When I was asked to write on these pages, I asked if Gary really wanted a neutral added to the team, someone who has a season ticket because he lives in Norwich, not because he’s always loved Norwich City.
The answer was that perhaps I might have a different angle to the difficult situation facing the club right now.
A little background to begin with – I started playing football when I was 14, had a 38-inch waist, a German accent, and no friends at the school to which my father had decided I should go. I ended up in goal (a no-brainer for big kids in those days) and the footie we played was with a tennis ball at break and lunchtime, which taught me a lot of hand-to-eye co-ordination, honed reflexes, and lost me a hell of a lot of weight.
Then on to proper football, still as a goalie, and, finally, field hockey where the goalkeeping theme persisted – one which everyone thought was very odd for a very short-sighted lad/man who wore his glasses all the time (only one glasses-related injury, though, and only needed two or three stitches).
My first ever football game in the UK was Doncaster Rovers vs Hull City on 11th November 1975, the only other team I’ve ever had a season ticket for.
There is a purpose in these background paragraphs. I have managed teams of people ever since those early days, and my belief is that the root of NCFC’s problems right now (and I use the plural deliberately) lies in people management first and foremost, and football system management second.
The truth with any football club nowadays is that if there is intransigence in the hierarchy, managers become interchangeable cogs. This is the case with David Wagner at City. There is a problem with the way the club is being managed as a business, which has resulted in people at all levels below board level at the club being demoralised and demotivated.
Just look at the backdrop to the football – poor marketing of Yellows, the opening of a new “pub” in the Barclay when it would have been more important to direct matchday drinkers to Yellows and make the staff there needed and rewarded, Delia’s open only two days a week, incoherent communication on business matters to supporters (financial and heart) of the club. The list goes on.
There’s no Plan B, C, D, or even Z. This demoralisation has inevitably spread to the pitch where the head coach plays the tune being played by senior management, and the players play the tune being relayed to them by the manager.
Passion has gone out of the window, and passes to the left side of a deep defence have become standard, predictable, and the only way of responding to any match situation.
Individual thinking and initiative have become discouraged. And however much anyone likes systems, it’s actually passion and entertainment football supporters want. Much better to walk away from a loss where the passion’s been evident than walk away from a defeat where the players have seemed not to care.
Two examples here:
The best football City have played this season is when there has been lots of player movement, when the ball has been played at pace, where that pace has opened up a gap going forward, when the yellow beast has gone from cumbersome to lithe and fast, when players have forgotten what they’ve been told to do, and just done what football is all about – finding the oppo’s goal and getting the ball in there. That’s been open play at its best.
When we lost to Leeds, for me the writing on the wall was when George Long (whose distribution appears fast and instinctive) was going to take a conventional goal kick, and was told in no uncertain terms by his centre-backs to put the ball on the six-yard line and play it out to them rather than kicking it up the park. And bear in mind that a few minutes before that Long’s quick distribution had made our second goal.
When we get to the point where the head coach’s (and in this case the club’s) system dictates what a keeper is allowed and not allowed to do, then there’s no hope.
This is all head-dropping stuff. What motivates people, regardless of whether they claim to be rationalists or not, is emotion. Passion. The cause. The win. When you strip that away from people, be it on a football pitch, a hockey pitch, a cricket pitch, or in a business situation, or a personal situation, what are you left with? Anonymity, ciphers, clock watchers and jobsworths.
Why infuse your personality into something when you’ve been alienated from it? Why care about your job when you’re told exactly what to do, and not been given an ultimate objective to aim for? Why bother honing your basic skills (such as your first touch, your strength to hold on to the ball on the pitch; your maths skills, your interpersonal skills, your client-facing smile in the business) when you feel you’re not valued; when you feel you’re just another number in the pre-determined system that allows no options, no individuality, no rewards (and let’s not go down the ad infinitum route of discussing how much the players get paid compared to the bar staff and backroom people – the principle of motivation is the same, and it’s easier to console yourself with a lot of money when you’re not motivated than it is on the basic wage).
So, what’s the bottom line to all this?
For me, if the way the club is run doesn’t change from the top down, there will be no change when Ben Knapper arrives, there would be no change if Webber goes now, no change if Wagner (a scapegoat if there ever was one, but not one absolved of all fault – fear forces errors) goes now.
The system of running the club and its business is outdated, and until that changes, I think the club is in grave danger on all levels, on the pitch and financially.
And changing the way it is run doesn’t mean stopping it from being a friendly club, which is the thing that attracted me into becoming a season ticket holder in the first place.
Hi Richard
An interesting read and thank you for that insight.
Change must happen sooner than later.
When the club has started on the road to a successful period nothing was done to maintain that and take a leap forward maybe the owners were scared to put their toes in the water or were just happy to keep the status quo
Who knows but from here the future is looking bleak unless big changes are coming much sooner than we are expecting
You know, I love going to Carrow Road, and not just because I’ve rediscovered my love of watching football in a crowd, but because I think it’s a lovely place. I think what’s happening is, in just a narrow sporting and Norwich context (not in the context of a world riven with war), a tragedy. Huge potential, and a significant presence in this lovely city, are being thrown away right now.
Welcome Richard. Very concise, logic-based and immune from the emotion that drives so many of the articles and comments. Having worked in a heavily regulated industry that required managing teams, I understand the points that you make. You are correct in mentioning the culture that our club is embroiled in. It starts at the very top of the organisation. Delia and Michael owning a club in the wrong era. The sport has moved on, sadly Norwich under their stewardship remains a club from yesteryear.
Until they hand over the reins it will remain so. The Webbers, although well meaning at the start of their tenure, have been hamstrung through lack of manoeuvrability in finance and desire to change.
Whatever changes the Norfolk Group bring, it will surely be in making a lean, efficient organisation suited to exploiting the modern era with all the good and bad that commercialisation brings.
Will it result in better performances on the pitch? I don’t know but believe it will have a better chance than the current shambles.
It’s quite ironic that you praise the logic of my piece, and that I; immune from the emotion which drives many of the other arcticles here, given that I am, much to the dismay of my philosopher son, an irrationalist in the extreme. I don’t quite agree with you on the Webbers now – I think they both need to go for there to be some fresh air at the club. But then I’m not steeped in NCFC history like all of you on these pages (and reading these pages) are. I’m just a new kid on the block, but am glad it’s this block I’m on.
It’s always interesting to get an “outsider’s “ view, and I speak as a local (well, born in Cromer, but now living in Taverham) who has supported “my” club since 1957.
I couldn’t agree more about the passing out from the back in the way that we do it. If done well, as per Man City, it’s very effective, but you need to have players with that level of ability, and not try to do it in the pedestrian manner that we use. Last night I watched Coventry versus the Baggies, and both teams moved the ball quickly forwards. It wasn’t “hoof ball”, it was football played in an attractive manner, and a pleasure to watch.
I get so frustrated when the ball inevitably ends up with Gibson, who takes so long to make his mind up that all passing possibilities are closed down and we frequently end up back with the keeper and starting the whole process over again. There’s playing out from the back, and there’s playing about at the back. We do the latter.
“There’s playing out from the back, and there’s playing about at the back. We do the latter.” Exactly. We’re not good enough to play that style – last home game 50% of first touches were very poor and possession lost to opposition. If you play deep and you’re not good enough you just pile pressure on yourself. And that’s not good for anyone, except the opposition. Glad to be an outsider, really, for the minute. Maybe I’ll be on the inside by the time I’m 125 🙂
I agree the tactics seem especially stifling and restrictive, for most. Particularly when we start from the back.
I think just about 100% of the ground are with you there, Trev.
The strange this is though, when they move it more quickly and Gibson isn’t standing there with his foot on the ball, we can look very good. (Refers to the start of the season).
Have you thought about applying for the job when it becomes vacant?
I applied for the Doncaster Rovers job once and never heard back 😔
An interesting read Richard and one I wouldn’t disagree with.
I think your observations make it more imperative than ever that Norfolk Group take control as soon as possible.
However I fear our deluded owners will disagree with every word you have written as they expect us all to blindly agree with their every decision.
They may not have a choice in the fullness of time. When money gets short.
That’s my hope as well.
I don’t think you provide any evidence 0f alienation among the players.
It’s a team sport, but the players are individuals with their own ambitions, hopefully to improve as players and move on to something better. That won’t happen without proving their ability on the pitch. The objective in competitive sport couldn’t be clearer – to win. Players can’t listen to the coach’s game plan and then decide they’re going to do their own thing. Pep Guardiola wouldn’t accept that, even with the talent he has available, and neither should any coach..
The issue is that the squad isn’t good enough to achieve the owners’ top 6 goal. This is because the owners are not prepared to provide the coach with a squad of that capability. Webber and Wagner are not without some of the blame, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Were you at Sunderland? There was a distinct lake of spirit and communication from the players. Many appeared to just be going through the motions.
I think the dropping of heads on a permanent basis is evidence of demotivation.
The operative word with Guardiola is “talent.” He has very good players and there is flexibility in the way Man City play – ie room for players to be individuals. Wagner’s system very occasionally allows that, but not much.
R
Welcome Richard , I guess I’ll forgive your field hockey remark, it’s just hockey . Good article .
A neutral view may see stuff we don’t, so good luck .
Ps where did you play your hockey and what position. ( I played mainly left back with the odd soiree into midfield).
That’s a funny comment. Thank you 🙂
I played in goal for the first XI at college, and centre forward for the 3rd XI. Once I left college, I just played GK because I’ve always loved that position and wanted to focus on it.
And thanks for the good luck wishes. Appreciate it. Let’s see if Gary asks me to come back (the tension is killing me ;-)).
Interesting article, I have always wanted to try playing field hockey. Because you have played as a goalkeeper you are brave, being fearless is very important. Tennis ball might not be the best small ball to play with, but I get it that there was no other option. Kind of surprising because we had footballs to play at school and every lesson break game started again.
Each club looks what kind of goalkeeper they want who can play their tactical style. Foot playing is more and more important and there are different aspects of kicking the ball and passing the ball what they are looking for.
I would personally sack Wagner if the Norwich goal is to get at least the playoffs. Norwich is lacking individual skill and likely because of that the playing looks painful to watch. Every club and country fans overrate especially their young players, everyone is a huge prospect bla bla bla when reality is very different. Then you bought old tractors like Duffy and Barnes, so what would you expect?
We played on tarmac in the playground. Using a tennis ball was a brilliant basis for all ball sports.
I could write paragraph after paragraph of field hockey stuff – most of which would be outdated now cos they don’t play on real grass anymore. Put it this way – we all think we’re immprtal when we;’re young; I wouldn’t do half of what I did then now.
I must admit I don’t like systems that use sweeper keepers, unless there’s room for hand distribution of the ball when the situation demands. I think sweeper keeper systems are one of the reasons that most keepers now aren’t very good at catching and killing the ball.
Richard, is in the field hockey possible to choose a left side stick? There is no backhand either? The ball I believe is hard, but how hard? We used to play street ice hockey during the winter time with a tennis ball when we were kids. The goalkeeper had some equipments like knee pads, gloves and a helmet with a face mask. The players had just hockey sticks. Everyone had shoes.
Goalkeepers must today have foot playing skills. I have also played with goalkeepers who were not able to shoot a ball in a goal kick. Of course it made it physically harder, first you kicked and after that you ran to the offside line. Sometimes you had to do that all the time, at least it started to feel like that.
weren’t lefthand sticks when I was playing, and I don’t think there are now. You could reverse sticks, but not really up with the rules entirely now. I did play a couple of games without pads as goalie, because someone had forgotten to bring them (they were shared between teams).
Very interesting read, good to have another set of eyes viewing.
Professional team games need freshness, good man-management and the openness to change if need be, you cannot sit still for years, applying band-aids or laying the blame at others’ feet. Fresh input and new ideas must be sought. The lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: The club has been allowed to become stagnant
This is what has been missing since the middle 90’s. All the way through this regimes reign it has been, Managers/Coaches, Executives, and Chairmen who have born the brunt of the out-of-touch owners, Not only is it just these, but those with responsibilities in the other depts, have left like Sam Gordon, Sam Hall, Ben Kensall and Steve Stone. All have their reasons, added with the others I cannot recall, seems quite a high number for a self-contained business. (Maybe I am being too conspiracy minded)
Of course the owners must take the blame, one thing that always sticks in my memory is their absolute reluctance to be open to sell, placing silly restrictions on the person or persons who want to buy the club. They must be fans being one, just how many who are fans are there ? Quite a safe bet on their part. Lying in the media stating nobody wanted the club, only for a staff member to say the opposite. What is needed is a more hostile take over not one that allows such and outdated pairing to continue making the calls over a new equal shareholder
Thanks again
Hostile takeover yes, but not hostile to the spirit of the club.
And thanks for the thanks. 🙂
Gordon, in your list of the departed you omitted the one with the most severe repercussions. ..Kieran Scott!!