It’s always easier to highlight problems than offer up solutions.
Over recent weeks and countless column inches, we have collectively dissected and debated the factors that led to the departures of Smith and Shakespeare.
The more difficult challenge is to identify exactly what should happen next.
This a challenge I’ve conveniently sidestepped in recent articles. Pointing out what’s going wrong and calling for change, without grasping the nettle of defining what that change looks like.
It’s one thing demanding better football and calling for a change in head coach, sporting director, or ownership. It’s quite another thing to actually make it happen and make it work.
To keep with a festive theme, far easier for kids to write their Christmas lists than it is for Santa to deliver the presents.
I’m guessing most of us have a similar wish list in terms of what we want our sporting director to deliver.
A head coach with a brand of football that leaves us on the edge of our plastic seats. One who sees the position as a step forward in their career and recognises the importance of bringing the fans on board. Someone with the nous to craft a promotion-winning team and the flexibility to adapt it to meet the very different challenge of the top flight.
Finally, they need to hit the ground running and try to salvage this season.
And therein lies an issue. Does that person exist and if so, do we have the appeal and finances to bring them here?
See, I said it was easier to highlight the problems.
The range and diversity of names currently doing the rounds suggest there isn’t an obvious solution and standout candidate. For every opinion and option that is offered up, there’s a person willing to shoot it down.
It’s fun to speculate but I won’t run through the list of potential replacements. You will have all seen them by now, alongside the cases for and against their recruitment.
[If not, take a look at Luke’s analysis]
Climbing off the fence, and for the record, Mark Robins would be my preference.
I still consider Kjetil Knutsen to be the ideal person, but I suspect that’s a non-starter.
Of course, while the search continues and the process plays out, there is a possibility that our caretakers seize their opportunity and earn themselves a longer spell in charge.
They are in the box seats for now and there’s an obvious appeal to recruiting from within, provided they can deliver an upturn in fortunes. Gary O’Neil’s permanent appointment at Bournemouth may provide some reassurance that sometimes the best person for the job can be right under your nose.
I wouldn’t be averse to that scenario playing out, because I genuinely don’t mind who coaches the team, so long as they’re starting to tick the boxes on the wish list.
That’s why the criticism of Dean Smith was never personal. Nothing to do with him as an individual, his CV, his accent, or his family. The supporters wanted him to succeed at Norwich and deliver the performances and results to send us home smiling.
It just didn’t happen.
He wasn’t wrong to suggest that a narrative had developed that was critical of his record and methods. But it wasn’t a coordinated attack, designed to undermine or based on preconceptions and prejudice. It was simply the result of collective observations, opinions, and facts.
Your team just wasn’t very good, Deano.
In defending himself and deflecting some of the blame towards the supporters, another narrative has developed in response to that criticism.
As fans, we believe we’re generally loyal, tolerant and supportive, demonstrated in recent years with relegations being greeted with disappointment rather than protest. Season ticket sales and attendance figures suggest that the fanbase has stuck by the club through the good times and the bad.
We would probably all admit that the last few months have not shown us at our best, with the atmosphere at Carrow Road ranging from non-existent to damn right toxic. Little wonder that the pundits and commentators from the media, and the fans of other clubs, looking in from afar have expressed some sympathy for Smith.
But our narrative is built upon the notion that we’ve been pushed away by the club and treated like unwanted guests while being served up performances that are uninspiring and undeserving of the talent within the squad.
Give us a reason to get behind the team and we’ll do it.
For some of us, the issues run deeper than an underperforming team so changing the head coach isn’t a magic wand to heal all the rifts and discontent. And with no clear consensus as to who is best placed to take over the reins, there is also a possibility that the new appointee won’t be universally well-received.
But it’s a start, and the slate has to be wiped clean, as it was for Dean Smith when he first took his seat in the City dugout.
If our narrative is correct and we are genuinely the fans we’d like to think we are, it’s now up to us to prove it and turn Carrow Road into the place we know it can be.
That starts with the visit of Reading tonight.
Come on you Yellows!
After the Luton fiasco I was fearful of tonight‘s game, now whilst not confident I am hopeful. Maybe our stand-in coaches will seize their opportunity and the players show what they are capable of achieving. The crowd will always cheer on a good performance, good luck to them all.
I’m afraid the main problem remains. Dean Smith was merely a symptom.
If the club is going to make any progress it requires substantial investment over wise it will continue to decline.
The longer the current regime remains in place the costlier it will become to rectify.
If our American friends are serious in their interest it is imperative they suggest to our owners they hand over the reins immediately.
I’m afraid many City fans are too easily pacified by minimal efforts to rectify long standing issues.
You’re right John. The issues run deep and removing Smith doesn’t make everything alright. As fans, we’ve answered the criticism aimed our way by insisting it was a reaction to Smith’s football. He’s gone and in my view it’s time for us to ‘show up’ and create the atmosphere we know we’re capable of. Plenty of choppy waters ahead but if I can come out of Carrow Road tonight having enjoyed a game, that will make a very pleasant change!
The problem is that it will convince our owners that all is well when in fact the opposite is true.
We’ve been at this point several times in the last 26 years and hoped for the best only to be disappointed later on.
The club is now at a lower point than during Chase’s time and as far as I’m concerned enough is enough.
If we still have the same owners at the time of season ticket renewals, the best thing fans can do for the long-term benefit of the club is not to renew.
There are many well-paid players at this club who aren’t earning their money. If they were we would be top 3. Whatever my views are on the Smiths and Webber, it’s not down to them for the said well-paid players to earn their money.
Completely agree Kev. I think some of the players felt the same way about Smith’s football as we did. They’ve certainly played like it! Hopeful we’ll see renewed energy and enthusiasm tonight and as fans, we need to create the atmosphere that supports it
Well written Steve and interesting. I have no doubt The city will win tonight and equally I fully expect the team to get tremendous support from the supporters but the players now need to respond, the shackles of Dean Smith being removed they need to show the supporters something of the talents wasted under the old guard,
What I and a lot of others would like answered is what the hell does our sporting director and his assistant do all day? why is it going to be weeks going through all the prospective candidates, surely Webber has known for the last two months Smith was on thin ice, a new head coach/manager should have been ear marked and put in place within days of sacking Smith, it was big shot Webber’s own mantra when taking on his position, Smith’s sacking smacks of the Farke sacking an on the spot add-hoc decision, good clubs have a new manager in place within days of parting ways with their old one, it beats me what those two do all day for the betterment of Norwich City, I pity the new bloke coming in to this toxic club, as Gary said a few days ago it’s rotten to the core and will remain so until the top four are ousted.
I’d meant to add it might well have been Webber who delivered the “Coup De Grace” but it was the Fan power who made the decision and it will only be Fan Power that rids us of those top four
I’m guessing the reluctance to remove Smith boiled down to 3 things.
The financial implications.
Pride and having to admit things weren’t working.
The lack of an clear-cut replacement.
I suspect that the board are hoping to see a reinvigorated team (and crowd) which will allow them to justify the full-time appointments of Russell and Weaver. It’s cheap, easy and they retain some credibility by maintaining the ‘right man / men’ were already at the club.
I imagine it won’t satisfy everyone and could be seen as lacking ambition but as I mentioned in the column, I don’t care who coaches the team provided they bring success and an upturn in performances and results.
Hi Steve
Well said again.
Our Robin made a good point in his Pink Un column this morning:
*Fans may moan and criticise but when the chips are down, they deliver because this is THEIR club, and they love it. When the club needed to raise money via a share issue the fans put their money where their mouths were and when it needed to upgrade the Academy but lacked capital the fans stepped up again and subscribed the required amount to a bond issue within a few hours.*
I’d actually managed to forget about that – and I was one of the very many of us who backed the academy in a small way at the time!
Spot on mate. We’ll still be here long after players, coaches, sporting directors (and even owners) move on. We love the club which is why the criticism aimed our way is so misguided. It is a chance tonight to show the players and everyone else how much we care
The Johnny Nash conundrum of there being more questions than answers.
Allan Russell made a great start in yesterday’s press conference, at least showing the wisdom to say some of the things that fans have be waiting (and wanting) to hear. I’m not saying he should automatically get the job-after all, we’re not great at set pieces-but he has made me, and the City supporters I’m in contact with, look forward to a match for the first time for a long time.
Hi Steve
A Happy New Year to you and your family.
My condolences to the Brazilian Family on this sad day with the passing of Pele – such a great player and Icon for all footballers to follow.
Sara will I presume not be in the starting 11 tonight, with the club giving him time to absorb the sad news and possibly mourn for the loss.
City are a mess and as people say, one swallow doesn’t make a summer, but it’s the start of that period with a warm glow on the horizon.
The EDP had to dig up the newspaper that helped our stand-in coach resign from his England Role and the headlines will not best please those still at Carrow Road. Who gives a stale Delia Cake what he did before turning to football coaching – to me it’s just a cheap shot at the club’s temporary appointment, but then watch this space. If he gets the gig permanently we could be in for more of the same with the national media jumping on the bandwagon.
The usual suspects have been named – Big Sam and Brucie need to top up their pension funds before finally retiring 😢, Scotty Parker is interesting. He left both his previous clubs reportedly due to the amounts of transfer funds on offer, and would have that same problem at City – no funds on offer 🤣🤣.
Wilder and Dyche – both to similar to Dean Smith, worked on small transfer budgets and it would be interesting to see Dyche and Gibson getting on.
Wagner, once of Huddersfield, who since departed with relegation confirmed has sunk faster than Webber’s reputation – 2 clubs, average of 40 games at each before being sacked.
At least 3 other Germans are being touted – 2 are out of work so could be within our price range, 1 Norwegian and a Dane, and then a few obscure names from the Americas both North and South. So all bets are open.
Being ex-military I was always told what to do and when to do it ’til I proved I could tell others what to do and when to do it. Footballers in many ways are similar to soldiers – you wouldn’t ask them how they want to go to war so why would you consult them on how you would play your next game or the gameplan?
I was instructed on a management course when giving orders to your team, be it soldiers or civilian staff, to make it clear who’s the boss first, then make it clearer how the task in hand should be completed with any changes need to the completed task being relaid as and when needed.
Sadly Smith and Shakespeare fell short of doing the simple things of team management and those above them even shorter of having no planned replacement.
Will our American cousins step into the void and take control or will they look to jump ship? It was mentioned they were in for the long haul when things looked good but now things look rubbish are they willing to stick or twist? Only time will tell
Happy New Year to all at MFW and commenters
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Great comments and summary of the options. I’m trying to be open-minded as ultimately any new coach represents something of a gamble.
Looking back, I’ll openly admit that some of the appointments that I was initially delighted with, turned out to be disastrous (Roeder being a prime example). Conversely, the arrivals of Paul Lambert and Daniel Farke left me underwhelmed but tuned out to be masterstrokes.
Interesting times ahead!
Very interesting and good article. I think we are all aware of what and where the problems lay. I have lost count if the times this has been written about and totally dissected via comments; We also know it isn’t going to happen anytime soon, as David C above rightly says “the Fan power who made the decision and it will only be Fan Power that rids us of those top four” I am of the mind if the fans had stayed quiet, Smudger & Co would be picking the team for tonight, and no doubt with the similar result.
What do the fans do, what we are almost called to do, get behind the team, make Paul Ince wish he had not spoken against Smudger’s sacking. Support but keep speaking of where the problem really is, it will take demonstrations (plural) akin to Chase Out days, if that puts any pressure on it must be continued. as does the consistent highlighting through the columns on sites like this excellent one.
I’m slightly more hopeful that change is on the horizon without the fanbase having to ‘force it’
Webber’s age and ambition will inevitably lead to him moving on sooner rather than later. He will want to make a change whilst his stock remains relatively high and with his reputation intact, so the next appointment is crucial for him.
It maybe wishful thinking but the Attanasios look like owners in waiting to me. It would be great if Delia and MWJ bow out gracefully rather than being hounded out. They have taken the club as far as they can and there’s an opportunity to acknowledge that and handover the reins to people who seem better placed to take us forward.
Sorry Steve, Delia and Michael have wasted 26 years at City trying to turn a business that needs financial input on a regular basis into a self-financing laughing stock.
When she first took it over she said she would leave if she couldn’t take the club forward, so 26 years of stagnation – yes a few promotions – but never built on and we are now worse off than under the Chevy Chase of the football World.