CanaryFrom1979

How many matches?... Too many I just find the continuing negativity and whingeing falls somewhere between unintentionally funny and irritating. On one occasion whilst in the Rived End some 15 or so years ago (not my usual area but the ticket was going spare) I overheard an American attempting to explain the rules of football and failing (this was better entertainment than a forgettable match). Doubtless as supporters at some time or another many of us will have overheard such numbskulls. As for my second point I just dislike the cowardice or small mindedness of a smaller club not putting up much of a fight against vultures circling for our international players. The balance between the haves and have-nots will never be closed by the PL or FA, smaller well run clubs have to fight back and send a clear two fingered salute to parasitic agents and disloyal players. btw Branston Pickle, I clearly was referring to ours players as the international players capable of adapting to different types of opposition. I would add that there teams in the lower leagues who attempt to play football and don''t just rely on antiquated English kick and rush hoofball.

Success at this level can be determined by the extra 5 or 10% marginal gain that can be derived from quality. Journeymen can only get you so far, plus in that situation if NCFC are promoted then next summer we face having to rebuild again. Players like Fer, Olsson, Ruddy and RVW would provide the difference. As for the "physicality of the 2nd division" that is precisely the point I made in the op, we do not have to regress to a "nasty" hoofball side just as much as we did not have to defend deep for 90mins in the 1st division. (Surely international players have played against a variety of styles in their careers). To suggest that quality players are unintelligent enough to differentiate between a Brazil circa1982 style and a Wimbledon circa1988 style and then adjusting accordingly is parochial and narrow-minded.

Fair Point Without inside knowledge no one can say for sure who is in or out (only who''s agents are) or what is in a contract. What I would say is that if we can retain the squad and start well, players may change minds and see the value in staying in a promotion winning side. This depends on the management team to convey this. As for a wider point, wealthy clubs can afford to flout fair play and cherry pick from smaller clubs (Southampton) as long as they believe the smaller club will back off - no smaller club does the sport any good by reinforcing the gap between the haves and the have-nots. If the PL, FL, FA, UEFA, FIFA et al wont stand up for the like of our clubs then we should do it ourselves and damn what agents think (perhaps they have too much power, derived from the wealth creamed off the top of a lucrative transfer to a "better club").

Thought I''d post about the match (not the result which was ok) but the low-level grumbling and whingeing I overheard. Perhaps these armchair pundits and computer game savants are incapable of observing football, how strategies play out, players making space, drawing markers out of position, the opposition attempting to intercept passes etc etc. Too often positive play was met with shouts of "shoot" (from positions where swerving a ball would have needed new laws of physics) or an attitude that centre-backs and full backs should at no time attempt to pass or in other way play football. This was exemplified by a conversation I heard exiting the stadium that what was needed was someone "Nasty" to knock the opposition out (of course what we need is a barrage of fines and a player missing most of the season through suspension!). (2) RVW was clearly in the plans for the season, he was not frozen out like others and when injured was put on intensive rehab (if he was frozen out why bother, let St Etienne deal with his fitness). RVW would not be the first (Iwan Roberts) to make a slow start, in the bigger picture a modest return now as opposed to the potential gain from promotion either won or lost (6m as opposed to a gain of ?millions or even worse some cash today but lose ?millions 12mths down the line. The club has stated we do not need to sell, I am dismayed that a "but" is creeping in to this. An unequivocal "No" to every QPR, Southampton or St Etienne would make the position clear. What I would concede is clear from Friday is that we need a right sided full-back (if Russ, Bennett, Turner, Gaifaiti and Macfadden play central) or a technically sound centre-back (ideally with a turn of pace) if Russ starts on the right. As for the rest (excluding Bassong and Becchio who clearly are frozen out), this squad is an improvement on the last two seasons so stick with them.

Opened this up on another post, but putting it top billing here. WHICH YOUNG CANARY HERO WILL EMERGE IN 2014/15.... NOMINATIONS PLEASE (I''ve said Carlton Morris)

December international break was the time to act, vitriol and infighting solve zero (if the CEO issued warnings to the manager it is upon the manager to listen to them and act accordingly, if unable to then resign, certainly in hindsight it has probably stung the CEOs pride) Onto cheerier thoughts, this is the grand opening of the 2014/15 ''He''ll be the hero'' thread. WHICH YOUNG CANARY WILL BE THE NEXT HERO..... nominations please (I''m saying Carlton Morris)

Not so Adams would not have any jurisdiction with regards to the first team, it would be unconnected to his role which would be about longer term strategy rather than first team coaching and recruitment. It would be good if they had a shared vision, but if not and in the possibility that Malky or whoever was Head Coach failed the continuity of coaching and the development of players would continue. The role of Head Coach would be solely concentrated on the First Team and he would be accountable to the CEO and board (much as it is today). The title Director of Football is used here to describe the function (it could just as easily be called Director of Strategy), what Dirs of F have done at other clubs is not a set model to be copied.

That may well be the case, but if there is any possibility in incentivising or motivating any player to stay then those options should be considered. If Wolf or Fer hit form, I would rather it be with NCFC. I just don''t want to see the financial outlay of this season be in vain. If a manager can give even the slightest reason for a player to stay and fight for the club I want to see it happen.

Well spotted, did mean to include Becchio as a player to get off the wage bill now, rather than as a loan I am still baffled as to how he ended up here though, did L**ds mug us offloading a player they didn''t want on the wage bill?, did the management team have any plans for him? My point in this post was to suggest an alternative to a summer fire sale (more than likely selling at a loss), and possibly incentivising players to stay and lead the fight back. If anyone else has any thoughts I would be interested in hearing them.

Accepting Jonas G, Becchio and Elmander return to sender, Nash is replaced by the returning Rudd then who should or more pertinent could we sell on. Bassong is most likely to leave - he strikes me as typical of a certain type of player, happy to bench warm, but if looking for matches moves down to a lesser club, if the club hits trouble he merely moves on (to QPR or Leceister or any club with a suitable wage bill) As to the rest, can Wolf, Hooper and Fer et al realistically raise enough transfer fee today? Rather than a fire sale, give the players two options, stay and prove their talent (Wolf is far better than we have seen than the either injured or wasted asset), if they hit form NCFC have a better chance of getting a decent resale value and players are incentivised to perform if they want a move (which could be up for discussion in Jan or next summer), the second option is to allow season long loans but not transfers, the reasoning being the same as the first option. I suggest this because I can see noting to be gained from selling at the lower end of achievable transfer values and then having to spend significant amounts (for NCFC) on new players after promotion.

Here''s how Malky is Head Coach, appoints Assistant Coaches and First Team Coaches, is responsible for First Team Scouting, Matches and Recruitment. Adams is Director of Football, responsible for promoting a Norwich Philosophy (which by his track record he already has bought into) for Academy, U21/B Teams, scouting and recruitment of Coaches, Players and Staff (inc Sports Sciences, an area where clubs can make useful performance gains), the Director of Football would be accountable to the CEO and board, this way could ensure a continuity of philosophy at the club. As long as the CEO and board made it contractually clear that the Head Coach was responsible for the First Team and the Dir of Football for everything else I would suggest we have the best of both worlds. This way Norwich City could have a clear identity in coaching and playing football bought into by coaches and players (how better to recruit players than by showing them that at NCFC they have a fair chance of making the first team), alongside this an experience Head Coach and his staff. FFP and the Prem Lg has irrevocably changed football, NCFC should be an early adopter of new ideas and build upon our status as a Cat 1 and debt free club. How about it?

No further explanation needed. We need on the pitch leadership badly, Bassong might cut out the mistakes but Captaincy material he isn''t.

Have noticed a point I need to clarify, I am 60/40 confident of survival, firing today or tomorrow would only bring ridicule and a lot of "We told you so" from the massed armies of pundits and hack journos, The remaining games should be with the current coaching staff. The break should be in the summer. As for any suggestion that talking to any possible replacement now would be destabilising, in truth tapping up and talks before announcements happen anyway, City shouldn''t feel guilty for doing what is best for the club.

Was last week the blip and this week the return to form? The only explanation would be that Hughton only insists upon a more fluent formation, starting with Wes, Johan and Wolf/Hooper up top and the intensity and high pressing when his back is against the wall to such an extent that he thinks he''s finished and may as well gamble on the thinking that if it works it will buy time. This isn''t the first time (probably not the last) and it does just indicate a pattern. The performances of a potentially good squad just can''t improve if the coaching team feel it acceptable to retreat into a default setting every time following a good result and the easing of tension at the club. The antiquated English style of football just does not cut it any more, too static,too many square pegs in round holes, players never coached to have time and space to play the pass, formations picked on the basis that every other team plays it. I personally would walk over hot coals and broken glass to get to the continent and find a coaching staff with genuinely modern ideas. It would be akin to replacing someone from the Flat Earth Society with someone from the Royal Geographical Society. Ronald Koeman will be on the market in the summer, its time NCFC had the b***s and ruthlessness to steal a march and get talking to his people now. Record G W D L GF GA +/- Win % 483 268 103 112 877 490 +387 55.49 More than good enough for NCFC....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26554276 Linked with Swansea, but they may not be interested. Could be exactly the sort of bold appointment to take NCFC on to the next level. After securing survival in the summer this could be a possibility for the canaries. What would you say?

At this point, experience counts for less than zero. What was displayed in the Cup win was an ability to outmanoeuvre and outthink a supposedly superior competitor. By any definition that has to be one of the key requirements of a coach. Judging by the inflexible and moribund performances of recent months it is something NCFC is badly lacking.

No rational business draws up contingency plans and hints at them without having considered implementing them. Once the plans are mentioned they are in the open, If they are misconstrued the club can do very little about that. I have no inside knowledge but I would respond by asking what % does anyone give for there being no significant changes (whatever the outcome of this season) or alternatively how many last warnings can be issued before they cease to have any credibility. Enough examples exist in the world of deals being made and decisions being taken before they are announced, that isnt wishful thinking its just business.

Don''t get hung up on the Howson question, he doesn''t have the match sharpness. My concern is more than one individual, the team appears to be playing under a burden, trying not to deviate from the plan even if they have little confidence in it, they seem to have an inbuilt assumption that they can not hold a lead, sitting deep on 1-0 for 85 minutes is always going to place too much stress on already low confidence.

Chimes with my thinking, for the reasons posted on my thread Interim Coach? Take a look and see what you think.

It has become generally accepted that changes are planned at the end of the season, the management team seem resigned to this. This poses the question, are they sufficiently motivated to fight for every point. If the answer is no it throws up the further question, is this impacting upon the players. If it is and the current dogfight possibly coming down to what could be called small percentages, would removing the management team result in the marginal gains that may become vital. I would observe that handing Neil Adams the role on an interim basis has the following positives to recommend it: 1) A possible improvement in the mental state of the players. 2) Possible disruption could be managed down, he is after all known to the club and squad and would need less time to assess the best team. 3) It buys the club vital time to search Europe for an ambitious coach with more modern coaching ideas. In all this I have dismissed the idea of Lennon, he would not know the squad beyond one player, has a poor disciplinary record and has only managed from a biased position in a 1 team league. Any thoughts?

I''d rather an attacking player score and not celebrate. As for ''kicking him out'', how many players are there available with his ability, Wes has been loyal and I can not blame him for becoming disillusioned with a management team unwilling or unable to accommodate him in the team. CH has a risk averse style and favours certain players in Redmond (better suited to being a sprinter than a footballer), Snodgrass and Bassong. In that respect his situation is similar to Juan Mata and most Chelsea fans did not throw vitriol at him for merely wanting to play football.

The last 90mins is a compressed version of the last two years - 2013/14 is just a repeat of 2012/13 with better players - the tactical ineptitude, the predictable strategy and the ineffectual subs, the undermining of our best player (Holt last time now Wes , neither of whom I would blame for being disillusioned, If I had been Holt I would have left rather than have seen my international chances go from possible to zero), the reliance on a few favoured players (a visibly tired Snodgrass, the inexperienced Redmond and the unable to lead Bassong). The management team are either unwilling or unable to adapt, the players now seem pre-disposed to collapse and unable to act in any way other than risk-averse. It may well be too late to change course, but I would observe that a change may lift this self-fulfilling doom from the players, lifting a burden from them may produce better performances. My observation is that Lennon would be just another mistake (I''ll be honest and say I had similar reservations about CH being a 2nd division 2nd rate option rather than an ambitious continental appointment), the 1 manager of the 1 club in a 1 club league. I would hand the helm to Neil Adams on an interim basis and at least go down with a clear head and some fighting spirit than go down amidst acrimony. This would at least buy the club time to scout Europe for an ambitious coach (TBH English football lags behind European football), Koeman or similar. As I write this I am feeling a sense of embarrassment on a level with Fulham or Colchester and a despair not unlike the days of the European ban, only this time the difference being that the club has in some way conspired to throw away the momentum built up in getting to the 1st division.

Posted comments along this line earlier (Football A funny old game...Discuss) My observation was that compared to Dutch, French, Italian and German clubs our thinking re coaches and players is insular and outdated (throw into that the difference in ticket prices and supporter ownership), the excuse being "the demands of the league mean we must conform to certain philosophy". 20 years ago we out-thought good dutch and german sides and were close to a top Italian side. Under Stringer and Walker our movement, passing and positional awareness was a match for these sides, compared to now where english football is far behind. As for the "inexperience foreigner" tag I would rather take a young coach from a country with a sophisticated level of football over an experienced british coach.

The leading candidate would be from either Clarke or Mackay. To best offset any possibility of a manager needing time to familiarise himself with the club and squad I would suggest teaming the new man up with Neil Adams who has the advantage of knowing the club enough to identify where we need improving. None of the above needs to be permanent (interim to the end of the season would be acceptable) , the club would then have time to scout ahead of other teams considering a change in the summer.

Back from a break from reading the posts, thought I''d post a few observations about football in general and NCFC , having supported the club through good and bad (not even being put off by one early game I watched from the Barclay terrace on a cold midweek school-night back in the day) I absolutely believe in supporter trust ownership as the way ahead and that in 2014 the FA must campaign for fairer shares between the top 20 and the 72 league clubs and sportsmanship as an ideal rather than the foul attitude of "we must cheat because everyone else does". As for the Canaries I feel that we have fallen into the conventional wisdom (along with other clubs of our stature) that goes "The demands of the league mean we must conform to a certain philosophy (how many clubs now follow tactical fashion and play a formation or style that is popular rather than what is best for their squad?). In our case we are tolerating typically British crude one-dimensional football (far better to have a Norwich City philosophy from academy to 1st team that supporters can take pride in and that determines the coaches and players we hire) Coaching in Britain is years behind continental Europe (RVW must have arrived from a dutch background and thought he''d arrived in the footballing dark ages), it takes an outsider like Wenger, Martinez, Pochettino or Pellegrini to show how good coaching can improve players beyond their limitations. I will admit to having had doubts about CH (on his appointment I checked his record and wasn''t impressed but thought I''d wait and see). My own observation is that progress will not occur unless we break from the mentality described and no longer abide by the thinking "Can''t compete", there can be no such thing, it''s not so much "Can''t compete" as "Lacking the courage of our to convictions to compete". In concise terms the problems at NCFC are wider than our current form (which is admittedly relegation form) and current coaching team, they are as much in the moribund thinking and coaching that holds British football back, the Premier League has only it''s commercial success to talk about whilst the best coaches and players are being produced elsewhere. As an example an England side playing typical english football in the World Cup will do how well? (Running around for 90mins in amazon conditions). Doubtless these thoughts will be considered provocative and possibly unpatriotic. So, any thoughts out there.....