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Farkes The Herald Angels

It's All Gone Wrong

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I am so sick and tired of reflections on where we ended up in the league last year.

11th.

Yes, 11th in possibly the most competitive league on the planet.

And, yes, we have no debt and we are currently not in the relegation zone.

And in this week''s AGM The Board say we will be fine this year.

But,since I began my time behind the goal (on a little wooden platform that my dad built for me to make up for my lack of inches) in 1973 I have never based my relationship with my team on ''results''.

I have never expected too much. We were and have remained a small potato relative to the Big Kahunas of the football establishment.

When we beat Bayern, when we thrashed Everton and Leeds away and when we occasionally beat the top clubs I never saw it as though we were amongst them as ''the powers that be'', but that we could hope, dream and occasionally realise the fact that we could be considered on the ''top table''.

Now the world has changed, 11th is damn good. If we end there this year that will be even more damn good.

But, 11th?

If we end next year, will that be damn good? For a club of ''our size'' maybe.

But my Norwich City FC has never led me to believe that a certain position in the table has been enough.

The best of NCFC that I have loved throughout my life has always delivered the surprising and entertaining. It has always been a club (a society) that has led me to believe that anything is possible.

It mostly been a club that - quintessentially - has lived above its means and has done so because it dared to dream big.

It dared.

Dared.

Which led to spectacular flops (Blackburn 7-1) and the amazing successes (Arsenal 2-4).

But it never led to the insipid, over-thought-through capitulations that we see so often in these times.

We can all postulate about why we have not scored more goals this year, why we have let in more goals and why we have generally been uncompetitive.

To me, it is because there is no soul and "f*** the competition''. There is no sense of ''anything is possible''.

We have become anesthetized and constipated.

We are so caught in the headlights of Premier League glory that we have not been able to separate the pleasure of being in the top tier from the pleasure of watching our team entertain.

I do not offer an opinion on whether CH is the best person to keep us in ''mid table mediocrity'' (as some Board member said), but he is so obviously not the leader we need to rekindle and re-deliver the dazzling entertainment of the past.

That is what this club was known for and - in the commercial desires of 2013 - that is what this club seems to have forgotten.

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Blimey, anybody got a gun? I''m suddenly depressed.

 

You could try going to the games and enjoying them, it''s not that bad. I seem to remember us playing pretty well against Southampton, Cardiff and sticking three past West Ham. Not everything has to ''be in context'' mate!

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Take a ticket and get to the back of the line with the rest of the "woe is me" types pal.

If it''s all that bad go Christmas shopping tomorrow

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If anyone wants a cut down version of this btw it''s

"1993

Blahblahblah

Houghton out"

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Thanks very much for putting the whole thing into context for me.

I couldn''t agree more, I am a similar vintage although I never had a box to stand on.

I have found it hard to put my finger on the issue and I guess it always seems to come across that its about the results. I could take consistent poor results if linked to passion heart & endeavour.

I was at both the Blackburn and Arsenal games you speak of (my fave game from NCFC history) and even as we conceded the 7th goal at Ewood park we did the conga and dreamt of a day where things would be better.

We seem to champion mediocrity in a way ive never seen before. Thanks for making me remember what it can be like to be a city fan.

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Bit disrespectful that, Jonzy and "Buh".

Is the OP not right? I''d say he''s nailed it on the head - there is no passion or belief in this team.

He happens to have seen a few more decades of City than me, and I suspect you, so he''s entitled to offer a somewhat historically based account of being a city fan.

The OP''s not expecting miracles - none of us are - just a bit of heart and soul and players playing as well as they can.

I thought it was a well-rounded, intelligently-put opinion and certainly didn''t deserve that.

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It''s just feeling sorry for yourself and sycophantic rubbish. Might as well have the Hovis advert music in the background "Things were better when I were a lad"

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Still think that''s a bit harsh mate - Norwich *were* better back then, and football *was* more fun. I''m only 31 and even I think football is much less fun now than it was in the 90''s. Even though City were mostly shit in the late 90''s!

So I think he''s entitled to say that, and it''s a worthwhile comparison given that our current team plays with no vigor or joy.

At least he''s giving a decent reason for his dislike of Hughton''s regime rather than the badly spelled neanderthal "Hooton out" types, and he''s not exactly clamoring for the manager''s head.

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[quote user="MancCanary"]Bit disrespectful that, Jonzy and "Buh". [/quote]

 

Not really. It''s like saying ''music was better in my day''. It wasn''t, you were just younger and less cynical.

 

Personally I think music is better now than ever and that supporting Norwich now is just as good as when I was 14. I had a season ticket in the Barclay when we finished 3rd and it was crazy. Just because the league is harder now and we struggle doesn''t mean it''s less fun.

 

So sure, the play is ever so slightly less exciting as we try to contain the world class forwards faced most weeks who would have played in Italy 20 years ago. But match day is just as fun, just as great and I love it (apart from the whinging). Hughton is a decent manager, and last time I looked we were 16th in the leage, and correct me if I''m wrong don''t we have approximately the 16th largest playing budget in the league?

 

Just support your team and enjoy it. I mean, you could have been born an Ipswich fan. Imagine that?! 

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Haha very true!

I know what you''re saying, and I really admire the positive outlook!

I agree about music. The people that say it was better in their day are people who don''t look for music - they''re only talking about what they heard and hear today on the radio - which is definitely sh*t unless you have a DAB and listen to 6 music.

I think the OP was just comparing this season''s lacklustre team to one of our best. It makes a difference to people comparing it to Lambert''s teams!

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[quote user="Buh"]If anyone wants a cut down version of this btw it''s "1993 Blahblahblah Houghton out"[/quote]

 

Well I can identify with a lot of the OP but don''t see it as anything about Hughton out. Of course that may be why he posted. But I''m afraid replacing Hughton won''t change what we don''t like about the games now. We won''t suddenly get back to where we were in 1993 because that league doesn''t exist anymore. So we either want to remain like this and slowly, very slowly establish ourselves or we just become what I view as "little ol'' Norwich", try and punch above our weight, and take the consequences whatever they may be.

 

Of course I could be wrong and the post could be a new way of saying "wah wah wah Hughton out" but I didn''t read it like that.

 

 

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He says at the end I''m not saying Hughton out but Hughton is the man to manage our club! The contradiction within about three words is hilarious!

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Fair point then Buh. Well that''s his opinion and it''s fair enough. He hasn''t made anything up. I have sympathy with much of the post but come to different conclusions about the cause. Nobody is wrong. It''s just opinions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yes, lets get back to the past, it was much more fun when we were giant killers wasn''t it? Matching our skills against the like of Shrewsbury and Aldershot and those other giants of Division 3 South.Oh, and the music, we really should re-instate that one about the ant and the rubber tree plant.Great days, will they ever return?

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Rose tinted glasses are deceptive. I remember around 1994 is those hazy, halcyon days sitting watching the most wretched Premier League game versus Swindon which finished 0-0. Every other team murdered them that season, except us.

It wasn''t all away wins at Arsenal. And we weren''t particularly exciting under Walker. We were better than a lot of very average teams because of the European ban and the fact that no decent foreigners played here.

But I agree with the OP with something, some games are frustrating to watch compared to the best games back in the day. But not all. The Southampton game was great, as was the Everton match, Snodgrasses free kick against the Hammers was awesome. but we''re not as exciting as the last few years. Agreed. But we''re not rubbish either and Carrow Road is still rocking every match. It could be much worse!

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We can agree on one thing Jonzey the free kick against the hammers was top class.

Whilst I can agree we weren''t always particularly exciting under Walker I honestly cannot remember a time we were so rarely exciting.

You seem so easily pleased I would suggest the Southampton game was satisfactory (no more) the Everton game was however quite exciting.

You seem to confuse effectiveness and success with excitement they are not the same.

I would suggest you could probably count the number of exciting games Norwich have been involved in over the Hughton era can be counted on two hands.

I do not expect all games to be exciting and would accept the most likely way to get points from any of the top teams is unlikely to be pretty.

The biggest problem continues to be that Hughton seems to have no idea how to play any team that doesn''t isolate the striker to the degree of being a spectator.

I can accept that any team will need time to create an understanding but I have seen no evidence of this situation improving since the first games of last season. No wonder Grant Holt couldn''t wait to get out.

Hughton doesn''t help himself or us believe things will get better by never changing his regimented tactics if he wants to remain Norwich city manager he should actually start doing some management.

Manage the players and the tactics not to mention inspire the players and maybe just maybe it wouldn''t all be so dull.

Hughton has only ever had success as a manager with teams with a battering ram target man (Carroll at Newcastle & Zigic at Birmingham)

Ye he invested 13M in two strikers he has no idea how to use.

I am certain we have enough quality in our squad to perform better and play more excitingly other managers have not been so lucky (that makes it even more frustrating0

Hughton seems like a really nice guy, I really want him to succeed but his one size fits all approach to football management will probably get us relegated or him the sack (or both)

A team should be ever evolving lets see something improving some balls at the strikers feet, even some missed decent chances then maybe I could see some logic to giving him more time.

I just want to believe enough that its worth making the trip to Carrow rd in the hope or belief that something worth watching might happen on the pitch.

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I do agree he needs to find a formula which creates more chances for our strikers. They''re very isolated and he only ever seems to play down the wings, which rarely works when we only put one small player in the box. At Newcastle I was begging for someone to put a through ball for Hooper as he stood off the shoulder of Coloccini, but every time down the wing or the wide men tried to run at out defenders before being disposessed.Yes, agreed, very frustrating and dour at times. But it hasn''t exactly ''all gone wrong'' as we have won a few games and are 16th. This is Hughtn''s first full season with mostly his own signings rather than Lamberts. Perhaps free flowing football will come when Fer fully gets to grips with this league along with RvW and Hooper. When they click I have a feeling they will start to demolish teams as a forward three. Have patience, it''s not so bad. It''s only 12 games in!

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My worry is that he has never found a formula to involve our strikers (whoever they are) in 50 games.

If he at least looks to be trying something to cure this and i''d be happy, even if it takes time.

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Hopefully when he has Hooper and RvW fully fit and available to play together for the first time he''ll finally have the quality he needs to play a more effective attack. I have real faith that these two guys have the potential to be the finest duo we''ve ever seen at the club, supported by who I believe to be potentially the finest midfielder.We''re not too far away. We''re winning a few games whilst being a bit dour and boring and we''re not exactly cast adrift at the bottom.

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Buh, you might want to look up the meaning of Sycophancy!

 

Don''t think you quite got it in the right context.  Then again I haven''t seen much sense from your posts since you arrived on here.

 

5/10 for effort. Let''s hope for better in the future. [^o)]

 

 

 

 

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Alright it''s a typical old man comment. Everything old is brilliant everything new is rubbish. Boring!

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Nostalgic is probably the word you are looking for, however it could easily be said that it is a typically naive young persons view that all that is modern is progressive and better than before.

 

There are a great many examples of where this is clearly not the case.

 

I would however use the term Sycophantic to describe those that accept the Status Quo and fear aiming to become the best we can be, just because that is not the way things are and who are we to dare change or challenge that!

 

We are constantly told..''Just be happy with what you''ve got!''.  You have no right to expect any more! Well I am afraid I have never signed up to this train of thought. I dare to believe and believe that better is possible.

 

Don''t dismiss the past so easily!  A great amount of good and positive things existed there and much we can learn from. [:)]

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Typical unintelligent response Buh, unable to comprehend reasoned arguments?

 

Thought so.

 

Try again when you have actually something valid, constructive and maybe even intelligent to say.

 

How old are you by the way?  I thought there was Parental Controls on computers these days, but obviously yours forgot to switch them on!

 

Your Avatar speaks for itself![Y]

 

 

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Are you still talking? What is your problem? Typical old person there you go I said it. Now get all precious about it. Old people allowed to tell the young how to live but the young Not allowed to say how frigging senile and stupid grandad is. Careful with your shawl tomorrow pal and it''s meant to be chilly hope you''ve had your flu jab. There you go, all the abuse you craved. Hope it''s everything you wanted.

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Getting back to the thread, the OP is right about how football has changed. However, you have to put it in context.

Life has changed since 1972. So has society. There are many things we could do then that we cannot do now and vice versa.

It is a fact if the modern world that we can talk on a phone with pictures virtually anywhere in the world. We have more computing power in our pockets than was ever dreamed possible. Individuals can communicate directly to the world using blogs or twitter.

We have nano science and shop assistants who call you "Mate" if they speak at all.

It is naive to think football would not change. The game has mutated hugely. The game of John Bond or Mike Walker is not the game today. Just as many have so much greater opportunity today than when we were kids, so football clubs have so much less than when we were kids.

A club like City will always perform at the edge of its ability just to be in the Premier League. Mid table equals excellence. Unless we are bought by a billionaire, anything more will be a freak anomaly if it ever happens.

I do not enjoy or relish this but to ignore the nature of the world we live in and dream of Europe and despise a manager who kept us in this a League is unrealism of the highest kind.

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I''ve moved with the times Nutty,

 

my Zimmer Frame''s got WiFi you know![;)]

 

Think we touched a young nerve with our highly esteemed poster?

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