Amen Richard Balls

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Superb

Fans and board set for head-on collision

RICHARD BALLS

By anyone''s standards, this season has been a stinker. Supporters with understandably high expectations have had to swallow one bitter pill after another: lamentable performances against pathetic teams at Carrow Road (a 1-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday!); accepting that automatic promotion was beyond us at a very early stage, and then - having been lulled into a false sense of security in December - seeing our play-off ambitions similarly crumble.

However, the performance and result inflicted on yet another passionate, capacity crowd on Sunday was not just another disappointment or setback. It was an insult.

“The soft option is to make changes,” said chairman Roger Munby as he rushed loyally to Nigel Worthington''s aid with a vote of confidence speech. “The tougher one is actually to stick to what you believe in. And by sticking together, you are both better informed and better equipped to deal with and monitor the situation.”

As with the manager''s candid post-match comments about some of his players, the more times you make such public comments, the more hollow the ring. The odd vote of confidence in a manager during a particularly sticky patch is one thing, but they are becoming a regular feature of this season. Fans'' patience is wearing thin and if the board are determined to stand by their man, whatever the results on the pitch, then the two are on a collision course.

Ipswich''s scrambled winner in front of the Barclay End on Sunday proved too much for some fans and brought an anger that has been simmering for some time pouring out onto the terraces.

I cannot remember feeling so enraged and ashamed at a Norwich performance for years and while Munby said that it took directors “a number of hours” to get it out of their system, it will take many of us longer still. But it was not just that we had lost to probably the weakest side the Tractor Boys have fielded for 11 years that lit the touch paper, but rather the sense that something is fundamentally wrong at our club.

Munby admitted this week that the board are “acutely concerned about the performances of the team”. He said they would do everything “to help the manager and his staff in terms of producing the kind of turnaround that we all wish to see”. But what more could the board possibly do? They provided the finances to keep Dean Ashton here back in August, they gave Worthy the all-clear to spend £450,000 on Dickson Etuhu, and Delia and Michael dug deep once again to bankroll the £50,000 signing of Carl Robinson.

Then, with City fans hiding behind their sofas as Worthy prepared to splash the Ashton cash, they approved the £3.5m investment in Robert Earnshaw and the arrival of another two loan players (have we now set a club record?). All they can do now is sit back like the rest of us and hope that their unshakable faith in him is repaid with a miraculous run of results and a play-off place. Anything less will be wholly unacceptable given the resources the manager has had at his disposal and the loyalty of supporters who should be the envy of clubs around the country.

Worthy cites injuries as being at the root of the problem, with 85 separate injuries this season compared to 22 two years ago. So what does it say that amidst this personnel crisis, that the team he has fielded in recent weeks has featured so many of the players he has brought here since August? Peter Thorne, Andy Hughes, Jurgen Colin, Dickson Etuhu all played at Reading, where we were outclassed all over the pitch. Hughes and Etuhu also started the game against Ipswich although the duo - who cost this club the best part of £1m - were both taken off at half-time having made little impact.

Worthy accepted our passing was “non-existent” against Ipswich, but who constructed that midfield? And tell me this. Apart from Leon McKenzie, what other key City player has been unavailable through injury? Must we wait for Matthieu Louis-Jean to return to the starting-line-up before we can actually start defending?

Sure, the treatment room has been like Piccadilly Circus, but in no way should this be allowed to deflect from the genuine questions that supporters are asking, of which these are just a few:

Why does the team defend so deep in almost every game?

Why did we play a 4-3-3 formation (including Simon Charlton in midfield) against rampant Reading, a side known for its attacking and penetrating wide play?

Why were City offside 10 times against Ipswich compared to their one offence?

Why are the players developed by our academy not graduating to the first team (and I don''t mean token appearances in the dying minutes of FA Cup matches)?

Why was such a promising young player as Danny Crow released by the club?

Why is our reserve side performing so abysmally?

Why hasn''t the manager bought a right-sided midfielder?

Why have we conceded so many goals despite the defence being reinforced by two permanent right-backs and three separate loan signings since the summer?

Given the level of investment by the board, is it acceptable that Norwich have won only 19 of our last 75 league games? Why aren''t the board asking these questions of the manager?

If the board want to see an example of a very different approach, they would do well to look to Watford. As the ex-assistant director of our own academy, Adrian Boothroyd, watched his side demolish Sheffield United 4-1 earlier this week, carefully taking notes on a sheet of paper throughout, it was “spot the difference” time.

One of his established first-team midfielders is Ashley Young, a former Watford trainee who hails from Stevenage and is still only 20. He has 11 goals to his name this season and is one of the Hornets'' star players. Coming off the bench to replace him late in the game was Hameur Bouazza, also aged 20 and another home-grown talent. He has scored five goals so far this season.

As for those he has brought in, Boothroyd signed Marlon King from Nottingham Forest in December for £500,000. Since joining Watford on loan at the start of the season, he has scored 15 goals and was named Championship player of the month for January. Coincidentally, £500,000 is what we paid for Andy Hughes, so which manager got the best deal? Answers on a postcard . . .

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/commentary/FansEye.aspx

[Oso Butch 0]

It really does make you wonder how low we have to fall before the Board bites the bullet.

Facts, comparisons, reasoned argument - they''re all there. A far better read than any of Rick Fag-end''s recent offerings, since Richard Balls clearly writes ''from the heart'', rather than from inside Carrer Rud, courtesy of Donkeycaster and Co.

Time to act, Delia! And by the way - scraping home by the odd goal today against Hull (although unlikely) will be too little, too late for most fans.  [:@]

[LinkNR9 0]

I can''t find one point to disagree with on here - an excellent piece from a man who I don''t normally have much time for!

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

the man in the stands article is good too.

http://new.pinkun.com/content/columns/ManStands.aspx?brand=PINKUNOnline&category=ManStands&tBrand=PinkUnOnline&tCategory=ManStands&itemid=NOED11%20Feb%202006%2013%3A03%3A35%3A220

[mighty yellow 0]

Excellent article. He puts across what we are all feeling in such a convincing way. I''d like to see an equally good argument against this.

[Mello Yello 2,277]

I eagerly await MadDangle, Squirty and Dicky - to pass comment on Richard (who''s got the) Balls thoughts!

Or maybe they can explain if/why they do/don''t disagree with the content of Richard''s article..... ;~)

[DONT REMEMBER YOUR TENURE AS ENGLAND MANAGER 0]

Dumbledelia, you are spot on.

Great point on Hughes and Marlon King costing the same amount. Indeed who got the better deal. Norwich and Reading fans can answer this.

[lucky green trainers 0]

balls spotted it correctly, for mumby & co not to see and acknowledge it shows the loyalty between the manager & board is of ivory towers proportions. I would imagine the city directors leapt around the box after city scored like started gazelles - delerious that the heat they''ve felt since last sunday and before wouldn''t become too hot to bear.  in fact, they probably celebrated the draw as if it was a victory - how many others did?

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Peopleplease read the title, DD has reproduced  Richard Balls article in Fans Eye on EDP Website, Richard B and Steve Gedge have been spot on all season, another couple of the media seeking a new manager.  Rick Waghorn writes alone. 

[Trent Canary 0]

Cheers for posting that, top article.

[EadiesRight Foot 0]

Mr Balls article is spot on!

[GPB 0]

There is utter rubbish written on this site. And then there is this. An excellent piece, well thought and accurate. Richard Balls has hit the nail on the head.

As I said many months ago , Worthy WILL go. I said at the begining of our premiership campaign that he would be gone by the Christmas of the following year but five wins many of which were fortunate kept him in the job. It has however only delayed the inevitable. The final nail in the coffin (of many) will of course be that ITFC are doing well on a shoestring. It pains me to admit it but Joe Royle is twice the manager of Worthy.

My prediction is that we will not beat Brighton and Derby (we must get 6 points) and he will be gone . David Williams will take temporary charge. 

 

[huck tastic<IMG src="http:new.pinkun.comforumsimagesline.gif"><BR><FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Bryan Hamilton could turn this around...<BR><FONT> 0]

The Watford comparison is certainly damning.

I watched their game vs Sheff Utd and it was very clear that each player knew exactly what their role was, and that they had a thought out game plan. Their midfeilders were frequently able to get forward into the box...I counted 5 on a number of occasions and they also had natural width... Boothroyd has got the right mix of experience in key areas of the team...King (who was outstanding), Malky and Mahon, as well as the youngsters from their academy and decent bargain signings like Henderson, Spring, and he is clearly able to motivate them judging by the aggression and energy of the performance...OK, they''re not world-beaters, and will probably wind up losing to Palace in the play-offs, but still an excellent achievement.. 

A comparison with Ipswich too? Imagine Royle and Worthington swapping squads for 12 months...I think we all know what would happen... 

[macdougalls perm 0]

Mello Yello,

For your information, I agree with most of what he says. I think I have stated about ten times in the last couple of weeks that I think its time he should be off.... so I''m struggling to understand your point. And by the way, I see what you''ve done with my name.......very witty Oscar!

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

Hey Mac!!

I think its actually MadDan he is taking the micky out of!!!  But why not hit two lads with one comedey nickname!!!

[macdougalls perm 0]

Oh yeah, thanks for pointing that out PR! How dense of me, I have to admit I thought it was a bit of an unfair assessment of my views. I know I can be a bit idealistic at points, but this is usually just in trying to give our new players a fair shout rather than any sort of blind faith in Worthington. Anyway, ta. [:$]