Yelverton Yella

[quote user="Rock The Boat"]What Lambert did for Norwich over the past three years... was purely incidental. He was doing it for himself.[/quote]   Or to put it another way....his interests coincided with those of the Club...(until they didn''t- at which point he jumped as fast as he could!)

[quote user="Cluck Nose."]Not impressed with Hughton as manager.... too chummy and lacking in authority. For me we will go down next season and sit in Division Two for a good many years. With the money gained lately I don''t think even Delia Smith could take us down to Division Three again. [/quote] And along comes Cluck to pi** on the parade.... Who would you have preferred Cluck? Obviously an authoritarian manager- I know- let''s poach Roeder from Villa!

Good post LDC. Like you, I think that continuity is key. I guess we have all been thinking about the future over the last week or so and, at the risk of attracting a volley of bullets, I think one of the worst things that could happen to us would be a huge investment by a random ''moneybags''. With very few exceptions, huge outside investment into a club has led to massively inflated expectations, an influx of superegos, disappointment and then a crash to earth requiring an extended recovery period (some have yet to recover!).  While investment would obviously be welcome (35,000 capacity anyone?), I would prefer us to continue making steady progress with a clear strategy involving maintaining the team ethic, sustainable finance and acquiring and developing young players rather than buying superstars. I am sure that, in the long term, this is a more sustainable model and probably better reflects the wishes of the Canary Community. Just to be clear, I am not advocating the ''little old Norwich'' philosophy, and am as ambitious as anyone else, it''s just that I would rather see us achieve success in a measured way rather than become a ''shooting star'' that quickly burns out!    

Pete I really hope you are right and they are staying because they want to see the job through but, the way it has been played, McNally has the best of both worlds. If they stay, we have the benefit of continuity and a very good coach (to say nothing of weakening AV!) and, if not, ''big club'' Villa will have to fork out for their services! Personally, I think it is significant that Mr McNally keeps emphasising that their jobs will be exactly the same- thereby not giving them the right /excuse to resign and claim constructive dismissal...  

Aggy Agree that it takes time to see a return for an investment in the Academy but, hopefully, the new Premier League academy restructure under which we have committed to achieve Category 1 status, will give us a real boost as we will not be restricted to recruiting youngsters from our ''home area'' as we are at present. 

Surely It could just be a case of Culverhouse being settled in Norwich and working for a club that has historically been very good for him, therefore being reluctant to suddenly pack up and leave? I mean, he doesn''t get much limelight anyhow and transfer funds aren''t a major factor of his personal job, so joining Villa for being a ''bigger'' and ''more wealthy'' club might not be as attractive to him...All just speculation but it would be interesting to see how large a role he has played in Lambert''s success if Lambert had to manage next season without him... Herts I agree with you that I would love to keep Culverhouse here as he seems to be a very able coach- (not sure what Karsa does!) but all the reports, including journos. who have been spot on so far, suggest that this situation is just part of the compensation battle which I have speculated on above. Let''s hope I''m wrong but I wouldn''t put money on them still being here at the start of the season. If by any chance they WERE still at Norwich, I genuinely think PL would struggle as, by all accounts, he relies on his team for a large proportion of the day to day coaching / management work.

Two very realistic posts which very much echo my ownthoughts. I would only add that I think the investment we are making in the Academy may provide another useful source of talent to help us hold our own. If clubs like Southampton and, to a lesser extent, our neighbours over the border, can produce gems to strengthen the team or the coffers, we should be able to do the same. 

Mr C The difference appears to be that Lambert had a clause in his contract allowing him to ''speak to other clubs if an approach was made through the right channels''. What appears to have happened is that AV approached Norwich and PL was (probably mistakenly!) refused permission to speak to them. Lambert then (presumably acting under advice) resigned and claimed that NCFC had committed a fundamental breach of his contract which entitled him to treat it as no longer valid. In these circumstance AV will argue that, since there was no longer a valid contract between Lambert and NCFC, Lambert was a free agent and they are not liable to pay compensation. If this is indeed the case, it is likely that nobody bothered to insert the ''approach'' clause into Karsa or Culverhouse''s contract on the assumption that, if PL went, they would automatically go too as any new manager would want his own team and they would want to go with Lambert. It seems that this was the Achille''s heel which could force AV to pay something in the end as I can''t imagine PL wanting to be deprived of his right hand men! If this is indeed the scenario, I have little respect for the ''so called big club'' that Team Lambert is joining unless they really are so hard-up that half a million pounds or whatever is a highly significant sum to them!

Mr Carrow, I believe that they are on rolling contracts which are likely to have a minimum notice period so, in theory at least, NCFC could force them to ''work'' their notice or, more likely, go on ''gardening leave'' for this period thus being unavailable to work for AV or Lambert. If they just resign and leave they are in breach of their contracts and could be forced to compensate NCFC from their own pockets and might be subject to an injunction forbidding them from joining a competitor during the nominal notice period. If McNally chose to, he might also sue AV for inciting them to breach their contracts. In normal, civilised, situations, compensation would be agreed for the breach of contract and AV would pay NCFC to release them from their obligations. It seems that what might be happening here is that AV are refusing to enter reasonable negotiations and are counting on Norwich to dismiss IC and PK as surplus to requirements thus breaching their contracts and leaving them free to join PL and also possibly to claim compensation from Norwich for breach of contract!! If this is indeed what is happening, it is understandable that Mr McNally is ''not playing'' and is emphasising that their old jobs remain unchanged under the new structure thus throwing the ball firmly back into their court.   

There seems little doubt that Culverhouse and Karsa are caught in the middle of the Villa / City compensation battle and will end up at Villa Park before too long. They must wonder, however, what they have let themselves in for. Clearly, Villa are determined to play every trick in the book to avoid paying compensation for any of the management team which, if I were in Culverhouse or Karsa''s shoes (or Lambert''s for that matter) would make me wonder      a) How much they really valued me or b) Are they really that hard up? or c) Are my potential new employers totally lacking in class? (Or any combination of the three!) We jokingly talk about ''McNasty'' and the way he conducts himself but it would appear that the acquisition of Chris Hughton and his team from Birmingham was handled in an exemplary fashion with proper compensation paid and the guys leaving with dignity and warm words on both sides.( I know the same could not be said about PL''s switch from Col. U but maybe we learned something from that experience) While I absolutely acknowledge the tremendous achievements of ''Team Lambert'', the extensive comments I have read about Chris Hughton suggest that he not only has a passionate will to win but conducts himself in a manner appropriate for a highly professional premiership manager. Although results are everything in the football ''business'', and CH has yet to prove himself with us in this respect, I can''t help thinking that, when we look back in a few years time, we will see this change as extremely positive and another step forward for our club.

What an interesting thread and reflection on the progress made over the last year! I am not normally moved to post very often but this debate reminded me of the frustration I felt this time last year at the lack of coherent strategy for both the footballing and the business side of the club. I said at the time of Doncaster/ Munby''s demise that the CEO appointment was the single most important ''signing'' probably in the club''s history and suggested ways in which the recruitment process could be tailored to ensure we ended up with someone who had the right attributes... Frankly, I was staggered when McNally was appointed as he was so obviously the right man and was so different to the bureaucratic lawyer type that I expected. I did not agree with the manner of Gunn''s dismissal but, if you appoint a rottweiler, you have to expect him to bare his teeth and events proved him 100% correct and the rest, as they say, is history. Contrary to the title of this thread, I can forgive Delia (love is a step too far!) because she did try to seek advice from people who should have known better and, no doubt, thought that she was acting in the best interests of the club while investing a considerable chunk of her personal wealth to further her ambitions for NCFC. Unfortunately, a modern football club is a complex enterprise and requires competent and specialist management and direction which she and MWJ were just not able to provide. For whatever reason, she has finally recognised this and recruited the necessary calibre of people to take the club forward. When all is said and done, I would far rather have someone who, with all their faults, is transparent, visible and a club supporter than some faceless investor with a hidden agenda which probably involves rape and pillage!

Another alternative is to leave your car at Blackhorse Road Station (A503) just off MII. Decent, well-lit car park (last time I was there anyway!). If you wanted to go into London first, you could go direct on the Victoria Line or, if going straight to the ground, take the 158 bus (heading towards Stratford ) and go direct to Leyton Station (about 25 minutes).Has the advantage that you are well placed for getting back to the M11.

Very, very impressive. Came across as utterly determined to achieve success and, what''s more, a clear strategy to achieve it. My feelings about him were ambivalent at the start of the season as I thoroughly welcomed his appointment but felt the sacking of Gunn, while necessary, could have beenbetter handled. Ever since then, I have been impressed by his every move from quickly and decisively appointing a new manager to coming on the radio yesterday to spell out exactly where the club is in terms of seeking investment and killing ill-informed rumours or distorted reporting.I had not realised (any more than, I suspect, did DS and Mw-J) what a dead hand we had on the tiller in Doncaster- always chose the cautious option, no charisma and no real understanding of how to run either a succesful football club or a commercial business. I feel a degree of sympathy for Roger Munby who is a thoroughly nice man with the best interests of the club at heart but was clearly out of his depth and overinclined to listen to Doncaster.Others have already said it but McNally was probably our most important signing for years....perhaps more controversially I think even more so than Lambert. While we should certainly do what we can to hang on to PL, we should also make damn sure that we have McNally on a long-term contract because I cqn see him being very attractive to some of the money-men moving into the higher leagues.

[quote user="Cov Canary"]In regards to Jonny Wilkinson I''m pretty sure that he mentions in his autobiography that he use to attend Carrow Road with his Grandad however, not sure if he is actually a Norwich fan[/quote]His (late) Grandad had a season ticket for many years in the River End- used to go with my Uncle who had been at Bracondale school with him. Met him a few times at the football and also at rugby club events but I don''t remember him ever mentioning that Johnny was a fan. May have taken an interest as his Grandad was so keen...

[quote user="Camuldonum"][quote user="Allez17"][quote user="Camuldonum"] Funny old business football.  The odd thing about The Tinpot Club v The Very Famous Club Wot Once Beat Bayern Munich yonks ago is that we actually LIKE our owner unlike the majority of posters on here some of whom, whether the Very Famous Club is promoted, will be enshrined in a forthcoming Guardian G2 piece including the messages which Archant were not quick enough to delete but which we screen grabbed before they woke up (Wiz you know what you did on Gunn''s living daughter is but one example). Working title is "Let''s be havin you? Actually they don''t want her at any price." If you go up that will have even more impact.  Good luck for the rest of the season.[:D] [/quote]I like how you keep name dropping G2. I''ve seen it a few times on here. But you''re actually going to run with a ''nasty comments are found on an interenet message board'' story?The shocking news that some unhinged people post unpleasant things and that responsible companies go out of their way to remove them? This hasn''t been done before? This isn''t the most obvious thing that the democratisation of the internet has achieved - a speakers corner for the deranged and overzealous? I''m surprised, though I shouldn''t be - news is all about cycles, after all. I do like your rhetoric though - find me one post on here that says we''re a big club because of a win 15 years ago and I might give you a little credit. [/quote]   It would be a lot deeper than that.  You are obviously not a fan of the more obscure G2''s - for example you could look at the rhetoric of a football message board and speculate on how much that minority - and most football message boards are only a tiny fraction of support, in my view - believe they influence things.  I do feel that message boards, not particularly aimed at this one, do feel that they are "the voice" but I''m not sure there is much evidence that they are.  I would hope it might lead to an interesting read for people, for example, who don''t post on message boards.  In some ways it has become a sub-culture but not as massive as many posters believe.  All sorts of ways this end and completely undecided at this stage.  [/quote]Frankly, I would have thought that there is the basis for a far more interesting article based on how far the Chairman or owner of a football club can influence on-field performance by his non football actions.If we were to take Colchester''s chairman as an example and consider his behaviour prior to a match that he had billed as critical and ''must win'', and relate it to the team''s abject performance on the day, the article would conclude that whatever  strategy he applied had been completely counter- productive.The article could be developed with in-depth interviews with both team''s managers and players giving their views as to how Mr Cowling''s behaviour affected them and conclude with a statistical analysis of his team''s results and club attendances both before and after the period that he became involved in his high profile dispute with another club.The overall conclusion, which could only be drawn in a few months time, might well be that a football chairman can adversely affect his club''s whole season by placing management and staff under unwanted and unnecessary pressure.Feel free Cam, I''ll gift you the intellectual property rights....