OK, I've mostly been a fan of SW/DF and I know that not everyone will agree with me, but what they're trying to achieve within our financial constraints has to be admired. For those fans/supporters who were clamouring for Big Sam/Tony Pullis/Colin to be brought in as manager/head coach (personally, I NEVER wanted any of them!!!), I can't imagine any of three of them would have been anywhere near the starting line up deployed at the Madejski.on Wednesday and could we be starting to see the future stars 'production line' that Saints enjoyed for several seasons?? It's still early days, but IMO, the signs are promising. An excellent article from MB on the topic and I particularly liked this - 'Playing out in front of us were two of the youngest flanks I’ve almost certainly seen play for the club – Max Aarons (18) and Emi Buendía (21) on the right; Jamal Lewis and Todd Cantwell (both 20) on the left. Their own performances were not perfect – but what they did bring was energy, fearlessness and intangibles that only tend to come with young, talented players trying to make their way so early in their professional careers. That, and still plenty of quality to compete at Championship level.' You can read the full article here - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...s-bridging-biggest-academy-obstacle-1-5705057
Makes me puff my little chest out with pride when I see an academy player graduate to first team level. There was a sizeable gap after the Murphys emergence but things are really starting to happen now. As they would be expected to under Farke, for whom developing youngsters is a large part of the reason he got the gig, as I understand it.
Once again I didn't see anyone on here clamouring for Pulis Warnock or Allardyce, we know we couldn't afford them they probably wouldn't be interested in joining us with our set up and we have never gone for big name managers especially in our financial predicament . Pretty much every one was surprised by Farke's arrival and hoped he would do well, last season we struggled to play attractive football and never looked like getting anywhere near top 6 . I'm delighted that we have had a decent September and long may it continue but there have been some rotten performances so far too. I'm not getting carried away or pissing my pants just yet. The only way we will hold onto our young stars is if we somehow get promoted , otherwise Aarons Lewis and our other prospects will be sold to keep us afloat again. This isn't the time for I told you so , we have won 2 on the bounce for the first time in months and gaining momentum let's not get carried away yet .
I have to say DD that that is an excellent post and other than my next paragraph, I TOTALLY agree with what you’ve said!! I can assure you DD that at least one poster was advocating that we should have tried to entice one of the ‘old warhorses’ to our cause (it may have been RBF – apologies if I’ve got that wrong). I was talking to another fan yesterday and he was saying that the game against Boro was one of the best games he’s watched. We all need to just ‘keep our feet on the ground ‘and take each game as it comes and at least DF is showing signs that he’s getting to grips with the demands of the Championship - he'd EVEN made 2 subs with 15 minutes t We all need to just ‘keep our feet on the ground ‘and take each game as it comes and at least DF is showing signs that he’s getting to grips with the demands of the Championship - he'd even made 2 subs with 15 minutes still to go on Wednesday!!!
There is a good chance we'll lose one or more of our best players each season but I think that's less to do with our financial situation now. My understanding is that (Naismith-aside) we're operating at far more appropriate salaries now (i'm including Klose in that too), and more equipped to operate as a business at this level. If a Cantwell or Lewis etc absolutely shines in a similar way to Maddison then I've no doubt we'll lose them to a PL club but I think it will be more to do with player pressure than the board needing to sell. It does of course mean that Webber needs to keep his scouting hat on and the Academy bubbling though.
That's acceptable for a club like ours. If there's interest in, say, Jamal Lewis next summer, then it's fine for the club to let him go, make some money to plug numerous 'black holes' in the annual accounts - as long as the next academy protegé is ready to step up and take over.
How much credit goes to Webber and Farke so far is debatable. Most of the young talent was already in the building when they arrived. And so it is those either arriving subsequently or who were still u18 or below where we will truely see what value they have brought. I'm of the opinion that who ever took the HC/managers job, could not have ignored Madders, he was ready and too good to leave out, with the only caveat being if Pritchard had stayed fit and started faster, he may have had to start from the bench. Madders has given praise to Farke and I'm sure it is warrented to an extent. But he chucked him in and gave him pretty much free reign, what player isn't going to love that? Would Murphy have sung his praises, as he was played a little out of position and struggled at times and looked like he made little or no improvements/progress under Farke? Still much to prove for me. Bah!
As did Alan Irvine at the tail end of the previous season. As didn't Alex Neil earlier in the previous season?
Like DD, I certainly didn't/wouldn't want to see one of those guys as our gaffer and as a supporter of the DofF model and Webber, i also knew that it would not even likely be possible to hire one of those guys under our present structure. The only caveat to that is that I can see some value in those guys. They offered a better shot at promotion whilst we still had parachute money. Had they got us up, we could reboot our cycle of higher income and then start building with a higher quality of brick. I'd have bloomin loved to have seen Madders play for us in the PL. Like I say though, I think the DofF is the way to go and that precluded those guys but is farke the right man? Only time will tell, his record of promoting youth so far is decent, but might someone else have had Godfrey in the team for a season and a bit? could Murphy have done more last season? Is it really exceptional? Or a product of necessity given our financial plight, coupled with the mandate from Webber. Bah!
It is hard to fathom why AN ignored for the main both Pritchard and Madders for that season. Both so obviously talented. Pritchard undebateably ready with his previous in the championship. Madders more of a gamble but it is impossible to imagine he couldn't have improved us following his loan to Aberdeen. He will argue that he wasn't quite ready and it is difficult to prove otherwise, but he was wrong and it might well have cost him his job. that stuttering team + Madders might well have made the playoffs. Bah!
Apologies if it’s been posted elsewhere, but I thought the comment from Spudgunnercanary on Will’s article is one of the best I’ve read - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...ated-as-city-begin-to-construct-a-winning-run /#comments Edit - Yours was rather good too General!!
Some of our current crop of young players were here when SW arrived, but he used his experience at Liverpool to reshape the academy coaching structure to make it more professional and that has paid off. He also brought in a manager with a proven record of working with young players to make the whole system work and we are now seeing the rewards of that. Godfrey and Cantwell were here, but I'm pretty sure both Lewis and Aarons came from Luton under SW. Abrahams is another. When results were going against us early on, some on here said results are everything, now that we've won our last two deservedly, it's apparently too early to be positive. Our current record has now improved to 3-2-3 (and two cup wins), but our current form is 3-1-1. That's more than the odd swallow. The test for me was whether Boro would be like Leeds. It wasn't. We were the best team by some measure. The same at Reading. QPR will be another test as they are also unbeaten in their last 4. Yes, we'll have to take it one game at a time, but I think there are definite grounds for optimism.
But why didn't he play Pritchard having played a similar amount for him? Idah has also arrived under SW RER
