A view from the Barclay

[Stevo 0]

I haven''t posted on or visited the site for some time now so apologies if the following points have been discussed at length elsewhere. My absence is largely due to an underlying feeling of abject apathy and disillusionment towards the club which follows from each and every dire performance and demoralising twist and turn in our ''fortunes''. I''ve been going to Carrow Road for over 30 years and can honestly say that in that time I have never felt as genuinely detached from the club as I do now. Having thought about it, it boils down to the following...

1. Roeder - possibly the least endearing individual ever to be associated with the club? He appears disdainful of anyone or anything that falls outside of his rather limited viewpoint. As a result, he has patronised the fans at the AGM, has ostracised certain players, had petty feuds with the media and displayed an arrogance which is entirely at odds with his team''s league position.
2. ''Staying up'' - Roeder and the board appear to want recognition and credit for keeping the club up last season as if it was a real achievement. Taken in isolation and considering the position we were in, they might have a point, but the real question is how the hell did the club get itself in that position to begin with and what are we going to do to ensure it doesn''t happen again? On this season''s evidence...very little. Last season was not a success...it was a farce that demonstrated just how poorly the club has been managed in recent years.
3. Delia and Michael - I genuinely believe that they are good people who have done all they can to bring success to the club. I also think that we have benefitted from the association with ''Britain''s favourite cook''. However, our major share-holders now have a proven track record of failure and under-achievement and more worrying have no strategy or plan to turn things round. Quite simply, as nice and as well-intentioned as they may be, they don''t possess either the finances or acumen needed to deliver success to the football club.
4. Peter Cullum rumours - The EDP and the man himself did nobody any favours by coming out with those headlines and quotes. It did nothing other than raise false expectations and divide the fan base. If he had the club''s interests at heart, he could and would have done something to help the club like Carl Moore has done in the past.
5. Heroes - I don''t want to dwell on Huckerby''s departure although it does provide a further demonstration of Roeder''s ego and disregard for both the fans and a loyal servent of the club. The point is that we are currently short of anybody who is able to turn a game or provide something inspirational. In the past, if we were chasing a game and there were 4 minutes injury time, a roar would go up. These days, you know it''s just another four minutes of guileless hoofball and seemingly for a lot of the crowd, a chance to get to the car park before the final whistle.
6. Doncaster and Munby - it''s great that they are prepared to stand outside the ground chatting to fans or replying to their emails but I''d sacrifice that for some firm leadership, an indication that they had some form of plan in place or even an acknowledgement that they haven''t got a clue and have let us down. All they do is pander to Delia and tell us how great she is and how lucky we are.
7. Loans - I don''t subscribe to theories that loan players won''t perform or deliver and I''m prepared to acknowledge they have helped bring in a higher calibre of player than we could have afforded to buy. BUT what we have lost is the sense of a team being built and the attachment that goes with it. Who''s name do you put on your shirt? A player that will be disappearing in a couple of months? If I wanted to watch a load of players who belong to other clubs, I''d stay in and watch Match of the Day.

I needed to get that off my chest! Rant over. Happy New Year to all

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Good points!

 

Agree with most even the start of the loan bit but then you say that the loans have been a higher calibre than we could have afforded which I''d say is wrong. Bertrand isn''t as good as Drury, Ommorzussi isn''t as good as Otsemobor at RB or what Shackell would of been at CB and we could of got a striker out of the lower Leagues who''d of been more productive than what Sibierski has been!

 

All in all everything on the pitch we''ve seen this season can only lead to one conclusion - that Roeders a crap manager who needs to removed ASAP or we will be in serious trouble by the end of this season!

[Beauseant 0]

Excellent post Bingo, and a Happy New Year to you, too.

I think many of the points you make have been aired at various times, but its good to see such a cogent summary. I can certainly relate to your comment about apathy. I have been visiting Carrow Road for 40 years, albeit as an  irregular due to playing and management commitments, but I too have a growing feeling of detachment which I try to keep at bay, although it becomes harder with every performance like the Forest game!

[Bury Yellow 2]

Two excellent posts.

Most who sit near me do not like the amount of loans we have but I do sympathise with the policy in the short term, say for an 18 month period.

The only small light at the end of the tunnel is that our youngsters are starting to show at last.

I''m afraid Roeder is poor. I still feel that Lee Clarke left because of him. If we had any leadership at all surely one member of the board could have ''taken the temperature'' of players feelings etc and if the results were positive, replaced Roeder with Clark pronto. Just my opinion.

Happy New Year to all

[Stevo 0]

grantroederdisaster - I agree that not all the lone signings are better than the players we already have but my point was that we didn''t have the finances to sign them permanently. Whilst far from perfect, Bertrand and Omozusi would both have cost over a million to bring in on long-term contracts and we simply haven''t got that money to spend.

Roeder and the board lurch from one transfer window to the next, papering over the cracks with short-term fixes, merely hoping that something clicks into place. In my view the reality is that the longer we continue with this ''strategy'' the weaker we become. How Roeder can bemoan the lack of senior players available to him when he''s been responsible for hiring and firing is bewildering. It''s merely a result of him releasing a lot of players and replacing them with a few others on short-term deals

[Mark .Y. 351]

[quote user="Bingo"]

I haven''t posted on or visited the site for some time now so apologies if the following points have been discussed at length elsewhere. My absence is largely due to an underlying feeling of abject apathy and disillusionment towards the club which follows from each and every dire performance and demoralising twist and turn in our ''fortunes''. I''ve been going to Carrow Road for over 30 years and can honestly say that in that time I have never felt as genuinely detached from the club as I do now. Having thought about it, it boils down to the following...

1. Roeder - possibly the least endearing individual ever to be associated with the club? He appears disdainful of anyone or anything that falls outside of his rather limited viewpoint. As a result, he has patronised the fans at the AGM, has ostracised certain players, had petty feuds with the media and displayed an arrogance which is entirely at odds with his team''s league position.

2. ''Staying up'' - Roeder and the board appear to want recognition and credit for keeping the club up last season as if it was a real achievement. Taken in isolation and considering the position we were in, they might have a point, but the real question is how the hell did the club get itself in that position to begin with and what are we going to do to ensure it doesn''t happen again? On this season''s evidence...very little. Last season was not a success...it was a farce that demonstrated just how poorly the club has been managed in recent years.

3. Delia and Michael - I genuinely believe that they are good people who have done all they can to bring success to the club. I also think that we have benefitted from the association with ''Britain''s favourite cook''. However, our major share-holders now have a proven track record of failure and under-achievement and more worrying have no strategy or plan to turn things round. Quite simply, as nice and as well-intentioned as they may be, they don''t possess either the finances or acumen needed to deliver success to the football club.

4. Peter Cullum rumours - The EDP and the man himself did nobody any favours by coming out with those headlines and quotes. It did nothing other than raise false expectations and divide the fan base. If he had the club''s interests at heart, he could and would have done something to help the club like Carl Moore has done in the past.

5. Heroes - I don''t want to dwell on Huckerby''s departure although it does provide a further demonstration of Roeder''s ego and disregard for both the fans and a loyal servent of the club. The point is that we are currently short of anybody who is able to turn a game or provide something inspirational. In the past, if we were chasing a game and there were 4 minutes injury time, a roar would go up. These days, you know it''s just another four minutes of guileless hoofball and seemingly for a lot of the crowd, a chance to get to the car park before the final whistle.

6. Doncaster and Munby - it''s great that they are prepared to stand outside the ground chatting to fans or replying to their emails but I''d sacrifice that for some firm leadership, an indication that they had some form of plan in place or even an acknowledgement that they haven''t got a clue and have let us down. All they do is pander to Delia and tell us how great she is and how lucky we are.

7. Loans - I don''t subscribe to theories that loan players won''t perform or deliver and I''m prepared to acknowledge they have helped bring in a higher calibre of player than we could have afforded to buy. BUT what we have lost is the sense of a team being built and the attachment that goes with it. Who''s name do you put on your shirt? A player that will be disappearing in a couple of months? If I wanted to watch a load of players who belong to other clubs, I''d stay in and watch Match of the Day.

I needed to get that off my chest! Rant over. Happy New Year to all

[/quote]

Bingo............Bingo............. summed up my thoughts virtually to a "T"...........great post.

 

Mark .Y.

 

[First Wazzock 902]

[quote user="Beauseant"]

Excellent post Bingo, and a Happy New Year to you, too.

I think many of the points you make have been aired at various times, but its good to see such a cogent summary. I can certainly relate to your comment about apathy. I have been visiting Carrow Road for 40 years, albeit as an  irregular due to playing and management commitments, but I too have a growing feeling of detachment which I try to keep at bay, although it becomes harder with every performance like the Forest game!

[/quote]

Cracking post Bingo, and I have highlighted the bit which sums up exactly how I feel, from Beauseant.

[Glutton for Punishment 0]

Bingo, your post pretty well sums up my feelings about the dismal state of affairs at our club at the moment. It is immensely frustrating to have to watch from the sidelines while incompetent morons (virtually by their own admission at the AGM) tear the club apart. So what to do about it? Protesting no doubt has its place but I would like to see supporters join en masse behind a campaign led by a fan''s organisation. However I get the impression that opinions are still too divided to be able to join behind a common purpose and this situation is temporarily being masked by the growing desire to remove the egomaniac in charge of team affairs at the moment.

Personally speaking I would like to see regime change as soon as possible rather than the sticking plaster of changing manager, although both would be preferable. I still hold out hope that, despite recent media stories, PC is biding his time and would step in at the right price.

It has surely got to be in the best interest of the club to approach the potential investor who has the financial clout to be able to back the manager in the transfer market whilst being able to underwrite the operating losses until such a time that on field success enables profits to be generated. The current majority shareholders would no doubt dearly love to be able to do that but they simply do not have the wealth. Please don''t tell me that they are already seeking to sell/find investment as they stand about as much chance of success as us winning the FA cup this year; it is a misguided token gesture and it is no coincidence that the lack of success from their selling strategy has parallels with the club''s efforts on the pitch. Whilst it may be a bitter pill for them to swallow the owners would be better off giving away their shares to avoid having to pump in £2m-£3m each year to cover the club''s losses whilst the team continues to deteriorate. This is the harsh economic reality that the club''s owners find themselves in and it is a situation that is highly likely to get worse as they face the prospect of trying to entice fans to renew their season tickets against a background of lower disposable incomes and years of dire football with little chance of improvement.

Delia and Michael - cut your losses and get rid now (even if it does mean eating humble pie and approaching he who shall not be named)!

[Don,tPanic 0]

Great post mate.....sums it up exactly

[Stranger44 0]

Ditto to that! Brilliant post - thanks for putting into words what I get too irate to!

[canary cherub 1]

Agree with nearly all of that.

But why would Peter Cullum do what Carl Moore has done and shore up a regime with what you call "a track record of failure"?  How would that be in the best interests of either himself or the club?

Sorry Carl.  Your support to bring in Hucks transformed the fortunes of our club and we will always be grateful.  Your support to bring in Lita was a waste of money which only prolonged the agony.  Well meant I know but counterproductive.

 

[BBFF 0]

Yes very good post Bingo. I have wondered this in the past when iv read or been told we wouldn''t be able to afford the quality of our loan players permanently. So if the loaners are as good and committed to the club as we are told why are likely to be relegated?

 

FOOTBALL MUST COME FIRST

[Big Duncs Bloody Shirt 0]

What a great post Bingo ... summed up my own feelings perfectly and far more eloquently.

The only thing I''d add is that Roeder, despite being ''possibly the least endearing individual ever to be associated with the club'', would still enjoy the tollerance of the majority of fans if he produced a winning side! As far as I''m concerned his first priority is putting together a team that wins football matches, and if upsets a few along the way then so be it. Sadly wins are currently the exception rather than the norm and Mr Roeder is heading down the proverbial footballing cul-de-sac!

OTBC

[Hog 0]

Totally agree, what a sorry state we find ourselves in.

[The Butler 0]

It''s strange how the slightly elder posters are empathising with this GREAT summary.

I am having trouble after 50 years support (this month) of raising any interest in this current shambles.

Getting this lot wearing replica shirts was an insult to the 59ers who I know bothered and are still VERY bothered.

In those days if a manager had behaved as Roeder is one of the team would have sorted him. Not just a word in his ear either.

 

[Albyella 0]

Ditto Bingo - Ditto The Butler. In my 40+ years of support, I have also never felt so detached. I believe we have an extremely arrogant manager, who has no management skills whatsoever and he has lost the dressing room - also, agree that Delia & Co have been magnificent over the years with their financial support of the club, but they are in a position now where they do not have the necessary funds to move us on to an era where we have to compete finacially. Watford away, Reading away, Charlton away - these 3 games finally cemented my belief that with Mr Roeder we will not be going anywhere except relegation fights or worse......having heard (and been part of) the chants at Watford & Reading to get Lupoli on, and finally with 3000 chanting the same thing at Charlon, you could almost see the contempt in GR when he capitulated and sent him on - and you could almost feel the hope in GR that he wouldnt score.......but of course, he did!!! I love this club, but I feel like I have been 2-timed....

[grantroederdisaster 0]

[quote user="Bingo"]grantroederdisaster - I agree that not all the lone signings are better than the players we already have but my point was that we didn''t have the finances to sign them permanently. Whilst far from perfect, Bertrand and Omozusi would both have cost over a million to bring in on long-term contracts and we simply haven''t got that money to spend. Roeder and the board lurch from one transfer window to the next, papering over the cracks with short-term fixes, merely hoping that something clicks into place. In my view the reality is that the longer we continue with this ''strategy'' the weaker we become. How Roeder can bemoan the lack of senior players available to him when he''s been responsible for hiring and firing is bewildering. It''s merely a result of him releasing a lot of players and replacing them with a few others on short-term deals[/quote]

 

Exactly!

 

One of the reasons Roeders not working as Norwich manager and needs to be removed ASAP!

 

RoederOUT!

[Stevo 0]

Thanks to all for the comments - it''s kind of comforting to know that others are feeling the same. On some of the specific points...

Potless Percy - valid point about PC. I''m sure there are plenty of other people who wouldn''t want to support the club financially under the current regime by providing hand-outs. That being the case I would have rather he had kept a slightly more dignified silence. My take on it was that he attempted to use the press and the fans to apply pressure on the current owners. A very shrewd business ploy and in keeping with a man used to getting the best possible deal BUT not the actions of a true fan who merely wants to watch and support a more successful team? I imagine that Carl Moore''s motivation is simply because when he goes on a Saturday he would rather see a City team with a match-winner like Lita or Huckerby i.e. someone who is potentially worth watching!?

BBFF - I think the lack of success relates to the problems with ''building a team'' and an understanding between players. Short-term loan signings and an unsettled, forever changing line-up mean the team simply don''t get the chance to gel. When we effectively replaced Malky with Simon Charlton following promotion, Worthington thought he had brought in a better player and improved the team. But we lost the understanding between Malky and Fleming and were poorer as a result.

Big Dunc - Spot on! If we were sitting top of the league, I would forgive Roeder all of his character traits. I think what I find particularly galling is that Roeder simply dismisses the credentials of anyone who dares to criticise or expresses an opinion that contravenes his own. The stock answer seems to be unless you''ve actually been a football manager then your opinion counts for nothing. I think you possibly earn the right to be that dismissive and arrogant through achieving consistent success (Alex Ferguson!?) but Roeder appears to believe that by keeping us up, he should now be immune to criticism and the fans should just be grateful.