EDP columnist and Canaries fan Steve Downes says he'd rather see the Canaries get relegated than struggle to survive in the Premier League - "Which is why I find myself guiltily admitting that I would rather see Norwich get relegated and get to a cup final than secure safety and limp tamely out of the cups in the early rounds." I can't say that I agree with his views, but he's entitled to them. IMO, I would rather see teams such as Chelsea, Spurs etc visit Carrow Road and us do battle with them than Sheffield Wednesday, Yeovil or Bournemouth (Championship clubs selected at random). http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/columni...mnist_and_canaries_fan_steve_downes_1_2875734
I've never really understood this argument about when fans say that would rather be relegated. The prem is where the money is and that is why we are in the financial position we are in now! IMO we must stay there at any cost.
Typical bit of journalism. You invent an "either/or" to pose a dilemma, quite ignoring the fact that there are other far more attractive possibilities -- like evolving into a secure, not less than 12th place, club with the strength of squad to put in a serious challenge for cups and Europa League places (not to mention trying the beat or match our best ever top-tier finish), i.e. the best of the two "worlds" that this bit of rubbish envisages.
I saw this today and I have to say it's probably the most stupid thing I've read in ages, but not a surprise. I've heard a few people say this in recent time. My favourite is "I'd rather we went down and got a trophy"... like it's an actual choice I've said it before but the premier league has turned some of our fanbases brains to mush. It's the money, the exposure, the expectation all rolled into one and it just makes fans minds turn to absolute jelly.
If you are in the lower divisions you can't afford the squad to compete surely? I'd sooner be in the PL and just keep playing the first team in cup comps if we ever got to Europe we would have to so why not in league and FA cup it's the only way to get to the business end of the cups
The biggest load of bollocks I've ever read and that's saying something as nearly everything printed in that rag is total crap. If that loser wants to watch Championship football year after year, why doesn't he up sticks and move down the A140 to follow the binners ? Prat
Whilst he is talking horsepoo for the main part, the only point I would agree with at least in a way is that may be, not now, but in 6-7 years time if we are still in the prem that'll be great but would we have finished above 9th? Would we believe or more importantly would we have a chance of europe? Leave alone the champs league? A title? Of course not, do I want relegation? Not now not then, not ever I guess, but is football a bit duller for it? I agree with that sentiment, the closed shop that it has become is why i No longer love the game. Too corporate and money led. It won't be too much longer til I consider it to expensive to go at all. Bah!
GM, I think Everton are the best example of what we're trying to do in the medium to long term. It took them about 10 years to go from promotion to the Prem to a top 6/7 side. We've certainly got the fan base, and the potential, to do something similar, and be in a position to compete for Europa league football at least.
This sort of attitude harks back to the cosy warmth of 'Little Norwich' to me. When City were first promoted to the PL, the majority of fans were just hoping for survival at 17th place. As it happens, City finished 12th, and then 11th last year. 10th place would move us into the top half of the table and that was my prediction for this year. Next year the aim will be higher as there will be a more settled squad but it's about 'evolution not revolution'. I have no desire for relegation, thanks.
I have seen City relegated five times and the feeling is horrible. There is also no guarantee of even getting close to promotion. Between 1995 and 2009, there were only two seasons of note, only one leading to promotion. We didn't get far in the cups either. Ridiculous article.
Ask Birmingham fans how they feel. Beat Arsenal in cup final but were relegated. How has that gone for them? Or even ourselves from '85 cup win and relegation.
100% agree, the cup win did nothing to soften the blow of going down. If anything it was made worse as we were comfortable in mid-table when we won the trophy!
The best predictor of a club's average league position over a period of time (e.g a decade or longer) is its average wage bill. I.E. If the average wage bill is one of the sixth highest, the club's average position will be top six. A club whose average wage bill is above the average for the league can expect to finish comfortably top half-to-mid table irrespective of any other factors. (Of course, as QPR proved, this doesn't mean you can guarantee survival short term by splashing cash; what it means is that if you build up into a club which employs better and better players and staff, which is reflected in your rising wage bill relative to others in your league, your average league position will rise accordingly.) We are on just such a path right now. I'm not sure exactly where our wage bill stands at the moment relative to the league average; I'd guess close to the average or maybe slightly below.
An excellent piece of writing here, quite frankly it sums up exactly how I feel http://www.norwich.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=335330
Totally agree regarding cups.A little fleeting glory,and the emphasis on little in the case of The Capital isn't worth the effort.We all know that if we win at OT the gilt will already be off the gingerbread as everyone will say that they put out the reserves. The only thing I would say is that the three years after that 1-7 was the most enjoyable for me in the forty years that I have been watching football.I suppose you could say that we had to suffer two relegations to get there.
KIO - thanks very much for posting a link to that article and the paragraph that sums up EXACTLY how I feel is - "In spite of that though, I am a firm believer that if you want to improve then you have to play against the toughest teams. No-one is in doubt about the financial rewards on offer in the Premiership and the bottom line is that to compete you need money."
It's been really tough, especially the last month or so. I'm a fairly positive fan but all this has the air of the "Beginning of the end" about it. Very "Charlton-esque" I find myself literally willing the team to win because I support Norwich but also because I want to lord it over our own fans that seem to crave defeat. How wrong is that? From both points of view. I don't want to spend any of my energy fighting a section of my own fanbase. First year in the prem is great and we're playing the big teams and theres all the exposure and it's all fantastic but then it changes. I know we had the change of manager but I honestly believe it's not that. I think we'd be having these same conversations even if Lambert was still in charge. Theres ambition, and then theres stupidity. It's the money, the "Where are we in the match of the day running" The bullshit statistical analysis and obsession of it and a fairly large dose of "peering over the garden fence" at other teams, coveting what they have in place of celebrating what we have. It's no coincidence that this cup talk has come off the back of Wigan and Swansea winning cups. It's absolutely pathetic and very much like the England situation. "oH The Spanish play such good football lets copy them" "Oh Germany play such wonderful football lets do what they do" "Oh Swansea are the Harlem globetrotters of European football" I'm sorry to be blunt here but **** Spain, **** Germany and **** Swansea. If you want to get ahead in this game you need to be ahead of the curve, not copying what someone else does. Lets get the cup and the league position and the financial security and lets do it OUR way. It won't be easy and there will be plenty that fall by the wayside as a result but we have come TOO far and fought TOO hard to be told by some DICK "lets get relegated and get a cup"
Well said Beef Cups look good (for a year) in the trophy cabinet, but then it's all history. A sustained run in the top flight and the sordid amounts of ££ that unfortunately goes with it equals better players, bargaining power when it comes to attracting new players, and ultimately in our case, a 35,000 seater stadium. No more two year waiting list for season tickets, plus many more casual matchgoers, better sponsorship options etc etc. Be careful what you wish for, Steve Downes
Elaborating a bit on my post about average wage bill as a predictor of league position, it is a mistake then to say that what you can achieve in any given year is determined by your ability to sustain a certain level of wage bill. Wigan and Stoke are two examples of clubs who have managed to punch above their financial weight at least in the short term. The same principle applies to teams with much bigger average wage bills. If your wage bill is above the average for the league, you will almost certainly not be involved season after season in struggling against relegation. But there is nothing to stop you punching above your weight in the league and winning a Cup or even Cups in the process. David McNally's saying that the Europa League would only be an unwelcome burden for us is currently true; but as we build and improve both on the field and financially, that need not always be the case. To punch above your financial weight, you need to maximise performance "at the margins". That basically rests on two things: (a) the ability of your manager; (b) making sure you provide him with the best you can in terms of facilities, scouting network, technological aids, etc.).
