Friday turned out to be the most exciting day I’ve had for ages. Why I [faintly] hear you wondering?
It’s because I went to Riverside for a first solo excursion in over three months – the first time I’ve driven by myself during that period due to a lengthy period of acclimatisation to the effects of strong medication. As a diehard petrolhead I loved it***.
Among the many highlights was a visit to that supermarket opposite the stadium beloved of the Canary masses on matchdays where I made a beeline for the in-store fishmonger and treated myself to the largest wing of skate available. Yum.
On my triumphant stroll through the aisles with my fishy friend, I encountered a group of senior NCFC Academy students who were at Carrow Road for an afternoon session on the whiteboards.
All my coats except the Jack Pyke have the NCFC badge on so cheery “hiyas” were exchanged between us as the lads bounced around the store with verve and aplomb. They looked so happy and content with their collective lot in life it was unreal.
I didn’t butt into their conversation but I overheard that one of them had already played for the under-23s and the rest were displaying some form of mock envy. It was a joy to observe.
And for a very important reason.
These youngsters could be in and around the first-team squad sooner than I would have expected this time 18 months ago.
Dean Smith has said, albeit a few weeks ago now, “what I’ve got is good enough and we won’t be spending in January“.
There was no need for this particular cliché as all know we’ve got no money anyway, just a £55million debt.
Aaron Ramsey will return to Villa and barring a promotion I cannot envisage, Isaac Hayden will head back to Newcastle at the end of the season. And they will not be alone in leaving in May believe me as Stuart Webber has let things get to the point where an unbelievable nine of the current squad will be out of contract in May.
Now in fairness to our mercurial Sporting Director, much of this might be by design and I am sure many Canary fans will not see Michael McGovern, Jordan Hugill, Onel Hernandez, Danel Sinani, Sam Byram, and Kieran Dowell as essential to our future onfield prosperity.
We will take Kenny McLean as already being lined up for a new contract or at least an extension to his existing one. Actually, I don’t mind in the slightest because although he is unpopular among certain sections of the fanbase I reckon the Mayor is sound enough at Championship level, albeit perhaps only as a more-than-useful squad player.
Todd and Teemu are the conundrums here. I’d like TC to stay, but will he be given the chance? He could be let go in January, as might Pukki, as both would perhaps scrape a seven-figure sum for early release.
In the case of Teemu, it would depend on whether or not Webber was prepared to admit promotion hopes died at Christmas. And, indeed, if he wanted to provoke outrage amongst supporters. We’ll see.
Max will be off in the summer with our blessing, although I’m not sure the Man Utd rumours hold much water. Webber won’t care where he goes, just how much he can get from them. Bognor Regis Town will be as good as Barcelona to him if they have the right money.
Should Josh Sargent attract enough positive attention at the World Cup he will be sold as well and I do not see Tim Krul wanting to play second fiddle to Angus in the twilight of his career. Watch this space in both cases.
We could line up next season with a squad of 23 rather than 28 and a starting XI of something like Gunn, Mumba, Omobamidele, Hanley, McCallum, Gibbs, McLean, Nunez, Sara, Rowe, and Idah.
And this is where my joyous group of youngsters could see opportunity knocking. What may well be a paper-thin squad will need some bulking out from somewhere and from what I saw these lads will bring desire, enthusiasm and dedication with them in bucket loads.
They will all uniformly possess the one quality that Stuart Webber will be increasingly valuing as the days go by.
They will be as cheap as [skate and] chips.
***Believe it or not I’m reasonably environmentally aware. Not to the point of pi$$ing off hard-working people with superglue, placards and attending events that feature Clive Lewis MP and his megaphone, but I like to think that Mrs P and myself do our bit in a quiet way. We practice but never preach, as it were.
My current little toy provides me with everything I require from a car. It’s a legally chipped Fiat 500 convertible that approaches its Abarth counterpart in performance terms and has every gadget I need. It truly goes like $hit off a shovel around town and just loves a road-hugging run to the coast.
But as the emissions somehow remain below 100g/km I don’t pay any Road Fund Licence. Like most things to do with our beloved government or Dean Smith’s selection policy, I simply don’t understand the reasoning behind it.
Pukki recently said that he didn’t leave because nobody put in a high enough bid.This contradicts what Smith said much earlier that Teemu was definitely staying – and also what Webber said about letting players leave. It seems that he is being kept against his will,you can see how frustrated he gets performing the ballroom dancing when we get a corner- and his reaction to being subbed.
Smith has treated Cantwell very badly,someone with that talent should be given more encouragement, not be dropped when playing well. I can’t see either staying, it’s been a big mistake being so rigid with their contracts.
With our fantastic facilities we should be working with players,not sending them out on loan. 8 or 9 million might not mean much to Smith having been at Villa and he obviously prefers to develop players for the club he supports,but Tzolis and Rashica are vital players to our club and not disposable. We have enough talented players to form a good team for next season, if we do get promoted we’re not going to be able to wave a magic wand.
Hi Gil
I make you right about TC and particularly Pukki and it cannot have been easy for either of them during the last 12 months.
I truly hate to say this but if we get promoted [don’t worry, we won’t] I fear we ain’t seen nothingn yet in terms of embarrassment.
Cheers
Hi Martin
I agree with you a paper thin squad that could be playing against a rejuvenated Ipshite with a young and forward thinking manager doesn’t that sound like city a few years ago.
Farke proving what he can do back in his home land at the highest level given the right tools by his DoF all to familiar but also strange as our self funding never gave him the chance to succeed in the premiership and so many other managers rated his city teams.
One of the ex MFW writers Will Jennings said he still believed that Smith could get us an automatic promotion if the squad found consistency or a playoff place at least, he also mention I think that the Tampa Trip was going to be a round of talks with those out of contract so just maybe one or two might think the grass isn’t greener elsewhere.
Skate so the environmentalists say is a dying fish in and around the British waters due to pollution and destroyed habitats those young lads with all their enthusiasm I’m the academy could become the same as I don’t see and joy and enthusiasm in our senior squad, the youth still try and play the Farkeball while the seniors have no plan, no energy and at times they lack the will to do the simple things.
Maybe we were spoilt under DF or at least given a vision of what it could be, but under Smith its poor with the only vision of more bad results, no fight and less entertainment.
Do our esteemed owner have a clue anymore if they ever did giving the running of the club to an egotistical husband and wife team with another Tom and wife on the board with not a clue to how badly they treat the supporters.
Any player that leaves will go with my thanks and hope they will have a great career.
Hi Alex
Please don’t bring 1p5wich into it, I feel down enough as it is!
I read Will’s article and didn’t concur with any of it, but it must be hard to find a positive article anywhere right now so fair play to him for having a go.
Very true about the Smiths and Webbers – nobody elsewhere in the business world would tolerate that kind of setup and we should never forget that NCFC is a business too at the end of the day.
Cheers
😉 Morning Martin, I enjoyed reading your latest offering. Do I detect a degree of irony in there somewhere.
Dean Smith regurgitating the party line like a good lapdog with his “im happy with what I’ve got” routine effectively heads off any questions about team strengthening for the second year running. Claiming that the squad is good enough while presenting ample proof to the contrary. He was wrong then and he’s wrong now.
With regard to Webbers propensity to upset the fan base, I think it’s been established beyond all reasonable doubt that he actively enjoys poking us with a stick. So run nothing out.
The familiar cost cutting and downsizing to suit Delia Smiths pocket is a regular by product we suffer for the privilege of having her own our club. The financial squeeze should Dean Smith achieve the almost impossible and not fulfill the potential of the squad by gaining promotion will see a blessed end, be it one way or another, to the Smiths and their selfish funding, whereby the supporters are required to pay one of the highest ticket prices in the land to fund her hobby.
If webbers intention is to raise the white flag at Christmas for the second season running then the rest of the season should be utilised as an exercise in driving out the whole crew from boardroom to management and a fair few of the players,
The pong of skate from your kitchen pales into insignificance when measured against the incompetence and shabbiness which now frames the way the club is run from top to bottom Martin.
Hi Chris
Ironic, me? Wait until I break out into full-blown sarcastic mode mate 🙂
I had really high hopes of Webber and he delivered for a couple of years ’tis true but now? I value him not at the price of a plucked hen as some astute geezer said in Henry IV part II about, erm, another character in the play.
When many of us realise that we ARE funding Delia’s ego trip it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, unlike my aromatic skate which doesn’t pong. Much.
In some ways the shabbiness is outshining even the incompetence.
Cheers
Spot on realistic assessment of who stays and who goes and why. I too see Todd as salvageable IF his head is right, Also at a Championship salary Byram and Dowell could be ok if their performance (and in the former case, fitness) warrant. All of the Emi money spent on dross in our last Premier League sally we must now cash in our chips. You could say we need to get our skates on moving them. Alas, capital value has plummeted (Placheta, Tzolis, Rashica, Giannoulis, Gibson and Sargent) but we now need to trim the wage bill to suit our place as a fighting Championship side. The Man from Milwaukee might yet be our salvation if we can only lose the Smiths, Webber and their respective spouses/sidekicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1WwnEDWAM
Hi Roger
Todd may well be salvageable if he wants to be but I would say his resurrection will take place at another club – I don’t really know what went wrong for him at Bournemouth.
The shadow of Tom Smith would have prevented me from investing in us but I’m really hoping Mark Attanasio has a cunning plan I am not capable of creating.
You can’t beat a bit of The Clash – cheers!
Morning Martin to be honest I’m not bothered who goes as most of them have been there and failed and been there and failed let’s stay were we are until we get a better defence midfield and attack that might have a chance in the Premier at the moment no chance if we get to prem so has to be big changes including manager keep well mate .
HI Kev
Premier League? We’re having a laugh but most of the fans don’t find it remotely funny and why should we?
You make a good point about not caring about who goes – I don’t either!
The only big changes we’ll see will be in the stands as in the number of empty seats.
Cheers
Enjoy the car, some wombat has decided that electric cars will pay road tax from 25. You can guarantee that fossil fueled exemptions will also be nadgered .
On Teemu going in Jan , a case can be made by playing Sarge as a proper CF and with your give youff a chance thoughts TDP playing off him.
Hi Bernie
The EV thing is all academic to me – I couldn’t justify the expense I’m afraid especially £7k for a replacement battery every few years.
I’ve heard nothing of TDP or Omotoye for ages but I do like the idea of Sarge consistently played in his natural position – if he’s still here to do it.
Cheers
“In the case of Teemu, it would depend on whether or not Webber was prepared to admit promotion hopes died at Christmas. And, indeed, if he wanted to provoke outrage amongst supporters. We’ll see.”
If Teemu Pukki leaves in January and City aren’t in the running for the top six it’s going to absolutely hammer season-ticket renewals for 2023-24. Given that there was a 7% price increase earlier this year before inflation really took off it’s hard to imagine that there won’t be some sort of rise already being planned for 2023. (Zoe Ward’s £50,000+ basic monthly salary has got to be funded somehow.) And if energy prices continue to soar next year it’s going to be a tipping point for many – a couple of hours out on a Saturday afternoon witnessing a never-to-be-remembered encounter with, say, Preston, or heating your home for a slightly longer period? It’s a no-brainer.
Hi O-tas-th
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
If Zoe Ward-Webber or whatever she calls herself these days is really on that kind of money it is obscene.
Especially if she has no relegation clause in her contract.
Thanks – good post.
Do we really pay that woman 50 grand a month? Blimey
Yeah
*Lesser* mortals have to work two years for that.
Good afternoon, Martin.
I have a feeling most of the lads out of contract will be off to pastures new.
The mayor will probably want to go to Glasgow Rangers, and let’s be honest he will get in that side easily. I agree he is definitely not EPL standard but would be a good guy to have around with all these youngsters coming through.
Todd will play well enough to get a decent move I imagine. That is if he gets on the pitch. I have been very critical of Todd over the last year or so but surely, he has played well enough to be a starter?
Teemu I am sure will go; he is on Premiership wages at the moment, and we won’t be able to afford anything like that next year. But what a player he has been for us. He owes us nothing, he is up there with Canary Greats like Super Mac, Kevin Drinkell, Dixie, Flecky, Chris Sutton, Robbo, Holty etc and we got him on a free transfer. Amazing.
I just have this really bad feeling we will get tanked at Swansea and then the proverbial really will hit the fan.
I am getting ready for the day we sell Josh Sargent for £25-30 million, and SW tells us he was right all along.
Just 2 or 3 years out Stuart🤬
Hi Tim
I hadn’t considered our Kenny and Rangers. What is he, nearly 30? It’s now or never for him I guess and their wages will be a bit better than ours too.
Yes you’re right about Pukki but it probably wouldn’t have worked for him here without Daniel Farke.
We’re getting to the point whereby nobody will want to join us. Certainly not a prospect in their lower to mid twenties anyway.
Cheers
Good stuff as always Martin.
I agree with your assessment of youth/experience going forward, but feel you’ve one major omission.
Jon Tomkinson played in our rather porous defence away at Burnley, and as far as I’m aware didn’t let anybody down. Burnley are doing rather better than us, and that evening fielded Jay Rodriguez who is one of the few forwards in the Championship I would rate alongside our own Teemu.
Tomkinson received decent write-ups for his performance, and wasn’t culpable for the needless penalty we conceded.
His reward??? He no longer even features on our subs bench which to my aged way of thinking must be doing his confidence no end of good.
Still; Smudger knows so much more than we do about football management – we did, after all, head hunt him!
O T B C
Hi John
I did consider Jon Tomkinson but I could only pick eleven so didn’t include him. Be fair to me, I didn’t select Ben Gibson either.
Perhaps I left him out because I’m channeling Dean Smith 🙂
When it comes to recuitment it’s a shame Webber didn’t do enough to impress the Chelsea Headhunters – see what I did there!
Cheers
Are Leicester fans funding the egotistical and selfish Srivaddhanaprabha “Family”?
Hi Mike
Did Delia deliver us the Premier League title?
🙂