And yet only a few months ago nearly all those arm chair coaches, who think they have all the answers now, were saying how well we'd done in the transfer window and how we were going to give the PL a proper go this time
Maybe not, but those same 'armchair' coaches would soon be on Hanley's and the team's back if we tried to play it out and someone made a mistake. Not that I'm suggesting going long is the answer, although to a certain extent Farke got the tactics right in going long down the channels against Leeds back 3, thereby forcing the mids wide and leaving Phillips more isolated, than he would like in the middle. Even Farke's decision to play Omobamidele looked nowhere near as strange at the end of the game, as it did at the start. I think part of the problem is Farke is haunted by our last time in the PL and has gone against his natural instincts by trying to play too defensively. I might have said this before !, but I'd much rather have stuck with a 4-2-3-1 and play more offensively, at least that way even if we lose there's something to cheer. To some extent, although we lost yesterday, there were points in the game when things could have gone our way. Poor defending and Krul's unusual mistake in conceding so easily after we got straight back into the game and had the momentum was not Farke's fault. For all that was poor with yesterday's performance, at least we were in the game until the end. Whilst Farke does in my view occasionally get the tactics wrong, most of our problems come from individual errors and this, for me, is as much about the quality of players we can afford, rather than Farke's management skills. As soon as we go down to the Championship those same players shine. The difference is the pace of the game and at the moment very few of our players can cope with PL pace. Which is why in my view sacking Farke will not improve things, whilst risking any chance we have of bouncing back, should we go down.
Sacking Farke will mean a period of rebuilding for any new man, but I think we're in that position with Farke. There is no semblance of a plan any longer, Farkeball is a distant memory. The summer would be a start from scratch for Farke as much as anyone new. What ever he is doing now with this squad looks scarcely fit to extract chempionship points leave alone the PL points. The danger in keeping Farke now is that continue to lose with a whimper and with every passing game the squad will lose confidence in his methods at some point that has to hit a point of no return. I worry as I have said that a Buendialess Farke actually offers no guarantee of championship success. Once again in relegation we will lose you suspect our best, assuming that they have not so blotted their copy books with this season that someone wants them!? Maybe Arrons, O'dele? We will of course by Championship standards be very well funded for who ever is at the helm. The danger of a change anytime soon is of course that the new manager may also then already be damaged goods come next season with a highly probable relegation on their resume and the spirit to turn around having never had success with City to that point, a tough ask! But when does Farke's time come? Who could we get who would jump at the frankly poisoned chance? Please save us from an unsaveable position with modest transfer funds to only buy potential rather than someone able to hit the ground running. It would have to be an up and coming coach no one experienced will likely touch it or be offered it. Bah!
As long as Farke doesn't lose the dressing room then I see no advantage in sacking him. Who would we replace him with who stood as much chance as him of getting us out of the championship, if we go down. But I agree we need to get back to Farkeball, then again in my mind we should have never have changed. I believe that we need to continue to play the infinite game
I was one of those who thought we got it right in the transfer window but now I'm wondering whether we spread our money over too many players. So far, Normann is the only new player who looks comfortable in the PL. The others are all good players, but unfortunately not good enough to make a difference in the PL. Watford have Sarr, Leeds have Raphinha, but we don't have that one attacking player who can make a difference at this level. Some will say that we lost that in Buendia, but I'm not so sure. He tore up the Championship, but the level of the PL rises year by year and you need pace as well as world class skills to make an impact now. Rashica is a good all round player, but he's not a Sarr or a Raphinha who can change a game on his own. The one last hope is Tzolis who has the pace and goal scoring ability to trouble PL defences and he's not been weighed down by previous relegation seasons like many of our players. I'd like to see him given a chance up front with Pukki or playing just behind beside Dowell, who looked good until he tired yesterday. With over a third of the season gone now, we need to take some risks to get back to Farkeball while still retaining a back 3. The next four games will determine whether we have even the slightest chance of survival. Even if we don't, we should at least go out fighting.
BBC Radio Norfolk had Darren Eadie as a guest. He made some salient points in his appraisal of the season so far. In summary he said that if we want to stay in the PL then something must change: we have changed the players, we have changed the way we play neither of which is working. So, we must change the manager.
Is he the only manager out there that can get us out of the Champ? I'm sure there's others. I'm also not sure why people think with the remnants of the remaining team we'd be anywhere near certain for another straight return. Also, why on earth would we wait to find out another season of less income, lower quality players, less chance of survival next time in the EPL, surely we act now, to even give us a remote chance of staying up, given there's no signs of us doing with the current setup.
Unless I'm mistaken Farke has a 100% success rate of getting a team out of the Championship. Who pray tell me has a better record ? If someone has a better or even identical impressive record, Are they available ? Would they come to Norwich ? Who said we were certain to get out of the Championship if we go back down, certainly not me, but it is not unreasonable, if we do go down to want to have a head coach who has never failed to get a team promoted out of the Championship. Your second paragraph makes no sense under Farke / Webber the club has constantly improved and is a million miles away from the basket case they inherited. If your ONLY measure of being a well run successful club is that we must be an established PL club at all costs, then yes they've failed, but by any other measure they've significantly improve the club. Who says if we are in the Championship next season we will have less money, lower quality players and if we get promoted again less chance of survival in the PL. I know some fans think being in the PL is the be-all & end-all of football, but and this might come as a surprise to you, not all fans think like that. Funny, I keep asking the same question 'who would we replace Farke with ? ' and no one on here has come up with a single realistic suggestion.
Well I guess the obvious available options are along the lines of: Bruce, Wilder, Howe, Lennon, Monk, McCarthy , Hughton , Robins, Rusty or some unknown from the lower leagues of France*/Germany*/Spain*/Portugal* etc (*delete flavour of the month as applicable), whether we could entice one of those is a different question
Yeah we can all list managers not currently managing or anyone managing who has a Norwich connection. But I asked for ' a single realistic' suggestion. So which one of those do you think a) Would want to manage us. b) We could afford. c) Wouldn't be out of their depth in the PL d) Would have a better chance than Farke of keeping us in the PL with our current squad. e) Would be willing to stay with us should we get relegated. f) Has a better chance than Farke of getting us out of the Championship should we get relegated. g) Wouldn't disappear and leave us in the lurch as soon as a better offer came along. I personally don't think we should sack him, but if we are going to, maybe we should have an idea who we're going to replace him with.
How many more games without a win is acceptable? A. 3 ? B. 5 ? C. 10 ? D. 20 ? E. 38 ? There is nobody out there desperate enough to come to Norwich so we better just suck it up and not moan about the 20 game winless EPL run .
I don't know, but as I said before as long as Farke doesn't lose the dressing room I see little advantage in sacking him at the moment. It wasn't that long ago that the majority of fans were worried that he wouldn't sign a new contract. He could have left us and moved on to other things, he didn't he stayed. So for me a the moment I don't see the logic in sacking him, but I also don't think it's the right thing to do. That might well change at some point in the future, but we're not at that point yet. I know most clubs would just get rid, but part of the reason I support Norwich is I think we're better than that.
Unless there's a manager waiting in the wings to start tomorrow, I think he gets at least the next 4. Brentford, Southampton, Wolves, Newcastle are critical games that need a manager in place. Given Farke does not appear to have lost the dressing room, and a caretaker manager would be a coach very much in Farke's image, I don't see a benefit from making a change. If there's no improvement, no positive results in that period, then we end up in the position of being essentially relegated by December - in which case do you switch to planning for the championship and keep Farke?? It's a really tricky problem.
Here's the other issue. If we do start planning for the Championship again, Farke is the proven choice, however if he can manage a 3rd promotion that leaves us with Farke in charge for the following PL season. Can't see NCFC getting promoted with Farke and then letting him go to appoint someone else better equipped to lead the charge in the next PL season.
