After watching Norwich lose to Derby at the weekend, I wrote my usual take on what I’d seen and what I thought about that. I am, if you read Vital Norwich regularly you’ll know, generally a glass half full type of guy. Here’s that post Derby piece.
Buendia, Rupp And A Sucker Punch – Plenty To Discuss As Norwich Lose Again
I’m particularly like that with regard to Norwich City because, I think, I always want us to do well. Hope kills etc.
Anyway, I know that not everyone has my perhaps rose tinted spectacles on and others see things in different ways. I completely get that and I often read these sorts of things and find myself agreeing. One such piece appeared on the Vital Norwich Forum in the City Talk section, posted by forum regular, Drayton Green.
Here’s his response to my article…
“As much as I admire your optimism Tuckster, my take on our current position is not so optimistic.
We have already sold two ‘ stars ‘ and although there are ready made replacements, both of these are on loan.
What little money is likely to be spent out of the fees, will go on the loan fee / wages and we have effectively not cashed in as when Summer 2021 arrives we will not have the players or the money.
The defence looked okay but bearing in mind Derby were not even trying to attack and when the ball eventually got near our defence it was booted near to a 35 year old (Rooney) who as great as he was, could never fulfill yesterday’s role.
The key to opening up defences is down to three players. One injured until next year (Dowell), one effectively not existing (Cantwell) and the other so temperamental (Buendia) is deemed not to be able to be on the pitch for whole games.
Passing backwards and sideways for ages is not productive if the final ball is not defence splitting and results in crosses perfect for a striker sitting on the bench for 85 minutes.
Goal scoring. We have scored 3 goals in 4 games and failed to register in the last 2 games. This is simply nowhere good enough.
Whilst we have a promising prospect (Idah) and main signing on the bench for 70 minutes, the constantly selected single striker (Pukki) continues to be looking less and less confident game by game. The penalty debacle must surely signal the end of his first choice striker position.
It is time to face facts.
Preston pressed us and we lost a tactical battle to Rab !! (Alex Neil)
Derby sat back and we could not break them down or score.
These represent the games we will have to face over the long winter months and having been at the Preston game and watched yesterdays struggle on TV, I have seen nothing to suggest we can get anywhere near the top six, yet alone the top two.
The manager stubbornly refuses to change tactics, using players who are devoid of confidence resulting in losing to a very poor, totally under confident Derby. Just imagine what will happen when we face a confident team already 6 / 8 points ahead of us.
We do not have the support of a full house, but do have a manager who does not know how to win games, players who are trying to leave and average players put out each week who are not good enough to challenge for a top two place.
I would suggest we get prepared for ( as one MP recently said ) 6 months of sh*t.”
Thoughts?
OTBC
Are those his comments from 2018? In all seriousness, it would be interesting to read his comments after the 1-1 draw with Ipswich. If he were like me, he would’ve wanted Farke gone. Skip forward to May and we won the title with an incredible brand of football. I’m not suggesting we will win the title again because luck has to be on your side to achieve that. However, I’m going to give Farke plenty of opportunity to get this right. He’s earnt the right to be supported by every single one of us.
The one thing that the club has to deal with is expectations. From fans, players and anyone else connected to the club. Because we’ve just come down, everyone expects us to be there or thereabouts. Last time out we just enjoyed the ride. Perhaps we should try and do the same this time.
Are those comments without reading the article carefully.
I cannot see anything in the article asking for Farke to be removed.
My problem ( as would be very clear to regular posters ) is with the Smiffs
and their failing self funding project designed to keep them in charge at all costs.
The majority of the article was indicating how we were lucky in so many young talents
making first team in one batch and subsequently winning the title and the current
action of selling and replacing with loan players. None of this is DF ‘s fault.
However as I have stated too many times, DF does not help himself with his stubborn
one option tactics and late substitutions. The last 2 home games he has been found out.
This helps the Smiffs as it directs the fans frustration at Farke instead of them.
As for expectation, I have never once mentioned top 2 or top 6, these were predictions of neutrals based
on retaining the best players and making lots of new signings.
We all knew their would be at least 2 /3 top players leaving and the replacements for them were already
here. Add to that the low levels of player confidence ( especially Pukki ) based on the disastrous last 10 games of the previous season, and mid table beckons. Not the sort of ride I can enjoy. I have seen far too many of them over the past 50 years of watching City, many of them under Smiffs watch.
At some point we will be looking at Stoke, Boro and Huddy’s seasons following relegation and beginning to think that we should be happy with mid table.
Farke not to blame for everything but with his record over past 14 games must do much better.
Totally agree with drayton green said it long ago a manager who couldnt even train a team properly without getting so many injuries a zonal system that is our achilles heal im just glad 2 out of our useless defense has gone and £45 million now that is truly brilliant . Farke has become stubborn and stale and it seems the squad has with him good riddance in my eyes sooner the better .
I would say this……crazy situation with no fans. No coincidence that results away from home have soared. Footballers have not adjusted to conditions. Only four games gone, fine margins, things could have been much different. If you want to judge after four games then no-one in the championship looks to have a particularly barn storming squad, hence why would previous strugglers Reading and Bristol City have 100 % records. There is so much uncertainty and I have no problem with our selling and purchasing policy at the moment. Lets get this disruptive transfer window out of the way, work with those players who are committed, here to stay and see where we are at Christmas, then it may be fairer to pass judgement. We have a manager who has proved his worth whilst being part of a team who has gone a long way in helping to secure the future of our beloved football club which surely is the most important thing currently. The ridiculous results in the premier league have demonstrated how difficult it has been to perform on the pitch and we all have to be a bit more patient I’m afraid. There is no way we would have seen results of Man Utd 1 Spurs 6 and Villa 7 Liverpool 2 had the stadiums been full of fans. I still think we have many reasons to be positive, after all, despite being 17th we are only 3 points off the play offs 🙂
I feel what we are lacking from our last promotion from the Championship is that desire and drive right up until the end of stoppage time… how many goals did we score in the final 10… 5… 2 minutes that gained us the vital points we needed for promotion.
The last two games I have watched we look dejected when the opposing team score, two years ago we would have come back with fire and brimstone! If they score twice we score three times and in the 96 minute if we needed too.
When we go down a goal now I don’t see anyone busting a gut to get us back in the game, I think a lot of this stems from the months of punishing football we took in the Premiership and also the lack of noise in the ground.
We need the new recruits in the first team and picking up the guys who are obviously still hurting from the premier experience.
As mentioned Hugill and Idah need an extended start in the team to show there potential, we should be using the money we have got from BG to invest in a proven Attacking Mid and letting Cantwell go.
Buendi is obviously talented but again if he doesn’t have the discipline he needs to go
on a positive I do like the addition of Gibson, think he will be captain this time next year (when we sign him in January)
Has Farke got a stubborn streak ? Is he limited in what tactics he has ? Or is he Both ? Having watched him over the seasons, I still cannot make my mind up, I have seen him tinker by making little switches during a game that have worked. But that seems rare as rocking horse dodo.
He sets his team the same way, for 80-85 mins excepting injuries. before deciding to make any changes. In the latest games, bang crosses in, get corners past the first man, while the guy who would love that service sits getting plastic burns from the seats. If you are not going to give the guy a go, why the hell did you buy him ? Is it because you want pretty football with no end result. Crossing and heading has been a huge part of the game since formation. It works and it doesn’t have to be all Pulis Style. Teams worked us out and saw ways of stifling, in the premier it was worse.
But I feel nothing will change that much, that has been Farke’s way since being here, a nice bloke but has gone too stale and one dimensional. Plus I do think there is something wrong in the squad, yes the confidence is shot, but there is something I cannot put my finger on. The fight and that, we don’t know when we are beat, has gone.
New players brought in, a new additions or changing to the coaching is need. Pochettino is still available for a little while lolol
Don’t blame Farke too much – a tradesman can only use the tools he’s been given. The Board is the problem. Their stated aim a while back was to evolve us into an established Prem club through shrewd purchases of ‘hungry’ players and through products of the academy.
2 seasons ago, the planets aligned with some shrewd signings and academy products all hitting purple patches. We were promoted and the Board were laughing all the way to the bank. Further investment to strengthen the squad didn’t happen because it was assumed we would either just about survive in the Prem or get relegated with para payments to keep the Board smiling. They assumed we would yo-yo straight back up to bolster the coffers further.
What the board has failed to recognize is that a team needs support and encouragement from its masters (as in any walk of life). We have a demoralised Coach who has seen his team transition from heroes to zeroes because of lack of investment to give them support through injuries and burn-out. Most of the players want out, but of course only the young starlets display that publicly because their way out is to big clubs and big pay packets. The rest just muddle on doing enough to earn their salaries. Farke is disillusioned and frustrated. He will go to pastures new as soon as he can with a degree of honour and pride. And the cycle continues. As for ‘established Premier side’: that is just a mantle to keep the fans interested. After all, Delia and Co could hardly give their stated aim for the club as ‘to use the club to maximise our pension pots’. Self-financing model indeed!!