The last of the 'crown jewels'

[king canary 7,609]

With Aarons leaving it does really feel like the club has fully moved on from the team who led us to such a great promotion in 18/19.

Lewis, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia, Pukki and now Aarons, all key figures in probably the most exciting team to watch we've seen in quite some time at Carrow Road. Maybe not the best team (I think you can argue the 20/21 team was better balanced) but a team that got you out of your seat week after week. The sky felt the limit because it was packed full of talented young players who all seemed destined to only get better.

Clubs evolve, players and managers move on but there is still a small part of me that is sad to see what feels like the final key piece of that season depart. 

I'm convinced the biggest 'what if' for this club in recent years is 'what if we'd actually backed that squad in the transfer market?' A young squad, high on confidence and momentum playing without fear ala Brentford when they went up- such a shame we couldn't build on that.

[Fuzzar 1,702]

The Koh i Noorwich. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

It does feel like the end of an era or dynasty. And of course, everything evolves or changes and in football we tend to forget that most clubs achieve very little and have to suckle on the odd promotion or cup run. And of course there is the odd occasion when a group of players come through the ranks to swell the chest with pride that they are ours.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,742]

Well, it's not like any of our "crown jewels" have really gone on to tear up the world. Well, maybe except Buendia but he's just torn his ACL or something

[aBee 151]

24 minutes ago, king canary said:

With Aarons leaving it does really feel like the club has fully moved on from the team who led us to such a great promotion in 18/19.

Lewis, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia, Pukki and now Aarons, all key figures in probably the most exciting team to watch we've seen in quite some time at Carrow Road. Maybe not the best team (I think you can argue the 20/21 team was better balanced) but a team that got you out of your seat week after week. The sky felt the limit because it was packed full of talented young players who all seemed destined to only get better.

Clubs evolve, players and managers move on but there is still a small part of me that is sad to see what feels like the final key piece of that season depart. 

I'm convinced the biggest 'what if' for this club in recent years is 'what if we'd actually backed that squad in the transfer market?' A young squad, high on confidence and momentum playing without fear ala Brentford when they went up- such a shame we couldn't build on that.

I can see the temptation to think what if for that season. You only had a few heavy defeats, unlike in 21-22. A single extra goal in half the draws/one goal defeats pre-suspension would have had you 10 points up. It wouldn’t have taken that much to have been in a less demoralising position when the season was suspended. Horribly tight margins. 

[NFN FC 1,123]

New jewels are being polished, no drama

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,895]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

With Aarons leaving it does really feel like the club has fully moved on from the team who led us to such a great promotion in 18/19.

Lewis, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia, Pukki and now Aarons, all key figures in probably the most exciting team to watch we've seen in quite some time at Carrow Road. Maybe not the best team (I think you can argue the 20/21 team was better balanced) but a team that got you out of your seat week after week. The sky felt the limit because it was packed full of talented young players who all seemed destined to only get better.

Clubs evolve, players and managers move on but there is still a small part of me that is sad to see what feels like the final key piece of that season depart. 

I'm convinced the biggest 'what if' for this club in recent years is 'what if we'd actually backed that squad in the transfer market?' A young squad, high on confidence and momentum playing without fear ala Brentford when they went up- such a shame we couldn't build on that.

I share your feelings King; it's definitely the end of an era.

That said, disappointingly, there seem to be more than a few on here that don't share your feelings about some of those players, at least not once they've decided to leave the club. Seeing Max 'put down' in various threads over the last few days has been slightly depressing. One game at right-back and Stacey's the dog's b0llocks apparently. 

Max has been as key a member of our recent successful teams as Pukki, Emi or Krul to my mind. No Max Aarons? You can forget our two promotions. The start of the 18/19 season - 5 games in - 1 win, 1 draw, 3 defeats. I remember going to the West Brom game and watching us lose 3-4. You could see we had 'something' but defensively, especially at right-back, we were very vulnerable. Pinto and Marshall to choose from? Gulp. Then up pops an 18 year old lad, at the scum no less, who goes on to start all of the remaining 41 league games that year. We only lost 3 more league games after that.

Thank you Max; I wish you well.

OTBC

Edited August 10, 2023 by Disco Dales Jockstrap

[nutty nigel 7,539]

It's only the end of an era like when Josh was the last of the crown jewels. The cycle continues to turn. Memories continue to shorten. 

[The Bristol Nest 517]

The king is dead.  Long live the king.

Aarons, thank you.

Welcome to the show Mr Rowe.

Edited August 10, 2023 by The Bristol Nest

[hertfordyellow 460]

3 hours ago, king canary said:

With Aarons leaving it does really feel like the club has fully moved on from the team who led us to such a great promotion in 18/19.

Lewis, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia, Pukki and now Aarons, all key figures in probably the most exciting team to watch we've seen in quite some time at Carrow Road. Maybe not the best team (I think you can argue the 20/21 team was better balanced) but a team that got you out of your seat week after week. The sky felt the limit because it was packed full of talented young players who all seemed destined to only get better.

Clubs evolve, players and managers move on but there is still a small part of me that is sad to see what feels like the final key piece of that season depart. 

I'm convinced the biggest 'what if' for this club in recent years is 'what if we'd actually backed that squad in the transfer market?' A young squad, high on confidence and momentum playing without fear ala Brentford when they went up- such a shame we couldn't build on that.

If we are being realistic, we could have either invested 40m in the squad or the big changes to infrastructure + Category 1 academy, not both. I completely get the point that IF we stayed up we would have earned enough from the following Premiership money to invest in the academy anyway. We already know what happens when we do take some risk and go down anyway. I still think it was the correct course by Webber to spend the money on infrastructure / academy. Especially post Brexit, we will reap the benefits of the investment over the next decade. It's pragmatic, it certainly was frustrating, but IMO correct.

[Indy 3,301]

2 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

The cycle continues to turn. Memories continue to shorten. 

That’s old age for you 😂😂

[hogesar 9,692]

Really would have been interesting to see what that 19/20 squad could have done with some proper backing. I guess the dream scenario is one we all like to think about but then with Covid and everything it's really hard to make any accurate calls.

Farke done a fantastic job with a talented bunch of youngsters.

I'm pleased to see Wagner isn't undoing all that despite a more experienced transfer window. Seeing Rowe, Springett, Idah, Fisher, Gibbs all still around the first team is reason for optimism.

[Capt. Pants 4,252]

Yes it feels like the end of an era even IF a new one is beginning. Everything just clicked.

Webber too is part of that era and even he will be moving on soon. Likewise the owners.... 

 

 

[aBee 151]

1 hour ago, hertfordyellow said:

If we are being realistic, we could have either invested 40m in the squad or the big changes to infrastructure + Category 1 academy, not both. I completely get the point that IF we stayed up we would have earned enough from the following Premiership money to invest in the academy anyway. We already know what happens when we do take some risk and go down anyway. I still think it was the correct course by Webber to spend the money on infrastructure / academy. Especially post Brexit, we will reap the benefits of the investment over the next decade. It's pragmatic, it certainly was frustrating, but IMO correct.

It’s a 50:50 decision which order to do it- we put our training ground upgrade on hold in 21-22 until we knew whether we’d stay up. It’s only now fully up for the pros and has work to do as last season’s new Cat 4 academy is ramped up to meet the PL academy requirements. Our DoF/Head of Recruitment have spoken of how they’d previously had to make excuses to discourage potential signings from visiting the training facilities so they are important both for developing current players and attracting new ones. The training ground is arguably more of the players’ regular place of work than the stadium and says a lot about how they’ll work day to day. 

[Yobocop 1,099]

Far too early to write off or celebrate this current squad given the changes in the summer 

consistency will be key 

[ricardo 7,395]

No Reeves no future.

[sgncfc 1,230]

I'm as guilty as anyone with yellow coloured glasses and the 18-19 team was undoubtedly the most exciting I've ever seen, BUT in the rarified air of the EPL the same players simply didn't development quickly enough. Pukki was consistent and his injury hurt us - pretty much all the others either dropped a level or couldn't step up. I don't think adding a couple of £20m players would have made a jot of difference at that time.

As for Farke, I'll always be a huge fan - there's again a big BUT. He and his coaching team lost the plot on the restart in 19-20. The team was unfit and unprepared and simply didn't believe or care enough. Every player at that time was uncertain and poor in possession.

In my view, this was repeated at the start of the EPL campaign in 21-22. We were off the pace big time in the first few games - badly prepared as well as tactically inept.

I can't know why Farke and his coaches were seemingly unable to maintain concentration and tactics over a longer period in the EPL - maybe he was just out of his depth. I guess we'll find out for sure if he takes Leeds up (that's a very big "if" by the way - the current squad looks way too short on quality).

As for our "jewels" - I never thought any of them were individually outstanding apart from Buendia when he cared enough. We now have some potential new ones. Life goes on.

[king canary 7,609]

This forum is a funny place

At no point did I pass judgement on the current squad, nor did I express doom and gloom about our future. I just think losing the last of these exciting young players from that period feels like the final goodbye to that particular era and that makes me a little sad.

[Terminally Yellow 2,461]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

This forum is a funny place

At no point did I pass judgement on the current squad, nor did I express doom and gloom about our future. I just think losing the last of these exciting young players from that period feels like the final goodbye to that particular era and that makes me a little sad.

It's a really good point.

Those "crown jewels" have bought us £20m for Godfrey, £15m for Lewis, £10m for Aarons and £38m for Buendia. £83m in fees received. That money can't be understated for a club run as ours is. 

But more importantly, they (and Pukki and a number of others) brought us two Championship winning seasons. Countless memories. The boxing day Forest game. Leeds Utd away. Beating Man City at home. I don't think I've ever felt so connected to a group of players ever.  

You're right to say Aarons leaving is the end of that chapter. For me, it's a chapter up there with the Lambert days and the Mike Walker days among my favourite times supporting this club. 

Blub. And now I'm sad too! 🤣

Edited August 10, 2023 by Terminally Yellow

[chicken 2,627]

I think I would probably say Hanley and Krul will be the final ones for me. Hanley was one of the first signings of the Webberlution and despite some detractors in some quarters, he really has been a brilliant pro for us on the pitch and off it. Krul arrived after Gunn's loan came to an end, so it's a full circle which you could almost suggest Gunn as being another of the long haul in that way, just with a couple of seasons away in-between.

I think the hardest thing for Norwich fans is often that out "sum of our parts" aspect where we see many good, promising younger players go off to various other clubs, top clubs on some occasions, only to see that for whatever reason they are not able to repeat what they did for us, in those sides.

I wish Aarons the best and hope that he can start to climb again in terms of his ability.

Edited August 10, 2023 by chicken

[Duncan Edwards 2,237]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

This forum is a funny place

At no point did I pass judgement on the current squad, nor did I express doom and gloom about our future. I just think losing the last of these exciting young players from that period feels like the final goodbye to that particular era and that makes me a little sad.

I’m with you on this. Despite how the season ended, watching us go and trade toe-to-toe with the best in the land (Man City) in the midst of an injury crisis and see these youngsters and freebies outplay them at times was a rare old place for a Norwich fan to be, certainly in the last 30 years. But they did and Max was one of those that gave us, earned us even, that bit of magic dust that the middle Farke years were sprinkled with.

With Max now gone, Emi out for the season (give or take), Jamal slumming it at Watford, Teemu twilighting in the states, Todd settling for second in Scotland (probably) and Godfrey at a struggling Everton, the era really is over. And nothing cements that more than seeing Farke in the dugout at Leeds.

A time for new heroes. 

[mrD66M 99]

11 hours ago, Disco Dales Jockstrap said:

I share your feelings King; it's definitely the end of an era.

That said, disappointingly, there seem to be more than a few on here that don't share your feelings about some of those players, at least not once they've decided to leave the club. Seeing Max 'put down' in various threads over the last few days has been slightly depressing. One game at right-back and Stacey's the dog's b0llocks apparently. 

Max has been as key a member of our recent successful teams as Pukki, Emi or Krul to my mind. No Max Aarons? You can forget our two promotions. The start of the 18/19 season - 5 games in - 1 win, 1 draw, 3 defeats. I remember going to the West Brom game and watching us lose 3-4. You could see we had 'something' but defensively, especially at right-back, we were very vulnerable. Pinto and Marshall to choose from? Gulp. Then up pops an 18 year old lad, at the scum no less, who goes on to start all of the remaining 41 league games that year. We only lost 3 more league games after that.

Thank you Max; I wish you well.

OTBC

This.

[mrD66M 99]

 

1 hour ago, chicken said:

I think the hardest thing for Norwich fans is often that out "sum of our parts" aspect where we see many good, promising younger players go off to various other clubs, top clubs on some occasions, only to see that for whatever reason they are not able to repeat what they did for us, in those sides.

This happens at other clubs too, even bigger ones. Think Liverpool after winning the CL and the PL. There is a degree of "burnout" after a very intense season/s for the players that leave, and squads that aren't judiciously refreshed will regress.

As a football fan, I like the team building phase more than the team achieving its peak. The unpredictability and the surprise of seeing new players (or older ones in different roles) come to the fore and showing what they are about is addictive. Max Aarons was then every bit as fearlessly glorious as Pukki or Emi.

2018-19 for me is best summed up in Chris Goreham's voice... "VranCIIIIIIIIIIIC !!!"

Edited August 10, 2023 by mrD66M

[horsefly 4,303]

19 hours ago, king canary said:

With Aarons leaving it does really feel like the club has fully moved on from the team who led us to such a great promotion in 18/19.

Lewis, Godfrey, Cantwell, Buendia, Pukki and now Aarons, all key figures in probably the most exciting team to watch we've seen in quite some time at Carrow Road. Maybe not the best team (I think you can argue the 20/21 team was better balanced) but a team that got you out of your seat week after week. The sky felt the limit because it was packed full of talented young players who all seemed destined to only get better.

Clubs evolve, players and managers move on but there is still a small part of me that is sad to see what feels like the final key piece of that season depart. 

I'm convinced the biggest 'what if' for this club in recent years is 'what if we'd actually backed that squad in the transfer market?' A young squad, high on confidence and momentum playing without fear ala Brentford when they went up- such a shame we couldn't build on that.

I completely share your nostalgia for the Farke Championship teams, but it is perhaps instructive that none of those "crown jewels" have gone on to sparkle in better PL squads. The problem with "what ifs" is that we have teams like Portsmouth and Bolton et al to remind us that "what if" gambles can lead to utterly disastrous consequences for a club that can last for decades. 

[Calle 16]

I felt a lot more connected to the team that won back-to-back promotions under Lambert. Fully understand the point of the OP, that we really had something that could have been even better, and just pissed it all away.

[Capt. Pants 4,252]

For me it's totally irrelevant few of these players have gone on to sparkle at other clubs, and that's the point for me! It was a very special period where Farke got more than he really should have done from those players.

[kenfoggo 247]

This is the consequence of a “self funding “ operation. There will be a constant churn of players who need to be sold at a profit to pay for the rest. We need to acknowledge this and just be grateful that we see talent in Canary colours for a while before they are moved on.

[lake district canary 4,537]

16 hours ago, sgncfc said:

As for Farke, I'll always be a huge fan - there's again a big BUT. He and his coaching team lost the plot on the restart in 19-20. The team was unfit and unprepared and simply didn't believe or care enough. Every player at that time was uncertain and poor in possession.

In my view, this was repeated at the start of the EPL campaign in 21-22. We were off the pace big time in the first few games - badly prepared as well as tactically inept.

I just don't understand these points of view. Yes, we were inept on both occasions, but I don't believe was it lack of fitness or bad preparation or even bad tactics. If these were true, then Farke is to blame, but the reality was much different. 

Reality is different to different people, but the reality of our poor PL seasons were much more than than just the head coach. Farke wasn't perfect by any means, but the way the media insisted he should be gone, the way a lot of fans seemed to want him gone and the way some players behaved all helped force Webber's hand - and he was always going to sack Farke rather than sack himself.

People were not very sympathetic about the end of the first PL season, but given the quality of players we had, the simple fact is that we had inferior players to every other squad in the division - and the only thing that would be likely to keep us up, was the momentum from the previous season. The lockdown kyboshed that completely and the bubble was burst. The second PL season was ruined by poor recruitment/covid disruption/injuries/new players coming in late and a fixture list that was always going to be hard to overcome. 

I know the manager/head coach is always the fall guy in these situations, but the covid years were extrordinary times - and a little more understanding of how it affected our club would have gone a long way.  People kept on about the PL record - people like stats - it gves them a sense of meaning - and the repeated mantra was 157 PL defeats in a row - or whatever the number was - disregarding circumstances and reasons why we struggled, which were far more complex than being to do with just Farke. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

17 hours ago, ricardo said:

No Reeves no future.

No River End Stand

[Worthy Nigelton 1,055]

On 10/08/2023 at 12:29, cambridgeshire canary said:

Well, it's not like any of our "crown jewels" have really gone on to tear up the world. Well, maybe except Buendia but he's just torn his ACL or something

Tear up the world is a stretch for Buendia as well. He's been a perfectly adequate PL player in a team that will never make the top four.