Now there simply has to be change from the top...

[NMTD 0]

Well the inevitable spineless end to a spineless season has come to bear its rotten fruit.

Since 38 years ago ,when at the age of seven I was given my first (and my only - I still have it) yellow and green scalf for Christmas and my journey of joy and dispair began, the club has never been at such a low.

We have a board who are just like New Labour, snouts in the trough and out of ideas; a team that doesn''t belong to us; an inexperienced manager and coaching team; up to our eyeballs in debt; an ineffectual supporters group in NCISA; and totally ineffectual supporter representation at the club in terms of the SCG who are just part of the Carrow Road spin machine.

Oh, for the fanzine days of the late 80''s to mid 90''s, where there was some real bite in the supporters. With regards to the retrospective comparison with the Chase days, and how we''d be better off now if we still had him in charge, those people are being just as rose tinted and unfocused as some are now being over defensive of Delia. It was the supporters that got Chase out, and good job too. The situation now is different, and no where near a bitter as it was with Chase, it''s more that there has now been a total breakdown in faith and respect for those that run and represent our club. I predict the ultimate outcome will be the same and one way or another Delia will want, or will be forced out.

Just as our exit from the Premier League happened at about the worst possible time as the really big money started to flow, we now have the very real prospect of a Premier League 1 and 2 with 36 teams including Celtic & Rangers that will distribute the TV coverage millions amongst at least some of the unwashed. Now we aren''t even in contention for that. It is a shambolic situation to be in.

"Little Norwich" indeed. It is just not good enough to portray us in this way and that ABSOLUTELY IS Delia''s fault.

The club quite simply needs a clearout from top to bottom. There is no way I am going to ''give back'' my refund on my season tickets. In fact the club would garner alot more respect if they just acknowledged the failure and gave it back without us having to tug our forelocks once more.

Delia and MWJ are the majority owners, they could step back from their hands on roles, whilst allowing in some fresh ideas. Just because you own the shares you don''t have to run the company on a day to day basis. However, their majority position will remain until a buyer can be found. But like with any other investment, they have to realise value can go down as well as up, and at the moment it is right down there with Woolworths. If they don''t let go, there is a real prospect that our club could spiral out of existance. It''s just like Chinese Junk Bonds - the certificate may say £1,000,000 but the value is pence. Delia has to put a realistic value on the club and let it go. Sorry Delia, your money is lost, you backed the wrong horse, its over - time to go.

Doncaster, as the CEO, is responsible to the shareholders for maintaining share value. He quite clearly has failed in that remit. The club is reported to be losing £10,000 per week yet have a chief executive earning a reported £190,000. Well there''s nearly a £4,000 per week saving to start off with. If any other business could cut their weekly loses by 40% so simply I think it would be done at a flash. He has to go, and it is the shareholders responsibility to do exercise that boil on the face of the club. Be prepared for a Fred Goodwin sized exit cost to this but that''s the shareholders fault too.

Munby has also run out of ideas. The rest of the faceless board is also spent - they have no voice - no ideas - no value.

Gunn, unfortunate as it is, cannot manage this club - he is just plain and simply too nice. I''m not going to vilify the man, he is a Norwich legend who has had to ride the biggests up''s and down''s of what life can throw at anyone. I saw him on football focus yesterday and I thought he looked ill and I for one don''t want to see him suffer ill health because of our situation. There is no doubt that the man cares about Norwich City, but I honestly don''t think he''s right one to take us forward in the manager role at the current time.

Onto the players. One thing that sums up the season has been a total lack of quality. What summed this up for me is when I asked my 12 year old son who we should keep he struggled to pick anyone out. The name that came out eventually was Doherty. My daughter was more direct - she said Huckerby. Now putting aside the fact that he doesn''t play for us anymore, she was spot on - if that man would not have won us 6 extra points this season then I''m a monkey''s uncle. The current group of players are simply not good enough now, and they won''t be good enough in League 1 either.

A team needs to be built again, and everyone needs to face facts - that is going to take some time. We need to start at the back and get a keeper who comands his area and the respect of the team. Marshall isn''t that man. Forget the £1m price tag - it was a bum deal and move on.

I just don''t think the supporters have the stomach for the rebuilding that is needed under the current regime. Under new blood, with the clarity and ambition needed, we might just get through it.

Regime change can be good - its time to send in the troops - and those troops are you and I.

[Smudger 0]

What a great post NMTD... possibly the finest that I have ever seen posted on this very messageboard... [Y] [;)]

I love your comments about Delia backing the wrong horse and deserving nothing in return... how very true!!!

Gunny does look very ill and should never have been put in this position in the first place.

As for the regime change from top to bottom, I told Munby and Doncaster that they had destroyed all the faith that many fans had in this board of directors at the last NCISA forum.  To his credit Mr Munby agreed that I could well be possibly right when I said that many fans will never trust a word this regime comes out with ever again.  That feeling will only have become more deep rooted over the past few months.  How can a club possibly move forwards in such circumstances?

NCFC is terminally ill and has no chance of getting better until Delia Smith and MWJ have either taken a back seat or stepped down alltogether.

[grantroederdisaster 0]

A sensible post by your standards Smudger and mostly correct!

 

Gunny was given a poisoned chalice, would never of been thought about if we''d of got a decent manager instead of Grant and Roeder and I''ve never seen a manager yet that doesn''t make baffling decisions. - On that basis I''m not convinced that any other manager would of done much differently to what Gunn has done!

[NMTD 0]

Thanks Smudger, although I think BigFella''s ''where it went wrong'' takes some beating.

I used to be a very regular poster in the early days of this forum, but now I just don''t get the time. Today though, I had to put my thoughts down.  I am not going to pretend that I have always agreed with things you say on here, but I think we are thinking along the same lines in terms of the future.

It feels perverse to write it down, but it might just be that relegation could actually be what this club needed, if it finally galvanises people into action.

This club doesn''t just need change - it has to happen - and fast, but people do have to realise that recovery is going to take quite some time.

 

[TheFineCity 0]

A very good post NMTD. I think the analogy to new labour is very apt and is one I have had myself. The complete lack of responsibility from the board and especially Delia for the mess we are currently in is laughable. Hearing Delia Blame ''football'' for our plight today was the biggest joke i''ve heard in a long time.  As if this mythical football beast hasn''t effected every other club in this league, it reminds me of a manager complaining about a bad pitch when his teams loses when both teams have to play on it. We cannot continue down this path anymore, nor can we although those that wish to defend the board to continue to control the agenda. It''s time for a big change and Delia must be forced to sell her shares, even if it means she loses money. OTBC

[TheFineCity 0]

P.S. apoligies for the spelling mistakes. Like most people had a few drinks today.

[Mr.Carrow 394]

*Bump*

Excellent OP and excellent response TheFineCity.

[Apron J Thick 0]

Hi NMTD,

Excellent post! I thought with a curry, a beer and a sleep I thought I''d feel better... now I just feel angry.

More to the point - the fanzine days of the 80''s / 90''s. They were the days. We had some real heroes to hang our efforts on... I recently found some of the cartoons I scribbled for The Citizen & NMTD - great stuff.

I remember how Chase became an increasingly isolated figure as his plans for the Barclay and the redevelopment of Carrow Rd for commercial gain were ridiculed - I know the fanzine output had a voice and it counted. It must have done - at the centenary exhibition at the Castle Museum one of my front-cover cartoons was included so they obviously took notice of us.

So now is the time. If anybody needs cartoons for any fanzine output let me know. We can do this - we can have a real voice that is heard by the numpties and no-marks who are driving this club headlong into obscurity.

OTBC!

Apron J Thick aka One of many Thame Canaries

[paul moy 235]

[quote user="grantroederdisaster"]

A sensible post by your standards Smudger and mostly correct!

 

Gunny was given a poisoned chalice, would never of been thought about if we''d of got a decent manager instead of Grant and Roeder and I''ve never seen a manager yet that doesn''t make baffling decisions. - On that basis I''m not convinced that any other manager would of done much differently to what Gunn has done!

[/quote]

 

It wasn''t so much baffling decisions but no decisions that was the problem. Many times I can remember when a game was crying out for a change when we were losing but nothing was forthcoming or simply too late. There was the home game also where Russell was constantly arguing with the ref and was obviously going to get sent off, where if he had been taken off we would not have lost him for two games at a vital stage. Many times I felt that Cody should have been given a chance but never really was and just 30 minutes in a game could have made such a difference instead of just the 10 minutes he sometimes got. His recent performances have proven that he should have been given more time on the field IMO.

Gunn was given his chance and he has sadly failed. I would have loved to see him succeed but he didn''t so we must move on.