One of what I would guess to be the few things Paul Lambert and Daniel Farke had in common is that when it came to identifying and landing transfer targets while at the helm of HMS Canary, they both had a wonderful ability to make the best out of what often, on paper at least, seemed to be a bad job.
With both, it was a case of finding the right players on the cheap. Lambert targeted the lower indigenous leagues while Farke utilised his knowledge of the German scene to pick up players who although plying their trade outside the Bundesliga might prove ideal for his purpose. I am not involving Stuart Webber with these as our Daniel alone was surely responsible for sourcing the particular players I have in mind.
While City supporters might at least have heard of most of the Lambert acquisitions, it would take a lot for any of us to claim they were excited by the arrival of players such as Simeon Jackson, Stephen Hughes, Elliott Bennett, or Matty Gill.
But once established, together with others like David Fox, Marc Tierney, Anthony Pilkington, and Tiny Ward, these relative unknowns became key parts in a double promotion and a relatively painless season of survival in the Premier League.
If any fans wish to tell me they had even heard of Farke’s finds such as Christoph Zimmermann, Mario Vrancic, Marco Stiepermann, or Tom Trybull I will pretend to believe them, but only because I am a nice guy who doesn’t wish to cause offence.
Anybody claiming to have heard of Moritz Leitner I do believe, but only because I had heard of him too!
In the case of Lambert and Farke, both proved the merits of signing this type of player by going with both head and heart beautifully balanced, and oh boy did it pay off for everybody with levels of success largely unanticipated by “us lot in the stands”.
We are crying out for such signings at the moment and maybe Ashley Barnes from Burnley is a move in the right direction. Jack Lincoln’s piece on MFW last week indicated that supporters were fairly equally divided on whether they wanted Barnes here or not – what interested me most were the positive comments from some contributing Burnley fans who were united in telling us exactly what to expect from him – and it sounded good to me.
As Gary mentioned last week, MFW has recently drawn criticism from some quarters for the way he and I have apparently been conducting something of a witch hunt against the Club.
Rather than adopting the “head in the sand and ignore the noise” policy brought out of the locker by some of those in senior positions at NCFC of late, Gary decided to take a vastly different approach worthy of a Lambert or a Farke and invited readers in a positive frame of mind to write us a guest blog to speak of things as they saw them.
Like watching Farkeball in its second season, I got far more out of reading each and every one of the MFW Reasons to be Cheerful series than I ever thought I would as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the views expressed from a very different perspective to my own.
There were five such pieces altogether and I actually found myself agreeing with at least one point made by each author. Not enough to change my stance on any of the opinions I regularly find myself offering as I enter the sixth year of my stint on MFW, but it was good to be further reminded that all opinions are equally valid, which is something we try to stress on MFW all the time, believe it or not, 😀
These are my favourite extracts from the series, one written by each of the guest bloggers:
Andrew Connors [Saturday]:
“The club has already looked to address the shortcomings in the squad and has moved quickly to secure the likely acquisition of Ashley Barnes to provide a physical presence and canny know-how among the forward line next year. While it’s not particularly the type of signing to prompt outpourings of joy and praise from Canary supporters, it is in many ways a sensible one that addresses some of the team’s present shortcomings.”
Adam Durrant [Friday]:
“Injuries have killed our seasons a worrying amount in recent years, and I’m not just talking about the Matt Jarvis/Byram types that have lived in the physio room. If the club can get players up to full fitness faster, it might just be the small difference between missing a key player for 3-4 games instead of 6-8. And that could make a bigger difference than people think.”
Alex Bullard [Thursday]:
“It often takes South American players longer to settle and establish themselves in European football in the best of circumstances and this season has been anything but that for Norwich. So, with that in mind, the performances of Gabriel Sara, who ended up as player of the season, and Marcelino Nunez, who at times has shown plenty of promise, suggest that next year they could offer even more.”
Trev [Thursday]:
“Grant Holt’s header at Anfield will mean more to me on my deathbed than the 50+ goals Erling Haaland will tediously bayonet against corpses this season means to any Man City fan.”
Trev’s article also featured a comment from one Jinxy, who gave me the perfect name for when MFW forms its long-awaited 1970s American Deep South Redneck long-hair tribute band when he said of Trev’s piece: “Such a refreshing outlook to that of The Gowers-Penney Witch Hunt variety.”
Cheers Jinksy.
Matt Barrett [Wednesday]:
“In that same interview [a TNC podcast with Mark and Mike A which unfortunately I didn’t catch], Mark Attanasio stated that Stuart Webber and Dean Smith have report cards, which means that David Wagner will have one too. But more importantly, Webber has someone holding his decisions to account and that has to be positive.”
Rather predictably I hear you say, the “report card revelation” in Matt’s article turned out to be my favourite moment of reading in what was an excellent series that just went to show what wonderful things free speech and passionate yet polite debate can be.
As I’ve learned a lot over the past few days I think it’s time to declare:
You’re welcome Mr Penny sir😉
🙂
Marty, I‘m sure you and Gary would love to have something positive to say about the Canary‘s current performances on and off the pitch, you both have regularly done so over the years. But when things are bad you have to be honest and say so, keep a troshin and hopefully improvements are not far away and we can all get back to being upbeat again. The Romans had a policy of executing messengers when they brought bad news, they believed in burying problems, you and Gary are still alive so that‘s positive progress.
Hi Cutty
Those ole Romans didn’t mess about, ’tis true. And look what they did for us!
When it comes to improvements, we supporters can only draw attention to the need for them rather than implement them ourselves which leads to a lot of the things that are said and written being born from frustration.
Nine months ago I would have sneered at the concept of NOT being alive but further down the road apace I can only agree that making the most of every day becomes increasingly important in sense of both body and soul.
So keep a-troshin’ it must be.
Cheers
What did the Romans ever do for us?
Hi Jim
That would largely depend on whether one was a very naughty boy [or girl] or not.
Salve
If we are ever going to see if Adam Idah is a player worth keeping then he must play as the central target man. Signing a 33 year old who scores 7 goals a season will simply mean we will never know the answer.
We all know the solution is a big change in the running of the club and unless we stop giving Webber money to waste then change will not happen.
There is always a bright side to life and for me the only brightness for next season is that we won’t face being thumped by Liverpool as our first game.
Webbers and Smiths out is the only realistic solution to our problems and that ain’t happening any time soon.
Ah well at least we have the Ashes to look forward to???
The Ashes is not looking so great on the bowling front
Anderson out with Hip strain
Archer out with Elbow problems
Onlly Stone out – Hamstring
As unfortunate for England Cricket as it is, *the Archer and his elbow* is a headline writer’s dream 🙂
Hi Cyprus
While I agree with you about Idah I don’t see how we can risk relying on him when Sarge is so much better at a similar way of playing – and in his preferred position.
Playing both of them together just does not work as we saw several times last season.
What the Burnley fans have said about Barnes [particularly on the Jack Lincoln piece] is really quite encouraging. Who would have thought what an ageing Gary Megson would bring to Mike Walker’s squad 40 years ago? We might be lucky again.
Forget any thumpings at the hands of Juergen Klopp’s rejuvenated Scousers – it’s the thought of embarrassing ourselves against 1p5wich that petrifies me 🙂
Cheers
Megson, 30 years ago, Martin surely. Not 40!
Hi Dan
I’ll give you that one but I’m claiming it as a typo 🙂
Cheers
Morning Mr P.
While it is good to give opposing views an airing and both sides can see (and perhaps agree with) valid points from the opposing view, I stick to my views and acknowledge reasonable and good points. I have not read anything that would make me switch my views.
It comes down to the facts – unless something more than papering over cracks (ex decorator) is done, then nothing will change. In other areas of employment, if an employee fails and fails again then the P45 is readied quickly.
With football moving quicker than greased lightning, it is vital that mistakes and bad management cannot be allowed to continue season after season.
It takes more than a few new players and coaches to cure the ills, that have come around more than once to gnaw at the bums of those charged with looking after this club.
As to the Gowers-Penney Witch Hunt, I think there are more than a good few commenters who would fit in the banner
Hi Lad
When I wrote *I actually found myself agreeing with at least one point made by each author. Not enough to change my stance on any of the opinions I regularly find myself offering as I enter the sixth year of my stint on MFW* I meant it.
Actually I think everything hinges on recruitment this summer because if Webber stuffs up again that might, and I stress just might, be a precursor to him being forced to reconsider his future.
I know it’s unlikely when considering an ego of that size but you never know.
The G-P Witch Hunt wouldn’t be hard to get on the road. Perhaps we could do a Frank Turner kind of thing where whoever is available makes the tour.
We’d probably get bottled off at Portman Road though 🙂
Cheers
Hi Martin
A positive note:
Mumba wins a League 1 championship medal with Plymouth
Tomkinson wins a League 2 promotion medal with Stevenage
Archive Mair saves 2 penalties at Wembley to restore Notts County to League 2
Wasn’t there a song from the Blockheads, ‘Reasons to be cheerful’ or similar in a very drab season these are 3 shining lights for the not so far off future.
Will we see a cull over the next few weeks? Byram, McGovern, Dowell, and Pukki are first teamer’s gone, Sinani and Josh Martin departed as well.
Saleable assets – Gunn, Krul, Aaron, Sara, McCallum, Tzolis, Giannoulis, Nunez, Sargent, Gibbs and Idah all could make us a few shekels.
Remaining assets – McLean, Gibson, Placheta, Hanley, Hernandez and Sorensen.
I think I’ll go back to Ian Drury and the Blockheads.
I said yesterday that City under Bond and Brown recruited the older players and we did well staying in the old Division 1 with a sprinkling of youth to do the running, so I will give Barnes a hearty welcome and hope he can be a talisman for our change of fortune in the short term and, just maybe, some of his game knowledge rubs off on our young generation.
Will the Friday interview be splashed across The Athletic and the EDP/Pink-un come Saturday morning all behind pay walls? Can we expect to hear about share issues, investment funds, transfers and even whether there’s another mountain to climb in Leeds? But that will depend on relegation for them.
Maybe a little Tom Petty with ‘I won’t Back Down’
My criticism of what I think is wrong with how City in my opinion ONLY and not influenced by others. It’s run not as a football club but as a last resort for fading celebrity status for one couple and a power grab by another.
Let’s hope Mark Attanasio, or another benefactor, can see through the Fog on the Wensum and make decisions to take the club forward.
Hi Alex
I’m not too sure that I’m optimistic enough to describe Placheta as an asset and Gibson sails a bit close to the wind in that respect too from where I’m sitting!
Yes Ian Dury had a three or four-parter called just that – I think it was Part II that made the Top Ten in the UK all those years ago.
I fully expect the Pink Un material from Friday’s upcoming Webber interview to be behind a paywall alongside a plea to sign up for Pink Un+ along the lines of *look what you’re missing, everybody*.
I wish NewsQuest good luck if that’s the strategy they adopt. Personally I will buy a hard copy of the EDP on Saturday morning for the first time this decade cos I’m sure not paying for anything the Pink Un has to offer. Others might choose differently of course, and fair play to those who do.
The Athletic is different in that it has always been paid-for.
*It’s run not as a football club but as a last resort for fading celebrity status for one couple and a power grab by another* is a very contentious comment to make but one that I happen to agree with and many MFW readers think upon the same lines as you and I on the topic.
That’s probably the main reason I found the opinions of Gary’s *positive five* so interesting. It would be a bl00dy god-awful world if we all thought the same!
Cheers
Interesting piece, Martin.
Just to query one thing you said: “I’m not involving Stuart Webber with these [the German signings] as our Daniel alone was surely responsible for sourcing the particular players I have in mind”.
I don’t know exactly how the process worked between them. I do know one of Stuart’s admirers (not someone at the club) described to me his knowledge of players as “encyclopaedic” – not least of players in the German league. So it may not have been quite as one-sided as you believe.
Hi Stew
I’ve heard tell of Webber’s encyclopaedia-like knowledge of footballers across Europe before, although not particularly with reference to those in Germany so thanks for filling in that particular knowledge gap.
That notwithstanding I still think these particular players would have been Farke’s suggestions/recommendations in the first place. Sure he’d have had to run them past Webber – and quite rightly so too given that SW is/was the Sporting Director.
So yes, I suppose it could have worked the way you suggest, although I harbour a lingering doubt about Zimbo being on Webber’s radar!
Cheers
Fair enough – cheers.
Which begs the question Stewart, how on earth did we end up paying such a fee for someone like Rashica?
And, in all honesty, would you have extended Idah’s contract to the extent which NCFC did this past season?
O T B C
Actually, I think we’ll get all (or almost all) of our money back on Rashica – not a success, but not a total write-off. From what we’ve seen so far, a bigger question might be against Tzolis.
My criticism of the summer 2021 recruitment (as I described at length in a recent article here) is partly about the individuals, but even more about the balance. As well as players with potential, we needed experienced pros who’d immediately strengthen us for the challenge of the Premier League. It was a bad failure that we didn’t get them.
I think the club has become lazy and this is largely due to the way it is run.
I kept thinking why the club has been so adverse from looking at the lower leagues and/or fringe players as historically it has always done. Even back in the John Bond era, every other player seemed to be bought for £50K and funded by selling a player for that some amount. The 80’s purchases of surplus to requirements at Tottenham (Culverhouse, Bowen & Crook) came to the almighty combined figure £190K! Not only the best money the club has ever spent, but any club has spent.
So what’s happened?
Could it also be that many of the lower league players who have the ‘up & coming’ tag host upon them simply have seen straight through Norwich and don’t buy their claimed EPL ambitions because they know they are simply not true?
I have no problems of players using us as a springboard for better things, as it is a win win. But if they don’t even see us as that, then what hope do we have?
Hi IR
Yes those signings from Spurs were memorable and I too doubt they will ever be beaten, especially given the nature of the modern era.
We only got Chippy because he couldn’t force his way past Glenn Hoddle and Micky Hazard in the THFC pecking order – very few could!
I’ve said on MFW a couple of times that we have struggled to recruit recently for just the reasons you suggest. We really are very easy to see through and I’m beginning to wonder if it isn’t swiftly becoming the norm at Academy level also, which is a blow with far-reaching consequences.
Cheers
Martin;
Regarding the academy, I didn’t realise until recently that the 90 minute travel rule still applied.
Given what’s happening with 1p5wich at the moment, it will surely make our academy recruitment even tougher!
O T B C
Hi John
Yes that’s one heck of a consideration it must be said and may be a contributory factor to Webber procuring Academy *stock* from other clubs once the lads are a little bit older, as Chelsea have recently done with Alex Samos from ourselves.
And no, I’m not holding Chelsea up as an example of good practise!
Cheers
Hi IR
Don’t forget John Polsten who was also warming the Tottenham bench!
A further restriction in now signing plans wishing to progress is the loan system. Players who even 20 years ago we may have signed because they couldn’t break into the first team of where ever now will go out on loan(s). For every Skip we have had some poor returns. I recognise that City have sent numerous players out on the same basis. Tightening the loan system to a one off fixed period ( less than a season) may encourage more players to move on.
Hi Gerry
Just to butt in if I may, John Polston is a very good call – and only a couple of years behind the other three in the timeline.
Cheers
And jimmy neighbor martin geat first season with us there was also a stocky little forward from spurs who’s name escapes me at the moment not to mention peters and chivers .
Hi Kev
That’s interesting. Gerry and I concentrated on the Ken/Brown Dave Stringer era but we should have included Jimmy Neighbour and Martin Peters as well – just because they’re always worth a mention!
As for the mystery stocky lad, I can offer you Garry Brooke from the 1980s [*stocky* would be the word!] or Neale Fenn under Walker’s second tenure here in the late 1990s. Most likely Brooke?
Cheers
Gary brooke
I’ve just remembered that a couple of my old Spurs mates reckoned he had a free kick on him like a howitzer but I don’t think I ever saw him take one at the Carra.
Funny old world 🙂
I agree Martin that recruitment this season will be all or nothing.
SW cannot afford another poor one, it would be curtains for DW and probably the man himself.
I can’t really believe SW has a score card, it is all a bit Monty Python to me last year probably reads
” He’s a VERY Naughty boy”
The same as the Gowers-Penny Witch Hunt…. if the player drowns he is witch if he floats but is carrying a niggling injury… sign him up.
It is a bit like the supposed Tories Anti-Growth Collective, anyone who doesn’t want un-costed tax cuts and have their mortgage go up £500 per month they are… … Anti-Growth!!! = … A witch!!!!
I too agreed with a lot of “Reasons to be Cheerful” but not enough to change my mind that the powers-that-be are trying to foist a Stepford Wives like reality on us.
“The football is wonderful, you are imagining this awful atmosphere, all our players are as good as Kevin De Bruyne” sung to the music of Kaa the snake ( Trust in me) in The Jungle Book.
It really is funny that seasoned journalists, Paddy, Connor, Michael etc are being told that they are not jolly enough, not upbeat enough over the goings on at Carrow Road. Again it’s like when General Melchett tells Captain Blackadder that he should be excited about ” Going over the top”😂
I remain extremely concerned regarding next season Martin.
Hi Tim
I guess that deep down we are all concerned about next season but equally we are all human and these fears are therefore on a kind of sliding scale. You know what I’m on about, one of those occasions where many of us don’t want to have to turn around and utter the immortal words: *don’t say I didn’t warn you*.
Considering the Pink Un is irrevocably coupled with the national daily that is the EDP, I honestly think NCFC have had it too good for years in terms of what it has never been brought to task for but there is no mileage in Paddy or Connor even attempting to write their way out of their jobs,
Maybe Webber should have considered this a while ago but let’s hope some kind of normal service can be resumed when the parties concerned get around the table on Friday as this impasse has done nothing for anybody’s credibility, whether corporate or personally.
I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind me saying this: if Connor is *seasoned* heaven knows how to describe Gary or even more pointedly myself 🙂
Cheers
Hi Martin,
I honestly get quite frustrated by those who say people shouldn’t complain and ‘rock the boat’, if somebody had rocked the Titanic before it set sail from Southampton for the USA, it might just have had more lifeboats and a good supply of binoculars!
As for your remarks regarding what the Romans did for us … at Euro 24 they gave England a corner on the starboard side from which Kanecus took a shot, and Declanicus Ricyciclus scored from the reboundicus. Kanecus then scored from the penalty spot to become England’s top scorer.
The press conference has the potential to be very interesting or very drab.
Mair’s penalty saves for Notts County were excellent, and Mumba has had a quite sensational season at Plymouth Argyle! I wouldn’t have a problem using any of the youngsters we’ve currently got, either the’ on loan’ ones or the likes of Rowe and Kamara – it would actually prove that our youth recruitment has worked well, and I’m pretty sure all the afore-mentioned would rise to the challenge. A season in the Championship might well make them top players.
Gary, Martin, be well!
Cheers,
KevH
Hi Kev
If you haven’t seen it [but I bet you have] you’d find Monty Python’s *Philosophy Football: Greece v Germany* absolutely bleedin’ hilarious.
Some folks who know more than me have described Bali Mumba as an upgrade on Sam McCallum after his season is the South West with the caveat that he is just like Sam and indeed Max Aarons in revelling in his wing-back role at the expense of the grittier aspects of the traditional fullback’s game.
I’m looking forward to seeing him in Yellow to see for the first time exactly what we’ve got on our hands!
As for Jon Rowe and Abu Kamara I’ve seen too little of them to judge but to balance that I knew next to nothing about Liam Gibbs and less still of Tony Springett this time last year so who knows, we might have a couple of jewels on our hands.
Thanks for the kind words, I am sure both Gary and I appreciate them.
Hilarious Martin, I had forgotten about Monty Python’s footie match – we should sign Socrates immediately! The line about Confucius having no free will …!
Can remember loads of years ago Burnley had a really young squad, including one Ralph Coates. I think they did rather well and it might be a way for the Canaries to go next time out.
We won’t really find out how good Rowe, Bardens and Kamara et als are until they play, so why not actually give them an extended run from the start of the season to prove themselves.
Cheers,
COYYs !
That’s the thing with youngsters Kev – can Wagner be relaxed enough to give them a decent run in the side when all around him are baying for a level of success that only promotion will satisfy?***
I can’t think of many youngsters who have had the type of instant impact enjoyed by Chris Sutton or Darren Eadie. It was terrific to have seen their debuts and later to appreciate what they developed into at Blackburn and Leicester respectively.
Unfortunately some get caught in the headlights and sink instead of swimming. Maybe it’s unfair to single anybody out in this case but a few who come to mind would include the Bros. Rossi and Jarvis, Adrians Coote and Pennock and more recently the bought-in pairing of Conor McGrandles and Daniel Adshead.
Somebidy did an article on this a coupe of years ago. I think it might have been Alex Bain on one of his occasional guest blogs – sorry if I’m wrong, Alex mate.
***I’m not expecting promotion next season so somewhat perversely this could be the ideal time to bring through a couple of the young guns.
Yeah I did something along the lines where are they now
Sorry – should have read Ryan and Rossi Jarvis 🙂
Is this relevant , might be. Listening to the Leicester -Liverpool game on talk sport, and the commentary team have described Leicesters performance as clueless, heartless, and with no plan.
Kind of reminded me of Norwich this time last season.
Oh now you can add insipid to the description now.
Anyone know the common factor.
Hi Bernie
James Maddison?
No, seriously, I’d take a guess at the man who appeared to turn on his own players the other night and is known in the Midlands as the *Compo King*, the one and only Mr Dean Smith.
Cheers