AGM last night

[gazzathegreat 0]

Well, what can I say, I never realised Nigel or indeed anyone could use the word "situation" so much in an evening.  Every answer to every question he used it, our injuries were due to "situations". We couldn''t buy anyone with class due to "situations".  ARRRGGGGHHHH

To be fair, the first part of the meeting was pretty standard fare, plus a nice video about getting disabled people involved in football.  There must have been about 600 people there. 

To start with most of the regular club faithful seemed to be wheeled out and stated that although disappointed with the football they were fully behind Worthy and the board.  It wasn''t until a far way into the questions that tactics and injuries were discussed.  Funnily enough, Munby seemed to know quite a lot of the question raisers personally (?).  He was quite rattled by one or two questions, as was Nigel who had a real go at people on messageboards posting rumours.  Apparently a lot of players use these board and are upset with what is on them.  He was, to be fair only addressing rumours concerning players and their personal lives, but he did go on a bit about people on the internet not having the guts to use their real names etc, etc.

I was under the impression that when I posted rumours about our missing midfield it was based on fact, not gossip, but there you are!

Far more worrying was the complete head in sand approach

"We have only played one bad game all season - QPR"

Injuries were the cause of our bad start to the season, players are only played out of position because of the "situation" - Worthy was asked about constant offsides and playing people out of position of course, but as above, said this was because of the injury "situation!"

I had only had an orange juice, but felt as if I was really p*****.

So, pretty standard stuff, DD, your question was asked in a roundabout way and the reply was

"We have every faith in Nigel and his staff to turn it around"

God help us all. 

Trying to be as unbiased as possible, I would say it was a mainly pro Worthy bunch asking questions, but there was a lot of dissent and mutterings around us.  Munby looked a bit rattled at the end and closed the questions just as they were becoming interesting. 

[bushy 0]

Thanks for the update and sounds a little worrying, of course now is the time given the ''news views'' of a positive reaction to worthy we will all be classed as paranoid for continuing to doubt the manager.

It appears as though they have gone for the emperors new clothes approach and if everybody says something is good then we will all believe it-some good old fashioned labour spin

How refreshing

[ZLF 271]

It does all seem a bit too stage managed.   All the ''pro worthy'' stalwarts sitting centrally together and at the front while the hoi poloi had to make do with being around the periphary;  questions understandably taken front the eye catching front and central area first then long rambling non sensical answers from Worthy eating into the allotted Q&A time slot ensuring that the meetier questions were left no time to be put or answered.  

Superb job done bythe PR team and Doncaster, with the latter particularly astute in these types of situations.

OTBC 

[Birchington Yellow 0]

Thanks for the report Gazza, haven''t been able to find any reports anywhere, were there any protests outside the meeting ?

[gazzathegreat 0]

Birchington

No, didn''t see anything as we went in and only one bored policeman outside when we left.

There are plenty of quotes and stuff about the AGM on WOTB if you can trawl down to about 10.30 onwards last night.  Saw many posters there (from this board and WOTB) and although we don''t all agree with what should be done, we all felt the club is burying its head in the sand over the whole thing.

[ZLF 271]

For the record I like my moniker; it is not an anonymous tool for vieled attacks on the club and I would more than welcome any contact by PM or e-mail - which includes my name - from the club to elicit my views.  I am more than happy for the pink un to share my e-mail address with the club.

I find it insulting that the club I passionately love and support choses to denigrate me for holding a view that 20th position in the championship with worsening performances is unacceptable.

OTBC 

[Ian 1,129]

I was under the impression Worthy was attacking people who were spreading rumours about Leon, Deano etc - as opposed to legitimate supporters who are entitled to their views. Perhaps what he meant was that some people will say things on here and other boards that they wouldn''t dream of saying if they were actually held responsible for their statements, or had to say it to someone''s face.

However, I''m sure the players and Worthy must realise that this is what happens on pretty much all message boards - I find it quite surprising to hear that professional footballers are getting upset over baseless rumours/allegations made on what is effectively an unmoderated forum (CanariesWorld that is, not PinkUn). I suppose it at least shows that the players who do view the boards at least still care about the club!

Can anyone who was at the AGM clarify Worthy''s statement please?

[Pete Raven 276]

The site''s down at the moment but when it''s back up this is part of the top story...

Norwich City manager Nigel Worthington took a furious swipe at the faceless people spreading “unfounded rumours” about his players to bring a surprisingly smooth annual meeting to life at Carrow Road last night.
The gathering of the club’s shareholders had been a rather routine affair, with only the occasional awkward question on City’s poor start to the season, when Beverley Johnson stood up and asked the manager about the stories currently doing the rounds about various individuals’ private lives.

The rumours have been largely peddled by anonymous contributors to websites and message boards and Worthington spoke of his disgust at their antics as he firmly refuted suggestions that issues outside football were contributing to his side’s lack of success on the pitch.

“I can honestly say, hand on heart, that these rumours are unfounded,” the Norwich boss told the 600-plus shareholders who made it standing room only in the Barclay Stand’s Norfolk Lounge.

“I think it’s disgusting and an absolute disgrace that people should stoop as low as that. It’s an easy thing to do because they don’t even put their name to what they are saying. They just stick something on a website, message board or whatever – and then run off.

“The individual that has been mentioned is then left with different things hanging against his name.

“None of the rumours that are on the circuit are true. The spirit and camaraderie at the football is first class. And all the rumours that are going round are doing nothing but damage to individual players, which is downright unfair.

“I am sure there are one or two fans throwing petrol on the fire, but people from outside the county, who support other clubs, can stick things on as well. I just thing it’s a shame that people can get away with this type of thing and that no action can be taken against them because they haven’t gut the guts to put their name it. “They can get away with saying such downgrading things and that really annoys me.”

[sheded 0]

[quote]For the record I like my moniker; it is not an anonymous tool for vieled attacks on the club and I would more than welcome any contact by PM or e-mail - which includes my name - from the club to elici...[/quote]

Don`t go half-cocked  ZLF !   Nigel was on about  message board posters  coming up with gossip about players private lives !   he certainly can`t moan  about  opinions of players  lives as applied to their performances  etc.

The outcome was predictable , there`s far to many  unpredictable   scenerio`s  attached to sacking Nigel !  , cost to the club , would players who support him  leave too ?  would the new manager  actually do any better ?   or would he preside over a complete collapse  in morale in the team  ??     and maybe  a rapid slide to relegation  ....   all this COULD happen !  the board has chosen stability  over speculation  at this time , and I couldn`t blame them  , maybe  Nigel will have a bit of luck  in the near future , and turn things around ,  but its also up to the players to take their share of the blame !   so called strikers who keep missing   chances ...

Drop Greeno !!   he`s  the one constant  in goals scored against us ,  both this season , and last !   no way is he prem class ,  we have three other keepers  [ why ? ]   the trainers will know who is best out of those three ,  pick him !!   

[Kathy 733]

Worthington referred to people on the message boards, the media, people writing in the paper, people going on the radio and people going on the tele in one big lump, inferring they were cowardly disloyal and trouble making. I find this offensive as particularly on this board there is quality writing and the posts are well thought out. True there is some very offensive stuff elsewhere but as someone who does a bit in the press and on the radio, I do not like being pigeon holed.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Thanks for that gazza.  How very very despressing.  I''ve heard from one or two other people that it was very stage managed with not a true fan sample at all.  How can the board be so blind?  It''s obviously going to take more than a couple of embarrassing defeats to push Worthington out

[Old Boy 0]

Who knows what a "true fan sample" actually is? Maybe it was that. Standing on the Barclay and hearing (and joining in with) "Worthington''s Green Army" chanting on Saturday makes me think it probably was. Mind you, by the end of the game the atmosphere had changed a bit. And surely it''s right that rumours about players'' personal lives should be off-limits.

As regards only playing badly in the QPR game, I didn''t go to the QPR game, but what depressed me about the Sheff Wed game was that we did play badly despite the "work ethic" appearing to be there. It was the first game I''ve seen this season where the wheels really appeared to be coming off. Confidence was definitely lacking, but confidence comes from knowing you''ve done the correct preparation, and knowing what you''re expected to do. No sign of that last Saturday.

[ZLF 271]

[quote]Who knows what a "true fan sample" actually is? Maybe it was that. Standing on the Barclay and hearing (and joining in with) "Worthington''s Green Army" chanting on Saturday makes me think it probably ...[/quote]

Fair does - many apologies for my hyper-sensitivity!

OTBC

[Herb 0]

[quote]Thanks for that gazza. How very very despressing. I''ve heard from one or two other people that it was very stage managed with not a true fan sample at all. How can the board be so blind? It''s obvi...[/quote]

So it should! Are you seriously advocating a system where the managers sacked after 3 bad results as was common in Italy a few years ago?

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

[quote]So it should! Are you seriously advocating a system where the managers sacked after 3 bad results as was common in Italy a few years ago?[/quote]

3 bad results? 3 Herb?  Lets see:

Coventry, should have won (bad result 1),

Crewe, should have won (bad result 2),

Leeds, should have won (bad result 3),

Stoke, spectacularly inept and embarrassing performance (bad result 4), 

Watford, spectacularly inept and embarrassing performance (bad result 5),

Reading, poor performance against a good side (bad result 6),

Millwall, should have won against a very poor side (bad result 7),

Luton, capitulation and humiliation (bad result 8),

QPR, capitulation, humiliation and generally the worst Norwich game I have witnessed in over 5 years (bad result 9),

Sheff Wed, poor performance and defeat against a very VERY poor side who haven''t won away all season (bad result 10).

3 bad results?  I don''t bloody think so.  The only games we have looked like a half decent side is Plymouth (first half), Hull (first half), Ipswich and Brighton.

[We need a Manager 0]

3 bad results Herb ? do we really have to get relegated again before you people wake up .

[CambridgeCanary 0]

[quote]So it should! Are you seriously advocating a system where the managers sacked after 3 bad results as was common in Italy a few years ago?[/quote]

Herb, which three particular bad results do you have in mind out the many there have been over the last 18 months?

[Syteanric 1]

much as im now well and truly in the "anti- Worthy" camp i will admit he is right what he says about Rumours about certain players..

 Looking back at some of the things that have been made up about players it is genuinely laughable! the people who make up this tripe should write for eastenders....

 I might be Anti Worthy and i might of been protesting on Saturday but i will agree with him on this matter that Certain people need to grow up...

 Although, perhaps it might be fair to point out to Worthy that when someones Registers to an internet message board they have to register with their full name anyway.... Also, if the rumours are started on the official site then i do wonder why the moderators/admin arent doing their job and removing them?

 This means that chances are the club have the real names of those posting such tosh anyway, and if they want to act so be it!

I dont start rumours on here or elsewhere... i just report on what i see on the Pitch, Read in the EDP or hear/see in the local TV and Radio.

jas

[ZLF 271]

[quote]So it should! Are you seriously advocating a system where the managers sacked after 3 bad results as was common in Italy a few years ago?[/quote]

But that is the crux Herb - it is not just three games, it is a repeat of last years failings which is why I feel that the inclusion of last years results is relevant - its a morbid version of groundhog day for me. 

No one can justify a knee jerk reaction to just three games (any way it is four consecutive defeats and a poor point against Millwall) but in 54 league games since we were promoted we have won just 11 and lost 27 games.  That is relegation form in whatever league you look at - not apples for apples - winning 4 and losing 8 of 16 is also relegation form.  

In both seasons we should have won more & lost less games than we actually did.  In both seasons we have seen tinkering with formations, players out of position, some players dropped after 1 poor performance while others have been allowed to underperform for months on end without being dropped and players with footballing ability have not been picked in preference to hard working but less talented individuals.   On top of this a lack of squad building by going into a season with just 4 midfielders is indeed planning to fail.

It is not a knee jerk no matter how hard you try to paint it as such.  I am not in a small club of just a dozen or so fans as the clubs trys to portray.  Outside of message boards I know of NO fans who feel Worthy should stay.  That proves nothing other than it is more than a small band of neer do wells looking to destabalise the club.  

I also feel that Worthy will still be here at Xmas no matter what the results or performances are like.

 

OTBC      

[AJ 1,218]

[quote]The site''s down at the moment but when it''s back up this is part of the top story... Norwich City manager Nigel Worthington took a furious swipe at the faceless people spreading “unfounded rumours”...[/quote]

sounds like worthy and the players read messageboards then!

 

"then run off" well most users on here are very very regular ones, and i must say the rumours come from many people, i myself have posted what i have heard and am just posting my worries about the rumours to share with the rest of you.

Whats to say nigel doesnt come on here and do it  (for those that are poor on picking up on sarcasm...... well that was a joke)