Thing is your not guaranteed to come straight back up, even though you have a good chance. Look at Fulham, Blackburn, Burnley, Cardiff, Reading and QPR. Then you get teams like Bolton, Portsmouth and Wolves who have fell to pieces after relegation. It can take years to get back. I can see why clubs change managers and if I could think of one that could come in and make difference I would advocate the change but I can't really. Not one that would come anyway.
Exactly - any who might make a difference we probably couldn´t afford, and those we could, wouldn´t make a difference anyway. As in all cases where form is rocky, it´s as much those out on the pitch who are at fault as it is those watching from afar, until both sides of the equation begin to add up, things aren´t going to get much better, I´m afraid.
We're now into the run of games that will decide our season, the next 6 or so will be key, and we've some good fixtures there. Realistically, we need a minimum of 10-12 points from WBA (A), Newcastle (H), Palace (A, and in worse form than us), Sunderland (H) and Watford (H) to stand a chance. There's no point bringing in someone when the damage is irrevocable, so a change has to happen now or it's pointless. The case for the defence: The squad still seem to be behind Neil, and he's a young manager learning on the job, hopefully he will continue to improve over the remainder of the season. We'd have all taken 17th this season if asked after the play-off final, and the job has only been made harder by our poor recruitment, particularly in comparison with those around us. Despite everything, Neil hasn't led us to too far from that so far, and the forthcoming fixtures look promising. Much as results don't look that way, have we finally got what could be passed off as a settled, semi-functional defence in the current back 5? If we do go down, then he's got championship promotion on his CV and would be as good a bet as any right now to get us back up. Alternatively: The current run of form is dire and we don't appear to have turned a corner yet in terms of results. If we take 3-4 games to turn things around then it's too late. A new manager now could add fresh ideas (which Neil seems to be short on), and new impetus. Nigel Pearson could be capable of achieving that, and if we don't act now then Newcastle probably will. There are several players in the side woefully short on form, perhaps a blank slate may help them? Confidence in general is in short supply, so a new manager might at least silence the critics for a couple of games. Given the difference survival could make to the long term future of our club, is it better to gamble and twist rather than let ourselves slide inexorably towards the drop? Personally, I'm still behind him, and he's got my support until we look short of making the championship play-offs. There aren't many manager beyond Pearson who make sense on paper, and no manager guarantees survival. The environment around the club isn't toxic enough yet to demand a change for the sake of it yet either. In the summer we'll want every penny to improve our squad, and a hefty pay-out to Neil + staff, plus the costs of attracting someone to an apparently sinking ship, don't help. If we do go down then Neil is the exact type of manager we'd be looking for, and he's had a hand in persuading some young talent to join, so I'd hope they're keen to play for him and he knows how to use them.
This is where our problem lies as far as I'm concerned, we are prepared to spend reasonable money on players, but not on a manager. I don't normally criticise the board for decisions made relating to the playing staff as I know that those decisions are totally down to the manager, the board only supplies the money. But the board now need to wake up and look to recruit a top class manager instead of the journeymen, unknowns or insiders. If we as a football club are serious about staying in the top flight and competing instead of always aiming for 17th place then we need to be professional about it and aim a lot higher in the manager stakes. There I've done it, I've criticised Delia and Co, not happy about that, but we need to wake up and smell the coffee, or get decaf in the championship!!!
DH you make a really good point about a new manager silencing the critics for a few weeks. I think therein lies our biggest potential banana skin on the run in. The fans ability to heap even more negativity onto a team and management already struggling to keep their heads up. I'm in the "keep AN camp" but they're going to need thick skins if the Newcastle game is anything other than a 3 point haul.
Championship promotion on his CV would be more impressive if he'd been manager for the whole season. Lets be honest his performance in the championship could have just been down to a new manager bounce. Pretty much what we would get if we brought a new manager in now.
I can't remember where, but I think they showed that new manager bounce (being a period where results exceed average for the team) usually only lasts about six games. Which is why so many clubs fire the manager in the last five/six games of the season.
Pinto is looking a really really strange signing. There was lots of talk that he is an attacking right back that can't defend. If people in the press said that, before he even turned up here, why are we buying him!? What are our scouts doing?! From his debut you could see he is not a defensive player. It's carried on from there, in the same fashion. Why are a team that can't defend, buying a right back who can't defend to save his life?
The trouble is mate, there are too many NCFC fans who are apathetic and accept that our place is in the second tier of English football. They have no ambition and refuse to accept that we are entitled to compete at the top table. Much the same as our board of directors really, I certainly wouldn't want to have them by my side in the trenches put it that way. They'd **** themselves after the first mortar went off and would cry for their Mummy.
I don't think our place is at the second table. I just don't think we are ready yet. As the last 3 or so times in the Prem have showed. We are in a kind of West Brom/Burnley/ position We will take on extra money, use it, come back stronger. i never thought we would stay up this season.I am gutted because we shew so much promise over Christmas and New Year. Gave false hope, and for the first time this season, I started to dream. That's why I'm so depressed. i started to dream, and lost my rational thought.
You are WAY off the mark there KIO, who says we're ENTITLED to be in the top tier? You are sounding like a Dirty Leeds fan, any team is only entitled to be in the top tier by gaining promotion to it!
Party right, but still wrong. It's not just gaining promotion, It's stabilizing and staying. If it was just gaining promotion we would be a Blackpool or Ipsh*t. Stabilizing takes seasons of work. Not just a season in the sun.
That is so true, and so sad, it nearly made me cry... Whittaker is awful, but still better.... so depressing...
Err? We did gain promotion ergo we ARE entitled to dine at the top table but there are many who think that we are little Norwich and are punching above our weight and have no right to do so. Admittedly it's mainly the older City fans who still dine out on the '59 Cup run.
We will always been seen as little Norwich until we plateau and do a stoke etc. I think it's a hell of a lot to ask after just getting promoted. I thought we would be bottom 2 this season. Never would have put Villa as bottom, but my guess looks pretty accurate.
It sounded like you were saying we are entitled to be in the prem always, but that's not true and never has been, a lot of massive clubs from a few years ago are floundering down in the lower leagues,
