Anyone else worried??

[Saint Canary 0]

I have to admit I''m a bit worried about the signals coming out of Carrow Road. Zipper made an excellent point in another thread about not being too cautious like Wolves and Leicester were but it looks like that is how we will be. We look like a club that is looking for a quick "getaway" from the Premier League, chasing after 1 year loans and players for short-term contracts so we won''t be financially unsettled if we come back down, to some people it would appear the club expect to be relegated!

As we all know too well Div 1 is a hard league to get out of, it takes a lot less points to stay in the Premier League that to get into it. On this years table we need mid 30 points to stay up. 12 wins, thats all it takes, beat all the lower league sides at home and your nearly there!

But I feel we may need a bit more experience than Bentley and a lot more class than Scimeca.

[Archie 0]

Saint i think we are a different case.wolves,portsmouth and leicester released lots and lots of players,went out there and bought lots of new ones and have come back down. i think we are different because we didnt get promoted due to 11 star players(although some may argue otherwise),but because we had a goo, hard working, dedicated team who played for eachother and not for themselves. this will be carried on into next season because we have kept the core of our team that got us promoted - the same lot who care about the club.at the moment we are onyl making inquiries - i think you are worrying a bit too much. i''d much rather we went this way than sign 5 has beens who are there for the money.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

I''m sorry Siant Canary but I think we are doing exactly the right thing. Yes of course the aim is to stay up. However, even if we spent 10s of millions we wouldn''t be guaranteed that at all. Look at Charlton, the club we are apparantly modeling ourselves on. They did not spend millions to stay up. They came back down, consolidated and went back up again stronger. I''d much rather do that than do a Bradford, spending millions on players and wages, only for it to all go pear shaped and be completely screwed if we come back down. We can''t expect too much next year. Staying up will be great of course, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. The players we are being linked with are sensible. A mixture of experience which will help, young starlets with a point to prove and that little bit of quality which will add to our squad.

You say "to some people it would appear the club expect to be relegated!" I would have thought that the club do think exactly that! With the massive financial gulf in football today we know it will be a massive task to stay up. A club in Norwich''s position has to expect the worst case scenario. That way we know that if the worst case scenario comes true (relegation) we will still be financial ok to have a damn good go at getting back up and if we exceed our expectations (stay up) all the better!!

I''d rather come back down knowing we will still be able to support a football club in a few years, than gamble and waste all our hard work.

[mistersparkle 0]

not worried at all - i dont want the club to overspend in the market because i dont want to end up like Derby, Bradford, Ipswich, Leicester to name but a few. Over spending didnt help these teams. If we push it financially and end up in administration, the ten pint penalty comes in at the start of next season which will make it even harder.

[kdncfc 0]

Seem to remember Charlton spent 2 million on one player when they went up(jensen I believe). We must not be over cautious and accept that we will go down or we surely will. The gulf between the lower level of the prem and div 1 is not as big as some believe. With the addition of 5 QUALITY PLAYERS we have a better than average chance of surviving. Quality costs money and remember that promotion is worth around 40 million including parachute payments if the worst happens. Even if Worthy was given 12 million to spend we would still be 25 million richer.

[ZLF 274]

DD is right we do need to take the best bits of the Charlton approach - which is to BUILD on the core team we have yet adding QUALITY players in the key positions whilst retaining the current team ETHOS within our financial contraints.

However this does not mean that we have to look at signing journey professionals that have failed in the premier with clubs like Wolves (Iverson) or Fester (Scimeca). As we are budgeted to survive and improve our financial position on Div 1 income I am sure that we can conservatively spend 50% of the season income boost (£20m quoted) on players while pocketing the other 50% to be invested in the club financial stability and infra-structure. That is one key difference between us and Fester; our finances are structured and there is no need to overstretch ourselves like our ignorant cousins over the border.

Another club we should aspire to is Bolton. They have an innovative manager who has the ability to attract quality players with the promise of regular football on one of the worlds biggest weekly stages against top players - profile (over hype I call it but there you go!) doesnt get much better than the premier.

If we fuse the Charlton prudence with Boltons flair at adding class players to the team (a club with a smaller following than city) then we will go a long way in the premiership. One the figures quoted we would have £10m to spend. With short term contracts, season long loan and contracts linking salary to the division we are in this can go a very long way. We now have one £30k pw player at the club already so adding another 2 or 3 is not out of the question. Adding the Bolton angle I think can ensure we dont only survive in the premier but THRIVE.

However the likes of Iverson and Scimeca are simply not up to the premiership - they are not significantly better than the players already at the club. They remind me of one of NWs last summer targets james o''connor - simply not up to the job. I only hope that Nige used/is using all three as a smokescreens for his real targets (Francis arrived instead of O''Connor who went on to fail miserably at WBA)

However if these are our real aspirations then yes I would be more concerned about our chances of survival and a lost opportunity.

OTBC

[FatMan Fat 0]

Firstly I truly think that we will be okay next year. You can''t put a price on treamwork and belief, and we have both in spades. With some sensible strengthening we will gain enough points to avoid relegation. If however we do not, then we need to be in a sound financial position for our relaunch back into the top flight. In any event, with the present set up at the very top of our Club I don''t think they would jeopordise the stability that we have now been able to create.

[NavMan 0]

Im more than happy to let the Board and Worthy do what they think is right. Lets face they have not let us down this far. I would rather get relegated with money to get us back up than get relegated and go into Administration cos we have spent all our money on has beens and stars who would bleed us dry. Our Board is too switched on for that to happen anyway and I am more than content to leave it all in their capable hands.

[YankeeCanary 0]

I agree with NavMan, although if too many of us restrict ourselves to this obvious point it will make for dull reading on the message board. A couple of thoughts, one short-term and the other ( which I''m more interested in ) over the longer haul. For next season if we are too cautious and end up relegated it will not be easy for us to quickly be promoted again because we will probably lose Robert Green, and we have some aging stalwarts who will be concluding their careers. Probably need to make a few key signings and I suspect that will be the approach. In the longer term, while many are quick to point out teams like Charlton and Bolton as role models, I suspect that during the next 3-4 seasons they ( and Norwich ) will find themselves in Division 1 again. On another thread I see people debating whether Norwich should expand ground capacity. If we look at the bigger picture all that is happening ( over time ) is that clubs are building the capacity back towards where it was historically, except that people will be sitting rather than standing. Second tier teams are likely destined to that fate ( a yo-yo like relationship with the Premier ) due to a) economies of scale, b) turnover in players, management and ownership and c) the varying degree of support as fortunes rise and decline. Of course, I realize this sounds all rather negative against the euphoria of current success. However it sounds, realistically, it is the likely scenario over time.

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Do people really expect Worthy to conduct his business in public? He has never done this before, so i don''t expect him to start doing it now. Add in to this the fact that the national press will link us with every carlos kickaball going (along with WBA), and the fact that the Premiership season has not even finished yet, and I really do not believe there is any cause for concern. Picking up on Yankee''s point about ageing stalwarts, has anyone considered that maybe Scimeca is considered as Holt''s long-term replacement? Yes Holt has been given a two year extension to his contract, but I would be very surprised if he is still a regular first team player by the end of that contract, especially if we DO stay up......

Picking up on another of your points Yankee, could you expand on exactly why you think Bolton & Charlton will be relegated in the next few years? I rather think there are other clubs with much more to worry about than those particular two, Everton & Spurs spring to mind, along with Man City.

As for expanding the stadium, yes, I would love that as it might mean I would be able to get tickets! Realistically though, this is just euphoria taking hold of people''s senses - one step at a time! I have absolute faith in the board and management of the football club to make the right decisions (for the first time in my memory).

What was it Delia said? Onwards and upwards?

[morty 0]

What??

[Peter 0]

No worries whatsoever our club is in good hands with Delia and Nigel.

I am sorry to say I was one of those doubting Worthy''s managerial capabilities he has proved me terribly wrong on so many points, if he sees something in Scimeca that will mean he can be a Canary in the mould of the team Nigel wants that is good enough for me.

Sure I expect next season to be a struggle but lets enjoy it for as long as it continues. Relegation is only the end of the world if its not planned, what do you say Ridsdale, Sheepshanks, Richmond etc. etc.

[Saint Canary 0]

Some good points on here, I will agree with the points made about our team spirit etc but most teams that get promotion have that.

I agree with Zipper, Scimeca and players like that are not going to improve us. We need better, we need some class to add to our squad and particular our midfield. Ok picking up good players from relegated clubs is a good idea but only if they are good enough, these clubs got relegated for a reason! When we got relegated last time round we spend a few million on players, 3 of which(Bradshaw, Milligan and Adams) came from relegated clubs. I think we should set our sights a little bit higher, it''s not impossible to buy good players, we have bought good players before! Who thought we would have signed Hux? It''s not just about wages, as Bryan Gunn in the Sunday Mirror, Norwich have a lot to offer as a club.

I''m not naming players but we need quality as well as a work ethic, I''m sure Worthington will bring in some quality, I trust in his abilities.

Lets just not relegate ourselves already, thats all I''m saying. I think we can stay up!!! It''s sensible to have a plan in place incase we get relegated but lets not just sit here and wait for it to happen.

[Dirty Lyle 0]

Im not worried at all - haven''t been worried for a couple of months. If you trust NW and the board you really shouldn''t be worried. We have no reason to distrust them as they have never let us down. The future looks bright as plans have already been drawn up to take into account every eventuality, relegation etc.

The players NW generally brings in are family men or players looking to settle down and/or a point to prove to their ex-employers. He will continue to do this bringing in motivated, hungry players for whom the continuation of playing in the Premiership the year after next will be their major goal. There is nothing to the contrary in NW''s plans to suspect otherwise at this stage.

What are the expectations of the fans and media? Outside Norfolk the less well-informed cling to the belief that the gap between the Premiership and Nationwide is too great to bridge. They have Norwich pinned on as relegation certainties. Those of us with yellow and green in our veins and people like Rick Waghorn (whose analysis of Norwich''s situation appears to be balanced and accurate) who have seen from the qualities present at the club even now realise that survival, as a minimum, is realistic if the current policies adopted by manager and board are continued.

We will stay up if we stay together.

[Jonzey 0]

I''m sure you think your being realistic YankeeCanary, but to me every post I''ve ever seen from you is pessimistic and negative. I can''t see Charlton and Bolton being relegated within the next 3-4 seasons, they''re well run clubs and extremely stable. I can on the other hand see clubs like Spurs, Man City and Everton go down as they are the opposite.
Norwich are in the stable class, so we''re not going to be so affected by the ebb and flow of footballs strong tides. As long as we can keep the current strong anchors at the club, especially the awesome support, we will stay afloat in the Prem. (aren''t analogies great?).
The futures bright, the futures yellow.

Concentrate on the good times mate, I think you''ve been living in a stress filled USA too long. Come and chill out in sunny Norfolk for a bit.

[Plastic Scouser 0]

Some important points are being made - but lay off Yankee Canary - he''s every right to be cautious about the future. Yes, the other day was a fantastic sight, but where were the 50,000 supporters in the dark days? And what will happen if God forbid City were relegated at the end of the season? The club is surely planning for ALL eventualities - the main aim being to ensure that they stay up obviously, but in doing so, there is no point spending millions, nor is there any point in being over cautious and picking up fringe players here & there. Lets cut to the chase here and be sensible - stop looking through the yellow and green glasses and accept the fact that City are going to have a mighty battle to stay up - look at Birmingham last season, Portsmouth this season etc. As one of the other threads points out - as long as we win the home games, we are halfway there. BUT lets be honest - in the current squad who realistically will cut it at Premier League level from the start - and there''s not much point having players who will "gain experience" as the season progresses as it might be too late by the time that they come good...I am going to risk being burnt as a heretic here, but will Huckerby cut it this time - yes he''s got the moves, but then your average Premiership defender will be well used to the likes of him - see Ronaldo, Viera, Henry, Owen etc etc. Will his head drop as is well documented at his previous clubs?

Sorry if I am not being carried away, but the planning for survival and the establishment of the club as a long term member of the Premier League is far more important that waving a couple of flags outside City Hall - great experience though it was! I''m sure that NW & the board are hard at work as we speak looking to build this club that we all love into a force to be reckoned with. I personally believe that one of the most important things to happen this summer will be the Malaysian tour - if the club get this right, then an important foundation for future prosperity will have been laid - perhaps the Malaysian Prime Minister fancies a seat on the board for £30 million!

[Bury Yellow 2]

Good points all. Plastic Scouser, you are being a bit negative but nevertheless realistic. You ask where were the 50,000 supporters over the last few years. Well the ground has been sold out more often than not over the last three years and part of that time we were playing dire football.

50,000 supporters? We haven''t been able to get 17,000 in the ground until the last couple of months and before that 19,000 maximum.

When looking around the crowd on Monday I was impressed with the wonderful range of age groups - all wearing City colours. If only our ground had at least a 30,000 capacity now we would be attracting new and old supporters alike. If, say, we attracted an average of 7000 ''new'' customers, when the peaks turn into troughs like all clubs experience, we would hold on to approximately 3000 thus building up our hardcore support. This is how any organisation expands.

Of course the current board are in no way responsible for the comparative small capacity of Carrow Road but it frustrates me that the club cannot take better advantage of this marvellous position we are in.

I totally agree that we have to be prudent and I too have every confidence in this seasons attitude of the board but I can dream can''t I?

After this fantastic season and following the team home and away with the best supporters in the land, I just want more to enjoy the experience!

[sheded 0]

Plastic scouser sounds like a mancity supporter ! , his reference to Hux probably not going to " cut it " in the prem , and will his " head drop " when he comes up against ...... hang on a minute ! , Hux is a striker ..... why did he mention the likes of Henry ,Owen et al ?? ....... are they DEFENDERS ? .. obviously he`s trying to draw a comparison with the FEW prem strikers that are , to an extent , outstanding in the prem ! , I`m pretty sure that mancities 50 million pounds worth of " talent " will not represent a big threat to Hux ! as for prem defenders being able to sus him out , ROFL ! , will they have extraordinary sixth sense abilities then ? .......... I often wonder why keegan was afraid to give Hux a place in the first team , could it be that his ego got in the way of what is left of his judgement ? , totally besotted with his fave " prem " .. "striker? " Fowler , he presided over a " team "that plummetted down into the relegation zone ......what a " manager " ...... heh , Im pretty sure we can do better than THAT !!!

[YankeeCanary 0]

Thank you Plastic Scouser for the support and being prepared to see the challenge we face without looking at such an observation as being negative.
Allow me to respond to a couple of posters. First of all to Templeton. I was not meaning to pick on Bolton and Charlton solely, only pointing out that many observers use these clubs as role models and, as I have pointed out on different occasions, I think it is early days to cite such clubs as role models. Of course, other clubs also will face the same challenge of maintaining Premiership status including, in my opinion, Norwich City. Potentially, during the next 4 seasons, up to 12 different clubs will face relegation. I agree that Bolton and Charlton have enjoyed a pretty good season. However, in the two preceding seasons Bolton missed going down by 2 points and 4 points. Charlton avoided the situation by 8 points and 7 points. All I''m saying is that, based upon history and economies of scale, I will not be surprised if Charlton or Bolton slip down the league next season and, during the time period I identified, experience relegation.
Now to respond to Jonzey. I left Norfolk so that I could form my own impressions on how other people live around the world. My travels were good to me and have allowed me to retire comfortably with a great lifestyle. No chilling out required thank you and all Americans are not living a stereo-typed stressed out lifestyle. Not sure how old you are Jonzey but your comments on the definition of stability cause me to think that you are not quite as senior as I am. I don''t measure stability over a few short seasons but how a club aspires, performs, is managed and is supported over the longer term. When viewed that way one can be a little more objective about future challenges and Premiership participation. Norwich players, management, ownership and yes, even support, will change for better and worse during coming years. A good supporter will be there through those ups and downs and I hope you will be one of those.

[gazzathegreat 0]

bloody hell people, it has taken me over half an hour to read all your posts, and i probably would be regarded as over optimistic, but what the hell, there is absolutely no point in worrying about what may happen next may right now.

Sure, the current team, with no additions cannot last a whole season in the prem, NW knows it and will deal with it, as he did last year, concluding in September that the current team were not classy enough to gain promotion (hence the loans)

i have every faith in his ability to buy well, he has to as our financial postion depends on it - but remember who he bought in this year, hucks obviously, but edworthy in particular was an amazingly astute buy and i would also like to see cooper back -

personally i don''t want to see ageing prima donnas at carrow road, i would rather have some hungry kid with a point to prove (eg bentley from arsenal) than a sheringham or ince, but i trust worthy to judge each player on merit of what he is doing now and what he could be capable of, given he was in a real TEAM, and that, as many of you have said, is the key to our success in the prem

and we will be successful, i have no doubts about that at all, we (after nigel had challenged the board) made all the right moves this season and i cannot see why this shouldn''t continue next year

papers and media will continue speculation over numerous players all summer long, remember last year, all those donkeys we were supposedly interested in (who eventually signed for w brom)? Just relax and enjoy the summer, when it arrives!!!

[Peter 0]

Yes it is popular to be a Canary but how long will it last, hopefully more than just next season, but reality tells you that survival is unlikely. The Club have invested £10.5m in increasing capacity by 10,000, to further increase capacity by putting additional tiers on City or Jarrold Stand will cost equally as much, do the club want to invest in the possibility of survival, I think not and no prudent business would do so either.

Perhaps Carrow Road is too small and we need to relocate, how popular would that be. An extra tier on either structure would only provide 4,000 seats at most.

Sure 26,000 now looks small potatoes now we are on the crest of a wave, but how many current season ticket holders will renew if we survive and season ticket prices start to reflect other Prem teams, prepare yourself for 25-30% increase 2004-5.

I like City being at Carrow Rd, I don''t want to see them move, but current capacity although not currently sufficient is a sensible proposition given what might be around the corner.

[Jonzey 0]

I''m sorry to offend you Yankee, but you do always seem negative and pessimistic, this is different to being realistic. Although obviously differing opinions are what makes the world so interesting.
My remark about stress filled USA was purely put in for reaction value. i have an Aunt and Uncle in Montana who are the completely chilled and live a deserved well-off retirement, my two cousins in Texas and New York are superb blokes, very positive people.
I just wanted to see how you reacted mate as you''re always on the attack. It''s an attitude which always disappoints me, especially as you tell us you''re so much more worldwise and experienced than everyone else on the site; )

But the only point which matters is that Norwich are on and upward trend, as are Charlton and Bolton. The day of the well run club has arrived, the day of the mis-managed has beens is thankfully in the past - ie Leeds, Sheff Wed and hopefully soon Spurs and Everton.
Here''s to next season, I''ll be there as I have been through thick and thin for the past 16 years.