I agree. I think it will be touch and go and if we stay up it will likely be because three teams implode (there are admittedly several candidates, which gives me great hope) But if we go down I think it’s us who will be smug as we will have done so at minimum risk and securing the future for a few years at least We must be ahead of the plan
That is pretty much as I see it. We may well score goals this time round but lose 1-3, 2-3, 2-4 etc too often
If I remember correctly, both SW and DF have laid out the time scale within which they aim to have us firmly established, NOT in the EPL but among the top 25 clubs in the country, capable of periods in the EPL while, as a minimum, consistently being able to mount a genuine challenge for promotion if and when we drop down into the Championship. The length of DF's extended contract reflects his and Webber's opinion about how long that will take. In that context the criticism of our transfer policy this summer is completely misplaced and utterly lacking in understanding of the real objective. The notion that the strategy is "defeatist" ignores, not just the the lessons of the Portsmouths and Fulhams of our football world, but also those of the West Broms and Burnleys, who recognised that, for clubs of their size and resources, incremental team strengthening and infrastructure development was the key to weighting the odds heavily against disaster and in favour of sustainable longer term success. As SW and DF repeatedly enjoin on us, ignore the short-termist "noise" and focus on the steady, season by season, advancement towards the objective the club has set. Enjoy the season ahead knowing that, whatever happens in terms of survival or relegation, NCFC will finish it in far better shape than they started it.
Whilst I agree with your post for the main Robbie, as well as the clubs plan, for me there is the slightest worry that our two loanees represent the two main possible advances in quality to our starting XI. So whilst I support the plan and am happy with our business this summer. I can see why outsiders will question it (or insiders for that matter) This summer has definitely in face value been about prudent financial security. If we stay up then we'll see what happens with significantly less liabilities but possibly higher player turnover as the best get more strongly solicited. If we go down by a very narrow margin, we can all wonder if a couple of marginally better but budget stretching players might have made the difference? Ajayi as an example. £1.5m in a position half of us view as weak. Bah!
It's a no-win argument for the club each season on this subject. Imagine if we hadn't splashed out on Naismith in that relegation season, many would have blamed the board for not being ambitious enough then too, and argued what could have been if we'd bought him.
Yes, it will be interesting to see how the season will transpire and I would agree that should we fall through the 'trapdoor' by the narrowest of margins, the $64,000 question will be - IF we had invested another £2M, could we have avoided relegation??? Disclaimer - IMO, the post is hypothetical, as I firmly believe that we HAVE got enough to remain in the PL!!
This was introduced here in Aus at the beginning of our current grass roots season (winding up). The refs that used it properly could nip dissent or anti-social behaviour in the bud early on and for the most part it worked well. 10 mins was the sin-bin time limit.
Trialing it at 'grass roots' level is fine, as long as one day it's applied to all leagues. Pointless if top earning PL stars are in any way exempt in their capacity as role models to fans and young kids who may need their heroes to set an example.
I agree with you Melchy, but one of the other things I think a lot of commentators and fans of other clubs fail to recognise is that you do not actually need loads of expensive players to stay up - the gap between the top of the Championship and the bottom of the PL is quite narrow: not in terms of quality of player, but in terms of team work and positive spirit. Adding new players to a successful squad risks being highly disruptive, so I’m not convinced by the “just one more player could have made it” argument. One more player could also have destroyed the dressing room. For me, in obviously very general terms, squad building is either about adding a few round the edges when you have a good team ethos, or wholesale changes when the team needs a radical shake up. I struggle to be convinced by the half way house of splashing the cash on three or four expensive starters.
Upgrades to CR and Colney - https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2019/july/whats-new-at-carrow-road-and-colney/
Completely agree with this. A reasonable comparison would be when we went up under Lambert. No big buy players, just other competent players to strengthen the squad. Bradley Johnson spoke recently of the togetherness of that team and how that carried them through. Our present squad is far better than that one, with 12 capped internationals and 7 capped U21s. Pukki and Drmić are top level strikers and there's quality throughout the squad. If we had to buy those players now we'd pay a fortune, that's how far they've moved on. The togetherness is exceptional and that will provide the core strength next season. Not many teams have that. If we look at our cup games against PL sides over the last two years we've held our own. The depth of the squad means no drop off when injuries occur and that will be crucial. We'll take some heavy defeats, but we'll also cause some shocks. If the worst does happen, we'll lose players, but for top money and we've already provided for that with the young players recruited. At last we have a long-term plan and the resolve to see it through. No gambling on expensive players this time around.
I think the next few seasons are really about tying up the quality we have to long term contracts and improving our strength in depth. It's not about having a thick good quality oak veneer over pallet wood. This season we've gone for slightly thicker veneer over pine. I expect the plan over time is to steadily increase the thickness and quality of the veneer whilst using better wood underneath.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...relegation-predicted-bt-sport-study-1-6189072 Brilliant. The'Supercomputers' had us finishing 18th last season, so we could end up in one of the coveted CL slots!!!
In the context of the current negativity, isn't "face value" actually just knee-jerk inability to see wood for trees? Our strategy is based on far more than caution aimed at financial security. To use a military metaphor General, it is planning for winning the war even if one or two battles are lost.
What an utter load of garbage this is. If it was a few people having a laugh in a pub over a couple of drinks then fine. But this is a fiction made out to be semi-serious including some game by game moments which are reported on as if they are real. What is BT doing putting their name to such twaddle? They should cut their extortionate line rentals and do something worthwhile, this is unbelievable.
