Dean Smith speaks - Today's presser

[Pyro Pete 2,353]

Today's press conference highlights, courtesy of Connor Southwell.

• Injury news

• Ramsey is out for #NCFC’s Boxing Day clash with a knee injury. Cantwell will miss it with a groin issue.

Couple of others, unnamed, are doubts for the game.

• Sam Byram will be doing a session today - but won’t be available for Luton.

• Jacob Sorensen is a bit further away.

• Smith reflects on the Blackburn game:

Says he has had to process what happened. He’s ‘proud’ to be #NCFC head coach.

‘It was never my intention to drive a wedge between me and the fans. I understand I don’t have the credit in the bank that some of the players do’.

‘I’m not a punchbag and I felt I had a right to defend my players. There wasn’t any malice in my post-match comments. I still believe we can get to the Premier League’.

‘I’ve got no regrets or apologies to make about my comments. But I don’t want to drive a wedge between supporters. I understand the fans frustrations. There was emotion there and I try to be honest in every question the media ask me.’

Smith adds that he ‘understands the frustrations of supporters’ and wants to see better football and results.

‘I can’t change what happened. But we need to get three points at Luton for them. They have been unbelievable on the road for us this season. They have dragged us over the line. Over the last month or six weeks, something has broken down and we need to rebuild that.’

• This is really interesting:

Smith now speaking about how he knew he wasn’t going to please everyone.

‘There will be some people that I won’t be able to turn around. I understand that.’

‘I’ve always been driven to prove people wrong’.

• Smith has spoken with the #NCFC leadership group this week and says they are all still on side.

Edited December 23, 2022 by Pyro Pete

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

Improve the football and we will be happy Deano. Its that easy. 

[KeiranShikari 1,524]

lol

 

[Capt. Pants 5,006]

Even with a few injuries, you look at our squad and feel we should be playing much better football and winning matches. Barring one or two exceptions previous managers have managed to deliver this. I don't understand this God awful style that Smith is insisting on.

I'm not going to pick holes in what he does or doesn't say in the presser as ultimately it means very little and won't persuade anyone's opinion of him.

[By Hook or Ian crook 943]

Here’s an idea Deano. Press high win the ball back early, get the players to actually pass and move. Not a difficult task in my view 

[Bert 236]

9 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

Here’s an idea Deano. Press high win the ball back early, get the players to actually pass and move. Not a difficult task in my view 

Spot on it’s not rocket science

[Gordon Bennett 914]

My preference would be a change of manager as DS has had long enough this season to get it right, win more games and entertain the CR faithful......however I respect him for his reaction last weekend and that he didn't backtrack on it this morning. The idea that he can take pelters from the fans and not give a little bit back and stand up for himself doesn't sit right with me. So fair play.

Fact remains however that we won't move forward unless it's under another manager IMO.

[Channon’s Windmill 416]

Just picking up on one thing, Cantwell now has a groin injury to add the previous two games when he was fit, but asked not to be selected for one and was just totally omitted from the squad for the other? How very odd in the totally odd world that is Norwich City atm.

[Samwam27 605]

1 minute ago, Channon’s Windmill said:

Just picking up on one thing, Cantwell now has a groin injury to add the previous two games when he was fit, but asked not to be selected for one and was just totally omitted from the squad for the other? How very odd in the totally odd world that is Norwich City atm.

Maybe he slipped giving out presents and pulled it 😆

[Mello Yello 2,572]

Maybe Toddy wants to remain serviceable, for a January departure?....

[lake district canary 4,824]

Annoyingly mentioned xgs again, this time in relation to Blackburn's xgs in the first half on Saturday.

0.01 I think he said. 

Reality takes over from stats shocker...........

Edited December 23, 2022 by lake district canary

[KeiranShikari 1,524]

Questioning the legitimacy of criticism when it was loud and clear in the stadium is an interesting strategy.

[cambridgeshire canary 7,797]

44 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

Here’s an idea Deano. Press high win the ball back early, get the players to actually pass and move. Not a difficult task in my view 

But wheres the fun if we don't spend half the match passing the ball back and forth between the keeper and defender?😉

[Bovril 264]

It's got to the stage where two things now need to be left alone in my opinion:

1. Dean Smith - He's human. Whatever he says now will be construed into a negative. He's completely lost the support (despite what Simon Lappin thinks) and bar some Christmas miracle can no longer turn it around with the fans, he's out of time. However, let's keep the criticism towards the football and tactics rather than him as a human being, the two are different, see Chris Hughton*.

2. Todd Cantwell - It seems clear he has problems outside of physical fitness, so best not to speculate and hope he is able to focus on his football at some point, whether that is here at Norwich, or elsewhere in January/the summer when his contract expires. 

*I see Chris Hughton as the better human being but Dean Smith is a genuine bloke, just not the right fit for us. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Bovril

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

He's in a hole.  All he can do with public comments is to stop digging.  He's not going to persuade me by anything he says, the only way he'll be able to do that is via performances and results.

 

IMO he's had long enough to turn it around, but the club are clearly sticking with him for the moment.

 

I'd be happy to be proved wrong if we start to see the team playing joined-up football at the next few games, but I'm not holding my breath.

[......and Smith must score. 1,596]

29 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

Annoyingly mentioned xgs again, this time in relation to Blackburn's xgs in the first half on Saturday.

0.01 I think he said. 

Reality takes over from stats shocker...........

Isn't that the percentage of spectators who look forward to matches these days ?😀

[hogesar 10,761]

Spoke well, was respectful and didn't say anything to even vaguely offend our support. This thread and others already show that some will, with absolute desperation, try their utmost to use an individual sentence outside of context to try and paint a negative. He's going to have to get used to that for a while. It's pathetic, but it's what some people spend their time doing 🙂

Ultimately he needs performances and results from his players for a sustained period of time. To do that he'll also have to get lucky with injuries over the xmas period.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

Life is all about chemistry - and DS and NCFC just don’t have it. He came to us wounded by rejection of his true life- Aston Villa. We took him in because we too were grieving our love for Farke. It was a marriage of convenience and it just hasn’t worked. Even now he speaks about “they” the fans - not us. It is so telling about how he doesn’t see himself as part of this club but only working for it in a detached way. 

[Google Bot 3,927]

Coming back "a different beast" he says, plays unchanged team that lost previously... Who lose again.

Aiming for top 2 finish this season, he said.  Potentially outside top 6 on Monday.

We have what it takes to survive the prem league, he said.  ...Where did he even get this one from?

Wonder if he tells the missus that he's taking her out for a meal each weekend, and then pulls up to McDonalds for coffee and nuggets.   "Oh, I knew you'd start crying again.  Bet you were waiting for this to happen, always had it in for me... Never make you happy".  etc.

****.

[AJ 1,358]

2 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

lol

 

Shouldn't be hard Dean, just leaving will do that 😅

[hogesar 10,761]

4 minutes ago, Dean Coneys boots said:

Life is all about chemistry - and DS and NCFC just don’t have it. He came to us wounded by rejection of his true life- Aston Villa. We took him in because we too were grieving our love for Farke. It was a marriage of convenience and it just hasn’t worked. Even now he speaks about “they” the fans - not us. It is so telling about how he doesn’t see himself as part of this club but only working for it in a detached way. 

"We need the fans"

"We need everyone together"

"We have what it takes as a club"

He's not talking detached at all. No problem with people criticising but finding things that aren't there is just so, childish.

[Canary Jedi 610]

59 minutes ago, Bovril said:

1. Dean Smith - He's human. . 

How can you be sure?

[By Hook or Ian crook 943]

1 hour ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

But wheres the fun if we don't spend half the match passing the ball back and forth between the keeper and defender?😉

Well you jest but I’m all for possession, then there’s what we have now which is keeping the ball because you don’t know what to do with it. Half the time from where I sit in the lower Barclay I see little to no movement from the midfield players to give the back 5 an option to pass too through simple lack of movement. It’s a novel concept to some of our midfield to move a little bit to give the defence a chance to pass forward. 

[hogesar 10,761]

13 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

Well you jest but I’m all for possession, then there’s what we have now which is keeping the ball because you don’t know what to do with it. Half the time from where I sit in the lower Barclay I see little to no movement from the midfield players to give the back 5 an option to pass too through simple lack of movement. It’s a novel concept to some of our midfield to move a little bit to give the defence a chance to pass forward. 

One of the reasons why I think we need to play Gibbs over Hayden if it's a choice between the two. He made a huge difference in offering an option whilst also playing on the half-turn.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,220]

The reaction from the crowd on Saturday was not just a few people with an agenda, it was a vociferous and the ground emptied when the second Blackburn goal went in. I am sure he didn't intend his comments to drive a wedge between himself and the fans but he needs to acknowledge his comments were ill judged and they have driven a wedge between himself and the fans,..........

[By Hook or Ian crook 943]

5 minutes ago, hogesar said:

One of the reasons why I think we need to play Gibbs over Hayden if it's a choice between the two. He made a huge difference in offering an option whilst also playing on the half-turn.

Yeah I like Gibbs a lot, which probably means he’ll be sold in a year or two 😢

[Branston Pickle 4,145]

46 minutes ago, hogesar said:

"We need the fans"

"We need everyone together"

"We have what it takes as a club"

He's not talking detached at all. No problem with people criticising but finding things that aren't there is just so, childish.

Yes, in among 1000 words, there will always be things that can be picked apart, so obviously this is where the focus goes.  

[astro 423]

59 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Spoke well, was respectful and didn't say anything to even vaguely offend our support. This thread and others already show that some will, with absolute desperation, try their utmost to use an individual sentence outside of context to try and paint a negative. He's going to have to get used to that for a while. It's pathetic, but it's what some people spend their time doing 🙂

Ultimately he needs performances and results from his players for a sustained period of time. To do that he'll also have to get lucky with injuries over the xmas period.

Not as pathetic as people who constantly try to persuade others that a dead horse,  is in fact, still alive…..

[hogesar 10,761]

2 minutes ago, astro said:

Not as pathetic as people who constantly try to persuade others that a dead horse,  is in fact, still alive…..

Don't see anyone tried to persuade anyone of that at all? I suppose you could make it up though..

[lake district canary 4,824]

16 minutes ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

The reaction from the crowd on Saturday was not just a few people with an agenda, it was a vociferous and the ground emptied when the second Blackburn goal went in. I am sure he didn't intend his comments to drive a wedge between himself and the fans but he needs to acknowledge his comments were ill judged and they have driven a wedge between himself and the fans,..........

...plus he uses "should of" instead of "should have"....always something that winds me up.