You have made this exact same point many many times RBF ,we know your feelings about the fans at Carrow Road that you watched on your laptop get cross with Hughton because of poor results.
You do not get to be part of the atmosphere sitting at home, also we never win away from home so to beat Man U away was always a tall order regardless of who was in charge.
Firstly, I posted this on the Swansea forum not so long ago. I realise the derision I personally see used in the above post is not of exactly the same kind of that I responded to, but the truth of the sentiment still holds.
"Never understood the armchair criticism... How is an armchair fan less knowledgeable, when they are able to view replays copiously, gain at least some simple tactical insight from Sky's ginormous ipad ****, and can have finished the post-match analysis and interviews with players and managers, by the time you've finished waving your flag long enough to hop on the bus home?
I had a season ticket at St James' for 3 years, and I wouldn't dare make such an arrogant outburst against those who don't attend games. The fat guy sitting next to you, pissed out of his head, isn't providing you with more insight than Jamie Redknapp... Because you sing a few songs, you aren't a better fan. It's just some sort of middle-class baton to beat poorer, or indeed more fiscally responsible people, with.
What being there in person does allow, when sitting close enough to the action anyway, is more intimate interaction with the events at the time, which compliment debates on football forums quite well. Forums need both points of view to survive.
You're not even actually doing much good for the team by handing them £1000 for a ST... Financially, it would be better for a lot of clubs to play in empty stadia."
I just don't take kindly to this sort of unnecessary arrogance. The concept of competition amongst fans to be the most loyal or the most knowledgeable becomes the antithesis of the idea of a "club" when it's used as a stick to beat someone with. The support of this team is the one universal common ground you share with these people, and the commercial exploitation of status amongst supporters is as much a cancer of the game as things like corruption. Whoever was the first guy to see the financial potential of this and implement it, both kudos and f*** you, as it exposes many flaws in the human condition.
Secondly, I've watched a number of Norwich games since they won promotion, and the evident tide turned on Chris a very long time ago. Sure, I watched on my laptop, but if I can hear these chants above other ones, then I think there's something wrong, personally. Now I firmly believe Norwich fans in the ground, watching in the pub etc have the absolute right to vent frustrations, as do all fans. However, I'm never going to be of the mold where I think it's acceptable for a club's fanbase, en masse, to use the manager as a scapegoat, and hound him out of the club. This riles me massively about your support, and you are entitled to agree, disagree, or most likely ignore that point.
I advocate boo-ing as a medium, I advocate people not prepared to watch what a team is producing week in week out to not attend games, as I think they are fair and reasonably illustrative. You're not happy with performances, fine. But, to me, it crosses the line when it becomes a personal attack on your own staff. I can cope with people not agreeing with Chris' strategy, not liking his approach, or questioning his subs, but if you're not getting any enjoyment out of going to a game, then you're only turning up to be deliberately derisive, and it's my opinion that too many of you guys were doing that, judging from your comments. That's not conducive with being a supporter in my view.
Norwich are not alone in this, I went to Newcastle vs Swansea, and after a last minute goal, there was "We want Pardew out" chants. Not acceptable. What has my back-up about this particular case, however, is some of the unnecessary personal insults and over the top comments I've seen on here which are completely unfair to a man who has only ever acted humbly and with the genuine best interests of your club at heart. You yourself today called him a "clown". If trying your best, and simply being judged to not have the right level of ability, or indeed be the right fit for the club is the definition, I'd be happy with a few more of that sort of "clown" manager, as oppose to the Joe "swear at everyone every three seconds" Kinnear or Alan "get the nut in" Pardew type clown.
Some people think paying for a ticket makes their opinion more important than anybody else's, that they are paying for a dialogue with the owner and that it's right they air their views in that way. Well, if you think that's your right, you have to realise the responsibility that comes with it. Right now you're quite evidently part of the reason you're in this situation, as I see it, and I hope some of you are willing to rest the finger of blame, even if briefly, on yourselves.
You should know my opinion on Chris by this point, that I believe you were all way too quick to get on his back, given that everyone and their mothers told you about his history, if you couldn't figure it out for yourselves.
- That he builds teams slowly and solidly at first. The progression from Hughton's first season in the championship with us to the second was extraordinary, and he was managing some explosive personalities. The collapse at Brum since his departure at least attests that he's a very capable manager, but the style of play and meticulous work was also in the same exact frame as that of his work with us.
- He's tried to integrate a lot of new players from foreign leagues (a difficulty for any manager historically)
- Norwich is not a great draw for good players. Not at all. The realistic ambition of the supporters needs to be tempered, as with my club and a billion others. Still, he's improved the squad, a squad which seemed on the cusp of a serious unravel BEFORE Lambert's departure. Practical and Effective vs Style will forever be a massive debate in football circles. Not everyone can play like Barca. Lambert leaving for a team who've spent little more, and being honest, look little better, is telling for me. Sustaining his accomplishment was going to be a very tough task.
Still, I'm sure everything will turn out ok. Chris will get another job, one with more patient fans with lower expectations, and he'll hopefully succeed. Norwich will probably find a manager who suits a sexier type of play. It's just sad that this marriage had to end in such an unnecessarily bitter divorce.