What will Stuart Webbers legacy at NCFC be?

[Jim Smith 2,374]

The training ground I suppose although it’s also unrealistic to think some improvements would not have been made to that anyway.

other than that for stripping the cupboard bare of all our best talent and ultimately leaving us with nothing to show for it. In my view a chancer who has lived off a few early decisions that came off for far too long. I can’t wait to see the back of him. 

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,504]

14 hours ago, Feedthewolf said:

Four great years. Taking a shoestring budget and weaving it into a great football team better than the sum of its parts, with a flourishing academy setup producing homegrown talent to cherish, led by a charismatic and principled manager who must rank among the greatest in this club's history.

Then two years overseeing terminal decline by blowing an increased budget on wholly unsuitable players, selling our most irreplaceable asset in Buendia, losing his bottle and sacking his 'X-factor' manager and appointing two awful managers to succeed him, then hiding away when we're failing only to re-emerge with a bizarre passion for mountaineering and divisive rhetoric.

In summary: started brilliantly, disappeared up his own backside taking the prosperity of the club with him.

I would add that Webber is a text book agitator. By his own admission he shook things up (got rid of the dïckheads) and referenced the old guard as the incompetents (pïssed it up the wall) even though he sold Maddison , a legacy of the old guard to get the club out of a hole . 
If we are talking legacy Webber should have left after one of the promotions. His stock was high. 
Agitators don’t always know themselves. As Webber success grew and he had surrounded himself with his own people and methods he because the old guard. Good people started leaving . Webbers main weapon based on change became defunct . 
At the end his systems were failing - after another relegation and poor championship performance. Costly Failed managerial appointments and poor transfer windows resulting in debt that the Club is not used to . 
Webbers singleminded approach warmly welcomed during times of success is now interpreted as arrogance .
Webber is emotional . Not media savvy (although he thinks he is). The divorcees comment was horrendous . He has lost his way with the press both local and national (Mashîter)

I don't think he wants to be here . He must have woken up this morning wishing he was up a mountain. 
 

Wolfie sums it up nicely . Good . Then bad. 
 

In terms of legacy , Webber should have left on good. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Graham Paddons Beard

[Jim Smith 2,374]

12 hours ago, TheGunnShow said:

It will be mixed. I would also point out the improved focus on youth and potentially this link with South America, especially if Sara becomes the player we think he might become and is sold for a commensurate sum, and another one or two come through. We also don't know how much he was involved with bringing the Attanasio family to the club so based on the following two complete guesses:

1. He did indeed find them as owners and,
2. They successfully take over / preside over a reasonable to successful period for the club

then those are measures where he may well be revised upwards in the opinions of the moderately critical.

Agree with Purple that Knapper's the last appointment, and if that transition goes well, it should reflect a bit on him.

Anyone can find new owners if the existing owners actually are receptive to it. Delia herself said they went out to see who was interested in Foulgers shares and  had immediate interest from four potential American buyers. So sorry but the Webbers being credited with “finding new owners” is ridiculous. 

[kenfoggo 251]

Webbers legacy will be one of contempt. The contempt with which he treats the supporters and the contempt we all feel for him. Plus as a parting gift he is leaving his incompetent wife behind and the Club in a critical state.

[Capt. Pants 4,362]

20 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Anyone can find new owners if the existing owners actually are receptive to it. Delia herself said they went out to see who was interested in Foulgers shares and  had immediate interest from four potential American buyers. So sorry but the Webbers being credited with “finding new owners” is ridiculous. 

Trouble is some of our fans want a new owner as long as the current ones remain in power, they just won't let go.

Not sure Webber should gain any credit for this hybrid situation we are in now. It's the worst of both worlds, a mess.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Capt. Pants

[Scot-e-dog 34]

In a few years time when we talk about this era, human nature dictates that we will forget the good early years and, instead, we will focus on the last year or so.

 

Thus, Webber's legacy will be one of poor transfer windows, catastrophic reduction of quality and results on the pitch surrounded by arrogance and contempt.

[kenfoggo 251]

For all the good he is doing he should go and go now, perhaps take his wife and his chum Wagner with him.

[Yobocop 1,137]

1 hour ago, kenfoggo said:

Webbers legacy will be one of contempt. The contempt with which he treats the supporters and the contempt we all feel for him. Plus as a parting gift he is leaving his incompetent wife behind and the Club in a critical state.

She is only incompetent by association though isn’t she? 

with a name like Zoë Ward she could have not mentioned the fact she was married to Webber, no one would be any the wiser and she wouldn’t get half the stick she does 

 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,105]

1 hour ago, STAN said:

The notion amongst some fans that Webber came in and transformed the club drives me insane. He has stunk the place out, the club currently feels rotten from top to bottom, and it will probably take many years to recover from his “legacy”.

Webber struck gold with Farke, Buendia and Pukki and I will probably cherish those promotion seasons forever. Ultimately though it was Farke who delivered that free-flowing football and feel good factor, not Stuart Webber.

When he arrived he was extremely critical of his predecessors, but if you compare all aspects of his and McNally’s time at the club McNally’s achievements far outweigh anything achieved by Webber. 

Going back to the 2016-2017 season. We had just been relegated from the Premier League, Alex Neil was sacked in March 2017 with us sitting 8th in the Championship. Alan Irvine was appointed caretaker manager, followed by Webber arriving at the start of April 2017. Irvine finished the season reasonably strong guiding us to 8th place finish (10 points off the playoffs).

Despite his predecessors apparently dashing our lottery winnings up the wall, Webber still inherited a number of players with a high resale value and/or high potential.

In the season he arrived we had already sold Redmond, Brady, and Olsson in multi-million pound deals. In his first full season Howson, Pritchard and Jacob Murphy all departed in multi-million pound deals. Second season Maddison and Josh Murphy. Fourth season Godfrey and Lewis.

As of today I’m struggling to see much resale value in the squad at all. Potentially Jonny Rowe (who was also at the club pre-Webber funnily enough) and possibly Gabriel Sara.

In his first interview after arriving at Norwich Webber said: “The job in a nutshell will be judged on how good the recruitment is and how good the head coach is, it’s no use the medical department looking fantastic if you recruit the wrong players”.

You can blow the shiny new training ground building trumpet all you like, but it’s currently delivering relegation form Championship football. Yes it needed improvement, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist/footballing guru to realise that. 

Ultimately he’s leaving us with a cr*p manager, a squad full of ageing journeymen, a disjointed fan base, uncertainty from top to bottom, and we look a million miles from the Premier League.

I’d give him a solid 1/10, the sooner he departs the better. 

 

 

This is an excellent post.

[Monty13 2,363]

3 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

She is only incompetent by association though isn’t she? 

with a name like Zoë Ward she could have not mentioned the fact she was married to Webber, no one would be any the wiser and she wouldn’t get half the stick she does 

 

Professionally or personally?

Ive never been 100% clear where Zoe’s remit starts and finishes personally I’ll admit, but given the broad description below

“Along with managing various areas of the club's business, one of her key areas of focus is to ensure that everyone across the club is working towards the same vision and strategy.”

is she not least partly responsible for the fact between herself, Webber and Richens the club seems to be totally directionless, failing on the pitch and having built up huge amounts of debt after being debt free?

The executive committee of the club until last year remember purely consisted of Zoe and Stuart.

While she should not be attacked for being his wife, it shouldn’t be a shield either. She needs to stand on her own merits and given the many issues the club faces on and off the pitch right now I’m not clear she does.

 

[Cantiaci Canary 587]

A fascinating thread 👏. 

For me, I will cherish two trophy lifts, 'all the Germans', Buendia&Pukki, Man City at Carrow Road and Farkeball ...

BUT

I will forever curse the man for getting bored with his own project and trying to adapt the ideology part way through. Even though the media (and many fans) were criticising the club for its lack of ambition (inability to look even close to surviving in the top tier after each promotion) he should've been strong enough to keep beating the drum that triggered and drove the early steps of the Webberlution - accepting short term pain for long term gain. The initial plan was to yo yo relentlessly, under Farke, until we eventually stuck (ignoring the noise of critics) OR prove that you truly couldn't stick without a billionaire DESPITE having a crystal clear vision, style of play, top notch Academy, shrewd scouting and shiny facilities. 

He bottled it when he started to lose interest and broke Farkeball (and Farke) when Skipp & Emi weren't replaced and we tried to become a counter attacking side over night (signing Tzolis & Rashica). He tried to rush things so that he could exit a completed job (Premier League security) way sooner than reality dictated.

Once Farke was knifed the whole project lost its soul, focus and effectiveness and the Great Unravelling began.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Cantiaci Canary

[Yobocop 1,137]

Just now, Monty13 said:

Professionally or personally?

Ive never been 100% clear where Zoe’s remit starts and finishes personally I’ll admit, but given the broad description below

“Along with managing various areas of the club's business, one of her key areas of focus is to ensure that everyone across the club is working towards the same vision and strategy.”

is she not least partly responsible for the fact between herself, Webber and Richens the club seems to be totally directionless, failing on the pitch and having built up huge amounts of debt after being debt free?

The executive committee of the club until last year remember purely consisted of Zoe and Stuart.

While she should not be attacked for being his wife, it shouldn’t be a shield either. She needs to stand on her own merits and given the many issues the club faces on and off the pitch right now I’m not clear she does.

 

Again only by association  

[Worthy Nigelton 1,105]

13 hours ago, duke63 said:

This is just plain idiocy. Some people have very very short memories.

His last few years have not been good but remember where we were when he came in.

 

8th in this league with Maddison, Murphy, Howson, Pritchard, Hoolahan, Bassong, Klose, Jerome, Oliveira, Tettey in the squad and Godfrey, Lewis, Aarons, Cantwell a year or so away from breaking into the first team? That is miles and miles better than where we are now.

[Monty13 2,363]

Just now, Yobocop said:

Again only by association  

It’s not just professional association though. I’m saying given the state of the club, given her professional role, doesn’t she clearly shoulder some responsibility? Zoe is the senior executive at the club. She’s responsible for vision and strategy at all levels. Given the spiralling debts and complete lack of footballing strategy doesn’t she shoulder some responsibility?

[kenfoggo 251]

My apologies ! Should not have given the impression that I was critical of Zoe Webber just because she is linked by marriage to Stuart Webber. Rather I am wondering if she is competent in her own right as being Executive Director she is in charge of the strategy of the Club. If that strategy is to be in the lower half of the Championship with a failing squad led by a failing Head Coach and a disinterested Sporting Director, then she is a raging success. My apologies.

[Herman 9,926]

In one word; https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/squander

[Sooty57 407]

[Nexus_Canary 1,063]

His legacy will be

Coulda, shoulda, didn't...

 

We right back where we are when he took over, arguably worse as we seem to be dropping like a stone

[Nexus_Canary 1,063]

13 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

8th in this league with Maddison, Murphy, Howson, Pritchard, Hoolahan, Bassong, Klose, Jerome, Oliveira, Tettey in the squad and Godfrey, Lewis, Aarons, Cantwell a year or so away from breaking into the first team? That is miles and miles better than where we are now.

When you put it like that our current best players are sarge and Argos.

Makes you want to vomit 

[duke63 565]

20 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

8th in this league with Maddison, Murphy, Howson, Pritchard, Hoolahan, Bassong, Klose, Jerome, Oliveira, Tettey in the squad and Godfrey, Lewis, Aarons, Cantwell a year or so away from breaking into the first team? That is miles and miles better than where we are now.

And insolvent. 

[Sufyellow 248]

39 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

She is only incompetent by association though isn’t she? 

with a name like Zoë Ward she could have not mentioned the fact she was married to Webber, no one would be any the wiser and she wouldn’t get half the stick she does 

 

But she is on the board and has been running the club which is way over 33 million in debt. I would still give her time if that's what the Americans want.  Definitely no bonus though on shares or anything, no one should be rewarded for failure. 

[kenfoggo 251]

If Stuart Webber had not already resigned and was serving his notice, would any Club consider that his current performance was satisfactory? I suggest that with the toxic relationship he has engendered with the Supporters , the state of the squad that he has engineered, the performance of his appointed Head Coach, our performances on the pitch and the current league position- at any other Club he would be shown the door regardless of any previous success. He is now not fit for purpose and I contend that he has not been for a considerable length of time.

[Sufyellow 248]

1 minute ago, duke63 said:

And insolvent. 

Then or now? 

[The Real Buh 3,501]

Zoe Webber is s41t as well btw

[Worthy Nigelton 1,105]

7 minutes ago, duke63 said:

And insolvent. 

No because we sold those players to balance the books.

[Barbe bleu 845]

17 hours ago, Mullet said:

Most of us hopefully want to leave some kind of legacy when we move on. He has invested in a PL training facility wow big deal. Player pampering clearly doesn't work.

How much involvement did he have in the training ground?  Sure its good, very good maybe, and the funding was a masterstroke but was he involved in the design or the money raising, or just there at the time?

My recollection is that the planning application went on just after he started and to get it to the stage of putting the papers in isn't done in the course of a couple of weeks or months.

Am I misremembering?

Edited October 29, 2023 by Barbe bleu

[Corbs1 94]

We focus here on individuals, manager, executives, bigmanism, it’s part of the football fan dna. Webber did bring in his own people, for me there a clue here to part of the problem. I’ve a tendency towards the Tea Lady interpretation of success, teamwork togetherness and shared history. Personally I think having a few “******” around is essential. 

[duke63 565]

Its a wonder anyone would want to replace Webber with the abuse being dished out on here.

 

 

[Channon’s Windmill 344]

Soccerbot. Is it even used now? If it is I guess we didn’t pay for any program updates

[daly 521]

12 hours ago, By Hook or Ian crook said:

Built a nice swimming pool. Left us worse football wise than we were when he arrived. 

Perhaps we can develop the next Adam Peaty