Please can we stop banging on about Wembley?

[6088m canary 0]

It has been quite interesting to see the amount of posts mentioning Wembley whenever the topic of getting rid of AN comes up.

I am most certainly not an early morning wheely-bin hauling Suffolk tw*t but isn''t it slightly tinpot to be banging on about "Wembley"??

We won a competition to effectively come third in a division we really should have finished in the top two of. Even with the huge boost that AN coming in gave us, we still could have crept into the top two but blew a big game (how many times has that happened since?) and ended up in the playoffs. Yes I''m sure it was a great day out and I''m sure it will live in the memories but it was not the Milk Cup or even an FA Cup semi final.

I''m quite amazed by the amount of goodwill a successful day out in North London has given AN. It really is true that at ANY other club in the country the ground would have turned and the manager would be long gone by now.

Are we just far too nice (not necessarily a bad thing), too apathetic or just too blinded by the kind of rubbish they put out on social media every day of the week to stand up and get the manager out? Yes, there are other problems that we can debate all day (ownership, investment) but the simple fact is this team is badly prepared, shockingly organised, utterly unbalanced, shot of confidence, lacking in fight and under-performing at a level that no other club in the country would stand for. Despite the problems upstairs only one person is responsible for that.

[Mister Chops 7]

So, you weren''t there yourself then?

It was probably my best football day ever, shared with family and good friends. Its the sort of day that made being a football fan worthwhile.

I don''t think it unreasonable that people "bang on" about it.

[City 2nd 191]

Mister Chops wrote the following post at 2017-03-10 8:31 AM:

So, you weren''t there yourself then?

It was probably my best football day ever, shared with family and good friends. Its the sort of day that made being a football fan worthwhile.

I don''t think it unreasonable that people "bang on" about it.

So why, even recently, are those down the A140, vilified for "banging on" about their historical past!!

It''s gone, exactly that, brilliant day or whatever, get over it, the here and now matters!

[Herman 9,692]

Only if people stop banging on about players we sold ages ago. (See BJ thread).

[Crabbycanary3 994]

It definitely beats, hands down, an FA Cup semi final, for me

It was a GREAT day out, and I was privileged to be there, and it will live with me for the rest of my life, as they are special moments in people''s (football fans) lives.

You know why people are mentioning it, in context of what is happening right now, less than 2 years after that amazing day.

[Mister Chops 7]

The difference being, City 2nd, is that a lot of the people banging on about scummer history weren''t even born when it happened, far less were actually there.

[lake district canary 4,530]

[quote user="6088m canary"]Yes I''m sure it was a great day out and I''m sure it will live in the memories but it was not the Milk Cup or even an FA Cup semi final.[/quote]

Wembley was less than two years ago and still fresh in the memory.  It was as good as the Milk Cup imo, if not better, in terms of experience, simply because of the new Wembley Stadium having a better overall view and noise levels - and the fact that we went there and dominated the game scoring two excellent goals, the first goals scored by our players in our history. Mind you, looking at these highlights, 1985 was pretty well up there with two years ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev6TNDDhIw4

 

[Lessingham Canary 99]

Mr Chops wrote;

It was probably my best football day ever, shared with family and good friends. Its the sort of day that made being a football fan worthwhile.

I don''t think it unreasonable that people "bang on" about it.

Mr Chops has it bang on, nobody can take that day from the memories of those that were there, and imo, Alex Neil guided us through the play offs and tactically had it bang on against both 1p5wich and Boro, Will live in my mind as a highlight of being a Norwich City fan.

However the credits it bought AN have expired for me, i can see the board having a restructure (Finance man heading up day 2 day operations, and a sporting / football director for all footballing matters) and only then will they consider making any change, so no amount of keyboard gesticulating will change that.

[king canary 7,558]

I disagree we should stop talking about Wembley - as others have mentioned it was one of the best days supporting this club.

However I do agree that it doesn''t make up for the 18 months of shite Neil has saved up since.

[Van wink 2,994]

Wembley was a multiple bonus browny point jackpot for AN and quite rightly so.

He''s used those browny points up now and is in deficit, the joy of Wembley is a stand alone event which we will always have with us and I will always thank AN for but for me it has very little influence over how I feel about where we are now and AN''s current position.

[TCCANARY 263]

Some additions to the ''can we stop banging on about'' subject,L1BowkettMcNallyLambertChaseDelia saved the clubWatling saved the club 

[GJP 79]

Apart from remembering it as a great occasion it should serve as a reference point - that we are a worse team now than then.

[hogesar 9,607]

It''s a relevant success on AN''s CV but it''s also a damning indictment that, as GJP says, we''ve become worse under him with millions spent.

[Tumbleweed 106]

Great day, maybe the best ever in 40 years as a City supporter, but as some have said the credits for that day are long gone. The old cliché is right- its a results business and results, performances and many other things since that day have proved that it could well have been the exception rather than the norm as far as AN is concerned.

Can we add BJ and morty to TC''s list? Plus scampi portions.

[Guest]

It is relevant I think but not in the manner that some keep using it.

It is now only a plot on the graph of success in the terms of NCFC. But the plots on the graph graph are spiralling downwards.

For supporters, it is one of the great days out. And it would be strange if supporters still didn''t have fond memories.

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="TCCANARY"]Some additions to the ''can we stop banging on about'' subject,L1BowkettMcNallyLambertChaseDelia saved the clubWatling saved the club [/quote]BJMortyScampi

[Tumbleweed 106]

Excellent!

Looking forward to the day when we can add Alex Neil to the list.

[Greavsy 2,412]

Why didn''t we get a star on our shirts for the win at Wembley.. 😁😁😁😁

[alex_ncfc 644]

It''s obviously fine and good to remember and talk about events like the Wembley playoff, but I believe not in a way to justify and base future decisions on. Bit like the "Manager of the month for September", AN....

[Ray 111]

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the Wembley experience I wonder what my enjoyment level would have been had we lost?

IMO too much is made of AN’s ‘skill’ in guiding us to the Premier League, history shows that during that season our form month by month was as follows;

August – W3, D1, L1

Sept – W3, D1, L1

Oct – W1, D3, L1

Nov – W0, D1, L3

Dec – W3, D1, L1

Yes, we had a bad run under NA in November, but then the decline was halted and we started to climb the table again in December, when we won three, drew one and lost one and two of the wins were 5 – 0 and 6 – 1.

Sacked after a 2 – 1 loss away at Reading, NA disappeared off the radar and along comes an unknown, AN. We won our next game after going down to ten men at Bournemouth but the change made which allowed us to go on and win the game was not AN’s doing, it was our Captain’s, although given the choices he was faced with from the bench and the Captain, he did add his support to the Captain’s suggestion.

We then continued our run, however the alarm bells started to ring for me when we played Brentford at home on 24th Jan, a 2 –1 defeat, the defeat wasn’t what made me question the ability of our manager but more the selection of Whitts as holding midfield, I know we were suffering injuries but just the wrong selection as far as I was concerned, there were better choices IMO.

Then the defeats against Wigan and Middlesbrough compounded my worries, again not because we lost per se but because AN appeared to be out thought.

These concerns re-surfaced throughout the following season in the Prem when he was again out thought in a number of games toward the end of the season, which culminated in our relegation.

If it was obvious to me that all the above was a learning curve and that learning was being put to good use this season, then I would accept the failings as a price worth paying, unfortunately there appears to be no visible sign of any learning.

Now we have backed ourselves into a similar position the Americans did a few months ago re what decision do we take (Clinton or Trump) and just like the Yanks, it is of our own doing.

Where to from here, well there needs to be a healing process, but let’s remember any healing process means a reversing of the problem that made you sick in the first place and will probably be just as painful.

[The Big Bad Wolf 0]

Wembley was a great day out, but as VW mentions, the brownie points gained by AN have been more than used up. Look at what happened at Leicester. A much greater achievement than coming third in the champs, but the manager couldn''t recreate anywhere near the same in the following season, and the decision to sack him has probably saved them from relegation. Success as a manager buys you time and respect but AN can no longer get a tune from the players. Wembley will always be remembered but it is now history and irrelevant in the current context of our current predicament. No time for sentiment. As Darren Eadie recently said no other championship manager (with promotion aspirations) would have survived...only NCFC seem to stick with it. Continually mentioning Wembley does seem like trying to prop up a failing manager. Time to change the tune and plan for a better future...with new leadership. Wolf.

[Greavsy 2,412]

Wembley was a great day out, and a good time to be a city supporter.

However, it was a play off, not a cup final. Hence the entire debates of play offs, semi finals at Wembley etc.

Would it hold the same regard as say we had finished 2nd, which would have obviously been a better achievement, footballwise, but without the memories of a magical day out, or the play off victory over the scummers.

[nutty nigel 7,506]

If this achievement of past years isn''t relevant to now then none of the club''s poor seasons are either.

Nice to see some recognition for Neil Adams at last though...

[ROBFLECK 132]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]So, you weren''t there yourself then?

It was probably my best football day ever, shared with family and good friends. Its the sort of day that made being a football fan worthwhile.

I don''t think it unreasonable that people "bang on" about it.[/quote]

Your best football day ever? That''s relative... I was at olympic stadium in Munich when Gossy scored that belter... This just means you haven''t been supporting ncfc long ... I think we have missed a few chances of becoming a settled PL side like West Brom or Stoke, just by bad management (manager and bod). Our manager now has not got the talent to get us back up again and he needs to be replaced

[Van wink 2,994]

"Would it hold the same regard as say we had finished 2nd, which would have obviously been a better achievement, footballwise, but without the memories of a magical day out, or the play off victory over the scummers. "

Fair point Greavsy. A great day indeed but could be perversely regarded as a celebration of failure.

[Greavsy 2,412]

@vw.

Not a celebration of failure as we did get promoted, but there is more glory attached to winning the play off than 2nd place.

That said, was a cracking day out with family and friends, and one I''m glad to have shared with my son, and hope he thinks back and remembers it as I do the milk cup final in 85 with my own father.

Surely that''s what football is about?

[shaunieboy77 73]

The glory and the magic of winning the play off final sure beats finishing 2nd.. A great day but need to move on

[Greavsy 2,412]

shaunieboy77 wrote the following post at 10/03/2017 2:13 PM:

The glory and the magic of winning the play off final sure beats finishing 2nd.. A great day but need to move on

@shaunieboy.

Was undoubtedly as good day out, but should the team finishing 3-6 get that, where as the team in 2nd slip under the radar. Teams 1st and 2nd have a couple more weeks to prepare for premiership, but playoff winners you would hope could carry on their momentum.

[Van wink 2,994]

Momentum is fine, the problem for us was it put is well back in preparations for the summer transfer market, that window was very poorly prepared for.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]If this achievement of past years isn''t relevant to now then none of the club''s poor seasons are either.

Nice to see some recognition for Neil Adams at last though...

[/quote]

 

(Sadly) NA''s record in the championship is looking better by the day, compared to this season.   

I think the Wembley success is definitely still relevant to AN''s credit... but as several have said, subsequent poor performance means his balance is now well overdrawn.