It’s a big MFW welcome back to guest blogger, Alex Bain as he voices some thoughts on how and why team selection is what it is at the moment and ponders a few problems that might add to or detract from the very essence of Norwich City FC in the future.
Over to you, Alex:
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I reckon the rudiments are there for a good Norwich City team so I’ve asked myself who is pulling the strings regarding team selection and also tried to provide some answers.
Not wishing to hog the limelight I thought I’d invite the other members of Martin P’s posse*** to offer their views too. so without further ado here we go with our discussion.
Is Stuart Webber trying to get better fees for those he wants out by selecting them deliberately over others?
Alex A: Without a doubt, but I’m not convinced that any of our players have significant value.
Me: I think pressure is being put on Dean Smith to showcase players.
Cutty: We are a selling club, so YES is the final answer
Bernie Owen: Yes. Webber is looking to showcase Tzolis, Rashica, and Placheta via the loan route.
Is Smith, after one whole year, still struggling to build this squad into a team?
Alex A: Even with an almost fully fit squad, DS is struggling to build them into a team. Perhaps it would help if he could have used this time in the USA to develop a style of play that would see more scoring opportunities for Pukki, in a similar vein as Buendia was able to.
Me: Looking at recent results I would say, YES.
Cutty: Smudger started the season with the bookies giving Norwich the nod for automatic promotion and we’ve dropped down with a widening gap from the top two. He is struggling, so YES is my final answer.
Bernie Owen: It’s often said it takes three windows for a manager to shape his team. Having said that we have seen a couple of spells of improvement in recent games, but overall there’s no obvious pattern.
Do the players believe in his methods and coaching?
Alex A: In words of one syllable – NO! You only have to look at how Aarons has regressed since his arrival for proof.
Me: This is difficult mainly due to his after-match comments, but also to his interviews saying players have input into training, game plans, and style. Why are they involved in these processes?
Cutty: Do the players have belief in Smudger? I don’t know, so it’s phone-a-friend on this one. Probably the final answer is, NO.
Bernie Owen: Tactically, things look okay by the players’ reactions, but it’s very concerning that players have asked for extra training and skills sessions but were knocked back.
Does Smith even want to be at City, or are we a stepping stone for a bigger club?
Alex A: I think it was very convenient that just prior to DS being sacked by Villa, SW chose not to fall on his sword but opted to sack DF so it was an easy choice for him. I cannot envisage any club choosing to offer DS a job, let alone a bigger one.
Me: I worked in many places overseas for over 40 years; some I liked and others I didn’t but I learned to adapt to the environment. Maybe just for the money but the job always came first. From what I see and hear I really don’t think Norfolk would be his first choice.
Cutty: Don’t know, so I’ll have to play the 50-50 lifeline and gamble on YES as my final answer.
Bernie Owen: Yes, in the fact that he does the job as best he can. No, in the fact that every manager in the league wants to manage at the highest level.
Will the club put the blame for our poor half-season on Smith and send him packing back to his beloved Birmingham?
Alex A: No, they won’t and I fully expect to see Smith still at City next season. Most other clubs would already have dispensed with his services and someone who could improve the players would have been appointed. Paul Warne was my preferred choice.
Me: With compensation for a full backroom staff I can’t see it plus the money required for a new coaching team but then we never know. Did anybody expect Farke to go when he did?
Cutty: Will he get his P45? Based on his current showing it’s just a matter of time, so YES is my final answer.
Bernie Owen: I can’t see this scenario playing out at all. First, it would mean Webber admitting he fudged up, and that ain’t happening anytime soon. Webber still thinks signing Marcel Franke was a good idea.
Will our American cousin, Mark Attanasio, prove to be a good bedfellow for Smith and Jones or will it end in tears before bedtime?
Alex A: I wouldn’t be surprised to see our American Cousin aims to acquire a bigger stake in our club and force Delia and Michael to relinquish overall control. Yes, I do see it ending in tears for the Stowmarket Duo!
Me: The $64 million question for us all. Can MA and buddies convince the Smiths to allow them more “power sharing” in decision-making, ground improvement, forward planning, and recruitment? If not it’s goodnight Vienna in my book.
Cutty: Americans never settle for a small slice of the pie so there will be trouble ahead and blood on the carpet, so YES is the final answer.
Bernie Owen: The Yank is in for the long term, possibly longer than Smith and Jones, and he will ‘persuade’ young Tom of the right direction to take.
Will we see big changes before the resumption of the Championship?
Alex A: I’m not expecting small changes, never mind big ones. Unfortunately, DS comes from the same mould as our erstwhile England manager and believes he’s doing a great job in keeping NCFC in the playoff positions, but only just!
Me: We all live in hope but our owners are so slow in making decisions it is a last-minute panic and the lost time when a new coaching team could be getting their ideas across is slowly but surely slipping away.
Cutty: It’s fortress mentality at the mo, the boss thinks everything is under control, so NO is my final answer.
Bernie Owen: Not really, sadly.
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Okay, that’s what we think. We’d be delighted to hear the thoughts of MFW readers on the same topics, of course, so don’t be shy in letting us know what you think.
*** The “sheriff” is all Webbered out so was very happy for me and the usual crew to stand in for him on this one.
He did ask if I’d dedicate this to Dean Smith on his behalf, so why not!
Is it a coincidence that two of the bigger money signings are out on loan ? Webber has to claw back money from his mispending on average players. More egg on the face time. Watch Nunez command a big fee.
As to Smith struggling, all I know is I am try to understand what the hell he is about. For me the media made Smith a much better coach than what he is. limited success and muddled tactics. We sacked a far better manager than this guy.
Do the players believe in what Smudger is doing, that is a tough one, we will never hear anything, except all carefully prepared statements given to the players, any word that goes against the strict party will see any player get a smack bottom from Headmistress. More in the wage packet. Looking at style (no I cannot either) and results, I would say struggling like hell.
Smudger’s heart is not in this job, the times he laments about his first love Villa, I am sick and tired of it, Villa are not a great shake. This is a stepping stone that tipped his feet in the water. Saving from relegation would have got him either freaking huge bonus and/or another prem club come calling. Now this all hinges on promotion, supposedly red hot for auto-promotion, now the goal posts widen to include play-offs.. There are a few teams in the Premiership who would have otherwise called for Smith, but not so sure now ..sadly . We are stuck with
I think the blame as already seen with not be anyone at the clubs fault, I think if he goes it will be by mutual consent to hide the compensation figures. Us the fans will not doubt come in for some more stick after the season ticket deadlines pass with a full house again. Heaven bid they criticise us too much before.
I am strangely cautious over the American input, Attanasio said he was impressed with the set up and that they could learn somethings from it, and vice a versa. Any deeper involovment will depend on the ruddy cook & co. There will not be any movement for a few seasons yet., they will sit tight watching and gauging the water, before diving in. If the fans can get the drawbridge down and get across the castle ditches and get some really big noise, he isn’t going to hear. He will give interviews to what are considered very safe hands, as already seen.
If nothing changes. (it will not) we will stay the same (we will) .. Cosmetic make up at best, or as a past decorator – paper over the cracks
Hi Lad
Thanks for the reply.
I have added another question see below.
If we are to believe FLW then Rashica will be off in January for a reputed €5.5m that’s about 50% what we paid for him if Webber has a greed that deal then Webber is slipping on a damn big glacier slope up some mountain.
People say that the Pink-un is behind a paywall I can see city going the same way for all future announcements.
Thanks again.
To be honest I have given up trying to read anything on the official shite, follow a link and it opens a totally different article. I said the other day, the club hold more value into other things other than football. 3 articles this week on getting a silver award for some business thing. linking up with another company and backing another initiative Supporting Communities. Plus open training in Tampa, which was the reason they flew out there.
If they open a pay wall , they won’t be getting that fat on the fees.
If you look at Rashica’s little stay here in Norfolk, he has not uprooted even a tuft of grass. should I say failure, the selling club certainly saw a right mug coming when we bought him.
Tozolis should have been sent out on loan from the start. Premiership was a major shock to him, moving to another Country, and playing at a standard I am sure Greek football has not seen at League level. No wonder his confidence departed quicker than he can run.
And yet they have done no wrong, I reckon Sir Norwich City Watling is turning in his coffin . I thought I had seen enough of the mess created on the relation to L1 . But not so sure
Morning Lad
This is what ex Aston Villa coach Neil Cutler, who worked closely with Dean Smith, had to say in the EDP yesterday,
“He got the players, the fans and the staff together in the same journey. That is what he does.
“He creates an atmosphere around a football club.”
I’ll leave those words open to interpretation, particularly the second line.
As an ST holder [for a few more weeks anyway] I get sporadic communications direct from the Club, none of which are very informative. All ST holders and possibly members too get these.
Nobody laying out nearly £600 pcm is going to subscribe to a paywall introduced by NCFC. Newsquest aren’t exactly setting the world on fire with theirs although I don’t know precise figures.
My stance on that is if you are going to pay for exclusive Norwich City content you might as well choose the Athletic as that way you get some MB insight and are guaranteed an enjoyable read every time.
Being tight as a shark’s butt I resisted for quite a while but am glad I subscribed, just as I am grateful for my weekly cricketing equivalent from the Guardian, which is free 🙂
In this situation you pays yer money and takes yer choice.
Ha!
I meant SIXTY quid pcm – even NCFC aren’t that exorbitant 🙂
not yet for the £600 pcm Mr P perhaps if the slowmarket duo (Thanks to Butch ) could they probably would . Just imagine those two behind a pay wall shame it isn’t a brick one
Thanks Martin and the gang I should have added as my last question
Would Smith have been perceived as a better choice or given more leeway if Daniel Farke hadn’t been taken to everyone’s heart, he made a effort with the supporters, the club and Norfolk and played some great football.
For me Smith ranks with Hamilton, Grant, Roeder, in as much its a job and I will do it my way whether you like it or not so NO for me he doesn’t fit what we want.
Certainly agree sir, smith is way the down the managers list. Yes Farke had more about him, I always felt he was genuine in what he did, especially with the fans, a friend of mine bumped into him at Banham Zoo. My friend asked he could simply shake his hand. Farke did a lot more than that, talked for a few minutes, but aware of spoiling Farke’s day out, He went to share his hand again and Farke brushed it away and hugged him.
That spoke to me a great
The only way Smudger would talk to a mere mortal if he was wearing a villa shirt. I always felt that even from the early days, I could see what Farke was trying to do, sadly after a year of Smith, I have no idea now than I did one day one.
You mentioned Grant, yes too much for him but he did the decent thing. something I don’t see happening again,unless there is a large pay day waiting somewhere.
Not sure city are willing to pay money to get rid unless it really turns bad then it will be as usual too little to late
“ ….. our owners are so slow in making decisions …..”.
Maybe time to rename them ‘the SlowtoMarket Duo’? 🤔
The only fast decision they make is not to invest any of their own cash but keep up a life style using cities for their entertainment
Change? More chance of dried ice and flying pigs.
At the Leyton Buzzards gigs.
My mate Vince knew Vernon the guitarist pretty well and I saw the Buzzards a couple of times back in the day for free at Walthamstow Tech or whatever it was called in those days!
I wonder if your mate Vince knew the same member of the Buzzards who was the uncle of a school friend?! (All I know is he was a guitarist)! 😀
Weird ol’ world.
The guitarist was Vernon Austin, which I’m pretty sure wasn’t a stage name.
Geoff Deane played a bit of guitar sometimes too – him and bass player Dave James stopped the Buzzards to form Modern Romance – yuck.
Geoff Deane later went on to be a scriptwriter….
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0213017/
Well off topic, but still more interesting than 2022-23 NCFC!
“Alex A: I’m not expecting small changes, never mind big ones. Unfortunately, DS comes from the same mould as our erstwhile England manager and believes he’s doing a great job in keeping NCFC in the playoff positions, but only just!”
I am struggling to understand what Sam Allardyce has to do with anything?