Club in decline? Naaah......

[lake district canary 4,713]

The club is not "in decline" - it is evolving, as it always has had to. We have had bad times in the past - usually because of absolutely dire amounts of debt and we are nowhere near that kind of state - we are restructuring exactly to make sure we don''t get into that kind of state. We still have a great club to support and we still have a structure within it to be proud of, with what is recognised by many footballing people as a progressive and up to date management set up and financially sustainable policy.  So we don''t have a chinese billionare, so be it, the grass isn''t  always greener.......   The football may not be as exciting as we want - that will change, it always does. We may be selling some players......good, we need to.  Time will tell how we progress up or down the ladder, it is football - clubs never stay in the same place for very long - and the good times ALWAYS come out of bad times.  So if things get bad, the answer is not to walk away, it is to accept it and know that things will improve again.  #In decline? I don''t think so.  I''d still rather be supporting Norwich than some of these rich clubs.....Wolves are the flavour of the moment in this league....would we want to be them?  No, I didn''t think so.  

[Dean Coneys boots 1,484]

I would love Norwich to be in wolves place at present l. You really do seem to have Zero ambition and would never ever complain even when being exploited. You are a dictators dream! But you leave me scratching my head repeatedly trying to work out if you are:

1) Delia in disguise

2) an Ipswich fan taking the pee

3) the most optimistic man on earth

[Indy 3,425]

Totally agree, my mate still harps on about his good old days at Maine Road, when they had little money, fluctuating between premiership to the third division. He hates watching champions league football in a huge plush stadium, with world class players.

Those who don’t have rich sugar daddy’s, Leicester we’re a shitty little club, I’m sure they will also rather be back to a championship club just treading water selling any asset to fund survival.

I’m not bothered where we go, it’s our lot but to say we’re not in decline and you’d rather Norwich are where we are or swap with Man City then that’s a tad sad and lacking in ambition for our club.

Still you’ll be happy for a long time then Lakey as we will be evolving for a good few years, to what is anyone’s guess.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Look at our squad 12 months ago and tell me we are not in decline

[JF 694]

Wolves are the flavour of the moment in this league....would we want to be them? No, I didn''t think so.

A quick look at their forums and they are literally littered with posts bemoaning their new found wealth and likely PL status, with finances that will give them a chance to compete. They would far rather be in our shoes with our self financing, local ownership model.....

[JF 694]

Dean Coney''s boots wrote the following post at 12/01/2018 6:31 PM:

I would love Norwich to be in wolves place at present l. You really do seem to have Zero ambition and would never ever complain even when being exploited. You are a dictators dream! But you leave me scratching my head repeatedly trying to work out if you are:

1) Delia in disguise

2) an Ipswich fan taking the pee

3) the most optimistic man on earth

You missed 4) a troll that deliberately posts opinions that he knows will get a bite for attention

[......and Smith must score. 1,515]

Well according to the club we didn''t need to sell players and it''s a shame the good times were so quickly replaced but with your DNA being 100% ''happy clapper '' I accept that your take on all things Norwich won''t ever change.To be fair us cynics have the same problem.

[king canary 8,377]

2015/16- 18th in Premier League

16/17- 8th in Championship

17/18- 13th after 26 games.

How else do you define decline?

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

Typical Lake District Clapper, ignoring all the facts staring us in the face that shows we are very much on the decline. You’re either clueless, deluded, naive or on the wind up. I suspect you’re all of these. To you and all the others burying their heads in the sand, I’d ask you to honestly answer the following:-

1) Do you enjoy us selling all our best players? It’s highly unlikely we’ll replace Pritchard with the same quality.

2) How do you see us staying afloat under the current owners? Clue: by selling our best players.

3) How do you expect us to be competitive in this division without the ability to invest in quality players?

4) Would you rather have investment, with the chance of promotion or no investment and a smaller chance of promotion?

5) If we’re such a community driven family club, why have we the 8th most expensive cheapest tickets in the country?

6) Have you enjoyed the football this season? How do you expect it to improve once we sell our best players?

7) Have you any ambition for us to be anything more than a lower half Championship club? Or worse, League One.

8) What have the current owners achieved in twenty years? Same division, training ground in need of an upgrade, mid table second tier club. All this despite five years of PL football.

[Making Plans 957]

[quote user="lake district canary"]The club is not "in decline" [/quote]I agree LDC, it''s worse than decline - ever decreasing circles, freefall, slump, plunge,

[lake district canary 4,713]

[quote user="king canary"]2015/16- 18th in Premier League

16/17- 8th in Championship

17/18- 13th after 26 games.

How else do you define decline?[/quote]Decline would be something which meant the club were on an ever increasing spiral of poor results allied to a spiralling out of control debt which would lead to the end of the club as we know it, administration and even the pissibility of going out of business altogether.  That is what decline leads to.  We are not in decline. Oh and to whom it may concern, there are enough people who know me that know I am no troll, so you can stick that accusation where the sun doesn''t shine and try and answer the argument rather than dismissing it.  Easy to just dismiss the argument as some internet game rather than try and reason with it, eh?  If we have been ever been in decline and heading for armageddon, it was in 2008/9 when we had few players of our own and spiralling debt.  The present situation, while not ideal or even enjoyable, is nothing compared to that.

[lake district canary 4,713]

err..."possibility".

[Making Plans 957]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Decline would be something which meant the club were on an ever increasing spiral of poor results allied to a spiralling out of control debt which would lead to the end of the club as we know it[/quote]Yep, that sounds just like us. Whichever way you look at it we are in decline and we haven''t bottomed out yet

[......and Smith must score. 1,515]

[quote user="lake district canary"]err..."possibility".

[/quote]Yeah...the other one is what Stuart Webber said we''d done up the wall.

[Making Plans 957]

[quote user="lake district canary"]err..."possibility".

[/quote]I think "pissibility" sums us up nicely

[JF 694]

Decline.

NOUN

a gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, or value:

Seems right to me

[......and Smith must score. 1,515]

[quote user="Making Plans"][quote user="lake district canary"]Decline would be something which meant the club were on an ever increasing spiral of poor results allied to a spiralling out of control debt which would lead to the end of the club as we know it[/quote]Yep, that sounds just like us. Whichever way you look at it we are in decline and we haven''t bottomed out yet[/quote]Spot on.We must have nicked the blueprint out of the Portman Rd safe. [:D]

[......and Smith must score. 1,515]

[quote user="Making Plans"][quote user="lake district canary"]err..."possibility".

[/quote]I think "pissibility" sums us up nicely[/quote][:D]

[king canary 8,377]

@ldc

So if we drop to league one but don''t rack up debt we''re not in decline?

[Rogue Baboon 0]

We are in decline. You are in denial.

The definition of the word decline, as posted above, sums us up.

But you knew that. You were just fishing for bites...

[Essjayess 307]

Completely agree and support what LDC wrote. As for you lot who talk about decline...are you meaning both financially and playing wise...i.e. our league position from season to season?..if its purely on where we finish each season, then make a graph...how many seasons would this graph  take in? 2? 5? 10? 20? 50? How about from 1960 until the present..apart from a decade ago when we slipped 2 divisions..the graph bar has remained very steadfast in the top two divisions, with occasional quicker or slower spikes pointing to the periods of relative steady seasons in one  certain division, or quicker  but still small spikes when we yo-yoed  a bit more...such as the last few years, but overall that near 60 year graph shows no decline...and its a no nonsense factual indicator.As for financial side, i hear the worn out record that is "ah but..without huge investment of millions upon millions of pounds pumped into the club by some rich sugar daddy investor, it gets harder each year for us to compete to get into the Prem" But the real truth?..its that its getting as hard as its ever been for ANY club to get into the Prem..be it with huge investment or not. 3 up 3 down...that does not change. Oh yea you say...the Bournemouths and Watfords  had big investment...they made it to the Prem...Huddersfield likewise had decent investment...got there. Wolves now doing the same..but thats the whole point!..each year more clubs get  a huge investment...which means each year there becomes  more clubs with big investment that fail..its so logical and simple. So what happens when these clubs like Watford, Huddersfield, Bourenemouth, Wolves manage a few seasons in the Prem?...just look at the Prem table now...it pushes clubs like Stoke, Southampton and Swansea, who''ve had a few seasons up there, into the mire. Just look at the Champs now...many with either big investment or being ex Prem..but only 3 will reach the Prem end season.So dont try tell me that being a rare self sustaining club makes it harder getting to the Prem...coz simple fact is, outside the top six clubs, its the same for ALL the other 86..no matter how much you pump into the coffers.

[ron obvious 1,643]

But the argument is that the decline is terminal. That in a couple of years we''ll be in the Conference, 3 years later we''ll be playing the Dog & Duck.

It happens every time we have a bad performance, & the noise increases if we have a bad run. Good runs are put down to luck.

It''s fear, a stupid, neurotic fear. Football tends to be cyclical - unless a club is extremely badly run & racks up huge unsustainable debt.

We are not badly run. The last 10 years near witness to that. You really have to look at us in context; there are much more traditionally high profile clubs that have had a far leaner time than us.

We''ve tried to stay in the Prem. by buying players who were expensive by our standards but generally weren''t quite up to it. We are now bearing the cost.

The present setup has really been thrust upon us. Something radical had to happen.

Personally I find it exciting. To see players like Trybull, Zimmermann & Lewis arrive out of obscurity & match the best in the division is inspiring. It means players like Godfrey (& I hope Thompson) get a chance to shine; some will succeed some won''t, some will be sold & make room for fresh talent. We might easily unearth another Maddison, rather than be bemoaning buying another Naismith.

So decline it is. Presently. But it won''t be by much, & we''ll reverse it once again before long.

[shaunieboy77 79]

It seems the clubs objective is to stay up. That''s a bit of a decline.

[Beetley Yellow 57]

We are apparently putting up for sale our most valuable playing assets to whoever shows an interest in order to stay financially afloat, yet have majority shareholders who appear almost totally closed to outside investment. Our ability to attract suitably quality players to match those departing is thus seriously limited. Unless we get seriously lucky very quickly it’s only going to go one way isn’t it?

[Iwans Big Toe 355]

[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="king canary"]2015/16- 18th in Premier League

16/17- 8th in Championship

17/18- 13th after 26 games.

How else do you define decline?[/quote]Decline would be something which meant the club were on an ever increasing spiral of poor results allied to a spiralling out of control debt which would lead to the end of the club as we know it, administration and even the pissibility of going out of business altogether.  That is what decline leads to.  We are not in decline. Oh and to whom it may concern, there are enough people who know me that know I am no troll, so you can stick that accusation where the sun doesn''t shine and try and answer the argument rather than dismissing it.  Easy to just dismiss the argument as some internet game rather than try and reason with it, eh?  If we have been ever been in decline and heading for armageddon, it was in 2008/9 when we had few players of our own and spiralling debt.  The present situation, while not ideal or even enjoyable, is nothing compared to that.

[/quote]You do realise that this is what''s happening at the moment don''t you?

[ron obvious 1,643]

Where is the spiralling debt?

[? 20]

[quote user="Indy"]Totally agree, my mate still harps on about his good old days at Maine Road, when they had little money, fluctuating between premiership to the third division. He hates watching champions league football in a huge plush stadium, with world class players.[/quote]

I actually do know a guy who thinks this way.

And, each to their own, but i reckon he''s got a point.

Everything about Man City has been changed by their money - from the crowd, the ground, the players, the media coverage, everything. They''ve even changed their badge. He meets ''lifelong'' Man City fans who have never heard of Shaun Goater, Kinkladze, Tony Book, or even Maine Road. He went, home and away, through one of the lowest periods in their history, yet everyone he discusses football with assumes he''s a ''plastic''.

What''s left to make it feel like the same club he grew up supporting?

Except for the colour of the shirt, he may as well have switched to supporting Man Utd.

[Essjayess 307]

[quote user="Beetley Yellow"]We are apparently putting up for sale our most valuable playing assets to whoever shows an interest in order to stay financially afloat, yet have majority shareholders who appear almost totally closed to outside investment. Our ability to attract suitably quality players to match those departing is thus seriously limited. Unless we get seriously lucky very quickly it’s only going to go one way isn’t it?[/quote]So silly a start to a post...our club has not at anytime  presently put any player up for sale..its become a norm for every transfer window for every club to have their best players in the transfer window..Pritch has gone...this happened to our club time and time again...as it has to all other clubs. So Yanic has gone to Cardiff..is he a more valuable asset than Maddison? Naismith has asked to leave the club...he looks likely to go...is he one of our most valuable assets?Not just about the ability to attract instant quality assets...as we know that takes much money..its as much about either signing up promising young guys  or the ones who make it thru the ranks..Maddison we bought cheap..nurtured him a year or so...now look at him...Josh spent many seasons here getting to where he is now...Jamal Lewis has enormous  prospects ahead of him...at 19 hes just starting  the climb. We have guys like Louis Thompson, Ben Godfrey, even newer ones like Simon Power and Adam Philips in the wings,,yes not all will make it big but i see no sign of a slow down in future prospects of young , hungry guys who can and will play for City and likely continue to  command good fees when they leave.Remember , was Webbers job to first get rid a to much old aged dead wood, the Whittakers, Turners, Laffertys, Bassongs, Mulumbus...things  are changing, much more emphasis on youth..its what was required, its what we are getting. Like Ron, i find it exciting watching this new evolve happening at City.

[lake district canary 4,713]

[quote user=""][quote user="Indy"]Totally agree, my mate still harps on about his good old days at Maine Road, when they had little money, fluctuating between premiership to the third division. He hates watching champions league football in a huge plush stadium, with world class players.[/quote]

I actually do know a guy who thinks this way.

And, each to their own, but i reckon he''s got a point.

Everything about Man City has been changed by their money - from the crowd, the ground, the players, the media coverage, everything. They''ve even changed their badge. He meets ''lifelong'' Man City fans who have never heard of Shaun Goater, Kinkladze, Tony Book, or even Maine Road. He went, home and away, through one of the lowest periods in their history, yet everyone he discusses football with assumes he''s a ''plastic''.

What''s left to make it feel like the same club he grew up supporting?

Except for the colour of the shirt, he may as well have switched to supporting Man Utd.[/quote]

Indeed. I have relatives who were generation by generation lifelong Man City supporters and who to a man gave up after seeing them being sold out and leaving Maine Rd. That was from the grandfather who was 83 at the time to the four sons and consequently the to the four grandchildren, all disillusioned by the PL and Man City''s sell out - and now follow the local team Hyde Utd. 

[Countryside Canary 0]

To the four cats, who in turn told the four mice who in turn told the four stoats! You do talk some utter squit LDC!