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Farmer Canary

A serious question to those opposing AN

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Firstly I want to start by saying I haven''t looked at or posted on this messageboard for years but instead I usually use a messageboard for supporters of all clubs, the reason being is because quite frankly this messageboard has become in my opinion an embarrassment and full of idiotic posts. I like to discuss football in a sensible and adult manner hence why I haven''t been on here in so long. But I have had to cave in purely because I have become so enraged by the amount of people criticising AN at every opportunity.

So I would like to talk to those against to hear their opinions, please don''t bother replying if you are going to say something stupid, it would be nice to have a proper debate.

The first thing I would like to know is at this point in the season and being in 4th place is that below what you expected? Personally it''s better than I thought we would be doing especially after a disappointing transfer window.

Obviously the defence is a worry but what do you seriously think AN can do to change it? A lot of hours on the training pitch will be put in to help the defence but I think it''s a case of the players lack of concentration and quite simply the lack of quality in our central defence, these players need to stand up and be counted and take responsibility. If AN were to go who really is there to come in? It''s so easy to just get rid of a manager but it''s only good getting rid of someone when there is someone else better to come in.

In all I am ashamed to see so many people wanting him out and simply blaming him. After the Preston game someone actually said behind me ''it''s not the players fault'' which is quite unbelievable to hear. It seems in modern day football fans just simply blame the manager as its the easiest person to blame. I think Alex Neil is a brilliant manager and the best man I''ve seen at Norwich in my lifetime (I''m 25) I think he is let down by poor players constantly and a lack of ambition by the club in transfer windows. Also I feel the fans let him down massively in terms of rubbish atmospheres at Carrow road and too many being so quick to moan and groan. I really would like to hear people''s sensible opinions and hopefully bring me a little faith back that the Pinkun isn''t just full of being with little knowledge.

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Farmer C, if you were AN under the circumstances you mentioned you would do one or two things.

Improve the players by coaching and training them on.

Buy better players during the transfer window.

We have been making the same mistake, throwing away leads, for all the time AN has been here. He has had time to train the players on, he had several transfer windows to buy new defenders say to solve the issue.

At some point in time we have to acknowledge that AN isn''t resolving the problem.

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Farmer Canary,

TBH some of your comments will attract some of that you wish to avoid, e.g. if use phrases such as; "this message board has become in my opinion an embarrassment and full of idiotic posts. I like to discuss football in a sensible and adult manner hence" you are hardly endearing yourself those that do post on here.

Yes, we are an odd mix of characters, but so is life.

You go a long way around seeking justification from some of us for our opinions, yet are happy to state the following; "I think Alex Neil is a brilliant manager and the best man I''ve seen at Norwich in my lifetime (I''m 25)" without any proper debate to justify your point. You then go on to ''diss'' the players, perhaps I could ask you as you haven''t been here for years if you could ''justify'' why AN is a brilliant manager in your opinion and why you think poor players let him down constantly, let alone the fans.

Personally, I am concerned about the abilities of AN and they have all been aired quite sensibly on this board, you may think it is stupid, but then if you don''t agree you would wouldn''t you. Feel free to read a couple of my recent posts and you may find the reasons through proper debate why I have my concerns.

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ok i will cave in also

i have never rated AN after his first 6 months

the reason why is since then i have not seen one player improve under this management

now you might point out Murphys well they were trained by different coaches last season thats who improved them by playing

his transfers signing pritchard when we needed a striker

pritchard is a good player and if we did not have others then i would have him but not when the order of signings was a striker then CB another AM was a luxury

AN is not a patch on some of the managers we have had here

now you point out someone said its not the players fault

well i agree if they are told tactics that are wrong trained wrong etc the their heads will drop

why are we making the same mistakes with different players are they all the same ?

i would also go on to say that most of our players would get into most of the teams in the league so why are they not playing like that ?

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Well I''m being honest, the message board is an embarassment, I will stand by that.

OK let''s take Preston for example and the goal we conceded, olsson gives away a ridiculous free kick in a position where he should of simply stood the opponent up and then the marking in the box is shoddy and Olivera also slips to give a man space. Do you honestly think the players need to be trained how to mark? All of the back 4 have played top football, they know how to mark and defend a set piece. It''s due to the lack of quality and concentration, quite simply Bennett isn''t good enough and nor is Russell martin.

We should buy better players? Again do you honestly think Alex Neil doesn''t try? The transfers is not down to him its mostly down to the club. He will have a list of targets he submits and then it''s down to the board to try and convince them to come.

I don''t come on here because I simply can''t stand it. We are fourth in the league. I would love to have seen everyone''s prediction on the day after the transfer deadline day because I bet we all would of been happy with a play off spot come the end of the season, and where are we? In the play offs. I just think alot of you need to see the bigger picture rather than just blaming the manager all the time.

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[quote user="norfolkngood"]ok i will cave in also

i have never rated AN after his first 6 months

O

the reason why is since then i have not seen one player improve under this management

now you might point out Murphys well they were trained by different coaches last season thats who improved them by playing

his transfers signing pritchard when we needed a striker

pritchard is a good player and if we did not have others then i would have him but not when the order of signings was a striker then CB another AM was a luxury

AN is not a patch on some of the managers we have had here

now you point out someone said its not the players fault

well i agree if they are told tactics that are wrong trained wrong etc the their heads will drop

why are we making the same mistakes with different players are they all the same ?

i would also go on to say that most of our players would get into most of the teams in the league so why are they not playing like that ?[/quote]

So we didn''t try to sign any strikers? Absolute nonsense! Where were you during the transfer window? And signing players isn''t soley down to him, there are so many factors.

Players that haven''t improved? Hoolahan has improved, the Murphy''s, Louis Thompson, even players like dorrans and tettey have become better.

The defence just isn''t good enough, we have only one decent centre back, you lot need to get real

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It''s been an embarassment for years, it''s not just myself who thinks this, it''s known amongst a lot of Norwich fans that it is, just like canary call after games. I study football an awful lot and I''m very passionate about the game, like some people I like to look at the bigger picture rather than just pointing a finger.

I''m not on the pinkun to make friends, I make friends in real life situations like down the pub. This message board has become a breeding ground for those who don''t really think about what they are saying.

You should take a look at other clubs messageboards and football forums in general and then you will see the difference between them and this forum.

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Using words like "embarrassment" and "ashamed" as you have in your op, it doesn''t lend itself to encouraging debate.  It gets a bit wild on here sometimes, but then people come from all sorts of backgorunds and lifestyles.  If you want debate and nothing else, there is a site that  does that.....but hardly anyone uses it.  As for your points about AN and the players, it is a joint responsibility - the players are culpable for their mistakes, but so is the manager. It''s a joint process.   AN has to prepare the team - the players have to sort themselves out.  AN has to prove he is up to the job - and so do the players.  I agree it is nonsense to talk of getting rid of a manager at this stage, but if we go on like we have the last two or three matches, not getting results - then questions are bound to be asked sooner or later. AN simply has to turn things round......as do the players.  Then we will all think he and they are wonderful again.  

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Farmer Canary,

To quote you, "This message board has become a breeding ground for those who don''t really think about what they are saying."

Just because you don''t agree with what is said you are jumping to conclusions that people on this board don''t think about what they post. Some may not, most do, and some post in a manner I find irksome and I''m sure some find what I post irksome, but we get on with it. To preach to us all in the style you have IMO makes you a bit of a panjandrum.

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My concern is Neil has been here for nearly two full years and the problems are the same as the day he arrived. We''re weak at the back, we panic when under pressure and we can''t hold a lead. I''ve pointed out before that the Fulham result was the fourth 2 goal lead we''ve thrown away in 2016, yet AN seems utterly unable to fix these issues.

The fact we went another summer without looking to improve the defence is confusing in the extreme. The fact we''ve spent £15m on 3 players who Alex Neil has given a combined 2 league starts to is baffling. So either Neil isn''t involved on transfers and the board have a fetish for diminutive attack midfielders or Neil is asking them to sign the wrong players. Either way it isn''t great.

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[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]If it''s as bad as you make out, why are you posting, or even reading, the forum?[/quote]
And why are all  those Norwich fans continually reading this board and talking to you about it.
We could of course count up how many fans we each know and try and work out why the ones you know are different from the ones I know.

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I totally agree that it is premature to hit the panic button. That said i sense we are 4th and easing away rather than 4th and catching up. The game at Brighton will be vital for many reasons win and we are back on track lose and we are falling quickly away from automatics. there is understandable frustration that the repeated problems are not being solved. If you took your car to the same garage with the same problem you would be upset if it repeatedly broke down and would look elsewhere. the Honeymoon period is well and truly over and AN and the clubs fortunes this season are on a delicate balance. I hope they improve and they can

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As I said on another thread, are we a better side than we were at Wembley?

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I''m fully in agreement with the OP. A chap behind me made a

similar remark after the Preston match. There must be a lot of them around.

I''m also 25 so this may be a generational thing? I do agree that this board is embarrassing and lacking in proper debate. Every time I look in there appear to be personal fights going on and a bunch of old boys who think they own the board stirring things up.

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Actually Farmer it appears its not sensible debate you seek as its abundantly clear you have already formed an opinion that AN is the new Messiah.

You ask what we expected from the season....well I watch a lot of football and on paper the squads of both us and Newcastle are head and shoulders above the rest in this league

If both Norwich and Newcastle dont finish 10 or 12 points clear of the rest they have under achieved....as for the rest of the league there are possibly 6 clubs capable of a play off place....and less than 12 points will separate the other 16 at the end of the season.

This is not the competitive league some claim we have after all spent 4 of the last 5 yrs in the PL and have strengthened the squad since relegation

Our problems arent lack of talent....but more a case of lacking attitude and fight.

Perhaps one of the issue''s is the players think the same as I do.....and that promotion should be a formality ?

Difference is I know you still have to want it and be prepared to fight for it 95 minutes every single game !

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Some good points Farmer and the bigger picture is what keeps me in the Neil fold. I predicted a mid table position before the season kicked off - but that was because of a malaise from relegation, a poor-ish transfer period where we did not or COULD not build on the defence. We seemed just to be happy that Klose was staying. We desperately needed another striker and eventually landed one, but it was not convincing given all the talk and supposed bids. Neil was part of that, if not he main person responsible. So to answer your questions in terms of concerns: #1 concern - transfers. We seem to have assembled a team of midfielders and then have to loan them out, almost its a case that we have an embarassment of riches but cannot keep everyone more involved

#2 concern - game management - use of subs and ability to change momentum in most games. He seems to make poor choices (in my humble view as a fan)...This has continued from the Prem era. He has NOT learnt in my view though he has often said he is learning. I get most frustrated at this more than anything else. No wonder we do not seem to have a mindset to see matches out = somehow we have a soft underbelly. What is the saying? ...."The fish rots from the head" - it must be a matter of psychology - that IS his domain - agree with you though that players have to do their stuff - mostly they have been successful - we have to give them credit - as they wouldn''t be in 4th

#3 concern - he seems to be stubborn and continues to play his favourite players despite form. Can you admit Bradfy is well off the pace for example? He is nothing like the determined and exciting player he is for ROI. He has his 11 and it rarely changes - many other reasonable posters say the same thing

So these are my 3 points - as stated I am backing him and cannot think of a better person just yet. I could get excited by Clough being in charge but then that is more because I think he is growing into the role still - yet would admit he has not overwhelmed at most levels. Plus he wouldn''t come anyway now from where he is. I would like to have seen Bruce and as aboard member I would have approached him when he left Hull. He knows how to get teams up. Alex Neil though is doing well enough so why wouldn''t you stick rather than twist? The board at Norwich has never been one for lots of changes in any era really - we do not over-react. I like that even though its the conservative Norfolk way.

I think if we slip from the top 6 and look like going backwards come end of November then the board will act. I am worried but it still is too early to over-react. He can turn this around and I pray that he will. We potentially have a great bunch of players.

Is this reasoned enough for you Farmer? And I agree there are some posters who are problematic on here being very aggressive and personal in their posts - but you get people like that in life. You have to sort out the wheat from the chaff - you should post more often. Sometimes life is a mirror - what you get is what you give!

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Farmer, just a point on the Preston goal, I believe the players are set up on how to defend set pieces by AN prior to the match. So if AN sets them up to mark zonally and opposition players are left unmarked, that responsibility has to fall on AN.

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