A TRUE DEFINING 'MAKE OR BREAK' TIME FOR THE CLUB?

[Bernard Futter 0]

As old City hands, we all know that the Board''s pledges to back the manager with hard funds and to pass on any transfer income received in full (30% an accurate measure in the latter case?) are pretty vacuous.Following the extreme pruning of the playing staff and the backroom team, it must be obvious that Roeder has done this in the certain belief that the Board''s assurances can be fully relied upon.Perhaps we shouldn''t be concerned that numerically we could currently hardly put a netball team into the field, let alone a side with a realistic notion of challenging for promotion.Yes, we will all have to wait and see what develops over the next few months, but I will not be surprised to see the usual summer schenanighans where City are ritually beaten to whatever talent is out there by supposedly ''inferior'' sides. I don''t like spreading doom gratuitously, but this is demonstrably a defining make or break time for the Club. Based on previous Board experiences, I for one am not wildly optimistic of a successful outcome.I just hope I''m proved wrong...

[Mello Yello 2,572]

[quote user="Bernard Futter"]As old City hands, we all know that the Board''s pledges to back the manager with hard funds and to pass on any transfer income received in full (30% an accurate measure in the latter case?) are pretty vacuous.
Following the extreme pruning of the playing staff and the backroom team, it must be obvious that Roeder has done this in the certain belief that the Board''s assurances can be fully relied upon.
Perhaps we shouldn''t be concerned that numerically we could currently hardly put a netball team into the field, let alone a side with a realistic notion of challenging for promotion.
Yes, we will all have to wait and see what develops over the next few months, but I will not be surprised to see the usual summer schenanighans where City are ritually beaten to whatever talent is out there by supposedly ''inferior'' sides.
I don''t like spreading doom gratuitously, but this is demonstrably a defining make or break time for the Club.
Based on previous Board experiences, I for one am not wildly optimistic of a successful outcome.
I just hope I''m proved wrong...



[/quote]

I am a great critic of our Chief Exec and current ''Board of Directionless'' and have absolutely no confidence in the way they have ''managed'' the club since the Premiership....I agree entirely with your sentiments and opinion - and definitely think that it''s ''MAKE OR BREAK'' time for the Club......

I wonder what the board are really and truly thinking? And if they happy are in total agreement, and give the manager Glenn their blessing - whilst he supposedly sorting the ''wheat from the chaff''? If it all goes ''Teetz Up'' as the board don''t come up with the goods - (and Roeder walks)....They''ll be left standing on their heads in a 3 metre deep cesspit, and it will more than likely be the termination of their tenure. They''ve blundered, blustered and blagged their way through the last 4 seasons (others will deny, and say they''re doing an exemplary job in most difficult times).....and if they don''t display and convince the fans that they are the right ''business'' people to take the club forward, instead of us stagnating and floundering in the Championship - and continually being fed the same predictable ''on a loop'' sanctimonious drivel and pap....."Onwards and across a bit, Prunes with Ham bits on"...etc, etc.

I think when the ''Bandwagoners'' initially drift away......It is then, when the true discontent and criticism - will rear its dormant head...... 

[Camuldonum 0]

As an outsider I certainly think next season is a very important one for your club and, for the avoidance of angst in this house, I certainly hope you do well!

I think it is an important test for the Board perhaps.  After all, you now have a fairly high profile Manager (whether people like him or not), perhaps one of the higher profiles of recent times. 

Personally I think it a little difficult to analyse the Roeder effect on the last season because he did not have the advantage of being there from the start.  He came in at a terrible low (so low that I thought it might be six points for Colchester, which is not often I think that!) and I think by and large he did pretty well.  The results were not so good towards the end but it was that 13 game run that saved you (my opinion) and that''s a good achievement in the Championship in my book. 

Yes you only just scraped home - but you did.  That will do - PROVIDED the Manager is then given the wherewithal to try and improve his squad for the next season.

A small point I would like to make not just about Norwich but about any club outside the Premier League.  To me it doesn''t make any sense at all to signal that you are going to spend X amount or have available X amount - at this time of the year it just means that every Agent will beat a path to your door dragging their player (s) behind them.  I venture to suggest that you will see that with QPR whose announcement of £20 million to spend may not do them too many favours: please note the Ramage arrival, turned down by other clubs because he was demanding Premiership wages.  Of course QPR may get lucky and it may work but equally, as Leicester proved this season, it may not.

As you point out no one knows what is going to happen.  I tend always to look on the bright side until I know better.  I tend towards the belief that Roeder must have had some sort of assurances as to money when he took the job and a fairly comprehensive clear out right down to Colney sends the same message so far as I am concerned.  I think Roeder is genuinely ambitious and after a few "nearly there excursions" in the Premier League he too needs something to shore up his reputation - and struggling in the Championship or, worse, is not one of them.

I fully understand the pessimism on here and I think it would be correct to say that if Roeder does not get decent funds then perhaps it is finally confirmed, following a narrow escape from relegation, that the Board or the current owners cannot even be shaken into action by a close encounter with Away to Yeovil Town.

In which case it is time to worry I think whether or not you manage to survive again next season because, as previously posted, it is my belief that clubs who do not reach the play offs or The Promised Land will find themselves effectively squeezed out of the League by the three coming down each year with money to spend.  That''s the danger I think and I believe it a very real danger not just for great clubs like Norwich but for any others that languish less than midway season after season.

I think it''s worth reflecting that WBA who won the League in some style I believe had any number of players on Premiership type wages and I believe that is also true of Watford who, while ultimately missing out, had a reasonably successful season before fading at the finish.  I''m not going to predict about Derby but Birmingham and Reading have at least potential and if Coppell stays and can hang on to most of his forward line there is every chance they could give a torrid time to any number of Championship defences.  Again, to do that they will have to offer substantial wages and one assumes that for the moment they have the cash to do that.

I''m not sure it is make or break - you could be right - but I certainly don''t think anyone can dispute that with this constant pressure from the Premier League a number of clubs are on borrowed time.

Let''s hope that Norwich are not one of them!

 

 

[gissing canary 2]

I dont whole heartedly hate the board as many do on here, but I do agree, this is a huge make or break summer.  Glenn is a first season man, can he step up?  where has all the earnie and etuhu money gone?  these are huge questions, that need answering.  I am not shocked we havent signed anyone yet, and let not forget its 3months till the new season, so no rush.  But even from moderates like me, there will be a huge backlash if we see a similar squad for next season.  We NEED new defenders and attackers, the mid pair get it unfairly hard, but centre backs with an ounce of distribution, and players on the flanks that can pick a pass, and people who work hard and score, are essential!

[Shack Attack 0]

I don''t think anybody could really disagree with any of that Bernard.If we fanny about again this summer and Glenn Roeder ends up with a tiny squad packed with inexperienced loan players, our own kids and little else it will be pretty obvious that the board are happy for us to continue to be a lower Championship or, dare I say it, a League One side. Now us Norfolk folk may have pretty long fuses but I can''t believe too many will stand for that.I''m not asking them to spend £10-20million just some of the surplus that we''ve made in transfer dealings over the last few years. We shouldn''t worry about what QPR or the relegated Premiership sides are up to as realistically we can''t compete with them (we should have done following our own relegation but that''s another story) but we should be able to compete with the majority of the rest of the teams in this division next year.I fear we''ll be disappointed yet again though and that any spare cash we may have had has been frittered away on off-field activities. As I''ve said before I genuinely think that the board believed these activities would make us money and stop us being reliant on TV money in the wake of the ITV Digital collapse. I don''t think it''s worked anywhere near as well as they thought but they''re too far down the line to put a stop to it. I don''t doubt that they thought they were acting in the best interests of the club but it''s not really turned out that way has it?All we can really do is sit back and wait I guess. I''ll try and remain optimistic as that''s my nature, the one thread that was started this week complaining about our lack of transfer activity in the middle of May was ridiculous, and hope that we''re all pleasantly surprised come August.

[astrodyne 0]

In some ways you can see why the board have failed to splash too much cash over the past couple of seasons. We had Worthy who was in the last chance saloon, and then the unproven gamble Grant. You can''t really warrant throwing loads of dosh at those two scenarios. However we now have the man that the board has appointed to get themselves and the club out of the mess made by allowing the two above managerial scenarios. Hence he must be backed with serious cash - simple. I just hope that this is the boards take on things too.   

[YankeeCanary 0]

With respect to NCFC, camuldonum, I find myself almost entirely agreeing with your viewpoint. The only point of difference I would have with your comments would be with your definition of Watford "fading at the finish." I think achieving little more than a point a game after the end of November is hardly a fade as much as a u-turn aginst both their start and their fans expectations. Obviously, selling Marlon King mid-stream was a telling catalyst as to their intentions.

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="YankeeCanary"]With respect to NCFC, camuldonum, I find myself almost entirely agreeing with your viewpoint. The only point of difference I would have with your comments would be with your definition of Watford "fading at the finish." I think achieving little more than a point a game after the end of November is hardly a fade as much as a u-turn aginst both their start and their fans expectations. Obviously, selling Marlon King mid-stream was a telling catalyst as to their intentions.[/quote]

I think you are probably right - I was over generous to Watford but certainly they were all guns blazing at one time.  Agree about King. 

[Dr. Ink 0]

I had a dream last night, that all the "missing" transfer profits money, Sky money, wage reduction money, etc etc was all kept in a shoebox under Delia''s bed. She was bringing the box to Glenn on June 1st, and going to tell him to spend the lot as required. Giving him a transfer budget of M£25!

[Costa-Canary 0]

I have to agree with you i too think this could be a make or break season, i have never complaned much about the board as they have kept the club overall quite stable, but the last few seasons they have gradualy weakened the playing staff year by year so that we get to the point now where we have no assets on the pitch of any real value, i can not remember when this was last the case.It has to be turned around now! or i feel the next few seasons could be extremely miserable.

[kdncfc 0]

[quote user="Costa-Canary"]

I have to agree with you i too think this could be a make or break season, i have never complaned much about the board as they have kept the club overall quite stable, but the last few seasons they have gradualy weakened the playing staff year by year so that we get to the point now where we have no assets on the pitch of any real value, i can not remember when this was last the case.It has to be turned around now! or i feel the next few seasons could be extremely miserable.

[/quote]

You have summed up my feelings better than I could have done myself, these are very worrying times for all of us. When I look at our players there is not 1 who I feel excited about going to watch and without at least 5 million pound to spend this year we are in big trouble next season, because of the sheer number of players required it is impossible to get them all on the cheap and expect to compete, if the money doesn''t come from somewhere we will be in league 1 this time next year.

[Joanna Grey 0]

Getting a bit worried for Big Dave dreaming about Delia in her bed.....

[Dr. Ink 0]

I''m working on a ship off Indonesia with 60 other blokes. It''s amazing what your mind does when you are away for long periods with no alcohol or female company!

[scott 0]

Off field the clubs in great shape but on field which at the end of the day is the part of the FOOTBALL club us fans want to see in great shape sadly isn''t!

 

The board has to back Roeder with some good money or otherwise I can see us struggling. I think the board have become complaecent and have begun to assume that whatever happens on the pitch 24,000 are always going to turn up for home games which I think next season if we''re struggling with no investment on the pitch then some may start drifting away.Although I think we have more money than we let on so fingers crossed in that department!

 

My gut instinct on Roeder isn''t a good one. Yes he took us from a seemingly no hope situation in October but was that the novelty of a new bloke in charge getting the players going in a honeymoon just like it was the season before that when results took an upturn when Grant took over?

Roeders decisions like changing a good line up and formation to play out of their depth loanees, formations that didn''t work, players out of position and letting Hucks go when he was still one of our major attacking threats and far from past it make me feel he won''t do any good!

 

 

[Bernard Futter 0]

[quote user="Big Dave"]I''m working on a ship off Indonesia with 60 other blokes. It''s amazing what your mind does when you are away for long periods with no alcohol or female company![/quote]Amazing how you start a tread which you hope will spark some genuine constructive debate about the parlous state the Club are in (achieved) and then you get an absolutely puerile post like this which is not even remotely on topic!I guess it takes all sorts...

[Joanna Grey 0]

[quote user="Bernard Futter"][quote user="Big Dave"]I''m working on a ship off Indonesia with 60 other blokes. It''s amazing what your mind does when you are away for long periods with no alcohol or female company![/quote]

Amazing how you start a tread which you hope will spark some genuine constructive debate about the parlous state the Club are in (achieved) and then you get an absolutely puerile post like this which is not even remotely on topic!
I guess it takes all sorts...
[/quote]

Get over yourself.....

[Hairy Canary 754]

[quote user="Bernard Futter"][quote user="Big Dave"]I''m working on a ship off Indonesia with 60 other blokes. It''s amazing what your mind does when you are away for long periods with no alcohol or female company![/quote]

Amazing how you start a tread which you hope will spark some genuine constructive debate about the parlous state the Club are in (achieved) and then you get an absolutely puerile post like this which is not even remotely on topic!
I guess it takes all sorts...
[/quote]

It looks like the situation has turned you into a real old misery Bernard. As you say it takes all sorts.

 

[Bernard Futter 0]

[quote user="Hairy Canary"]

[quote user="Bernard Futter"][quote user="Big Dave"]I''m working on a ship off Indonesia with 60 other blokes. It''s amazing what your mind does when you are away for long periods with no alcohol or female company![/quote]Amazing how you start a tread which you hope will spark some genuine constructive debate about the parlous state the Club are in (achieved) and then you get an absolutely puerile post like this which is not even remotely on topic!I guess it takes all sorts...[/quote]

It looks like the situation has turned you into a real old misery Bernard. As you say it takes all sorts.

 

[/quote]Oh I get it now - it was meant to be funny?And I had no idea the acerbic Frankie Boyle was a Norwich supporter...