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Mick Dennis Blog - Some Interesting Insight

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http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2014/05/22/the-wait-is-finally-over-neil-adams-is-the-man-with-attacking-attractive-and-winning-football-his-priority/Apologies if this has been posted before, but I couldn''t see a thread for it.Interesting comments about Mackay vs Adams and also " how he dealt with two undisclosed disciplinary issues within the squad."My money would be on RVW and Bassong

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Mick Dennis is trying to walk a tightrope, keeping in with the board whilst at the same time being critical. I think that the disciplinary matter is Becchio and Gutierrez and the tweets. If it was RvW and Bassong then he has`nt really handled that matter. Anyone can drop a player, that`s not really a solution, nobody wants costly players sitting on the bench or in the stands.  A top manager get the players re motivated and back into the side and playing back up to form again.

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Very positive report, though it does skirt round the suggestion that the board wishing to retain Adams, may have been the stumbling block that has held up matters.Either way it does show the direction the board wants to go - and I expect Bassong, Fer, Garrido to go with most likely Pilks and Hoolahan as well. We will see at least three or four youth players breaking through and the emphasis will be on attack.Pretty much every at the club knows that we will not have a better chance of getting into the PL.  We are looking at budget of around four times what most others will have enough - never mind money from sales of players.Roll on August

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I''ve said it before but if anyone thinks the youth players will get us promoted from this League then they have a big shock coming.We will desperately need to spend big on strikers as it seems Rvw, Hooper and Becchio are probably off. We will see how serious the board are about promotion then. Jordan Rhodes should be high on the list.

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An interesting statement by Dennis, explaining the repeated phrase "He impressed by the way he handled things". I had always assumed that McN meant in team selection and tactics, but if we add in the handling of two disciplinary issues, it makes even more sense.

I am not sure what he means about talks with Malky "stalling", but it suggests that one side couldn''t match the other. Either Malky wouldn''t agree to what the Board wanted, perhaps the new structure, or else they could not agree with the conditions required by Malky. It seems that Malky was otherwise prized as highly as Adams, or even higher, but that when it came down to agreement one side or the other would not budge. This explains the rather strange and formal statement "No other candidate was offered the post", that however much they wanted Malky it was not possible, and they passed to their other preferred candidate with whom agreement was more than possible.

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[quote user="Salopian"]An interesting statement by Dennis, explaining the repeated phrase "He impressed by the way he handled things". I had always assumed that McN meant in team selection and tactics, but if we add in the handling of two disciplinary issues, it makes even more sense.

I am not sure what he means about talks with Malky "stalling", but it suggests that one side couldn''t match the other. Either Malky wouldn''t agree to what the Board wanted, perhaps the new structure, or else they could not agree with the conditions required by Malky. It seems that Malky was otherwise prized as highly as Adams, or even higher, but that when it came down to agreement one side or the other would not budge. This explains the rather strange and formal statement "No other candidate was offered the post", that however much they wanted Malky it was not possible, and they passed to their other preferred candidate with whom agreement was more than possible.[/quote]Dennis says what he means by that:"Norwich thought Mackay was stalling to see what other vacancies might become available..."Now the dust is settling a bit, with stuff such as Dennis'' piece coming out, there is a narrative that fits all the facts. That Mackay was the first choice, as the least worst candidate, with no obvious flaws, and was interviewed as such, and knew he was being interviewed as such.And this despite McNally having been not very complimentary about Mackay as a manager several months ago. So either McNally''s view had changed (partly because of circumstances) or he was persuaded by the other directors to drop his objections.But although Mackay was our first choice, we were not his. Not only was the West Brom job definitely available in the Premier League, and possibly the Southampton job as well, but -  he may well have guessed before it happened - so now was the Celtic job.So he stalled, and and the board were put in a difficult position. They could wait and hope Mackay found himself still jobless in a month or so. Not ideal because it would waste crucial itme. And if Mackay found a job, we would have wasted time for no reason. So, reluctantly, Mackay gets scrubbed and the other candidates, all with serious question-marks against them, move up the list. And Adams gets the nod.

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="Salopian"]An interesting statement by Dennis, explaining the repeated phrase "He impressed by the way he handled things". I had always assumed that McN meant in team selection and tactics, but if we add in the handling of two disciplinary issues, it makes even more sense.

I am not sure what he means about talks with Malky "stalling", but it suggests that one side couldn''t match the other. Either Malky wouldn''t agree to what the Board wanted, perhaps the new structure, or else they could not agree with the conditions required by Malky. It seems that Malky was otherwise prized as highly as Adams, or even higher, but that when it came down to agreement one side or the other would not budge. This explains the rather strange and formal statement "No other candidate was offered the post", that however much they wanted Malky it was not possible, and they passed to their other preferred candidate with whom agreement was more than possible.[/quote]Dennis says what he means by that:"Norwich thought Mackay was stalling to see what other vacancies might become available..."Now the dust is settling a bit, with stuff such as Dennis'' piece coming out, there is a narrative that fits all the facts. That Mackay was the first choice, as the least worst candidate, with no obvious flaws, and was interviewed as such, and knew he was being interviewed as such.And this despite McNally having been not very complimentary about Mackay as a manager several months ago. So either McNally''s view had changed (partly because of circumstances) or he was persuaded by the other directors to drop his objections.But although Mackay was our first choice, we were not his. Not only was the West Brom job definitely available in the Premier League, and possibly the Southampton job as well, but -  he may well have guessed before it happened - so now was the Celtic job.So he stalled, and and the board were put in a difficult position. They could wait and hope Mackay found himself still jobless in a month or so. Not ideal because it would waste crucial itme. And if Mackay found a job, we would have wasted time for no reason. So, reluctantly, Mackay gets scrubbed and the other candidates, all with serious question-marks against them, move up the list. And Adams gets the nod.[/quote]This account makes sense to me!

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Dennis says what he means by that:"Norwich thought Mackay was stalling to see what other vacancies might become available..."Now the dust is settling a bit, with stuff such as Dennis'' piece coming out, there is a narrative that fits all the facts. That Mackay was the first choice, as the least worst candidate, with no obvious flaws, and was interviewed as such, and knew he was being interviewed as such.And this despite McNally having been not very complimentary about Mackay as a manager several months ago. So either McNally''s view had changed (partly because of circumstances) or he was persuaded by the other directors to drop his objections.But although Mackay was our first choice, we were not his. Not only was the West Brom job definitely available in the Premier League, and possibly the Southampton job as well, but -  he may well have guessed before it happened - so now was the Celtic job.So he stalled, and and the board were put in a difficult position. They could wait and hope Mackay found himself still jobless in a month or so. Not ideal because it would waste crucial itme. And if Mackay found a job, we would have wasted time for no reason. So, reluctantly, Mackay gets scrubbed and the other candidates, all with serious question-marks against them, move up the list. And Adams gets the nod.[/quote]Whilst Mackay, Adams and Zola were definitely in the running, I''m not convinced that Mackay was first choice.

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A Sun journo tweeted that talks with Malky broke down Wednesday because he wasnt prepared to work in our new managerial structure.

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That the explanation that seems most likely to me.

The management structure is key to our progress, hopefully when it is all in place it will calm the jittery.

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I also think the Mackay problem may relate to bringing in his No2 from Cardiff, was his name Mooney or summit like that.

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Interesting article and some very good insight there Purple, it certainly seems an entirely plausible suggestion.

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I thought Malky would have reservations working with a TD unless it was somebody he had worked with.

Also managers with experience have their ways. McNally and Bowkett were clear they wanted somebody to play the Norwich way. Mackay probably heard that then walked out of the interview. In any walk of life, if you have your ways, which have proven a success previously, you would not be happy to suddenly completely change your philosophy just to please others

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[quote user="Bury Green"]Interesting article and some very good insight there Purple, it certainly seems an entirely plausible suggestion.[/quote]Bury Green, I think they are less insights and more just the product of rational and disinterested analysis. Based on not having an agenda for or against anyone past or present at the club, on having some occasional sources I trust who are much closer than I am to Carrow Road, on a knowledge of how boardrooms operate, and a knowledge of how to "read" - ie interpret - what people in power say (and don''t say) in public. Whether my analysis is right I haven''t and wouldn''t say definitively. This evening I had an email from one source suggesting it might not be entirely accurate. Pause for thought at least. Perhaps more information will be revealed.

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Well well Purple, Ockham''s razor makes it to the Pink Un.

Have you sat through an AGM with the current Board or indeed the last one, to see the Chairman in action has proven to be a real treat as he cuts a swathe through all the statutory bumpf and indeed presenting the accounts.

These last few years have really given me a renewed sense of hope that we are being run in a fashion that we deserve, I do not share your conviction about having an agenda against various parties past or perhaps present. Over time some of the howlers we have had to endure have left a bitter taste.

The Chairman and Chief Exec have run the club for five years in a fashion I had absolute confidence in, the last week has at the very least tested that belief to the nth degree.

Your opinions if I dare call them that seem to me, based on watching the Board in action, seemed to be entirely how shall I say, parsimonious.

Didn''t think I''d ever use that on the Pink Un either.

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As ever, what has "gorn on" will be revealed in the fullness of time. Like others, unless you are to drive yourself fretfully to an early grave, we must leave these matters to those that can actually influence them .

 

Since the decision to appoint Lambert, it is difficult to fault the current set up, based on results. CH did infact keep us up , we can argue all day long about style (and teams wearing flip flops), but he did. The season ended with that wonderful trip to the Etihad , which will live long in the memory. Three cheers to the board.

 

This season , as doubts crept in (well, in fact they galloped in sounding  a bugle and waving an enormous flag with DOUBTS writ large) I had little choice but to allow myself to believe that those in decision making positions would take the necessary action for us to remain.

 

But they didn’t .

 

So today I find myself , with my usual grey haired cynicism , reverting back to those times when you felt a level of discomfort about the leadership of our beloved club.

 

The revealing of the incumbent of the rather ambiguous role, that has moved since Bowketts well rehearsed EOS speech away from a person of some gravitas to one of sports science and hydration is now critical to my well being. Should the person (that we are scouring Europe for) be one that can raise his (her) CV up to which we all bow down, then good news . If however (to which my darkest fears allude) said person is already resident at Colney , then I will feel that we have indeed returned to a place I had very much hoped (and trusted) we had left behind .

 

So we will see. But the thought of being told that we had scoured Europe (and ended up with our Under 18’s coach) , and then scoured Europe (and ended up with his previous boss) fills me with dread. Questions then about desire, business objectives and proper grown up planning , and a certain someone getting their train set back after Axa and the banks control has subsided , will loom in my tired old head.      

 

 

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[quote user="Graham Paddons Beard"]So we will see. But the thought of being told that we had scoured Europe (and ended up with our Under 18’s coach) , and then scoured Europe (and ended up with his previous boss) fills me with dread. Questions then about desire, business objectives and proper grown up planning , and a certain someone getting their train set back after Axa and the banks control has subsided , will loom in my tired old head.      

 

[/quote]

Like the post GPB.   As for your point about train sets - the real train now arriving at the station is a much better model than previously. It is paid for, has plenty of money for refurbishment.   It has a full tank of  diesel, is fully booked up with fare paying passengers, has a buffet car that just needs to be refreshed and given a bit of a clean up and a track that leads to the main line (but not via the channel tunnel!).  

Toot toot!

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