheers
All roads lead to Webber I’m afraid, who has too much power.
Smith does deserve criticism, but any manager who is trying to make hay from Rashica and Sargent is going to have problems. The latter looked so out of his depth it just isn’t funny anymore.
I would like to think that Webber would not interfere in selections, but I do wonder whether Dean has been ‘persuaded’ to play those two, to try and build up their plummeting value which is close to junk bond status. If Smith decides to freeze them for obvious and understandable reasons, I can’t see Webber being happy, but who fault is that as Smith never bought those magic beans?
Farke had so much credit in the bank with fans at the start of last season, he really could have done some damage by going public – like managers used to do – by saying that he hadn’t been backed (again) and resigned. That would have left Webber and the board in an embarrassing situation. That didn’t happen because Farke was too agreeable and had signed a long deal. He was a lamb to the slaughter.
Smith is currently working with a squad that we now know Farke said wasn’t good enough, at least for the EPL. However, some of the squad would be lucky to get in the Dennis Waterman XI, if he were still alive.
Not one to bow our gracefully, with Webber at the wheel, we have the club’s very own Kowalski. Oh dear.
Hi IR
*Junk Bond status* – nice one 🙂
The trouble with managers these days is that if they criticise their former club in public they run a very high risk of becoming unemployable.
Mind you I bet Farke could tell us a tale or two in the Kellar!
Cheers
Lunghi at centre back and perhaps Gibbs in midfield. The complete failure of the loan system has meant we have a massive squad that we can’t move on. A massive back room staff as well. Has Andrew “fan-hitter” Hughes justified his position? Were getting rid of our most talented Josh, Flynn Clarke was unused substitute at Walsall,that’s another one on the way. Loaned out to “get some experience” but soon find out they have to “pull up trees”
Amazing performance by England’s Women, particularly Chloe Kelly.Won the corner that led to the goal and motivated the crowd who were probably thinking we were going to loose on pens.That gave us a psychological advantage and the way they, especially Kelly, played out the last ten minutes was amazing.The composure and the use of substitutes puts Southgate and the men’s team to shame.
Not sure why our loans out are having such a poor set of results, Adams made sure that the players got game time and went to clubs that suited the player and City maybe Hughes and Webber just want to get players out to show case their talents but that seems to be backfiring big time.
High prices paid for potential future stars are getting sold for less than we paid for them Adhead is the latest to Shrewsbury but I think we have a hefty sell on Clause.
Players like Daniel Adshead and many others were [imo quite rightly] bought to be developed.
So why weren’t they developed?
I think the word is impatience wanting a fast turn around to make money.
Aaron’s, Godfrey, Xantwell all had time in the academy but since Webber been at the club none of his recruits have lasted more that 2 seasons Mumba is possible the longest and he out on loan again maybe with a buy option
I don’t think Plymouth have an option on Bali Mumba but with Webber involved I could be wrong. Good little player, is Mumba.
Hi Gil
Personally I think the heart has gone out of the Club since the arrival of a certain Mr Webber.
Daniel Farke did all he could to keep it beating but Dean Smith doesn’t even appear to be trying in that respect. I doubt NCFC means to him what it did to Farke.
I roundly and soundly backed Webber for three years or so here on MFW but when the cracks appeared they turned into deep fissures.
Cheers
Hi Martin;
Unless I’m wrong, DS and SS have had almost a year in charge at NCFC, and to my mind have achieved about 10% of nothing. Not one player has improved under their tutelage.
Fast forward to what everyone thought was a basket case at Burnley, and compare their efforts on Friday night versus Huddersfield against ours on Saturday afternoon. Vincent Kompany has got them working like a well oiled machine; they all know what they’re doing; where their team mates are; and more importantly, where the goal is. Those 3 basic attributes are sadly lacking from anything I’ve seen recently from NCFC.
I just don’t see what we are about anymore, other than a final stopping off point for injured players who no one else will look at. The words paddle, creek etc. come to mind.
Give me the Lionesses any day….never give up, play with flair, have a manager not afraid to change things, and they all do it for a fraction of the money which NCFC pay our current bunch.
Maybe we could get Lauren Hemp into Colney to teach Rashica and Sargent how to both attack and defend??
I’ll be at the beach on Saturday; I dread to think what the Carra will be like if we go behind….and somehow, I don’t think Wigan will be in the least bit intimidated.
O T B C
Hi John
Some sobering thoughts there, for sure.
You’re right about Burnley of course. Watford looked a bit tasty last night too.
It’s a fine line to tread between cynicism and realism but I see no identity, shape or commitment just now.
I don’t need to ask myself what the collective reaction will be if we go behind against Wigan – it’ll be the same one i’ve seen a few times before 🙂
Cheers
I don’t think Dean Smith is even consulted over player recruitment. It’s very much done by Webber and his team. Smith is the first team coach nothing more . He is given the players and told get on with it.
Sure there will be a discussion ,
Webber .what ,not who, do you need.
Smith. A holding midfielder, a striker and a CB .
Webber I’ve got you 6 more midfielders get on with it.
Hi again Bernie
Very well put.
I suspect your script is based on truth, rather than fiction.
Cheers
Just a little extra, news-hitting headline we are said to be chasing yet another midfielder, Real Betis defensive midfielder Paul Akoukou a . Given that getting players from European Countries was more difficult it looks like paper talk or is Hayden not going to recover to play.?
Elche expressed an interest earlier in the summer along with Belgian side Genk
which would not surprise me with a Webber signing.
I think this lad has played a few full internationals for the Ivory Coast so may not be that difficult to recruit.
But as you say it might well just be paper talk as so many rumours are.
Belated comment due to my creaking old iMac not being compatible with the website, so it’s back to the iPad. At least you’ve been saved from my lengthy tirade about Mr Webber, but here goes a shorter version.
First, let me say what a great article, Martin.
How has Mr W got the cheek to blame the fans for last season when his signings for the Prem were so woefully short of quality. He really needs to be held to account for this by the Board, but I somehow think they only give him pats on the back.
How has he failed to get any new signings in the team for the first game of the season (on top of no signings in January) and as so rightly highlighted why do we keep signing players who are either injured or with a long track record of being so. Note to Board, if you’re not doing so already ask for a detailed rationale for the signing of players with particular emphasis on injury records.
Congratulations to our magnificent Lionesses who managed to start every game with the same team. Messrs Smith and Shakespeare would be well advised to see if they can visit Sarina Wiegman to find out how to manage and prepare a winning team.
OTBC
Hi Mark
I think the key point here is that Webber is not accountable to anyone but the Board and guess what? His wife is on the Board.
Medicals these days are ever inreasingly thorough. Top end property surveys make a good comparison in a funny kind of way.
This is why I do not beleive Webber did not know what he was buying when it came to the signings of those arriving injured.
Never a gamble I’d be prepared to take I’m afraid.
Cheers
How the hell is Sargent any where near the starting lineup, we may as well play with ten men, Dean Smith needs to get this rabble playing with some passion and direction, cannot see it personally as he has done absolutely nothing in the preceding months.
Carlos Calderon worked miracles at Huddersfield on a shoestring, definitely worth a shot IMO.
Doesn’t matter who the manager is when recruitment is poor. Couldn’t have had better than Farke but he was let down and made a scapegoat.