I’m sure it’s going to be fine, Daniel Farke will sign a new extended contract at Norwich and we’ll all be over the moon but what if it wasn’t fine?
Vital Norwich’s LeeBoz has a few thoughts…
“Ben Kensell’s appearance on the Pink’Un Show last night was another cracking example of the club’s new positive direction of working with it’s fan base rather than against it.
In the past ‘content’ was delivered by the club. Nowadays you’re more likely to see Delia and others appearing on a fan’s YouTube channel or podcast than on an ‘official’ media release. And long may it continue.
But this new openness has a clear downside.
When you manage marketing and communications internally you get to control the questions and answers. You can avoid contentious issues. Not so when the questions are coming from the fans.
Sure, you can politely ask not to talk about a subject – but that will only serve to make it more likely to become the matter of conversation elsewhere.
So, what do you do when the conversation comes round to something a little awkward? Say the matter of Daniel Farke’s contract?
Last night Ben’s assertion that the club was “relaxed” about the situation smacked of saccharine sweetened lip-service. And here’s why I don’t buy it.
The club are constantly looking to preserve their financial stability. It’s likely to be their no.1 priority – above all else. But that has to work in conjunction with their second priority. Success on the pitch. So, they will look to lock in contracts on their most promising talent at the most cost-effective price. That’s business. You get your best selling products for the best prices and it’s a juggling act as the suppliers look to do the same thing.
Daniel Farke is a huge commodity to the club. He’s worth millions in compensation if he leaves to go to another club – but not if he out of contract. His stock is high and he knows it. He’s clearly holding out for the end of the season and the money that comes in the Premier League.
The club are likely to be offering him a contract that is dependent on where we are next season; a differing amount dependent on our league status. But, let’s be honest here, Stuart Webber is smart enough to ensure that whatever contract is offered, it isn’t going to break the Norwich City bank. There will be no repeat of the mega-money deals offered in our previous soirée in the Premier League.
Farke is holding out. We all know it. Ben Kensell knows it. But there is no way he’s going to admit it. So what we got last night was the party-line. They’re “relaxed”, “all one family”. We got Trump’s ‘Fake News’.
He could sign the contract this morning. He could sign it in minutes. It would put the club in an incredible position for the remaining few months of the season, safe in the knowledge that one of their prized-assets wasn’t going to be lost on a free. But he’s not.
I don’t blame Farke. He’s just looking out for no.1. We’d all do it. But let’s not pretend we don’t know it’s happening. Farke may sign…he may just be waiting for the right moment to provide the club with that final fillup to send the crowd into raptures and the club into orbit. He may just be waiting for his contract to come to the wire and weigh up his many, undoubted, offers.
My guess? He’s holding out…I hope I’m wrong.”
OTBC