Stark choice facing the Board

[gazzathegreat 0]

Well I did go to the game tonight, if only for two reasons, one a fatally flawed argument with myself that someone had to go and support the team and two, I wanted to see the old strip (sadly without the cup winning performance to go with it).

What did we get? Predictably perhaps a game were the players showed no invention, they ran around like headless chickens and only a couple had any effort of merit (Doc and Lupoli - first half). The rest were pedestrian in the main, and a few of them shouldn’t have been on the pitch in the first place. Carl Cort showed a few decent touches but he’s plainly so unfit I am sure tonight was nothing more than a fitness exercise for him. The rest, well it was pretty plain - as is becoming a recurring theme - that the “team” don’t get going until the 82nd minute. We had Doherty up the field trying to equalise, Clingan playing a large part of the game in a centre half position and Croft blocked out of the game by the opposition. There were very few telling passes, very few chances and about 2 saves by their keeper. Charlton were not world beaters and didn’t need to be, they were cruising in the second half and must have thought Christmas comes two weeks late in Norfolk.

The ground looked very empty, yes the lower Barclay looked quite full from where I am, but the City Stand was very empty and hardly anyone in the Snakepit. Around me of our group of say 15 or so only ONE other person turned up. The only other person I saw that I actually knew was Nutty Nigel. But okay to be expected I suppose, kids for a quid.

I have always loved the romance of the FA Cup, despite the fact we have never won it, in the past we have had some memorable games, this season it has to go down as one of our worst ever efforts. Tonight’s performance and result was totally unacceptable on all fronts. What tactics Roeder employed (I am guessing crosses from Bell and Croft into Cort initially?) didn’t really work and to throw it totally in disarray Charlton scored and never looked like losing from that moment on.

The atmosphere turned very nasty with 20 minutes to go. Lots of Roeder Out, What a load of rubbish, Sack the Board, etc, etc. Long and sustained singing of all these and booing off at half time and full time. Again (as in the past) there were fans arguing with each other. I desperately want full scale change at the club but can’t bring it upon myself to boo the players or chant for the manager’s head while the team are on the pitch, however badly they are playing. I just cannot do it. Maybe to do with who I am and how I was brought up on the club when they achieved things, the players played for the shirt and you didn’t have to give a toss who the Chairman was. I doubt if I can change now.

I have really worried about relegation for a while now, certainly since before Christmas, but tonight it finally dawned on the whole stadium. We are without any kind of creativity, we are without any kind of funding to buy our way out of this mess and with a manager who stubbornly continues as if we are half way up the league. We have a Board who are intently looking for a buyer/investor, but find it too difficult to make the decisions top management have to, namely to bring its manager to task regarding unacceptable performances.

Where do we go from here? We go down, unless something can be pulled out of the fire in the name of a saviour striker or an investor to give us hope for the future. We have though sadly lived with a board whose policies and actions have got precisely what they have planned and budgeted for. The total destruction of hope and pride in our once wonderful club. It’s dead in all but name. I feel increasingly sorry for the few players who do care and still very very angry at the way we have allowed the board to put everything else before our team. It can’t go on. Relegation could mean the end of my generation ever seeing top flight football again. For what, a great stadium, some lovely eating places, they matter not when we don’t have a football club worthy of our history and the supporters who have followed the Canaries for all their lives.

Roeder must go - and he must go tonight. We all know this isn’t going to happen and we can therefore expect a couple of months of supporter unrest before the decision is forced upon the board to act for the good of the club. I have on idea who the board could bring in, for they have now dug a deep deep hole for themselves, but act they must as custodians for us all. It’s now obvious Mr Roeder can’t turn us around. It’s a stark choice, either he goes, or we go down. Pure and simple.

[LinkNR9 0]

Good post, GTG, especially the part about "fans" booing the players during the half - that''s really going to make them want the ball. I desperately want Roeder and the Board to go, but it seemed to me that some of the crowd had only one intention this evening, which was to bitch and moan at every opportunity.

I actually feel sorry for some of the players, especially the Doc who gave 110% as usual. They''ve had the confidence and ability knocked out of them by this arrogant excuse of a manager. How else do you explain the likes of Hoolihan and Clingan, universally acclaimed by the football league world for their performances last season, hitting such poor form now?  

[WeAreYellows49 0]

I too feel sorry for some of the players, but they are as much to blame as anyone else, they are paid good money to play a game they are talented enough to play, most kids dream of it.

The board sure has some tough decisions to make, but will they do right by the fans and for the good of the club?  My head tells me no they will stick by him and give him another few matches to turn things around, but my heart says they will do what''s right.

We have to go by what they decide, we have little choice sadly.

In an ideal situation we would get rid of the lot of them on the board, but that isn''t going to happen, as sadly there isn''t a ''''hero'''' or a ''''knight on a white charger'''' waiting in the wings. [:(]

[......and Smith must score. 1,336]

Superb post Gazza.

As we''ve discussed on here before you and I have been watching the Canaries for many years and, like you, I despair when I look at what''s happened to our Club. When I saw Glenn Roeder recently at the supporters meeting at Banham he came across as unsure in himself despite all the guff about taking Norwich back to their rightful place, being our manager for many years, etc, etc. He didn''t seem as though he really knew what he could do to stop the slide.

Personally I think that whoever is the manager right now is doomed to failure as far as the Championship is concerned but a new man at the helm might, just might, be able to galvanise the players pride to save us from the drop. Therefore, like you, I think Roeder should be removed immediately so that we can at least tackle the next three crucial games with a breath of fresh air around the place. That said quite how we can get a new man in place before the weekend if we''re not to be left to the tender mercies of Roeder''s 29 year old rookie assistance beats me.....

This club is now just a pathetic shambles of what it once was. If the Board have any guts they''ll do the right thing tomorrow.

[renegade tootsie 0]

Quite right - why not give the player stick?  IT seems to be a Norfolk obsession with being nice to these overpaid wank*ers.  Look at clubs like West Ham, Newcastle, etc, if their players are poor the fans REALLY let them kow about it.

STOP BEING SO NICE.[quote user="WeAreYellows49"]

I too feel sorry for some of the players, but they are as much to blame as anyone else, they are paid good money to play a game they are talented enough to play, most kids dream of it.

The board sure has some tough decisions to make, but will they do right by the fans and for the good of the club?  My head tells me no they will stick by him and give him another few matches to turn things around, but my heart says they will do what''s right.

We have to go by what they decide, we have little choice sadly.

In an ideal situation we would get rid of the lot of them on the board, but that isn''t going to happen, as sadly there isn''t a ''''hero'''' or a ''''knight on a white charger'''' waiting in the wings. [:(]

[/quote]