I wrote a piece during the last international break in which I said the games leading up to November’s break would define City’s season. My view was that if they were still in touching distance of the playoffs, it was still game on.
With that in mind, what follows is a journal of the last week:
Tuesday evening. 21:35.
I have just witnessed two of the daftest goals that have been scored against us recently (and there have been plenty) and, in conceding them, Norwich have tumbled to their second home defeat in four days. After being two goals up against Leeds and still managing to lose, we have again contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of mediocrity.
The team tonight started off quite brightly, but Boro came back into the game and started to cause us problems. But it was still goalless at half-time. Then, 35 seconds into the second half, a classic Norwich City W.T.F. moment. I repeat… 35 seconds.
And it was game over because this team doesn’t come from behind.
But still, there are three games to go before the next international break, and on Saturday we are away to our friends from the old Milk Cup victory before we hit Blackburn and Cardiff.
Having said that, the team looks short of just about everything at the moment.
Wagner in his BBC interview after the Boro game says we are conceding too many goals. Wow, how damnably insightful. Do bears defecate in the woods?
Now I’ve never been involved in professional football but I have run an amateur hockey team, so I do recognise what togetherness on the pitch looks like, and I’m really not sure I see that from Norwich at the moment.
Sure, there is an outward appearance of all being in it together, but it’s not obvious during the games. A stark lack of on-field encouragement to and from certain players is increasingly noticeable.
Still, there are three games to go before the November break, and my mid-break ‘aaargh’ might become rendered unnecessary by the team’s upcoming performances. But I’m doubting it.
Friday evening.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game, realistically I’m hoping for a draw. After all, Sunderland have just lost three in a row.
This also allows me to express my surprise that Stuart Webber is still here. Obviously, we were not going to pay any compo for Ben Knapper so, presumably, he’s had to work his notice period. But if he’s going to be a football-responsible director, one would hope he’s up to the job without 4-6 weeks of training by Mr Webber.
All very odd. Almost as odd as Mr Anastassio doing an internship to learn how to run a football club a la Delia.
Saturday afternoon. 17:00.
The game at the Stadium of Light(s) going out for Norwich has finished. I’ll just note that City have lost and, in doing so, still have the worst defensive record in the league.
What’s it going to take to change this centre-back pairing? Another Plymouth?
Enough’s enough.
There’s no point in waiting until the international break to reassess my ‘still in touching distance’ forecast. That’s clearly not happening.
I’ve no idea where this team is going, other than to say it’s definitely not going up.
***
It falls to me to say that our Martin Penney is in a bad place, and will soon be going to a hospice for end-of-life care. Gary has hinted at Martin’s problems over the last few weeks and we hoped for a miracle.
Unfortunately, that has not happened.
This one is for him…
Football aside, I’m sorry to hear the news about Martin. Puts everything into perspective. OTBC to him and his family.
The club are in a mess at the moment but it WILL change. On the pitch – this is the lot of a city fan, it always has been and always will be highs and lows (although this does feel particularly low at the moment!) has been since my first game in 1987!
Your last paragraph is one of those that puts things into perspective, so sorry to hear about Mr Penny, thoughts out to the My Football Writer team and his family.
Sorry to hear about Martin. I’ve always enjoy reading his contributions.
Bernie, I have to concur with your sentiments regarding the current team.
I went to the game at Sunderland with a friend who’s a Sunderland supporter so I was amongst the home supporters. I noted their fans were more fervent about their team than we are and I’m sure would be far less tolerant if they were in our plight.
Against the run of play we managed to score and after that we were virtually non-existent. No spirit, no response. It was a matter of how many the home team would score after that point.
Our two plodding central defenders merely encouraged a far younger side to have a go.
The final ignominy was Duffy once again making a huge blunder to gift the third goal. It’s getting difficult to decide who makes the most blunders, Duffy or Gibson.
The Sunderland supporters wondered why Batth wasn’t playing as they considered him far better than our pair and were sorry he left them.
Surely Wagner’s limited footballing imagination must now pair Batth with Warner at the back if only for the reason that they can do no worse.
Why our only real threat, Rowe, was subbed only Wagner knows but all I can say is it lacked logic and as he came past us on his way out he wasn’t too pleased.
I think Gary pinpointed what is becoming emergency action yesterday but the sooner Webber and Delia leave the premises the better in order we are in the best position to avoid what looks to me to be a certain relegation at this point.
Finally I have to say the Stadium of Light is a wonderful structure and shows what can be achieved with the right owners and I’m aware of their history.
Puts all the football rubbish into perspective doesn’t it Bernie. You couldn’t have chosen a more apt piece of music for our friend. Shine on Martin.
When is this football club going to wake up and stop burying their head in the sand that Herr Wagner is not up to the job. We need to appoint an up and. coming manager or we could find ourselves in Division One again.
Just when I’m lost for words about City, you hit us with your last paragraph. It really puts everything else into perspective. My thoughts are with Martin, his family and friends.
So sad to get that news. Martin always replied to posts on here and was so passionate about our club. I will miss that as I am sure will many others.
Perhaps those in control of the club should reflect on the damage they are causing to ordinary fans and move on!!
Going to miss ole Marty, as for the Canaries I can‘t be bothered to comment.
My heart goes out to Martin and his family I’ve known him a long time he will be sorely missed by me and his friends at Carrow Rd.
Awful, shocking news and of course I dont mean Norwich fc by that no matter how bad the results have been. I was hoping and believing that Martin was just keeping a break. What a great football person he is, a football person is someone who has an overall interest in football. His articles music videos have been a perfect spice to make them even more interesting because they are not only music videos they have a message describing the situation in Norwich fc week by week.
Morning berny a shite “weak” indeed. All i can say that when a commentator says live on air there is no desire to win the ball we are in trouble as nobody needs to be told who’s been watching us regularly. People have said changing mananager will make no difference but if there’s no desire their has to be a change or its div 1 for us as our form under wagner is relegation form from stats when he took over 6 in 27 pathetic.
Great choice of music for Martin, I’ve never met him but have had numerous friendly exchanges with him on this forum over the recent years. Thoughts are with him and his family, as for the football – who gives a toss Bernie at this sad time.
Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments regarding our Martin. Thanks too to Bernie for finding the right words, and a fine musical accompaniment.
Such heartbreaking news, and please may I join you all in passing our very best wishes to the dear ol’ boy himself and to his family.
MFW will never be quite the same again.
Very sad, unexpected news regarding Martin. Never met him but I always loved reading his articles and his music choices & he would always reply to my comments.
I wish him a safe journey. Monday mornings will not be the same.
Terrible news about Martin. Really sad. He always strikes me as a proper gentleman and a nice guy. Best wishes to him his family and friends
Such awful news about Martin. I always enjoyed reading his columns, partly because they echoed my own views in so many ways.
I don’t feel like commenting further as it doesn’t quite feel right.
Eff to the club. they are dying anyways.
My deepest since thoughts for Mr & Mrs P. and family
We met very briefly once, more a quick nod to him across the crowded Barclay. No disrespects to all other authors of this site. But Mr P was the one I looked forward to, perhaps a little more.
It feels like a friend has gone missing.
Hi Bernie
Along with your good self and Cutty, we were and, hopefully still will be, Martin’s Posse.
He contacted me directly about three years ago, asking if I would like to join in the group banter and I was pleased to agree.
Over the intervening years we have had lots of correspondence ranging for Cricket, Rugby, Football and other shared interests.
I never got to meet up with him or Sue but we had many a joke about our partners, travels and work on a daily basis.
Hopefully Sue or maybe someone at the hospice can read out to him the kind words that follow this article and he will know that we are all thinking of him at this time, even in the far reaches of Blackpool.
I can only respond as others and say he became a friend via MFW and helped me write a couple of articles and will be sadly missed by one and all.
My condolences to Sue and their family.
Football
I think in football all clubs have a poor runs and especially Cities latest run has shown just how out of touch many owners are with the supporters in knowing when to make changes.
– Bristol City sacks Pearson after 5 loses in 7
– Birmingham sack Eustace as he doesn’t fit their Profile
– Millwall sack Rowett
– Huddesfield sack Warnock
– QPR sack Ainsworth after a poor run.
– Sheff Wed sack Xisco for poor start
Loyalty is a thing of the past at most clubs yet Wagner has pleaded for time to turn it around maybe in League One.
Martin said in an email he couldn’t see changes coming in his lifetime – was this him being humours or just knowing he hadn’t much longer?
I was just catching up with a quick read before setting off to the funeral of a college friend whom I’ve know since 1972. She was a great character, full of life, and very much a music buff – although in her case it was Opera.
I’ve obviously never met Martin, but over the years it’s been obvious that he too is a great character, full of life, and a different kind of music buff. To read this news is just awful and very sad indeed.
Just read an EDP article from a once-MFW contributor Connor Southwell and it, for me, is one of his better efforts in a while then he goes and spoils it all with this paragraph
‘For years, Norwich have been a beacon of stability, good practice and astute financial handling. Currently, that perception is radically different. There is change coming, the football strategy feels confused and the upcoming accounts will paint a sobering picture. It should be lost on nobody that this is a critical period.’
Has he forgotten of the rumoured near bankruptcy on at least two occasion and going to the bank cap in hand?
Like Chase, Delia has lived, or at least the club has survived, by selling its best players to the highest bidder or so we are told, and if the rumour and Buendia to Arsenal for more than Villa wanted to pay then that’s blown that can of worms open to scrutiny.
Sad news indeed, again I’ve never met Martin but enjoyed his fine words.
Thoughts with him and his family x
Very sad news about Martin. Football is important to all of us but when you hear news like this, it brings it home that for all the shouting into the void, for all the post-match pub punditry, it is what it is. A game, and in the bigger scheme of things it’s not important at all.
My very best wishes to Martin, his family and friends.
Have to say that I enjoy reading Connor Southwell’s pieces. Far more balanced than some of the articles on MFW. Also Robin Sainty’s articles. No one is denying the club is in a mess but using words like ” shambles” and “chaos” only fill one with despair and the feeling that the writers want the club to go bust in order to say I told you so. Of course they are opinion pieces as are CS & RS articles but I know who I would rather be reading.
As a regular critic of MFW, I’m surprised you still read our articles, but thank you for doing so.
And for the record – and I think I can safely speak for all of the writers – we all desperately want the club to thrive and progress. Categorically, no one wants the club to go bust – a ludicrous suggestion.
Also for the record, Connor wrote for MFW before he joined Archant and Robin regularly writes for MFW.
I love reading MFW and The Eastern Daily, as the truth can usually be found somewhere between or across both. Its very good to get a second opinion, plus, with no disrespect to Connor or Sam etc, it does appear the EDP crew (bar the incomparable Paddy Davit) are no more qualified (or better stationed) than MFW contributors. Both are better (IMO) than David Freezer! Gary Gowers sums up match days better than all (bar Paddy). Will Jennings, somewhere in the next six thousand needless adjectives may yet make a good point, or any point. If I find out he’s paid though my subscription cancellation notice won’t be of a Webber length.
You do make a good point about hyperbole though. Norwich are never far from a struggle it seems (within two years of toppling Munich we claimed we were ‘On loan to the Endsleigh’ and stayed for a decade). We would be well advised to avoid superlatives when discussing whatever current misfortune is unfolding, because what words do you go to if things get worse?
For balance, I do recognise rather a lot of things NCFC do look particularly brief at present. All descriptions are welcome and well received (not that I hold any authority to endorse that), so thanks all.
Please keep saying it, however strongly you feel
And of course very sad to hear the news about Martin. Never met him but he certainly knew his stuff.
Wishing Martin all the best! Great article, Bernie!
Excellent choice of music for dear Martin.
Your words and feelings regarding a week in NCFC mirror mine and, I’m sure, many others’
I am shocked and truly saddened to hear about Martin.
I love his columns, they always made me laugh, and he always hit the nail on its head with his comments regarding our beloved club.
I never met Martin, we planned to, but I want to send my heartfelt sympathies to all his family and friends. As Gary says, MFW will never be the same again, and it certainly put everything into perspective🌹
A Martin Penny piece was as much a part of my City routine as the match, Canary Call, or the TNC Podcast. He will be greatly missed.