Nigel Worthington, as much as I am loathe to say it, fell victim to his own players! He must be chuckling to himself in delight to have heard the totally dreadful performance by Norwich City as they not only got beaten by Stoke City, but sent home with more than just egg on their faces.
As a Norwich City supporter, it is extremely difficult to write this without resorting to bad language. Just what, in the name of Delia, was that all about?
There is no doubt that Peter Grant has to share some of the blame. When even Neil Adams cannot figure out what shape City intend to take when reading the team sheet, us lowly mortals can only hope that Grant had something up his sleeve.
Down to earth with a bang as we soon learned that the only thing up his sleeve was his arm. To be fair to Grant, with the injuries that he had to juggle with, along with the total lack of depth in the squad (whose legacy is that?), he was obviously looking for something different.
It is shameful to City supporters to have to face up to the fact that we have become a one-man team. If Huckerby isn’t playing, neither is Norwich!
But that must purely be down to the players’ mental attitude!!!!! Are they so bereft of ideas that they can only play to just one player????
As for Jamie Ashdown; any chance that there might have been of getting a permanent signing must surely have gone up with the referee’s hand holding the red card. If discipline is such a strong point with Grant, we can say goodbye to the Portsmouth loan ‘keeper. Just as with Worthington and Kevin Harper.
Trying to be a neutral as possible, Stoke played well. But they didn’t have to overexert themselves as senior Norwich players were put in positions that they just didn’t fit in. Gary Doherty, for example, is a centre back who has demonstrated the fact that he is not very good as a striker; as a midfielder, he was as much use as windscreen wipers on a submarine!
As I am writing I am waiting for the post-match interview with Peter Grant. This is going to be a good test for him. if he can take the blame for today’s diabolical show, it will stand him in good stead. If we are treated to a ‘commitment’, ‘work rate’ ‘honesty’ spiel, then it looks sa though we might be in for another five years of unrest.
The players should be made to run up and down Mousehold Heath four or five times a day for the next week until they face up to the fact that are being paid to do a job, not to run around as a fashion statement!
I know that I am not the only Norwich City supporter that just wants to hide away. As to the person that called in to the local radio, criticising the Worthy Out campaigners, it is you, sir, with your testicles acting as brain cells. Peter Grant had to try to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. He is responsible for one player; Jamie Ashdown. The remainder are an inheritance from his predecessor.
That isn’t excusing him for his poor team selection, but he had to listen to Livermore and Hunter for advice. And who did they work for until a couple of weeks ago?
Anyway, I cannot find anything positive to say about the game today. Tuesday’s game against Colchester is as frightening a prospect as the Cardiff and Birmingham games were. This time, though, it would be nothing short of churlish to blame the manager. In fact, I now wonder if Worthington was not a victim of his own players!!!
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