Ben Knapper - New Sporting Director

[Browno 36]

New sporting director joining from Arsenal on November 27th.

https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/norwich-city-announce-ben-knapper-as-sporting-director

Edited October 6, 2023 by Browno

[RugbyCanary 94]

Was with arsenal........let's see

[Monty13 2,251]

Interesting, analyst background. Given the Brewers model of success makes sense I guess.

[hogesar 9,744]

Performance analyst at S****horpe, lot's of other analyst work at Arsenal and then Loans Manager. Look like an appointment that the Attannasio's have been involved in what with their reliance on analytical data.

If posters on here didn't like my xG ramblings, it's about to get worse for you as it's going to come from the club and our new owners moving forwards! 🙂 

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

Who? 

[Peregrine Shorts 331]

….. he managed to convince us Marquinhos was the answer to our problems last year

[Mello Yello 2,303]

He's in like Flint......Knapper.....

[TheGunnShow 5,999]

1 minute ago, Peregrine Shorts said:

….. he managed to convince us Marquinhos was the answer to our problems last year

Don't think Messi would have made much of a difference to our side in the second half of that season to be fair!

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

6 minutes ago, Browno said:

New sporting director joining from Arsenal on November 27th.

https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/norwich-city-announce-ben-knapper-as-sporting-director

So Zoe Webber said in the TNC interview that we had all these amazing applicants for the job and how highly thought of the job was in world football…. And we get someone who’s never even done the job before? WTAF!!! Surely being successful in a DoF role at another club should have been a given for anyone who was getting the job! Cheap option again it seems. 

[chicken 2,642]

Just now, Peregrine Shorts said:

….. he managed to convince us Marquinhos was the answer to our problems last year

I mean that's more than a stretch. We have no idea what conversations were had. We also don't know what other options there were and the financial packages involved.

Equally, Marquinhos was a player we'd scouted previously, before moving to Arsenal, and was a former team mate of Sara's... so the evidence would be stacked against you on this.

On the flipside, one thing Stuart does is negotiate good value. If this chap did a good sales pitch on Marquinhos, it'll be to ohr benefit in the future.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,856]

8 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

So Zoe Webber said in the TNC interview that we had all these amazing applicants for the job and how highly thought of the job was in world football…. And we get someone who’s never even done the job before? WTAF!!! Surely being successful in a DoF role at another club should have been a given for anyone who was getting the job! Cheap option again it seems. 

Is this a serious post, or have I missed the sarcasm?

[hogesar 9,744]

8 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

So Zoe Webber said in the TNC interview that we had all these amazing applicants for the job and how highly thought of the job was in world football…. And we get someone who’s never even done the job before? WTAF!!! Surely being successful in a DoF role at another club should have been a given for anyone who was getting the job! Cheap option again it seems. 

None of that is relevant because i've been assured on here no less than 25 times by other posters that whoever came in after Webber would do a better job. 😉 

[hogesar 9,744]

Just now, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Is this a serious post, or have I missed the sarcasm?

I think deep down you know its 100% serious.

[Fuzzar 1,703]

Interesting appointment with, hopefully, good knowledge of the best up and coming young talent. 

[splutcho 176]

Sounds a good appointment - though I don't really know that much about him or his capability to do this job(and neither do 97% of you)

[cambridgeshire canary 6,797]

 

[BroadstairsR 2,205]

I'm just glad that there is movement on this front and that the exit door for Stuart Webber gets nearer.

In truth few of us are likely to be fully acquainted with the pros and cons needed for the role, and you have to start somewhere in any job.

Young, ambitious, modern approach and experience in the game gained at high level I should imagine that he'll be a breath of fresh air capable of blowing away the many cobwebs that have accumulated at Carrow Road.

We could well have a few decent Arsenal connections arrive at the club early days. Can't be bad. 

I don't particularly mind an "unknown to us" character arriving on the scene and am surprised at the seeming criticism that has already appeared on here even before the nameplate has been nailed onto his office door.

Edited October 6, 2023 by BroadstairsR

[501Canary 0]

Curious how much money was spent paying for a recruitment agency to come up with the pick.  Best of luck Ben, don't go climbing any mountains...

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

5 minutes ago, hogesar said:

None of that is relevant because i've been assured on here no less than 25 times by other posters that whoever came in after Webber would do a better job. 😉 

I am not particularly fond of Webber but I will have to give him credit for working within the financial restrains clearly places on him by the club. Particularly in his first season. It’s a shame he wasted all that money in the second season in the Prem and has had a bit of a car crash ever since. 

[Ken Hairy 3,781]

19 minutes ago, Peregrine Shorts said:

….. he managed to convince us Marquinhos was the answer to our problems last year

He's good at offloading ****e to other clubs then, good to know 👍 

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

8 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Is this a serious post, or have I missed the sarcasm?

As a rule of thumb if I’m serious there’s no emojis and if I’m being tongue in cheek they are thrown in there. 

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

1 minute ago, BroadstairsR said:

I'm just glad that there is movement on this front and that the exit door for Stuart Webber gets nearer.

In truth few of us are likely to be fully acquainted with the pros and cons needed for the role, and you have to start somewhere in any job.

Young, ambitious, modern approach and experience in the game gained at high level I should imagine that he'll be a breath of fresh air capable of blowing away the many cobwebs that have accumulated at the club.

We could well have a few decent Arsenal connections arrive at the club early days. Can't be bad. 

I don't particularly mind an "unknown to us" character arriving on the scene and am surprised at the seeming criticism that has already appeared on here even before the nameplate has been nailed onto his office door.

For me the only requirement for the role would have been previous success in a similar position at another club. If I’m hiring staff at work I’m wanting people who can hit the ground running not people I have to spend 6 months training. 

[Leedscanary 346]

At least it’s not Neyul. 
 

 

[ricardo 7,401]

3 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

He's good at offloading ****e to other clubs then, good to know 👍 

Should be busy then.

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

1 minute ago, Leedscanary said:

At least it’s not Neyul. 
 

 

He built the team we got promotion with under Alex Neil he just couldn’t manage it very well. 

[essex canary 506]

Is this 90% with a nap for the remaining 10%?

[Samwam27 532]

Erm, have I missed something. Knapper has been at Arsenal since 2010, but has been Loans Manager since 2019. 

There's a big difference and role between being a loan manager and being a DoF?????

So this guy has no experience of the role he's taking on? 

[daly 508]

6 minutes ago, 501Canary said:

Curious how much money was spent paying for a recruitment agency to come up with the pick.  Best of luck Ben, don't go climbing any mountains...

Another job I’ve not been successful in getting, obviously the recruitment agency don’t read the Pinkun otherwise they would have had 200 more interviews to carry out

Good luck to him he’ll certainly need it 

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,426]

25 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

So Zoe Webber said in the TNC interview that we had all these amazing applicants for the job and how highly thought of the job was in world football…. And we get someone who’s never even done the job before? WTAF!!! Surely being successful in a DoF role at another club should have been a given for anyone who was getting the job! Cheap option again it seems. 

You're a bundle of fun.

[BroadstairsR 2,205]

18 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

For me the only requirement for the role would have been previous success in a similar position at anothebr clu. If I’m hiring staff at work I’m wanting people who can hit the ground running not people I have to spend 6 months training. 

That's fair enough, but can you (or I) name many?

Jez Moxey knew the role, apparently.

A success at one club does not always transfer to another in this game. We know that from manager appointments and player signings. Pre-conceived ideas and methods cannot always be transferred to a new environment.

As I was not present at the interviews I'll go along with this appointment until there is reason enough not to.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by BroadstairsR