In true double-decker bus fashion, you wait a few weeks for a new MFW guest blog and then two come along at once! Already today we have had the redoubtable words of Liam Palmer, and to follow is an equally passionate view on where our club stands from the keyboard of Debbie Hewitt.
Debbie, the floor is yours…
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Another home defeat, this time by Middlesbrough – the second in a week – was entirely expected.
Last Saturday’s capitulation against Leeds, after surrendering a two-goal lead, showed this team to be lethargic, vulnerable, devoid of any sort of performance or impetus, and certainly with no ideas as to how to win a game with issues at both ends of the pitch.
One win in seven league games is not even mid-table obscurity – we are gradually sinking further than that. And with ‘them down the road’ absolutely flying, it grates even more.
Sure, we miss Ashley Barnes and Josh Sargent, but their return is not going to miraculously turn this team into promotion contenders.
Obviously, there are calls for David Wagner to go, which is inevitable, although he can only work with the players he has. However, his seeming inability to turn games around with some unfathomable substitutions has been mentioned a number of times, along with the disappearance of the super-fit players that appeared in the first few weeks of this season.
Maybe his time is up but, once again, where on earth do we look for a replacement?
Predictably, last Saturday, the sentimentality over Daniel Farke was rife. He came, saw and conquered, and proved that he was, and still is, a fine Championship manager – something we have badly missed since his departure.
It remains to be seen how successful he will be in the Premier League if he gets Leeds promoted, but I suspect he will do better than he did with Norwich; once again confirming the point that he never had the resources needed for a realistic crack at staying in the ‘Promised Land’.
Unfortunately, this season (and last) seems to also confirm that we don’t even have the resources needed for a realistic crack at the Championship.
And then there is the curious story of the Sporting Director with the Executive Director wife – a very uncomfortable situation in my view with divided loyalties and conflict of interests coming immediately to mind.
We knew he would be moving on as far back as March, yet here he still is, and, by all accounts, will still be for a while after his replacement, Ben Knapper, starts. You really couldn’t make it up.
We can only hope his stay doesn’t extend too far into the January transfer window as his recent endeavours in the transfer market have not exactly been fruitful.
Surely we need a completely fresh start.
Having said that, as usual, you would assume that we will only be able to buy if we sell, yet again potentially losing the one or two brighter sparks that we currently have, like Gabriel Sara and Jon Rowe.
However, current form doesn’t bode well for any Norwich player being an attractive enough proposition to boost the coffers to any great extent, thereby again limiting any possible movement inwards.
Unfortunately, we are reaping the ‘rewards’ of years of supposed self-funding, with proof positive if it was ever needed that it just will not work anymore. Investment is needed. Mark Attanasio will be our saviour, apparently, but the latest share acquisition only gives him parity with Delia and Michael, with potentially a further share issue needed if a full transfer of power is to be achieved.
While I don’t necessarily believe that Attanasio is the answer to all the deep-rooted problems within the club, you have to hope that finances might actually improve, which would allow a more realistic foray into the transfer market and that Norwich City becomes a more interesting proposition to potential targets.
I fear our downhill meander is a regrettable reality unless some serious changes come, from the top down, sooner rather than later.
While the club has a remarkably loyal fanbase, there is a sense of resignation and inevitability at the moment, which will test that loyalty to the very limit.
Hi Debbie
I full agree and just hope that Attanasio isn’t from the Glacer school of Club ownership.
His he loaning or refinancing the loans hoping the club can service the debt without him digging deep in his own pocket, will he expand the ground capacity by loans hoping again the club can pay them off.
The Glacers borrowed £500m to purchase Manchester United and they are more in debt now that when they were purchased an estimate in £1billion but the still take out large directors fee’s.
Have we seen an investor that’s a mirror image of our present owners (still waiting on FA approval so I hear) if Attanasio was or will be a Knight riding to the rescue surely he would have purchased the club fully and cleared the debt so that he has a fresh blank canvass to work with this just looks more of a mucking Fuddle city are getting into.
Good piece, Debbie. Cannot disagree with any of that, as many many of us regulars will back me up there.
L1 is a possible destination, many will disagree, but history has repeated it’s self countless times during the last 26 years. As those steering always end up plotting the same course with the same result. Gracing League 1 again next season, god forbid with no McNally or a Lambert to pull us up by the laces. A scary thought, there might not be a brake to stop this decline, I would not bet against it.
Putting all the rivary aside
Those down the A140 have been in our shadow for several years, but finally a new broom came in, they found a decent coach and look at them now. We did that journey they are on, L1 to Prem, so why can’t they? Shows what can be done when an owner is prepared actually to put the club first without deliberate restrictions.
I do not hold the view Attanasio is the answer, why would anyone agree to another 3 years with hands tied behind his back ? My only thought is should we gain promotion, he could sell his stake for a tidy profit but that won’t be happening. The silence from over the Pond is noticeable.
It is our lot I am afraid to put up with this shi1t-show until the changes at the very top happen, we can change players, coaches and SD, nothing will change. I feel for Wagner a fair bit, but he was the holder of a poor record and that is continuing to be added to. Knapper will have his work cut out to improve this, even a little with the restrictions of no money also little to recoup from the playing side.
I surrendered my season ticket a fair few years ago and will not consider ever trying to reapply while this ill-fated regime is still in the boardroom. I had the chance of tickets for the last 2 home games, free ones at that, I turned them down and not disappointed I did
Well written Debbie , for me Stuart Webbers recruitment after Kieran Scott left is what made the whole self funding fall flat on its face.
In fact the Webbers are now having a detrimental effect in my view sooner gone the better .
Also I don’t really understand Neil Adams position now either , in fact the whole scenario at the moment doesn’t bode well for this season at all .
Faced with a mountain of evidence pertaining to the parlous state of the finances despite the sky money, the industrial selling of players, the big crowds still some people can’t bring themselves to even cast any doubt in the direction of Smith and Jones, alas.
Having made a pigs arse of the whole shooting match delia smith and her acolyte webber have the audacity to insist on hanging around for months nay years in order to show their successors how to manage. Truly you couldn’t make it up and its difficult to see the situation playing out without serious disquiet anywhere else.
For many years the supporters of this club have had delia smiths World view foisted upon them, have been abused and insulted and baited both by her and some of her employees, particularly webber and that other droog whose name completely evades me. It really is time to force change. It won’t happen while these people carry out their own agendas and ignore what’s best for the club.
Years ago, on this very forum i rather too forcefully opined that self funding should be kicked to death and thrown into a ditch. I repeat that assertion now.
It depends what you call success. I’ve enjoyed plenty of the achievements of the current regime. Beating Manchester City gave me more pleasure than if I’d been a Manchester City fan when they bought the European Cup. Chelsea having to write off players that they bought for 100million, it’s obscene and it’s full of greed and corruption. If a club is only as good as it’s bank balance, what’s the point?
Obviously I’d like to see the club do better but don’t want to see it fall into the hands of mercenaries.
I make it ten players brought in or as loans of whom Stacy, Fisher and Barnes are good. The rest (Long, Baath, Duffy, Forshaw, Sainz, Fassnacht, Hwang) have already proved poorish or are untried. Giannoulis, Gibson, McLean and Idah have been here longer but are flawed and/or over-paid.
Yes I know we have one or two diamonds too but they will leave/be sold, as we all know.
Stuart Webber’s legacy as director of football, i/c recruitment, remuneration and retention.