Cantiaci Canary

Yep, this is the truth. I know it's easier to blame and keep accusations simple and emotive BUT the fact is ... we don't have enough Covid cases to cancel our games - unlike others.

What I don't get about us is ... when we're poor why do we have to be embarrassingly awful? Why can't we just be rubbish?

Isn't it tragic to KNOW that we won't score today ... at any point.

Kouyate will boss this game.

I suppose transfer dealings are always risky unless you're spending £50m on individuals. Emi was desperate to leave, we sold him for a lot more than we bought him for and we invested in a raft of new players that most fans were really excited about and may still come good. Rashica may well save our season yet and Tzolis could click at any time and has a very high ceiling. It's just a bummer to lose Emi and not be able to afford a like for like replacement to fill his shoes.

Yep ... everything you say is bang on the money for me - I couldn't agree more.

"The model" Objective: Stabilise in the Premier League without the need of a billionaire owner. Motive: Whilst billionaire take overs of Wolves, Leicester and ManC have worked wonders events at Sunderland, Hull, Blackburn, Portsmouth etc have caused more damage than good. Methodology: Invest in the roots. Prioritise long term strategising. Wipe out all debts, build up the facilities and academy, recruit talented teenagers and get them out on loan, sell players on for profit and plough that back in, plant a clear culture / philosophy at the club from top to bottom, scout for hidden gems abroad that won't bankrupt the budget, tie assets down to contracts that will see them depart on our terms, prepare the ground for the worst case scenario (relegation) by ensuring that immediate promotion is very likely the following season. Eventually, over time, probably after a few yo yos, the squad depth will be rich enough (and there'll always be a reasonable sum of cash to invest on new faces) we'll stick in the top flight, consolidate and build. It'll take time, patience, vision and perseverance but its success will eventually be the envy of most clubs in the pyramid who are sick and tired of boom and bust at best and stagnation at worst. In fact there are already plenty of clubs casting envious eyes at where we currently stand and the progress we've made. How's it going: Mixed! Its been great to see young homegrown talent sparkling in the canary colours again, we've lifted two EFL trophies, have some awesome memories, have watched some awesomely gifted players, have cleared all debts, have an awesome academy and training facilities and have a squad filled with internationals. In short, compared to where we were when Alex Neil departed, we are in a far far stronger position and we're still only in the opening phases of the model ... the best is yet to come! However, the model depends on genius recruitment in order to make the selling of our best assets worth it (and tolerable!). Sadly, we've lost Buendia but the squad depth doesn't look better despite it. We can only pray that Rashica and Tzolis will blossom to their full potentials eventually. Whilst there's always a gamble with transfers (Fulham spent £100m a few years back and finished bottom!) this aspect of the model needs to improve to make it effective. The long term obsession means that we still aren't competitive in the short term in the top tier. In fact we're often left looking well short and embarrassed. This severely damages the morale, happiness and patience of the fans (and probably the players) and it's interesting to see how Webber might change up his messaging a bit to recitify this. Perhaps some reminders about why we're doing what we're doing when we're doing it??? I think he's been burned by the scoffing from some quarters about the Top 26 Club objective and irritation about the Little Old Norwich perception that the model can give. Additionally, as a fault, when you watch the boys on the pitch now you're left thinking - where is this deeply ingrained culture / philosophy / style of play?! We look miles short of 'greater than the sum of our parts'. Even under Farke Farkeball seemed to die following promotion. To be fair Smith needs time. Finally (if you're still reading!) I would say that whilst I'm personally happy (and intrigued) to watch this play out (a roller coaster ride is better than the place we were heading when Neil was sacked) I worry that it's too ideological. If it fails (i.e we end up with a mid-table Championship campaign again at some point - shudder!) then it leaves us with few arguments against bringing in a billionaire owner left ... unless we accept that Premier League consolidation isn't a realistic objective for a club like ours. Just gotta find one first!

No, but it's likely that we'll always be a club that has at least the threat of relegation looming over us (unless we sell to a mega investor which I not sure could happen) and the model ensures that if the worst happens (relegation) it doesn't wreck us and we can bounce straight back. If it was as easy as you imply then why aren't Forest, Wednesday, Derby, Hull, Sunderland and Bkackburn all mid table Premier League sides???

So when he's sacked and we're still not an established Premier League side which individual gets scapegoated next? Probably Dean Smith??? Tragic to see some fans's impatience resulting in a turning of the pistols on the very people who actually built this new era. First Farke, now Webber ...... we're cannibalising because we're 3 points from survival in the richest league on planet Earth with half the season still to play - crazy times.

I'm mostly worried about how essential he was to our promotions. I don't know the stats off hand but our record without him was very poor. I pray that, if we go down, Rashica and Tzolis will be able to bring that magic dust to the Championship.

Regarding 'the model' it's also worth remembering that it does guarantee that following a relegation we have stability, a very strong Championship squad, good money to spend AND that we only let assets go for good prices. The alternative models are: 1) what we did pre Webber = boom and bust 2) sell out to a rich investor = toss a coin ... do you roll down Wolves's path or Sunderland's?

How convinced are you by the argument that ... We're at the trickiest part of the model (higher expectations but a capable squad still only 'emerging'). We need to keep faith in the approach and eventually we'll stick, consolidate and build in the top flight. Next season we could win the title again (Tzolis, Rashica & Sargent might really find their feet in such a campaign) and we return with a more experienced Placheta, Sorensen & Omobamiedele AND can spend £60M on a new layer of players to add to the mix. To be fair injuries have robbed us of Normann and Rashica which distorts things at the moment. With them we would have beaten Newcastle and possibly United and be thinking that we had a REAL chance of survival under Smith. Perhaps we still have a good chance if players return, others improve fitness/recovery and we add a new face or two in January. If that happens (which isn't impossible) and we survive then we keep Normann and Kabak and can throw another significant chunk of TV money on a few exciting stars that Smith wants to work with. This would be the Webber argument ...

Tzolis needs to start every game until he learns enough to begin to sparkle. Sorensen is the only DM we have in the squad (including Normann) so he must also start every week.

I think they got seduced by Tzolis's availability... over spent and couldn't bring in the DMs they wanted. Normann isn't a DM.

The puzzling thing is that after the previous relegation Farke and Webber both said that we needed to recruit differently and to bring in pace and power ..... how have we ended up with THIS - again?

You know VAR would rule it out.

Will we ever score again?

Depressing when after flogging Maddison, Lewis, Godfrey, Howson, Murphy and Buendia (as the self funding model dictates) and after two promotions we look so short on quality. The fear is that once Normann / Kabak / Williams / Gilmour return home, Aarons / Omobamiedele/ Cantwell depart and Pukki / Krul / Hanley fade we'll be left staring at a lower mid-table Championship side thinking ...... 'what if?'

If you don't / can't invest proper money on top tier players then you HAVE TO be a plucky side greater than the sum of its parts. We are a low budget AND poorly gelled side. An easy win for any opponent.

Miss Emi so very very much 😔

Imagine if we had them today!!!

The biggest blind spot of Webber/Farke has been appreciating that we need to hire some mifielders who can tackle and some who can score. They've flooded the squad with passers who specialise in neither of those traits.

We'll never properly compete until we're shopping in the market for £20M+ players rather than £10M. We are a Championship side in the richest league on the planet. 'Self funding' is endearing but you don't stand a chance if you shoot yourself in both feet before the season starts.

Without Normann, Rashica, Skipp and Buendia we truly have a Championship squad.

What upsets me the most is ... have we wasted the Buendia money? You can only tolerate seeing the likes of Emi, Godrey, Lewis, Maddison etc. leave if that money is then successfully reinvested.