Nightmare disorder is referred to by doctors as a parasomnia – a type of sleep disorder that involves undesirable experiences that occur while you’re falling asleep, during sleep or when you’re waking up. Nightmares usually occur during the stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM).***
But nowhere is there any mention of it being possible to suffer from the damn things in the full wakefulness of day or evening. At the very epicentre of Friday’s waking nightmare in TS3 were some 600 hardy Norwich City-supporting souls who battled their way along the A47, A17, A1 and A19 [an unforgiving journey I know all too well] to the Riverside Stadium, home of Middlesbrough FC, on Friday night.
It came down in stair rods and there were reports of some official coaches taking almost seven hours to do the journey from Yarmouth and well over five from Carrow Road. The pitch, fortunately, was in excellent condition and thus able to resist the surface water sufficiently to avoid a repeat of the incident at Rotherham last month when a veritable tsunami hit the pitch and the game was called off just after the break with opponents Cardiff 1-0 up. Much to the despair of half of the Welsh football world a replay was ordered – from the kick-off, the score 0-0.
After a bright start, a Norwich side with a Kon-Tiki style defence lashed together with a wing and a prayer quickly found itself 3-0 down. Josh Sargent reduced the arrears to 3-1 just before the break with a solo effort to score his first goal in aeons and just as everybody was taking a breath and thinking what Wagner might do at halftime there came the killer fourth goal courtesy of Boro’s Cameron Archer.
Since I have been unable to go to matches this season I have enthusiastically joined in following the match in the good company of the posse, and Friday night’s interchanges had the lot, from reaction [negative] to the team selection, through the “it had to be him, the little $hit” when Dean Smith’s lovechild Aaron Ramsey scored the opener and a total sense of vexation regarding the clinical close-range dissection of our defence by a pretty decent Boro outfit.
Halftime led to what I thought were unpredictable – and uncoordinated – reactions from the quartet of old stagers that constitutes ourselves
- Cutty relegated his NCFC cap to gardening duty and banished the rest of his City paraphernalia to the back of the wardrobe.
- Alex B made a trip to his local Mecca to collect his wife, who had won bugger all at Bingo. Bad vibes on the journey back?
- Bernie Owen channelled his inner Stuart Webber and set off on an expedition to the kitchen to make an early start on the washing up.
- Having had a pretty poor day all-round, I quite appropriately opted for a cowardly 9pm journey up the wooden hill to bed.
Yesterday’s fall-out highlighted the revelation that half the outfield on the bench hadn’t previously seen match action on a football field this year. I was also slightly surprised at waking to find Sam Seaman’s snap ratings in the Pink Un offering Andrew Omobamidele a 3 and Adam Idah a 6. I can only presume that by ostensibly contributing nothing, Idah did nothing wrong, hence his rating!
“I’ve no Ideah” has become a slightly cruel catchphrase adopted among the four of us over the last week or so. Cruel but fair? I’m afraid to say I think so.
How will we approach a reset/rebuild under the circumstances we have all [myself and the posse are very much the microcosm here] been bemoaning for weeks, months, the entire wretched season for many of us?
I have no answers at present, and nor do those dwelling in Blackpool, Brundall or Wivenhoe. Maybe you good MFW readers do – as ever, don’t hold back with them particularly if any of you have anything positive to proffer as that task defeated Gary yesterday and myself today. I can’t speak for Gary but maybe I didn’t try hard enough?
Any supporter could have said this but these happen to be the words of David Wagner:
“Very disappointing. I think we made some, or a lot, of horrendous mistakes. In front of both goals. We had some great opportunities at 0-0 and when we were 1-0 down, we have to use them. Goals change games, as we have seen. We concede the second one when Sam McCallum is out of the game, and to be totally honest we lost our heads. We made a quick free-kick where we shouldn’t do it, we made a quick throw-in, where we shouldn’t do it, and concede two further goals.
“This is what disappoints me a lot. You cannot do individual mistakes as we have done, but if you do, you have to show calmness and stay in the game. This is what we haven’t done. And why we conceded a heavy defeat.”
How about a shout-out for the travelling fans then David?
“It was great they were here. But we gave them nothing to cheer about. This makes it even more disappointing that they made this long journey and we gave them nothing to cheer.”
Some gestures can be perceived as empty, but I reckon this could be the ideal opportunity to reimburse the 600 their ticket money and travelling costs.
At least most of the original 600 in Tennyson’s sanitised version of The Charge of the Light Brigade [I’d love to know Wilfred Owen’s take on that arrogant piece of Crimean War foolishness that inadvertently helped create the Blackadder character General Melchett] went out in a blaze of ill-informed glory.
Our travelling folks merely witnessed a season-defining surrender on the banks of the Steel River but I reckon compo is in order, especially to the poor soul who complained on social media that he saw a rubbish performance and consumed a rogue burger that gave him heartburn all the way home. 🙂
*** Returning to the theme of nightmares, REM are by no means my favourite band but on this occasion are most appropriate to play us out:
Hi Martin, a valiant attempt as ever to pick the bones put of a sorry carcass.
Yes, we must take into account the mitigating circumstances. The makeshift back four. The failure to allow mccallum to be treated, directly leading to a goal, the quite frankly corrupt decision, or lack of, to award a clear penalty, all these factors contributed in some way to the shower of Friday night shite served up on my big telly in a thankfully otherwise empty home
Putting that aside, why on earth did David continue with an unchanged line up after the dreadful effort on Easter Monday? Anyone could see that after hitting upon the most workable formation at Blackburn with sorensen in the central defensive midfield position and Gibbs, a revelation, far further forward that we had hit on something productive.
In the old days, when football was football, an injury to a centre half or two would allow a talented young shaver to step in to the breech as the next cab off the rank. Sink or swim.
Given rotherham were the opposition and barely moved beyond the half way line was this not the perfect opportunity to blood young Warner? Hell, I would have been comfortable against that bunch of spoilers.
Granted, Middlesbrough away is a totally different animal, to quote the Leicester manager but does anyone think that the inclusion of Warner would have made us worse?
Square pegs, round holes.
Sargent, once again was profligate beyond belief. Pukki has checked out and eyeing turkey. Hernandez looks half fit, marquinhos is the worst thing to come out of arsenal since gus ceaser. Or that hopeless Spanish centre half we signed years ago.
Can the idiots that run the club not feel the sense of despair and disillusionment amongst the support?
The situation needs to be addressed with this juvenile spat with the local press and the constant criticism of the levels of support and blanket silence regarding the future plans and direction of the club brought to an immediate close.
Sort it or get out
What more is there to say about this shower of $h*t, Martin??
To give a group of people who are supposedly good at their chosen profession, an excellent chance of returning to the pinnacle of said profession. ….and they turn in a showing like that??
As so many have said now for so long, there is something very, very wrong running through the core of our club…who would surely win all the trophies going for wasting copious sums of money?
After yesterday’s results we find ourselves 10th in the table with 4 games to play.
We are clinging on to the coat tails of clubs like Preston, Coventry, Blackburn and Millwall.
Sheffield Utd, Luton and Boro are way out of reach. Burnley are gone.
All of those except possibly Burnley, operate on a just fraction of our funds and more particularly, fans.
It’s rotten, humbling, and not a nice feeling for true NCFC fans.
I really fear for our record against 1p5wich if we should meet them next season with whatever sort of squad Webber can cobble together.
O T B C
Hi John
What more is there to say indeed.
As soon as I start the sentence *with all due repect to* I know what that really means and your list including Luton, Preston and Coventry illustrates precisely the level we are at – and it ain’t good.
As for the Binners, Wednesday are gently imploding and Plymouth won’t win all their remaining matches so in my min’d eye they’re up.
With fight, flair, cohesion and those crowds are going to grow and grow down at Portaloo Road so I fear for us too in that respect.
Cheers
Well its been one of those things as Incognito.sings about.
Going into a new season like the titanic unsin kable with a foolhardy captain and senior officers.
I warned you last year that the main problem with the team was Hanley Gibson and Maclean
They may perform for Scotland but the number of mistakes. Lets say howlers was akin to the titanic disaster, put that together with the total calamity of Captain Smith on the bridge.
We should have gone with the Norwigian last year. He would have drilled the team taken no flak from the senior officers and brought on the youngsters.
Not like Delia and Michael Nd webber wavung the white flag and going down with the ship
Webber tried to plug the leak with another German old pal to keep the mob happy in the 3rd class dungeon
It has not worked
I would still employ the man from Oslo. Have a major clear out half the team has to go and replace with bright new youngsters if it means getting rid of webber and taking the buying and spending out of his hands andputting it in the americans
Honestly that would take two seasons of championship football to put right but what a team to go back to the premiership all singing on the same hymn sheet .
Hi Keith
I like the cut of your jib with those nautical references 😉
Seriously the guy at Bodo Glimt did seem interesting at the time but didn’t have a CL campaign to negotiate that would have made him very hard to get?
I don’t see Webber going down with this or any other ship tbh – it’s not in his DNA!
Fair point about your unholy triumvirate.
Cheers
What more is their to say?Only that i think most clubs would have sacked their sporting director by now,but since his missus is on the board that hasn’t happened.Only way the clown will go is if he walks away himself or there are massive protests,cant see either happening,can you?But a new leader is needed desperately.
Hi Tony
Where else would you find man and wife in the capacity of employees on the board of a commercial concern except Norwich City?
Tune in for next week’s exciting episode of Canary Call to see if Zoe has sacked Stuart after an argument about leaving the cap off the toothpaste?
It’s not going to happen, is it?
i didn’t mind quite so much until supporters of other clubs everywhere began to laugh at us on a new level. It’s become embarrassing I am afraid.
Cheers.
The owner cannot provide the investment necessary to reshape the team.
The SD appears lost without Kieran Scott.
The wife of the SD has failed to reset the press and fans relationship.
Time to reassess all the viable buyout options the FD mentioned at the AGM and just hope that one of them is still interested before we are relegated from the championship.
I think it may have escaped all those mentioned above that our current side is not championship quality!
Hi John
We can only speculate on why Kieran Scott left us for Boro. As I understand it he certainly got at least a titular upgrade out of it but maybe he couldn’t see personal progression in NR1. Or maybe he didn’t want to work with Webber any more.
If any serious attempt has been made by the Club to achieve any reconciliation with either fans or media I must have missed it too I’m afraid.
I’m really sorry to say it but we appear to be banjaxed both on and off the field and if there has been a saving grace to this season I cannot think what it has been.
Cheers
I’m afraid if there is no change of ownership league 1 is closer than lower championship.
The wealth of other championship sides is starting to make parachute payments irrelevant.
Reply below John, my tablet is playing up 🙁
It was all a bit headless chicken after Ramsey scored.
With Teemu having lost his shooting boots, we rely on Sarge and Idah to do the bulk of the work putting ball into net.
This must be Webber’s choice as he sanctioned Carlton Morris leaving , and sanctioned the 5 year deal for Adam Idah, the no Ideah factor.
Hi Bernie
The only excuse I can offer up is that Carlton had a pretty awful series of injuries while he was on the fringes of the first team here, but the Webber track record with making the wrong decision on injured players is by no means a good one.
If we’re down to Sargent and Idah in terms of putting the ball in the net next season I think we are likely to be in deep trouble.
Cheers
Hi Chris
Yes there is an element of feeling like a carrion crow in writing about NCFC and in all honesty it’s been that way for most of the season.
Looks like your big screen told the same sorry tale as my tablet – I hope it didn’t make the scale of the trouble look even larger than it actually is.
What confounds me is that David Wagner knew eactly what he was walking into as there’s no way our state could have been disguised at the time of Smith’s belated departure. Quite what he is expecting in terms of an injection of resources over the summer I do not know.
Say Southampton and any two of the other PL flounderers are relegated and right now I would say they are nailed on to return more than at any other time i can recall. Of course one of them will trip up as it’s always that way but if we had to face the Saints, Leicester or Forest right now we would be annihilated.
As for supporter disenchantment I guess they see that as collateral damage and the situation with the local press is farcical, particularly as Paddy & Co are the tamest of tigers and not given to causing offence or unrest!
They can’t sort it and won’t get out, which makes for a conundrum I cannot solve.
Cheers
Hi Martin
Ramsey might have started the goal scoring spree but it was the other Villa loanee that used his bow to get all 3 points.
Archer was Smith’s choice to replace Hugill in the summer but our esteemed SD could find any takers so the young man trottered off to Wilder prior to Carrick kick starting their season.
Rumours are that if Smith get the permanent job at Leicester both Archer and Ramsey are top of his wish list now that’s not a big surprise to anyone.
Our illustrious No Ideah of a striker needs to go out on loan and that leaves Sargent as first choice, Dickson-Peters has gone to Cleethorpes the home of Grimsby I hope he’s enjoying the seaside as he’s nowhere near the team squad and he’s out of contract.
Tomkinson and McCracken out at Stevenage are in the same boat getting no game time so our loans manager needs to find out why and get it sorted, all three would have gained more experience playing for the U23’s than they are getting now.
Let Webber do his Julie Andrews impression and get someone in that can do a reset.
Webber has looked at what worked at Huddersfield and is hoping it can kick start a city revival.
Hughes needs to find his real job be it loans nanager, set piece or first team coach not all three.
To me Webber is like a kid in a sweet shop mixing and matching hoping for a successful out come.
I’m not a R.EM favor but their song the Great Beyond sums up cities dilemma especially the line Pushing an Elephant up the Stairs
Don’t like ’em – Michael Stipe gets a disproportionately negative reaction from me that I genuinely can’t logically explain 🙂
Hi Alex
I’m not surprised by the predicted antics of one Dean Smith, once non-resident in this parish. He’s using his contacts to get what he thinks he needs and you can’t really take that away from him – anybody would do the same.
These failed loans out are deeply concerning. Not only is it the lack of game time but the blow to a young fella’s confidence. You might as well put a sticker on him saying *unwanted*. The only thing the Club gets out of it is his wages off the books for the season – and in these parlous times webber won’t sneeze at that.
The only player *out* who is doing any good is Rashica, and we seem to be going something like 50/50 on his wages before selling him to Gala for half what we paid for him, which is Baaaad Business.
Pick ‘n’ Mix? I’d stop young Stuart’s pocket money if I had my way 🙂
Cheers
Bali Mumba (pre injury)???
Yes indeed – I’ve spoken of him in kind of glowing terms for his attutude off the pitch – he’s been great on it too for the Pilgrims of course!
According to one contributor were all ‘blind” as if we can’t see the good stuff going on and he is enlightened and in some way more worthy.
Pish. For a so called community club to treat its own supporters I’m such a disrespectful way is a disgrace. Apart from her happy clapper fan boys, who actually wants delia Smith to remain in situ beyond this summer?
I think there would be much more appreciation of the work of the CSF if things were going well elsewhere just cos life is like that.
It iS a worthy undertaking, of course it is. But many of us find it hard to consider its achievements when the rest of the house is burning down around it.
Not the most appropriate of times to highlight this type of initiative I’m afraid. That’s intrinsically sad, but also human nature.
I certainly don’t want Delia Smith to continue in situ for one – but accept that I can do nothing about it unfortunately.
I know SW is a clever talker but boy oh boy Delia and Michael falling for ‘ it will be great to have the wife on board piece ‘ for me must be really high on their past errors list. Absolutely crazy and awful decision …..
Hi Jon
Well put.
Cheers
Good afternoon Martin.
As always you say it as it is….crap.
There were some mitigating circumstances, injuries to our senior centre backs and the much maligned (sometimes by me, I must confess) but much missed Kenny👉🏻McClean, other than Onel and Teemu it was a very young side, Sarge returning to the EPL version of himself, Andy O finding out he still has a lot to learn and my mate Marty disgracefully giving the game a miss. All contributed to an awful night.
And I think we discovered why so many of us are Grant Hanley fans.
Expect another awful night at WBA.
QPR on Wednesday night is another banana skin. They haven’t won since, is it April 1965 ? Oh well don’t worry you Hoops, Wednesday is probably going to be another “Along Come Norwich” night.
As for Middlesborough, it started badly with poor old Sarge’s two awful misses then got worse when I realised I had forgotten to do Judas Ramsey as first goalscorer 🤬🤬🤬ACN
I do wonder if that young man has a short memory, as we gave him a real opportunity after a poor loan spell at Cheltenham, to treat the fans who had travelled all that way and in truth really supported him when he was here was quite disgusting.
Just don’t say you have a season ending injury then end up at Middlesborough a fortnight later. Tell the truth, you didn’t agree with Dean Smith’s sacking and you wanted away. That is your choice.
The new “young footballer” I am afraid, the me, me, me attitude, a far cry from Peter Osgood apologising to Norwich then manager Ken Brown for not scoring during his loan spell all those years ago. Yes Peter Osgood. I bet Aaron doesn’t even know who he was.
Back to Friday Fright Night.
Fortunately Canary Call had a few ambulances on standby just in case one or two of their regulars self combusted ala Mr Creasote.
However it was quite muted and some very good points were raised. Okay we did have one guy who said it was the worse performance ever, I suppose he may have been too young for Norwich City 1 Colchester United 7 😂but the supporters are right Stuart Webber has failed. All of us in our working lives have to maintain a standard to keep our jobs, SW has despite what many think, in my opinion tried very hard in his role as Sporting Director but his ego is blinding him to the fact that he has failed.
I am sure the bright and breezy Stuart that came her all those years ago would have agreed that if in 5 years time we would be in exactly the same place in the championship as we were then, he would agree that it has been a failure.
And falling out with the local media because he doesn’t like their reporting is scandalous, in fact it is downright Orwellian. Pravda and Tass spring to mind.
I maybe in the minority here but I really feel sorry for David Wagner. He is now the third manager after Farke and Smith who have failed to get any consistency out of this group of players (The class of 21-23)
I now think it can be agreed by 99% of supporters that our last 2-3 transfer windows have been poor, very poor. Okay I have to admit the Dean Smith reign was poor but so was poor old Daniel Farke’s last few matches. It is not always the coach that is at fault but the players, they are just not good enough.
Some may in time turn out to be good, some even very good. But not at this moment in time.
And SW must take the responsibility for signing them. And his time to move on has come.
You cannot keep shooting the messenger, at some point the author must pay the price.
Hi Tim
DoF or SD as It was described to me was as simple as 1,2,3 in that you set up a standard of play from the bottom to the top then you recruit players that suite the system, you retain the system and if a change of coach/manager happens you then recruit said replacement to continue to implement the same system.
SW did well with Farke but didn’t recruit players that could adapt to his style, then recruited a replacement coach who was alien to the way the players were coached, then went back to his trusted Huddersfield days and it now looks like this is turning into a big mess and Wagner will be the next fall guy.
The only solution as Martin says is a complete reset Smith and Jones to lead the existing followed by Zoe and Stuart Webber trailing behind in a cloud of dust Tim Smith and his wife who are minor share holders on the board.
It reminds me of the old TV program Mr and Mrs but this has a much bigger stake the reputation of our club
Our reputation isn’t that great right now I’m afraid and I don’t like being laughed at any more than the next football fan!
It was an inexperienced back four with a very young captain. Perhaps if we had taken a chance with Hayden or Byram at centre half leaving Sorensen in his natural position which includes being the extra defender when needed, such an advantage for us. Hernandez walked off in the warm up so I wonder if he was fit. Refs obviously have Aarons marked as a cheat,which is doing us no good at all. It is criminal for the ref to restart a game when a player is down and we have put the ball out for treatment. The manager can build the players up so much before a game but incidents like that are so deflating and difficult to recover from.
I can’t see why so many people focus on Idah when we have lost,I wonder what they expect from someone coming on as a sub at 5- 1 down, especially as so many were poor before him. We did well with him in is natural position and we could say the same for Sargent and Sorensen The manager has to put the right players in the right positions.
Hi Gil
I agree with you about Sorensen, it’s just common sense really. He slots in nicely as the extra defender you mention and although he’s no Olly Skipp he reads the game well.
Unfortunately I agree with you about Max as well. This is a relatively recent phenomena and I guess it’s been smouldering for a while although I’ve only picked up on it in the last few matches.
Where I differ is Adam Idah. I will always endeavour to fight shy of scapegoating but he does nothing for me. He is strong and powerful but remains raw and his decision making I would suggest is questionable. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this point 🙂
Cheers
What you say may be true, but look how the results changed when Idah came in as central striker, we had not won a home game for ages, we went on a winning run, I think it was 3 home wins in a row,scoring 3 in most games. Perhaps it’s because he causes trouble for the defenders and creates more space for our forwards. Many people might put this down as a coincidence but the same thing happened last season when we played Everton. Alan Shearer was full of praise for Idah in that position, then when he got injured, the results got worse. In his last start he created the goal for Sara. Look what everyone was saying about Sargent last season because he was played in the wrong position. I find it very disturbing to see Idah being singled out, particularly because he received racial abuse last season from his own fans.
Hi again Gil
Probably because I don’t use social media I didn’t have a clue Adam Idah [or anybody else come to that] had been subject to racial abuse last season and I guess that transcends any discussions about his abilities – or lack of – as a footballer.
I really thought those days were long gone at Carrow Road and it’s extremely disappointing to discover otherwise as I’m sure the entire MFW community will agree.
I wouldn’t have mentioned this before but I have friends in Corcaigh who have followed Adam Idah since his teenage GAA days in Leixlip and a few distant relatives in the area too, so if anybody wants to see him prosper it’s me 🙂
Look, anyone who has watched us play over the last two seasons must realise that we aren’t very good without a playmaker and a CDM. It’s no secret. That we can’t afford the players to adequately fill those positions is also not a secret.
What I can’t really get my head around is why Wagner continues to try to play people out of position and expects it to work; and how SW or anyone with a pair of eyes can’t see that Pukki checked out weeks ago. Sargent should be our centre forward – profligate he may be, but at least we know he and Idah will be here next season and the more game time they get the more chance there is of us getting something from them. Playing Pukki when we know he’s off is just stupidity.
Who thought Marquinos was any better than Springett or Rowe? Why have an under 23 squad if none of them are good enough to step up when we need them to?
Hi sgncfc
Hard to argue with anything here. The lack of a playmaker has done for us really, this season has made me more nostalgic over Wessi than ever!
Pukki still buzzes around but you’re right – he checked out a while ago We can hardly complain after all he achieved for and with us while he was here in body and spirit.
I suppose more game time now can only help Idah in the future but I won’t renege on what I’ve said earlier: he just doesn’t do it for me I’m afraid. Sarge is Sarge and I wish there was a magical way of improving his first touch, I really do 🙂
Deploying players out of position is never a sound strategy and I too am disappointed that Springett, Rowe and indeed jon Tomkinson weren’t given a fair suck of the sauce bottle when fit.
Thanks – good comment.
As many other contributors have stated, wagners propensity for continuing the mistakes of the previous manager are a cause for concern.
First it was the mind numbing centre forwards on the wing ploy which I detest. Now as others have said we appear to be shifting players around to accommodate a square peg into a round hole.
This is particularly galling when the players being moved out of position were largely responsible for one of out best results of the season.
As I said in response to Gary’s article, Warner simply had to play the last 2 games. What is the worst thing that could happen? We could find out he’s unready or not good enough and we lose 5-1?
On the other hand he could rise to the occasion in the same manner that Tompkinson did at Burnley and we find we have another young asset on our hands.
Wagner has given us some good moments since taking over from the mood hoover and still has support, but please, let’s see some common sense here
Tomkinson’s reward for a mature performance at Bunley was a kick in the nadgers and incredibly bad management.
We could claim we need that L/R balance at centre back, but even so…
To JOHN F:
What gets me is that every thinking supporter is aware of the problem and the very nature of it. *They* must have knowledge of the minutiae that we don’t but still cruise along in a state of full-on denial.
Delia, MJW and the Webbers must be aware of what so many supporters are thinking. Many MFW readers – and indeed writers were following their team, Norwich City, long before the advent of these people.
If anybody posts on MFW the time will come when somebody disagrees with them. It’s really pleasing how many exchanges of that nature are made on these pages and very few people refuse to engage.
But with a wave of a hand and the quick cover-all *we don’t listen to the noise* the local media are dismissed out of hand by our powers that be and the supporters are considered a necessary nuisance that must be endured.
Does that make us better than *them*? Sadly I believe it does in it’s own way.
Martin, ignoring an overwhelming cry from their customers is a sure sign the board are clueless as to what to do next.
All money expended, fingers crossed not worked, it’s down to relying on supporter apathy.
Hi Martin,
Like everyone else I was appalled by what happened Friday evening, and I really do begin to hope that the people at the top of the club have come to the conclusion that they are going to walk away after the last game of the season. Their positions are frankly untenable, so bad that I’m not frightened of what comes after them because the club will need to regain equilibrium whoever takes over!
I would like to know where the current philosophy that young players cannot step into the first team and have to spend years out on loan, actually comes from? Youth didn’t stop Trevor Howard and Darren Eadie being exceptional players for the club did it? There is a long list of others who excelled for us when young, including the Murphy boys and James Maddison. So why is this situation arising?
If what has happened over the last two games had happened 3 or 4 games earlier, we would have been dicing with death at the other end of the table!
Cheers Martin,
KevH
Hi Kev
Yes there are some folks at the top who need to take a long, hard, look at themselves.
Your point about the other end of the table is not lost on me I can assure you. Just because I didn’t mention it doesn’t mean I don’t think of it, if you see what I mean.
Next season that scenario could rise to the top of debate!
I really hope it doesn’t, but somehow fear it will.
Cheers
Hi Tim
There’s a lot in your comment to digest!
I just can’t do Canary Call I’m afraid. Chris Goreham and his A.N. Other of the day remind me a little of David Wagner and his coaching team as they try to do their best with, erm, limited material 🙂
We are surely all miffed with young Ramsey and with very good reason. While it seems likely he would benefit from a proverbial kick in the codpiece I don’t think all his generation are like him and many are far from it. I would single out Andrew Omobamidele and Bali Mumba [he’s still very much our player] as examples of this.
I remember Colchester all too well but that was at Carrow Road and I was there to witness it so that contributes to why I’d probably rate it worse than Friday.
I’ve never met Stuart Webber and never will, a situation that I am sure disturbs neither of us, so I don’t know what he is *really like*. But paying the price for his faux pas with the press? I don’t really see how that might happen – pride coming before a fall is unfortunately not a universal truth 🙂
Actually if the damage with Paddy and crew were to be repaired Webber would gain kudos for such an action but after all this time I have given up hope of it happening.
I have a really uneasy feeling about developments both on and off the pitch this summer and I know I am not alone in this [understatement of a fraught season]!
Maybe, as has been suggested by MFW writers Gary F and Stewart Lewis, the Share Issue will bring us all some reiief from conjecture when all is resolved, as it surely will be when the *i*s and *t*s have been attended to. Us fans are an impatient, impulsive breed and that IS a universal truth so I guess we’ll once more have to try and keep calm and see what transpires.
Wouldn’t we make life easier for ourselves if we could collectively take that proverbial step back and wait?
But that ain’t never gonna happen, as they say in the movies!
Cheers
I am like you Martin keep hoping that the “Takeover” will happen, and very soon.
And I agree I was being too generic about ” Footballing youngsters today” and that is unfair on many who are 100% decent lads.
Another topic on here today is David Wagner’s team selection.
But who has left Wagner with 3 purely centre forwards, only youngsters and Onel out wide, No holding midfield player whatsoever and having to play Sara, a possible playmaker as a holding midfielder because of injuries.
The responsibility for all of this Martin is Stuart Webber’s. He over saw all the buying and selling.
I am as frustrated as anyone to see Idah and Sarge on the wings but with so many injuries the poor guy is stuck. As for Tzolis the guy’s confidence looks shot.
Daniel Farke played 4-2-3-1 for the majority of the time he was here but the recruitment for 21/22 was clearly for playing 4-3-3.
Now I never thought that was what Farke wanted, I suppose we will never know but whatever the truth is, it has been a disaster.
That is why I am more than happy to give David Wagner time to recruit players that fit the way he wants to play.
Lets be honest it has been a mess from start to finish from summer 2021 onwards and I think you are like me would rather have someone other than SW doing the business going forward.
Yes Tim I’m with you all the way there. I suspect the Share Issue will not be resolved as quickly as we would like though.
Whilst acknowledging the abject nature of the performance on Friday which was most definetly unacceptable I trust yours and fellow correspondants relish to castigate poor NCFC performances will be replicated when and if a decent performance is produced. I have my doubts!
https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2023/04/08/ewood-joy-for-city-as-gibbs-and-sara-dance-to-the-beat-of-the-city-elite-drum/
Hi Gary
Anything less than a positive reaction to that particular match would have been a travesty – a great choice, ta.
Hi Timothy
Gary beat me to it.
In my several years of experience none of our writers is keen to malign Norwich City. A good performance is always acknowledged as such – surely you can’t believe that we WANT to say bad things about the club?
You’d have to be sad to actually do it, but take a look at the back catalogue of any one of our writers and you’ll find that the truth [and proof] is out there 🙂
Cheers
Doubts about a decent report for the team following a good performance, or doubts that the current regime are capable of a decent showing?
O T B C
Afternoon Mr P, was going to let this one ride, as was as disgusted as I have been before, having missed one of the worst at home to Colchester due a bad bout of something. Myself an old late mate set off for Hillsbro. Car started flashing lights at us, so we turned round at Kings Lynn and came home. City went on to lose 5-1 with a certain Mr Rhodes getting a brace.
I had a terrible feeling about this one watched on a stream until just after the little shite scored that was enough for me, I thought we might have held our own in the first 10 minutes, but that soon disappeared, and heads not only dropped, they got lost.
I think many of us know deep down in our yellow and green hearts, not a lot is going to change, with the same owners holding the shares, while they give the reigns to the husband and wife team that have far far too much clout. Mr Attanasio, is going to have to trump up a ruddy lot of £’s to buy out the Smiths, or get enough shares to call the shots, plus put some decent money into the coffers and then there is the managing of the debt that has been allowed to mount up. Unless there is someone else hiding in a closet somewhere. I didn’t think so
While I like nothing more than a good dream to sink into to get away from the reality, this one looks like a wasted daydream.
what more can fans say ? Other than going over and over the same ground as we have been for 23 years ago nearly to the day (14/03/2000) when Bruce Rioch walked away shouting “”I am ambitious as a manager but right now the club don’t have the resources to match those ambitions,” Leaving Hamiltion and then Worthington to take the rudder.
The first manager, that I remember highlighting the problem of no money, no ambition, soon to turn into the famous Ambition with Prudence. Wonder how long that little phrase took to think of ?
Here we are in the same spot 23 years later but worse off.
Time to bow out ALAS Smith & Jones
Didn’t Martin O Neill say something similar to Chase after not stumping up the money fora striker that went to Aberdeen.
O’Neil liked him so much that arriving at Leicester he went nowhere near him.
Alias Smith and Jones like the Saturday afternoon Tea’s and Cakes at half time to walk away as for the American he’s kept stum since his last interview and that’s from someone that said he likes to keep the supporters informed, be apart of the community.
Maybe Auntie has told him to keep quiet
The striker you rcall was Dean Windass, father of SWFC’s Josh.
Hi Lad
I think Mike Walker was the first manager to openly criticise the lack of money, maybe more specifically Chase’s policy of selling anybody if a profit could be made on him, horse fair style.
I’m pretty sure the continuation of this policy actively stymies us in the mid-range of recruitment as in terms of *who the feck would want to sign for Norwich?* and that is going to get worse, with the proviso that we rarely even try to recruit established players with a clean bill of health.
In Webberworld, potential resale value is king, although the wheels have come off this particular wagon of late in spectacular fashion.
Just as a sop to the masses I wish they would call it fan funding rather than self funding because that’s precisely what it is and *they* know that *we* are too loyal, addicted and maybe even plain weak-willed enough to walk away.
Even in the creation of the infamous phrase you mention the priority was made clear as the term Prudence [first word] with Ambition [last word] was coined.
What they didn’t tell us was the ratio of those qualities. 20 parts the former to every single part of the latter would be my guess.
Somehow they couldn’t even get that right unless there’s something prudent about running uo a £55 million+++ debt 🙂
Cheers