No going back now. There they are in all their glory.
Forty-six fixtures over which our fate will be sealed for the season 2023-24.
I’ll be honest – I wasn’t ready for them. It feels too soon. It feels not five minutes since we were picking over the carcass of an underwhelming and dispiriting 2022-23, and now we’re being force-fed more of the same.
I’m pretty sure by the time it all kicks off on August 5 our team will have a very different look but for now all we have to base anything on is the squad that currently exists – and it’s not very good.
The three players who have come in have only served to plug gaps left by those who have departed, are to imminently depart, or are the sufferers of long-term injuries.
There has been nothing to excite or to get the blood pumping, so forgive me if I don’t join the small band on Twitter who this morning claimed to be ‘buzzing’ ahead of the release of today’s fixtures.
They, it seems, were buzzing to discover when we lock horns again with our nearest and dearest, and now they know – away on December 16 and at home on April 6, 2024.
Still buzzing?
Of course, some of the apathy, or at least my apathy, will be chipped away at if the Club signs a few players who, from their footballing CVs, look as though they could make us better. Less so if we continue to sign those just to fill gaps in the squad left by those departing or departed.
Also, the resolution of off-field issues like the one of ownership, the Stuart Webber saga, and the naming of a new sporting director will help resolve the uneasy peace that comes with being a Club in transition (I want to say limbo but was scolded for doing so last time 😀 ).
Hopefully, between now and August 5 something or some things will happen in Norwich City world to reignite a flame that, for me at least, barely flickers.
Quite why we feel at such a low ebb isn’t obvious – our club has spent a large chunk of its 121-year existence in precisely the place it now finds itself – but I suspect it’s partly driven by an overriding feeling that the Club, one very senior executive in particular, doesn’t particularly like its fans.
If the Club doesn’t like us, why should we love it?
But anyway, whether we like it or not, the start of next season is only 44 days away and whether we like it or not we start with a home game against Hull City, followed by a trip one week later to Southampton to reunite with Russell Martin.
Those who are already girding their loins ahead of the first East Anglian Derby since February 2019 will have to be patient. They have to wait until nine days before Christmas for hostilities to resume, which I’d imagine will be of some comfort to David Wagner.
Those chirpy little buggers down south are itching to have a piece of us, not least because they assume derby-day victory – their first since 2009 – to be a mere formality, but for Wagner, the risk/reward of a Norwich-Ipswich fixture would have been the last thing he needed in the opening weeks of the new season.
He’s currently on thin ice with the supporters and, while one way to win them over is to oversee a derby victory, the consequence of defeat when you have the grand total of zero credit in the bank could make for a tricky time, depending of course on how other results have gone.
Either way, nothing bad, from Wagner’s perspective, can come from having to wait until matchday 22 to experience his first East Anglian derby.
And the rest of the fixtures are, well, the rest of the fixtures.
No surprises. 23 home games, and 23 away games with an opening five that looks, on paper, okay and a concluding five that look similarly okay. All of which is meaningless as we have no idea, as is the wont of the Championship, which teams are going to fly and which are going to bomb.
All you can hope for is that we’re not in the latter category but, right now, who’s to say?
Let’s hope the next 44 days provide us with something to cling to.
As things stand, Bet365 have (below) listed City as being more likely to get relegated than to win the title, which seems about right, albeit they also have us listed as joint-fifth favorites at 16/1.
Not so sure about that, but it’s interesting to see how we are perceived outside of the Norwich City bubble.
Four more Ashes test matches to go first.
We had Farkeball , now we have bazball.
I’ll worry about Wagner later.
I’m with you, Bernie. The Ashes factor may well be a part of it … and someone sharper than me may well have included that in the piece 🙂
Excited? Yes. A bit. About as much as DW’s cut-price bunch of pragmatists will allow. I expect nothing less than a solid if unremarkable 8th position next year. The team DW will meld together this season will be ‘comfortable’ top half Championship but a billion miles off what’s required to survive in the ever-vanishing-over-the-horizon Premier League. And a lack of money in following seasons are unlikely to change that. Unless the academy throws up 5 ball-geniuses with lion-hearts in the same season who can be manacled to a core of 5 seasoned pros and a keeper who can catch. Then we could even get promoted and make 17th! Oh, the joys of limited ambition…
44 days? That’s how long Clough got at Leeds. Wonder how long Wagner will get if City are wallowing around in the bottom three after a month. Probably another two years knowing the compo that’d be due!
I’m hoping the club gets taken over and funded by a nation state (with smart lawyers to circumvent that pesky Financial Fair Play nonsense). Someone like Iraq, or Mozambique, or Syria… Anyone?
Wagners on a rolling contract so no big compo, unless the pull the plug just as his next year kicks in so possibly 1st Feb 24 could be a decision is made depending on cities position.
Hi Gary
An easy start but do City do easy starts? Forty-four days buts lots of cricket to take your mind off the upcoming battles.
Leicester at 5/1 for the title – not sure as they are selling of the crown jewels. Vardy, Maddison and Barnes will all be gone. They have a new manager but there are others already lining up new clubs. Could they do a Burnley? Not so sure.
Leeds still have no manager and a stand-in SD, so much uncertainty. Will we see a Webber/Farke combo? I hope not but it’s looking possible.
Southampton and Russ Martin – another club due to lose half of their best players, so could be a big rebuild.
Middlesbrough – the surprise package in the second half of last season but built round loans who have gone back. Will Kieran Scott be able to resign some again? But yes, an outside bet for a top two.
Coventry – another surprise package after their start to last season but they will lose their two best players and can Robins rebuild from the lower leagues?
Chris Sutton said yesterday he was surprised that City haven’t got their new SD in and he may not be happy with how the squad is being built. Also Wagner might find himself ip the Wensum without a paddle come the end of this window.
Life isn’t easy as a City supporter.
Thanks Alex. A useful synopsis of the favorites for promotion and, as you say, there appears to be much uncertainty to be had at almost all of the clubs you mention. We’re not alone.
I suspect, however, we’re the only club – possibly in the whole division – where the sense of apathy is borne of the club not even pretending to like or value its supporters.
Let’s hope the Attanasios have spotted this major flaw and, unlike the current owners, are unafraid to raise this as an important issue and one that needs to be addressed.
As you say, Gary, our feelings will probably alter as the new squad takes shape. We’re resigned to losing Max and one or two others; beyond those already in the door, we don’t know what new signings are being targeted.
Interesting that we’re joint 5th favourites for promotion, on a par with with Watford and West Brom. More favoured are – as always – the three relegated teams, plus Boro.
Fair comment, Stew. I hope you’re right in that the anticipation will increase as the new squad (hopefully) takes shape.
The only thing I’d add is that, as I’ve mentioned in the piece, the existing sense of apathy (I don’t think I’m alone) is not borne solely of the uncertainty around the make-up of the new squad. It pertains to many other things, including this ongoing feeling that the Club (and certainly some key personnel within it) really don’t like the supporters very much at all.
However hard I try to rid myself of this odd notion, it refuses to go away and nothing that comes out of the club suggests otherwise.
Understood!
Anyone on here think Wagner still be manager when we play Ipswich? I don’t think so.
I reckon he’ll be done by November. Odds on we have at least two managers next season, another mid-table finish, and then we can boo the new sporting director (as normal).
Fair point, Kev.
Wagner certainly has no credits in the bank after that disastrous end to last season.
I accept the point made by many, that he deserves to be judged on the success (or otherwise) of a squad that he’s helped build but, even so, many a board would have called time on his tenure after a dismal run of one win in eleven.
He certainly needs a good start to the new season – that’s for sure
I disagree with booing a new SD who hasn’t had any input into forming this squad.
I just hope that Delia has more luck in recruiting a painter, electrician and a chef than she has getting a new SD in place.
Whoever gets the job has possibly to undo all the failed recruitment from Webber, just like he said at the start of his tenure – blame the past.
Hi Alex I don’t agree with the being either but ww know it will happen if things aren’t good .
To answer your question Gary …is anyone excited?
Yes my mate Marty is absolutely ebullient ☺️
But let’s not forget he wouldn’t miss a match if he had Bubonic Plague.
So on to us mere mortals, no excitement yet.
I’m with you Gary, is Barnes an improvement on Pukki? Stacey on Aaron’s? Time will tell, but I’m not convinced.
Duffy will probably bolster our defence so that looks a positive move, but then again would we be better off having a young Omobamidele stay another season?
It’s all a bit, to quote SW, “okay” at the moment.
Still no holding midfielder. Personally I wish we would sign one 1) because we need one desperately, and, 2) because it will shut me up. I’m even bored listening to myself.
I just hope Wagner isn’t pinning his hopes on Kenny McLean playing there. As soon a the opposition man mark him it doesn’t work.
Hi Gary,
Mystic hit on the subject of our current recruitment of an Sporting Director.
Chris Sutton hit on the same subject and said he couldn’t understand the reasoning of allowing Webber to continue overseeing our recruitment.
Whether it was January or March that Smith and Jones were informed at Château Stowmarket, it really doesn’t matter as it’s done and dusted.
What does matter is the recruitment process, and so far the club have advertised for an executive chef to oversee Delia’s Catering Franchises at the club, a maintenance electrician and a painter. So priorities set.
Not one media outlet has put a name forward for Sporting Director and to all intents and purposes the new man will be the fall guy in having to explain a recruitment this window he hasn’t had a Scooby in assembling, a manager that’s not living on a shoestring that’s more like a busted G-string which he might have to call time on sooner rather than later.
Silence is golden some say but for others it’s deafening, not one thing from a slightly refreshed media has been heard from Attanasio or his investment group, only little titbits from supposed people with little knowledge who tell us to be patient.
From possibly new majority share holders to a new Sports Director, but not a whiff of white smoke coming out of Château Stowmarket – it really stinks like outdated food or, just like owners, way out of their depth in the footballing economic world.
I will apologise if I’ve upset anyone with this comment but it’s my opinion that the club are showing every supporter, whether they are a supporter, season ticket holder or minor share holder, a great lack of respect.
Excited about the fixtures, I seem to remember that when running my site, looking over them and highlighting certain games., plus getting strong emails if I published the list with no license.
O, the days gone by that was under Messers Lambert & Culverhouse, the excitement faded as Farke took us to prem for the second time.
Wagner, worries me, he didn’t look to know his Ass from his Head at times, will that change? Not looking forward to those down the A140 =, gloating if they get one or two over us.
Lastly thanks to all involved in grinding the club down and sucking the excitement out of me, and squeezing the hope into a much small box.
At last, an opening day home fixture.
I’d go as far as to declare it a must win for Wagner and the board. One win in 11 is a run which needs to end immediately – no excuses.
I’m still smarting after the last 5 fixtures of last season. I suspect I’m not alone.
As ever, the omnipresence of the Stowmarket mood hoover looms large over the club like a harbinger of doom and the best pre season boost for me and others would be a change at the top.
Blimey I’m depressed reading all the replies, as well as your column Gary. I’ve seen some info re the new players and as ever want to see them play before I judge them but sadly the players are secondary to the main issues which as usual is the running of the club and the top brass attitudes to fans. I haven’t heard one positive about Webber amongst my supporting friends and all my attention at the moment is the painful realisation that Daniel Farke is probably going to end up at Leeds. I wouldn’t be surprised if Webber organised this just to piss us off. Why is he still here when he’s been actively targeted by Leeds, they’ve announced he is going there. Conflict of interests?
I hope in time we’ll forget him and how he’s treated the fans. I can’t find one word at the moment to praise anyone at the club bar the players. I feel very sorry for David Wagner who has been used again by SW who knew he was going to leave when DW was appointed. Why Delia and Michael are devastated he’s leaving us mind blowing- and sums up what a joke of a club we are.