Duffy will just carry on being Duffy. No manager will ever change him especially as he is nearing the end of his contract.
Who Will Be The Next Knapper Wonder Choice
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I hear you, but equally JDT wouldn’t be without huge risks and Clement on paper has a significantly stronger record. His teams on the continent seem to have been fairly attacking reputation, so it remains to be seen - but if we are being honest about our squad we probably need a manager better suited to a less creative mindset…
Are you referring to Jonny McFarlane, from the Rangers Review, interviewed by Connor Southwell in yesterday's Pink'Un? If so, I think it needs pointing out that the reference to lack of creativity was in the specific context of playing against weaker teams intent on thwarting Rangers by setting up in a 5:4:1 low block for 90 minutes. The general point McFarlane was making was that Clement was a perfect fit for the Championship, a much more competitive league than the Scottish Premiership, with few teams being reduced to "shutting up shop" as their strategy, even against the top sides in the division.
Having difficulty breaking down teams devoting all their resources to keeping you out is a problem for any manager/head coach; Farke's Norwich v Nigel Clough's Burton Albion at Carrow Road comes to mind.
Afraid I'm not sure, only briefly saw it scrolling a site.
But isn't that what we've struggled to do, basically since Hoolahan and more recently Steiperman left? Many teams come to Carrow Road or lesser teams at their home and sit 10 behind the ball for vast periods of the match and we've repeatedly failed to break them down, create chances and end up knocking ball square-square-back-back; then lump it up the pitch.
So how is it any different? Sure it's not going to be the whole division, but I suspect a good proportion will look at his history from Rangers and think, we'll give it a shot, we've nothing to lose. Especially against a 'big team' as Norwich.
I'll give him a chance, but I just don't see his previous style and our current players working terrifically well. Which if it does occur, will go back to the player recruitment policy of the S.D. (board team) and therefore him/them needing to leave.
This is Clement on his overall approach:
"In all the clubs that I have worked, it has always been based on playing attacking football with high intensity, with the team pressing, being aggressive and playing in a style to score goals. Of course, it's important to also have structure, to not concede goals and that's what I've seen here; the team is conceding too many goals, so those are also points to work on, but I want to play in an offensive way of playing."
The key phrase is "attacking football with high intensity". This means attacking quickly, with two second 'one-two' exchanges to move the ball quickly to wrong foot opponents rather than passing the ball around laterally in our own half waiting for space to open up. For him the quickness is more important than trying to keep possession at all costs, which has often been the case with previous HCs. This should be music to the ears of Sargent, Kvistgaarden, Makama and other attacking players who want the ball before the opposing defence is settled. Quickness is the key to unlocking stubborn defences.
"In all the clubs that I have worked, it has always been based on playing attacking football with high intensity, with the team pressing, being aggressive and playing in a style to score goals. Of course, it's important to also have structure, to not concede goals and that's what I've seen here; the team is conceding too many goals, so those are also points to work on, but I want to play in an offensive way of playing."
The key phrase is "attacking football with high intensity". This means attacking quickly, with two second 'one-two' exchanges to move the ball quickly to wrong foot opponents rather than passing the ball around laterally in our own half waiting for space to open up. For him the quickness is more important than trying to keep possession at all costs, which has often been the case with previous HCs. This should be music to the ears of Sargent, Kvistgaarden, Makama and other attacking players who want the ball before the opposing defence is settled. Quickness is the key to unlocking stubborn defences.
I saw a Press report claiming JDT was first choice but turned down Norwich’s offer
If that’s true then I think that puts to bed the idea this process wasn’t well run: it looks like an encouragingly professional job and if JDT wasn’t prepared to accept Norwich’s terms, then they simply moved on swiftly and decisively - good.
We may rue that decision in time, but right now I’m feeling more positive than at any time since about 2/3rds of the way through last season
If that’s true then I think that puts to bed the idea this process wasn’t well run: it looks like an encouragingly professional job and if JDT wasn’t prepared to accept Norwich’s terms, then they simply moved on swiftly and decisively - good.
We may rue that decision in time, but right now I’m feeling more positive than at any time since about 2/3rds of the way through last season
That report would match JDT's agent saying he turned down the offer. It could be that JDT and Clement were considered equally good candidates so Knapper and the owners went for the latter at the price they considered was right. Time will tell, but I like the tactics that Clement is advocating.
It would likely match as the paper would be reporting what the agent said surely?
It has been mentioned that given the expedite nature of the interview process, terms has been shown before a decision was made to see if they matched candidates requests. Possible JDTs agent dint want to go any further after seeing the terms but before a decision
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyz441eej6o
"He's [Philippe Clement has] been very careful about his next destination, particularly because his time with Rangers was quite a bruising experience for him for a number of reasons, and it was important that wherever he went next, he went somewhere where he was going to be able to work perhaps with slightly less media focus and hysteria."
Obviously hasn’t done his due diligence on the rapier reporting of the Pink’Un writers and the savagery of the Not606 board, the moment they smell blood.
"He's [Philippe Clement has] been very careful about his next destination, particularly because his time with Rangers was quite a bruising experience for him for a number of reasons, and it was important that wherever he went next, he went somewhere where he was going to be able to work perhaps with slightly less media focus and hysteria."
Obviously hasn’t done his due diligence on the rapier reporting of the Pink’Un writers and the savagery of the Not606 board, the moment they smell blood.
The P word (patience) is back in play according to new assistant Van Der Heyden:
"For us it's important to be clear from the beginning that everyone gets the same message. We'll create a good atmosphere, with clear instructions and a clear way of playing. In the beginning it'll be difficult for the players, they'll get a lot of new information. I think it's important for us to start to implement it step-by-step, not everything too soon, because then it will be too much. But I'm sure that after a few months we will see the results."
Birmingham will only be the first step, but it may give some indication of how the players are responding.
"For us it's important to be clear from the beginning that everyone gets the same message. We'll create a good atmosphere, with clear instructions and a clear way of playing. In the beginning it'll be difficult for the players, they'll get a lot of new information. I think it's important for us to start to implement it step-by-step, not everything too soon, because then it will be too much. But I'm sure that after a few months we will see the results."
Birmingham will only be the first step, but it may give some indication of how the players are responding.
A pointless argument to continue but I am sure that anybody who has been involved in normal appointment procedures of Senior personnel would agree that the method used in this case was irregular and chaotic and not professional and well run. Having said that, it does seem that a reasonable conclusion has been reached and for the first time since the appointment of Thorup I feel reasonably confident for the future, The new team has plenty of time to dig us out of this hole and they must succeed because the cost of failure would be horrendous particularly with an American owner who would take the easy way out. I just do not understand why Knapper is still in his job and if he stays I can only hope that Clement has been given the final say on player recruitment in the next window.
I don’t think it’s an argument, it feels more like a debating point and I don’t think it’s a pointless discussion because it is relevant to the future management of the club.
What makes you think this was “irregular and chaotic and not professional and well run”?
I have been involved in senior hires.
But that isn’t what I’m leaning on here - I struggle to see how you have reached that conclusion on the basis of the confirmed facts we have - the only ones I can glean are:
- Norwich interviewed multiple managers
- Norwich narrowed the number down over a series of days
- Norwich offered and then swiftly agreed terms with one of the choices
- This appears to have been done within a planned timeframe.
That all is perfectly consistent with being an organised and carefully planned, professional process IMO (in fact, unless you have identified a specific senior hire in advance, I think this is the only way to do it).
It is possible they offered terms to JDT first and he declined. Even if that’s true, I don’t see that as indicative of a shambolic process - sometimes targets decline the offer. If it is true, the fact they swiftly moved on suggests a professional approach to negotiations and realism about target hires.
The only indication of shambles is in speculation, market “rumours” - ie none of it can be confirmed.
What am I missing from your perspective 1950? Serious question, I’m interested as to views on how the club could have done better here.
I agree. It wasn't rushed, but still finished efficiently with a good result. When asked in the interview, Knapper said that no other offers had been made. Clearly there was a lot of interest in JDT, but we'll never know the ins and outs of it all. The outcome though is that we've got a far better Head Coach than I had thought would be possible given our league position.
It is the term ' Norwich' you use which I find chaotic. Unless procedures have changed since I retired the person making the final decision is the Manager to whom the person will report to. He does the interviews assisted by a couple of other senior staff who have an input but the final decision rests with the Manager. The Manager in this case is Knapper and one of the main functions of that job is to hire and fire the Head Coach. If he is not trusted to fulfil that function then why is he still in the job. It seems that the interviews etc were carried out by a committee and, again as I understand it, the owner was not involved in all of the interviews yet it was the owner, again as I understand it, who made the final decision. It was the process I find irregular and chaotic - not the outcome and I am also glad that Knapper was not left to fulfil his function.
That’s a helpful point of clarity.
I’d say in my experience (outside football) senior hires are by committee nowadays - and that is reflected in the changing structure of football management with owners inserting professional directors of football in between.
I appreciate historically it used to be one person in greater control.
But I don’t think this is new for Norwich - look at eg David McNally’s role