Ewan Wilson@ewanwilson99 I'm not saying Teemu Pukki is the best player in the world, but he's definitely top three.
Buendia until he tired looked a real cut above in terms of touch and movement Cantwell excellent, gave Gunter a torrid time (weren’t we linked with him not so long ago)? And Pukki. Ok. Dare I say that he looks like the nearest thing to a replacement to Holt? Negatives, because I’m in an FML mood: Something about the midfield formation meant they fell to pieces a little 45-75 minutes, not sure if it was a change in Reading formation, but definitely one to look out for as our next opponents will be trying to copy it. Any thoughts?
Not wishing to talk anything up, but surely Middlesbrough and Reading pose a sterner test than QPRcelona and Wigan do? The only way is ^^, baby, for you and me....
As highlighted by PD at the end of this article. http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...s-after-2-1-readng-championship-win-1-5703204
Our play did fall away in the second half until they scored, but that was also because of the Reading substitutions. Barrow transformed their midfield when he came on and Aarons had real difficulty coping with him. His WhoScored rating dropped from 6.8 to 5.9 during that period. Lewis also had a harder time as they came forward with more purpose but our central defence stayed solid except for that scrappy goal. Our attack was our strong point with Pukki on 7.8 and Cantwell, Steipermann, Buendia and Vrancic all 7 or over (Vrancic was 7.5, an incredibly high rating for a sub).
MB goes on a bit, but really worth listening to from about 7min 30!!! http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/spor...dd-cantwell-league-debut-at-reading-1-5703136
What a disaster. Financial crisis averted. Budget back under control. Squad renewal nearly complete with most high earners/deadwood gone. Several youngsters being given a chance. A freebie who has only scored 5 goals so far. A massive 2 points off the play-offs. This lot don't know what they are doing. Sack Farke! Sack Webber! Sack the Board! Sack the Tea-lady! Sack the Programme Seller!! We need to go back to the glory days when the Club listened to us knowledgeable fans and made stunning decisions like the appointments of Adams and Gunn.
If they listened on time and had better contingency thinking maybe the fans could have been right? Hughton was sacked too late as was Neil. OK I'm sure some thought it was a good idea to have Adams or Gunn appointed, but I think as close to supportive of those decisions as most fans got was; thats stupid timing, a stupid appointment, but at least the current incumbant has gone. And whats the program seller ever done to deserve that! Bah!
I didn't get a vote on the appointments of Gunn or Adams I did however give them my backing . I wasn't involved with the ridiculous appointment of Jez Moxey or think it was good business to sign Naismith on a long term expensive contract, I just help pay their wages and severance . In fact I don't know a single fan that made decisions for our board so not sure how we are carrying the can for the club's mistakes. I just keep paying for tickets to watch them year in year out no matter how **** the team are or how badly the club was run.
If by doom monger you mean that I had serious concerns about the financial state of the Club - then I plead guilty to that and also admit that I still have slight concerns on that score. If by doom monger you mean that I thought we would probably end up nearer the bottom of the table than the top this year - then I plead guilty to that and accept that the early signs are more promising than I thought they would be. I do have to say however that you will have to look long and hard to find any post from me demanding the removal of anybody from their job or suggesting that all decisions are not made at the time in the best interests of the Club. Unlike many I accept that the Board, the Management and the Coaching Staff, including the Academy, have far far more knowledge of how to do their jobs than the average fan and whilst we are all entitled to our opinions those opinions are based on limited knowledge and are likely to be wrong.
Again it is all a matter of opinion. For what it is worth I do not think that Hughton should have been sacked at all and I also think that Neil had to be given the time he was given but a lot of opinion, including mine, can be clouded by hindsight. As far as Adams and Gunn were concerned I seem to recall campaigns in the local press and local radio to get them appointed so the fans were a lot more involved than you suggest. As far as the programme seller is concerned he has done no more wrong than the rest of them so why leave him out!!
It was Delia and co holding far too much store by this 'family club' perceived (and often true but irrelevant in the boardroom, surely?) image, thereby thinking that by appointing 'he's one of our own' Gunn and Adams they's instantly get the fans onside.
We have to be reasonable and accept that we all, with hindsight, make mistakes but at the time they appeared to be the right decision. No Manager deliberately buys a bad player but all Managers - including all the top Managers - do make signings that turn out to be players who, for a variety of reasons, do not work out. The same with Boards of Directors. Moxey had just left Wolves because his job had been changed in a new structure and he no longer had full control - the same reason Webber left Huddersfield. We had just lost McNally, who had full control at Carrow Road, and to most people, including our Board, Moxey seemed an ideal fit. Unfortunately his personal circumstances changed and he couldn't carry out the job so, with hindsight, the appointment was a bad decision. Despite the myths building up, Naismith is not a bad player. It did not work for him at Carrow Road but he had been a steady player for his previous Clubs and is now performing well at Hearts. Neil thought Naismith could keep us in the Premiership and wanted to buy him so the Board backed him. Had it worked out it would have been a good decision but it didn't work out so, with hindsight, it was a bad decision. Nobody could possibly suggest that the fans should carry the can for mistakes made but what I am saying is that with their detailed knowledge and experience the Board, Management and Coaching Staff will make far better decisions than the average fan would make with their very limited knowledge. The point I was making in my original post was that in view of the position the Club are now in a lot of good decisions have been made despite the hostility of a lot of fans to the decisions and the personnel involved.
I think you are right Cromer but I also think that this episode and others that followed made the Board realise that things had to change and to do that we needed the far more professional management structure which is now in place.
Indeed so. The appointments of McNally and then Webber (Oops, I forgot Mex Joxey ) showed that there was a need for detachment and a shrewd business mind as well as the 'little Norwich trying to keep it all in-house' mentality which had been prevalent before. We got there in the end!!
