Discussion: So why would we be selling anyone?

[Yellow Rose of Texas 0]

As has been commented several times, on paper we have one of the most talented squads of players in this division. What we don''t apparently have is them working together as a team, playing to their individual strengths, or determined to go out and destroy the opposition with the type of attacking football we expect Norwich City to produce.

I do accept that its almost impossible to reach the playoffs this year, but establishing an upper mid table position, as the form team in the division and with fresh momentum to be carried over to a push on next year should be perfectly achievable.

So how could we do that? Change the management structure or wholesale changes to the staff?

Fact is, like the manager, most of the key playing staff are contract, and as a result I frankly don''t think we should care what they may think about their right to leave and play elsewhere. For example, would we be better off if we had put Francis in the reserves last Summer until his head came around to the reality he was on a long term contract with Norwich? The players couldn''t possibly lose any more of their transfer value than they have so far this year as a result. And at the rate we are losing games, its doubtful the team would suffer from their exclusion.

Financially, Norwich have the best support in the division, and parachute payments for this season and next. We have been told we don''t need to sell anyone, and we shouldn''t.

I believe that the team has sufficient quality to overcome it''s deficiencies, but not its tactics. Green, Drury, Colin, Shackell and Doherty should be sufficiently strong to stop the goals going in. Huckerby, Aston and McKenzie are sufficiently talented to score a couple a game at the other end. That leaves three positions in the middle, and if we accept the proposition that we don''t have the necessary talent there for a playoff push this year, I don''t accept that we have so little talent in the club that we can''t organize a midfield combination that can successfully link the back four with the front three.

I don''t think that we are going to do a Forest. I''m more concerned that in January we are going to complete the transition of a club that has always sought to entertain and excite into a Wimbledon. Although I''m in the USA, I suspect that there''s a reason 25,000 people turn up each week and that it isn''t to see us win or be in the Premiership (although both are undeniably nice) its to be entertained, and that''s a mixture of winning more than you are losing, and playing with skill at the same time.

Right now the depressing thing is we are doing neither. Management''s responsibility is to sort that out. But selling the quality players to bring some others in that can stave off a possible relegation. Give me strength! There is enough talent in the club to pull through.

My suggestion to Mr. Worthington and the rest of the management team is that they need to get tough, but not stubborn. Set out a public strategy for success - messages such as at NCFC we have principles and they are a) b) c) etc, and we are going to do that, in this timeframe. It doesn''t mean messages that we just have to work harder. People will work hard and follow leadership, when the rots sets in is when people don''t believe the direction of that leadership, or that the leader has given up. I think that is where we are at now. Either the management can get the team and the supporters united around a common set of goals, or they should step aside for someone else to assume the leadership role.

[lucky green trainers 0]

you''re correct in most of what you say texas, but the facts are quality

costs money as demonstrated by the fact the entire clubs budget has

been consumed by a small squad, despite having sell out 25,000 gates

and a prem parachute payment. 

In hindsight, the midfield worthy bought in the summer was too weak and

we''ve failed to adequately replace francis and holt, leaving our

defence exposed and our attack undersupplied. Now the whole team is

lacking in confidence and playing poorly.

City don''t do public statements.  The board and club keep quite

and the only public strategy they''ve got is to keep faith with worthy

and their prudence with ambition policy.