BBC Football League Blog is about us / the Brentford game

[blahblahblah 2]

...Here is a link.

[Panic 0]

Christ. That''s probably the most the beeb has ever writen about us.

[Lambo 0]

Spot on blog IMO.

[First Jedi 0]

Could someone copy and paste, please? :)

[SitTee 0]

At Griffin Park

New Norwich manager Paul Lambert cut a relaxed figure as he stood in the warm evening sun before the Canaries match at Brentford on Tuesday.

In between talking to his new employers and obligingly signing a few

autographs, the 40-year-old Scot watched his squad go through their

warm-up routine, occasionally casting a glance down at the team sheet

in his hand.

But inside he must have surely been as amazed as the rest of us by the turn of events since the start of the new season.

The Scot had resigned as Colchester manager late on Monday before being officially unveiled as the successor to Bryan Gunn at Carrow Road on Tuesday morning.

Lambert then made the dash to Griffin Park to watch his new team in

action, but preparation for the League One fixture had been left to

caretaker boss Ian Butterworth.

The players that Lambert saw cannot have been unfamiliar to him.

After all, just 10 days previously he was in the away dug-out as his Colchester side annihilated the Canaries 7-1 in what was comfortably the most spectacular result of the opening weekend of the season.

I could not help but feel sorry for Gunn as I watched the rather

lengthy highlights on the BBC, goal after goal evaporating the optimism

built during a largely successful pre-season.

He cut a slightly helpless figure, especially when two supporters invaded the pitch and headed towards him;

one of who engaged in the histrionic gesture of throwing away his

season ticket, something that the shrewd among us leave until the final

and not the opening game of a season.

Norwich then ensured their club would remain in the headlines by sacking Gunn last Friday,

just days after his team had beaten Yeovil 4-0 in the Carling Cup. Less

than a week into the new campaign and we had the first managerial

casualty of the season. Brutal.

I spoke to plenty of people over the summer who suggested that Gunn

had been fortunate to land the job permanently after a largely

disappointing attempt to keep Norwich in the Championship.

Gunn, of course, is a Canaries legend and the suspicion was that

there was a hint of sentiment - always a dangerous ingredient when

making a hard-headed decision - in his appointment.

Boardroom changes have been made at Norwich since Gunn was given the

job permanently and new chief executive David McNally apparently had no

qualms about taking swift and decisive action so early in the season.

The thing is, though, McNally arrived on 12 June

- why not before the season started? Instead, Gunn rebuilt his squad

over the summer and six of the new arrivals started at Brentford, with

a further four on the bench.

Striker Grant Holt arrived from Shrewsbury

and his link-up play with Cody McDonald at times on Tuesday must have

pleased the watching Lambert. It is the classic big ''un, little ''un

combination, with McDonald, who arrived from Dartford in January,

looking like a real find. Both tested Lewis Price in the Brentford goal.

Right winger Simon Whaley, brought in from Preston,

is more than capable at League One level and with Wes Hoolahan on the

opposite flank, they look equipped to provide good service for the

strikers. Several times against the Bees they found space in dangerous

areas and drilled low crosses into the box. Whaley, though, is a

confidence player and sometimes goes missing during a game, while

Hoolahan occasionally lacks an end product.

It was a tight first half at Brentford, with both teams creating

good chances, but the home team were clearly superior after the break

and might have won by a greater margin than 2-1.

Norwich wilted after they fell behind to Ryan Dickson''s header in a

way that suggested confidence is understandably brittle. David Hunt''s

free-kick sealed the points before Owain Tudur Jones, another summer

arrival who looked solid in the centre of Norwich''s midfield, scored a

consolation free-kick in injury-time.

Brentford are a little club on the up, while Norwich are a biggish club on the slide - and it showed on the night.

The calibre of the Bees'' football suggested they will not struggle at this level after winning the League Two title last season. Eyebrows were raised when young manager Andy Scott was given a five-year contract in April 2008 but the London club backed their man and are now reaping the rewards.

Norwich must hope that Lambert, who had been at Colchester since

last October, can make a similar impression at Carrow Road - and after

the club opted to take such drastic action in sacking Gunn they must

now give the new boss the backing and time to succeed.

It won''t be easy because expectations are high at Norwich for an

immediate return to the Championship. Brentford must have the smallest

two-tier stand in football but nonetheless it was filled to near

capacity by the 1,850 away fans who had made the trip from Norwich.

They saw their team opened up far too easily, while possession was

often cheaply surrendered. I spoke to Whaley and Holt afterwards and

they both insisted that morale was good in the dressing room and that

as professional players they are capable of handling the early-season

turbulence.

But there was an uncertainty to Norwich''s play that suggested the

bruises sustained over the last 10 days remain painful. Lambert must

quickly iron out Norwich''s frailties in defence and restore self-belief.

Speaking after the game Butterworth argued that the squad Lambert

inherits is good enough for promotion. He went on to say that the

players and coaching staff have a day off on Wednesday. Not until he

returns to work on Thursday does he expect to find out if he still has

a job. It seems unlikely as Lambert is taking his backroom staff with

him from Colchester.

I have heard that Lambert, a Champions League winner as a player

with Borussia Dortmund, was not formally interviewed for the position.

McNally, the man responsible for appointing him, was sales and

marketing director at Celtic when Lambert was skipper of the Scottish

club. But McNally insisted this is no old pals act and explained on

Tuesday: "It''s all about ability, experience, track record, drive,

hunger, commitment and a winning mentality. Paul has all of those."

But this is very much McNally''s appointment - and Lambert''s success

or otherwise will be a reflection on him as well. In this regard I can

see why he has wanted to employ someone he knows all about.

Lambert said that he came to truly understand the size of the club

and its fanbase after he took his Colchester team to Carrow Road. It

clearly made an impression on him because he has left a team top of League One to take on the task of trying to revive Norwich.

As Lambert watched his new side slip to defeat at Griffin Park, Colchester won again, beating Gillingham 2-1 to maintain their 100% start to the League One season.

But then, Lambert''s appointment is all about ambition and Norwich

fans can rest assured they have a man who will work tirelessly to

realise it.

I interviewed Lambert shortly after he became Wycombe boss in 2006.

As we discussed the all-consuming nature of management he told me: "You

have issues going through your brain about the club every day - and

often into the night."

How successfully he deals with the issues he faces at Norwich will

be of crucial importance as he tries to get the Canaries singing again.

[First Jedi 0]

Cheers Kiwi - good article.

[Lincs CR 0]

Cheers for finding this, great read :)