There has to be some acceptance

[Chelm Canary 404]

This team isn't particularly special. As predicted it's not going well.

Lets take a bit of heat and build it up again 

 

[Corbs1 90]

We will be huge underdogs v Gippeswyk and that’s when we do ok v them

[Petriix 2,847]

We have two special players. The rest peak at bang-average. Inexplicably, one of our two good players gets subbed off every game. 

[ged in the onion bag 856]

24 minutes ago, Chelm Canary said:

This team isn't particularly special. As predicted it's not going well.

Lets take a bit of heat and build it up again 

 

Been saying this on here since relegation….  And the fools continue to argue that promotion will be the answer…. Finally for some, the pennies dropping.  

[Canary Wundaboy 1,359]

Without Sara and Rowe we’d be dead in the water, and with them we’re still a bang average Champs side. This squad, or the way it’s being utilised, simply isn’t good enough. We can’t keep making tweaks up the pitch when the problems obviously lie in defence, ambit just the back 4 but the screen as well.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Alarm bells should have been ringing with what was an awful summer window of has beens and nobody’s being signed. One of the 2 only half decent ones (Barnes) being injured doesn’t help too.

i mean, what is that keeper? Cast aside by millwall but apparently good enough for a side with promotion aspirations supposedly?

A few random foreign youngsters that will amount to absolutely nothing. Just looks like we’ve done some agents a favour there or something and then that striker from Man City who still can’t get on the bench with all but Idah crocked and Hwang an absolute dud. Dread to think the ****e that will rock up next summer after another year of cuts

[daly 506]

Probably lose Sara and Rowe 

[S_81 816]

20 minutes ago, daly said:

Probably lose Sara and Rowe 

We’ll be in a relegation scrap if we do 

[cambridgeshire canary 6,756]

7 hours ago, Tetteys Jig said:

Alarm bells should have been ringing with what was an awful summer window of has beens and nobody’s being signed. One of the 2 only half decent ones (Barnes) being injured doesn’t help too.

i mean, what is that keeper? Cast aside by millwall but apparently good enough for a side with promotion aspirations supposedly?

A few random foreign youngsters that will amount to absolutely nothing. Just looks like we’ve done some agents a favour there or something and then that striker from Man City who still can’t get on the bench with all but Idah crocked and Hwang an absolute dud. Dread to think the ****e that will rock up next summer after another year of cuts

All I know about Long is Millwall fans saying he's the worst keeper they've ever seen

[Cowboy 197]

Very mixed messages in that Duffy interview: 'The message at half time was to run all over them and we didn’t. That is on the players.' - what transpired was the polar opposite of that. The players clearly aren't physically capable of that against a team like Leeds, so if that was the message, it was a stupid message.

Then 'People look at the defenders but that has to come from the team and how we’re structured. We need to get it right.' - not sure if that's a criticism of the rest of the team or the manager, but it's certainly not self-criticism.

Very concerning views from a senior pro.

[Indy 3,307]

8 hours ago, Chelm Canary said:

This team isn't particularly special. As predicted it's not going well.

Lets take a bit of heat and build it up again 

 

To build again you need to bring in players to build around not 7 players for free who are 30+ years in age!

We keep selling our players to survive, this club Noe’s feels like it did 20 years ago in the days where we kept signing really cheap old journeymen and sat in the championship for 9 seasons!

It’s got to be said those doing well now are all with much younger squads and managers who encourage their youth prospects, pretty much how Webber set us up when he came here, getting in good players in the preferred positions and building on good youngsters like Aaron’s, Emi, Cantwell. It’s a depressing position to be in when you consider we’re back to where we were 20 years ago! That eventually lead to relegation and the Lambert years but can we really expect that again?

[Worthy Nigelton 1,058]

Those at the start of the season who were telling me McLean actually was brilliant and now I have to accept it coz we won three games have gone awfully quiet.

Having him as our CDM is 90% of the problem. He gives no protection to the back four whatsoever and Sara (a proper footballer) has shown to us how Kenny's a lacklustre number 8 as well. Get him out of the team now and get a proper CDM next to Sara with Nunez at number 10. This is fixable but you have to get a strong, consistent spine.

[komakino 272]

9 hours ago, Canary Wundaboy said:

Without Sara and Rowe we’d be dead in the water, and with them we’re still a bang average Champs side. This squad, or the way it’s being utilised, simply isn’t good enough. We can’t keep making tweaks up the pitch when the problems obviously lie in defence, ambit just the back 4 but the screen as well.

Agreed. If Sara & Rowe were sold in the transfer window - which I don't think they will - the club would be in a relegation battle if Gunn's injury is long term. I would expect at least one or possibly both them sold in the summer.

The club is in a very unsettling position right now, both on and off the pitch. Promotion is absolutely off the table and one can only hope the new Sporting Director has some progressive plan to get an identity for this club again and if that means sacking Wagner, so be it, though I think that is unlikely. 

Norwich City are like a box of Virgin Wines - Two good ones, mixed with varying degrees of mediocrity.

For those fans that don't like the EPL and want to stay in The Championship, then it looks like very good news indeed. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by komakino

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

If we could field the below team....I'd still say its a decent championship side

                Gunn

Stacey  Duffy  Hanley  Giannoulis

             Forshaw   McLean

Sainz          Sara         Rowe

                   Sargent

With Barnes and Nunez around the first team too

Thats still a side that should be competing around the playoffs in this league

 

[TheGunnShow 5,961]

When fully fit, I'd like to see a midfield three of Forshaw, Lungi and Sara. That should, in theory at least, really let Sara loose. But I do think we need a more defensive double-pivot. McLean is a fine box-to-box sort, but he hasn't got the positional discipline to stay in front of a back line.

He has an admirable tendency to give it everything every game and will gladly empty his gas tank, and he does have a good engine, but it can often come to the detriment of what limited team structure we have in the middle of the park.

[king canary 7,643]

I acknowledge we aren't special but then neither is most of this league. Last season I'd argue only Burnley were special. You don't have to have a special side to get out of this division. 

[TheGunnShow 5,961]

1 minute ago, king canary said:

I acknowledge we aren't special but then neither is most of this league. Last season I'd argue only Burnley were special. You don't have to have a special side to get out of this division. 

You need a very functional team. Doesn't necessarily need top-drawer players as Luton amply demonstrated, but they were very much a team in the truest sense of the term.

[rock bus 854]

1 minute ago, king canary said:

I acknowledge we aren't special but then neither is most of this league. Last season I'd argue only Burnley were special. You don't have to have a special side to get out of this division. 

I’d agree and actually you only need one or two exceptional players to be fighting for promotion.

we proved that ourselves when we had a relatively decent team bolstered by skipp and Emi. Coventry were the same last season (the striker and midfielder…can’t remember their names !)

one of the most frustrating things about this year is we DO have those stars in Rowe and Sara. But sadly it is growing more obvious with every game that the manager can’t build the necessary supporting team and structure around them. I think we have enough decent championship players to actually achieve at least the play offs

[Monty13 2,235]

With Webber going this was always going to be a transition period whether admitted or not.

There has been so much uncertainty around the key non-football elements of the board and SD.

If this summer, given what we made in player sales, was all we could muster that would be truly worrying. We made decent signings but they were very much those of a team with little cash and only hopeful aspirations of promotion.

People seem luke warm on him but the more I think about it Knapper is looking like the potential to be a really good appointment given the pedigree of where he’s come from and achievements he’s been involved in.

The board room being sorted for now and a sporting leader being brought in of high potential and clearly more aligned with the Brewers methodology is lining things up correctly for the long term.

This season felt like a hopeful punt on a manager who hadn’t showed enough and players we brought in relatively cheaply, it’s not working. Hopefully though it means we didn’t **** all the cash before the new guy can start working.

[BigFish 1,988]

21 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

If we could field the below team....I'd still say its a decent championship side

                Gunn

Stacey  Duffy  Hanley  Giannoulis

             Forshaw   McLean

Sainz          Sara         Rowe

                   Sargent

With Barnes and Nunez around the first team too

Thats still a side that should be competing around the playoffs in this league

 

We know you would say this, because you keep saying ad nauseum. In reality that team in no way is better defensively than the 11 Wagner put out yesterday. But it does negate our major attacking threats. There really is no logic to it.

[canarycop 206]

23 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

If we could field the below team....I'd still say its a decent championship side

                Gunn

Stacey  Duffy  Hanley  Giannoulis

             Forshaw   McLean

Sainz          Sara         Rowe

                   Sargent

With Barnes and Nunez around the first team too

Thats still a side that should be competing around the playoffs in this league

 

That's a decent enough team on paper. I have issue with the fact that we don't try any of the u23s. Manning for instance. Played pre season. Is playing well and scoring goals but can't get a call up. Warner is another. Played well against Fulham then cast aside. What incentive is there for these players. Alright saying they are for the future. Tuesday is the future and so is Saturday. Would surely give those who are constantly letting us down a kick up the proverbial

[yellowrider120 767]

3 minutes ago, BigFish said:

We know you would say this, because you keep saying ad nauseum. In reality that team in no way is better defensively than the 11 Wagner put out yesterday. But it does negate our major attacking threats. There really is no logic to it.

Why? 

[Bovril 219]

The reality is that our Starting XI at this level (when all players fit) is fine and capable of challenging for the play-offs.

Unfortunately, underneath that XI there is no strength in depth at all, in any position. 

[Sufyellow 222]

20 minutes ago, Monty13 said:

With Webber going this was always going to be a transition period whether admitted or not.

There has been so much uncertainty around the key non-football elements of the board and SD.

If this summer, given what we made in player sales, was all we could muster that would be truly worrying. We made decent signings but they were very much those of a team with little cash and only hopeful aspirations of promotion.

People seem luke warm on him but the more I think about it Knapper is looking like the potential to be a really good appointment given the pedigree of where he’s come from and achievements he’s been involved in.

The board room being sorted for now and a sporting leader being brought in of high potential and clearly more aligned with the Brewers methodology is lining things up correctly for the long term.

This season felt like a hopeful punt on a manager who hadn’t showed enough and players we brought in relatively cheaply, it’s not working. Hopefully though it means we didn’t **** all the cash before the new guy can start working.

We have 33 million debt,  there is no money.  

[cambridgeshire canary 6,756]

37 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

If we could field the below team....I'd still say its a decent championship side

                Gunn

Stacey  Duffy  Hanley  Giannoulis

             Forshaw   McLean

Sainz          Sara         Rowe

                   Sargent

With Barnes and Nunez around the first team too

Thats still a side that should be competing around the playoffs in this league

 

On paper that's a strong side. On paper being the key phrase. Sadly injuries combined with Wagner having obviously poor tactics and making odd substituations means he will never put out a lineup anywhere near that strong.

 

[BigFish 1,988]

Just now, yellowrider120 said:

Why? 

For a start Forshaw just isn't good enough/mobile enough. Then we are playing 5 offensive players while being weak in wide areas. It pushes Sara forward into traffic where he will be overloaded and less effective. Sarge of course is still injured.

If we are relying on returning players leave Forshaw out, add Barnes, let Sara play where he gets space to get on the ball.

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

9 hours ago, Tetteys Jig said:

Alarm bells should have been ringing with what was an awful summer window of has beens and nobody’s being signed. One of the 2 only half decent ones (Barnes) being injured doesn’t help too.

i mean, what is that keeper? Cast aside by millwall but apparently good enough for a side with promotion aspirations supposedly?

A few random foreign youngsters that will amount to absolutely nothing. Just looks like we’ve done some agents a favour there or something and then that striker from Man City who still can’t get on the bench with all but Idah crocked and Hwang an absolute dud. Dread to think the ****e that will rock up next summer after another year of cuts

It might help if Wagner started some of the freebies we got. What Batth and Sainz have to do is beyond me. Not to mention the fact that Warner was incredible against premier league Fulham in the cup and hasn’t had a look since despite us being abysmal at defending. 

[yellowrider120 767]

2 minutes ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

It might help if Wagner started some of the freebies we got. What Batth and Sainz have to do is beyond me. Not to mention the fact that Warner was incredible against premier league Fulham in the cup and hasn’t had a look since despite us being abysmal at defending. 

Spot on! Wagner has been hyping up Sainz yet now his injury is healed, he refuses to play him! D Baath must be wondering WTF is going on here. Next week he returns to his old fortress watching Mackems swarm all over us no doubt.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

31 minutes ago, BigFish said:

We know you would say this, because you keep saying ad nauseum. In reality that team in no way is better defensively than the 11 Wagner put out yesterday. But it does negate our major attacking threats. There really is no logic to it.

How is this negating our 'major attacking threats'

...Forshaw offers more defensive protection than Gibbs will

.note...still no copying and pasting from posters explaining their concerns with the team selection ,pre game yesterday that our midfield would get overrun?.....obviously very selective when you choose to do this

 

[BigFish 1,988]

21 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

How is this negating our 'major attacking threats'

...Forshaw offers more defensive protection than Gibbs will

.note...still no copying and pasting from posters explaining their concerns with the team selection ,pre game yesterday that our midfield would get overrun?.....obviously very selective when you choose to do this

 

You really don't understand football do you, ot at least football as it is played now rather than "back in your day". Pushing Sara forward isn't increasing his attacking threat, it negates it because it pushes him into positions where the opponent can overload.