Gutted by the sacking, I now have to hope we can find a new coach who can at least bring as much knowledge and experience and Farke has. We need to bring in somebody who is PL level and I doubt the Norwegian league is close to that. This is not the time to bring in someone to learn on the job. He'll need to know the opposition, have the right temperament and have the full confidence of the players, especially the experienced internationals. He'll also have to have a proven record of bringing on young players and playing them when they're ready. That's a big ask, I know, but we shouldn't make the change unless we have the right candidates available and willing to come.
I was really depressed after the Leeds performance and how we lost and would have felt better having sacked Farke then (I imagine that was when the decision was made). The win makes the timing seem bizarre, Farke himself plucked from obscurity then promptly did the same for Norwich and though he might not have got the best out of the current squad has left the club in a far better place then when he got the gig. The players seemed to fight for him the last game. Thank you Mr Farke, I'll certainly keep tabs on his career and wish him all the best for the future.
After the Leeds game the board were looking at 2 points from 30 and zero points from the previous 30 last time round. 2 points from 20 games. They must have looked at the opening fixtures and thought 10 games is enough to judge him by. 2 of my favourite seasons as a fan with some amazing performances but he can't handle the unforgiving brutal Premier league. We have 27 games to try and turn things around now .
I think this was predictable. I remember when we sold Emi to Villa, I was on one of the football YouTube sites talking to a Villa fan. He was pleasant enough, but rather condescending, telling me it was natural that Emi would choose to leave a club that was going to fight against relegation in order to join a club that was going to be challenging for the Champions League. And also that there was no chance that Grealish would leave because he was loyal to the club. I remember thinking at the time that his expectations were way too high.
It's interesing how Farke and Smith's situations someone mirror each other. Both lost a crucial player, their clubs didn't recruit a like-for-like replacement and now the managers have failed to settle on an effective playing style, using the talents at their disposal. I feel like it's an easier problem to solve at Villa than Norwich. It's clear Buendia isn't being played in a role that he's accustomed to, and trying to force Buendia, Bailey, Ings and Watkins into the same starting XI hasn't worked. Villa had a settled, effective back 4 last season, and now that's being messed with and a back 3 trialled, seemingly to try and accomodate the attacking players.
Nobody's safe: https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...s/man-united-norwich-farke-solskjaer-22092152 I wasn't thrilled by that prospect, especially if it means us becoming 'Frank Lampard's Norwich', but there are some pluses, as you say. He's well respected in the game, did a good job for Derby and the hot seat at Chelsea, but most of all he knows the PL inside out. Would he be prepared to work as a Head Coach under Webber though? Would he play the style of football Webber wants? Would he want to come to Norwich? These are all potential questions for any candidate for the job though. Meanwhile, a bit tackily to my mind, Webber has negotiated an extension to his own contract: http://carrowroad.net/index.php?post=sporting-director-webber-agrees-to-extend-contract
Norwich has got to be a step up from Derby, he only got the Chelsea job because of his name. He was kind of forced to bring the young players through but he didn’t have to play them tbf.
The table looks a lot better this week after yesterday's results and Watford losing and Leeds drawing today.
If it ends up being Lampard, does that signal that Webber has lost some of his confidence? Lampard is the safe option; the media will love it, and Webber won't get criticised even if we go down in a tame manner since the relegation will be due to Norwich being a small club rather than Frankie being in any way deficient. Knutsen or Favre are much riskier options, but I get the feeling that the old Webber would have gone for one of them.
Newcastle United have appointed Eddie Howe to succeed Steve Bruce as the Premier League club's head coach. Howe, who has signed a contract until the summer of 2024, has not been in management since he left Bournemouth in August 2020 following relegation. "This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us," Howe told Newcastle's website. He takes over with Newcastle 19th in the table, five points from safety after 11 games. Howe watched Newcastle's 1-1 league draw at Brighton on Saturday from the stands. Villa or us next on the merry go round?
Isn't the power of money wonderful? This was a guy who wouldn't work anywhere except the south coast because his family was so important to him. Suddenly he's working with a club about as far away from the south coast as it is possible to get in England.
I'm not sure I see it that way. It's not about being a safe option, every appointment is a calculated gamble. Webber will appoint Frank only if he thinks he is the best option to move the team forward, not to be a media darling to give breathing room. though you are right, the media will likely cut us some slack because of their love of Frank. But it wouldn't be about that. I think he is a manager of real promise, he has been good at bringing through youngsters and plays decent football. He has experience in playing and managing in the EPL and that with his promising management career so far will give him a chance. With all that said and I'd not think Frank would be a bad appointment, I reckon we'll still see Webber go left field with Knutsen or another, that hasn't even been touted yet. Mainly because to get the best from the cheapest and worst paid squad you probably need an innovator and there are very few of those coming out of British football. Bah!
As I see it, there was a significant shift in club thinking in the summer, signified by the (unpublicised) dropping of the "top 26 club" target and its replacement by "top 17 club". DF and his coaching team were all given new, enhanced contracts, viewed externally as reward for what they'd delivered, culminating in last season's Championship title, but seen internally as recognition also of the more demanding expectations placed on them. In effect, rather than continuity, the end of last season marked the closure of one chapter and opening of another, given which there was a certain futility in DF's constant references to past success in arguing to be given more time. I don't think DF and the coaching team had any illusions about the implications for them of the club embarking on this new chapter, nor about the increasing likelihood of yesterday's denouement. Given that in this sense the game has changed, it might well be that Webber's blueprint for a suitable successor to DF is rather different too.
Normann and Krul are included in the Premier League Team of the Week: BBC pundit Garth Crooks picked Normann for his Premier League Team of the Week, saying: “Midfielder Normann was outstanding in every department and carved out this victory. Not bad for a player on loan.” Crooks was also full of praise for Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul. The Dutchman made some fantastic point blank saves to deny Christian Norgaard and was a dominating presence in the air to thwart some of Brentford’s dangerous crosses. “Krul is a very experienced keeper who has had a very difficult time of it this season,” said Crooks.
