Is Alex Neil The Man To Take Us Forward?

[Canaryboy]

Simple really, do you believe Alex Neil is the right man to take us forward or not? Yes or No? Assuming that we get relegated as expected? 

I have to admit that I'm having serious doubts now and have selected 'No'.

And its not actually the fact that he is clearly still learning tactically, or that we are in the relegation zone, but I don't believe he has it in him to build a team. He came in and did an excellent job of getting the best out of somebody else's squad last season, but his record in the transfer market has been weak, his signings don't seem to show any sort of joined up thinking, and his January signings just aren't making much of an impact. He's signed players and not even used them, he's signed others and used them out of position, and he's failed to get the best out of our most talented players for most of the season. 

This summer we need to rebuild, we need a new nucleus, and to clear out a lot of the old guard (+ Nathan Redmond, because that's just going to happen), and nothing I've seen from Alex Neil shows me that he knows how to build and manage a squad. 

He's no Eddie Howe. You may disagree, and that's the point of the poll.

 

[eatonparkboy]

I haven't posted on here for some while. The reason being that I don't know any of you lads and lasses and I don't see why I would fall out with, basically, strangers.

But to me, some of the posting has got so banal and blinkered that I didn't see any point in putting a point of view that was just being totally ignored.

Alex Neil did a superb job in getting us promoted. How much was really his influence is for the historians but credit where it is due, he was manger of a club promoted to the Prem. The team he managed won the Championship play off final.

And just as we debated which players would be good enough for the Prem, we totally ignored if the manager was good enough to manage a Prem team.

However, after the Newcastle game I think many of us questioned the change of tactics and the apparent belief of the management and many supporters that losing 2-1 wasn't bad no matter how dire and unattractive the performances were.

It was implied that I was "little ol' Norwich" because I said I didn't care what division we played in. The performance must come first I believe. Yet the same people who made that accusation are the same who repeatedly talk of punching above our weight, not having a sugar daddy owner and doing well just to be in the Prem. That is "little ol' Norwich".

I have watched repeated games. The format is the same. Trying to protect a poor defence at the expense of trying to score. It is that simple. We saw it with Hughton and it was boring and dire. But at least Hughton only played Snodgrass and Redmond out of position.

AN has now been in charge for over 12 months and has had two transfer windows. And spent between £20-30M on players. And brought in some loan players. The January players were brought in to turn the clubs fortunes around. Yet one of them has not started a game. And the most expensive one was rested because we were told he can't play three games in a week despite a jaunt to the Middle East in between.

Since that win at the turn of the year against 10 man Southampton, we have picked up one point, at home, and lost to three teams who were at the bottom with us. Carrow Road is no longer a fortress and away games seem a foregone conclusion.

Despite shoring up the defence at the expense of attack we have conceded 38 goals against scoring 18 which is 47% but before was 20 conceded but 17 scored which is 85%. So in fact we have got much worse.

We have seen the defence boosted by Pinto and Klose but the losses continue. We have seen Ollson, arguably our best defender ditched in favour of an international class left winger/midfielder who had played at left back admittedly. Yet Martin, and can anyone still say anything positive about his play?, still play the majority of games.

Alex Tettey we are told is our best defensive midfielder yet he has been booked in double figures and conversely has scored three of the eighteen goals. And he has been supported at times by Dorrans, O'Neill or Mulumbu in a back seven that still manages to concede more on average than before the defensive posture.

We have tried every combination in midfield and players have been discarded after one poor performance while Martin and Bassong survived. Hoolahan, Redmond and Jarvis must wonder when it will be their turn.

And through all this period, apart from five minutes from time when we are losing, AN has staunchly played a lone striker. And the debate about Jerome or Mbokani is irrelevant. Neither gets any support. Even the entertaining second half against Chelsea when two up front caused them no end of problems and gave Redmond the ability to run at his man, was ignored the following game when it was back to one on his own.

And it is no good moaning about the strikers. Even top strikers like Vardy score at a ratio of one in four. I'm sure Jerome or Mbokani would like to get four chances a game.

And throughout this period I don't recall the manager taking the blame for wrong selections, poor or non substitutions or wrong tactics.

I don't like the term happy clappers. But I have to say there are so many Norwich supporters quite happy to witness bad management, bad performances and bad results and still maintain that we have the best young manager in the country. And I'm not saying that he might not be a decent manager in lower divisions but he is quite clearly totally out of his depth. With a staff of ex Falkirk and Hamilton Academicals as the think tank to plan matches in the Prem and spend money on players of Prem class.

I will be disappointed when we are relegated but I do not want to see a repeat of getting into the top echelon only to lose week after week. Support is dependent on results alone but surely even the most happiest of clappers must be getting tired of this endless procession.

Yes. As a premier league manager, Alex Neill is totally clueless I'm afraid. I did make points at the start of the season that I thought the man needed help. He needed an experienced head to talk to and mull things over. Someone sat in the stands who has witnessed the Prem from most levels and can just offer some advice, although I'm led to believe he told the board he wanted sole charge. But Phelan or Coppell or Graham who isn't after the top job or the headlines might just have been so much of a help.

There that's my four penneth and the last post before next season. No point in labouring over this season anymore.

 

[It's Character Forming]

Good post, but we are only 1 point behind Sunderland, so too early to write-off this season yet, although it does look bleak.

Since Christmas, and oddly since his new signing have come in, AN definitely seems to have lost his way.  The frustration to me is that we have been throwing away winning positions, and in most games haven't looked that bad, e.g. going to Leicester and matching them over the game, but conceding late and getting nothing, which has summed up the 9 game run.

I think now the board, having made the decision to back him in the transfer window, aren't going to sack him now.  I still hope he could turn it around.  But I'm always an optimist... 

 

[Dubai Mark]

Sure its a good post and thought provoking, but I could do with more good posts to read and respond to, rather than simply coming on here to "put your four penneth" in and then run away.

I personally was concerned before the season that AN and his team had enough to manage at this level, as its one thing getting "the best squad in the Championship" (yes I still believe that was the case) promoted, and another getting a very decent squad ( a good enough squad I too believe) out of the danger area in the EPL.

In my view its not a job for someone with so little experience and the chickens are now coming home to roost as he moves from one poor decision to another and more recently with a stronger squad .....and what I do not get, is how few people seem to realise that he is out of his depth, yes I was nodding my head frantically whilst reading your post eatonparkboy.

Now I have never grown a dislike to a Manager, I even thought the criticism of Rodent was well over the top, and as for the Houghton lynch mob....words fail me........BUT... as time is moving on this season I have moved from a genuine admiration of AN to more recently beginning not to like him......why is this?.............It's because I do genuinely believe that our squad is good enough to stay up, sure not mid table level, but certainly we have enough to have performed better than we have.......and you see, having giving it a lot of thought I think it is clear AN and the rest of the management team are the problem, week in week out,  even I with zero professional football experience or coaching badges, can see glaring mistakes when it comes to team selection and substitutions, not to mention the ridiculous amount of tinkering and playing players in the wrong positions.

It must drive the players crazy, yet we have had some decent performances, even some very good parts of matches where we truly have looked like we have the quality......somehow AN cannot get to grips with the strongest team he should play, the tactics he should deploy.........it's actually doing my head in......and as I said I am beginning to dislike him, particularly that every time the camera turns on him he is doing a "Rooney style gob" .....not pleasant at all.     

Now, despite all of this.......I am undecided regarding the question, as in a weird way I still think he would stand a good chance to get us back up, as that's what the job in hand will be unless a miracle happens....... No, bring yourself to your senses, man up......its a "NO" from me....he should have gone a month ago.....this is serious, please Norwich City Board take it as such......oh, and I like McNally....but believe he is protecting the wrong man........

 

[OldRobert]

Excellent post eatonparkboy.  I tend to post mainly elsewhere but we are very much on the same track with regard to our views.  I also have to agree in the main with Dubai Mark particularly with his comments regarding his frustration at what appear to be obvious errors to the likes of us complete amateurs, being ignored by the professionals.

I do not believe AN is capable of taking our club forward, even if a miracle occurs and we stay up, let alone gaining promotion from the Championship anytime soon should that be necessary.  Neither do I have any faith in the potential of his transfer dealings, should we go down, and once there has been a clear out which there surely must, to equip the squad with players capable and hungry enough to gain promotion.  His record so far is none too brilliant imo.  For me we need a change, again, we need experience, there's no substitute for it.  The AN experiment hasn't worked, regretfully.

 

[GJP]

I have my doubts about anyone who tries to build a Premier League defence around Russell Martin.

 

[Lavanche]

Who is capable then? 

I always struggle to understand why people think change would make things better. In my opinion we played our worst football under Neil Adams. Still we wanted to give him a stint in championship. It didn't work out and we changed to Alex and he did great. He made us play around the system again and always send team there to DO SOMETHING. It doesn't always be instant success or success at all, but you can always see what he is trying to do and that is not being out of depth. That is main point of being manager that your team goes there and can play as they are told to do. Unlike Hughton he isn't really asking that much from player. Invidual errors has costed us already more than 10 points and with that we would be at least 15th.

Experience is nothing outside making it easier to players accept the authority and I haven't seen any player to look like they would be giving up or show distrust for our manager. Look at Chelsea. They had very experienced manager and as soon as he lost his mojo in changing rooms they started to struggle after being champions and with that kind of material. We still look quite much being in the game until defence or midfield do something stupid. We also have board, coach positions etc. to make it possible for him to just focus on being manager. For example we have different people deciding who we sign and how we do it, he has part in that process, but it is a minor one.

Outside of playing few players out of their best positions I really struggle to see what AN should be doing different. Saying he doesn't know his best team is stupid as he is changing around 3 players at most in games and core has remained quite much same during the whole season. So what we would get by changing him middle of season? 

He already proved to be great in championship so he probably can carry a team out there more likely than getting lottery ticket in manager markets and hope his successor is managerial genious. In my opinion this is biggest point to keep him. We are already in a position where it is very hard to save the season so seeing beyond is important. Also what if next one will fail even thought he would be experienced expensive manager from UK as most people seem to want it? We sack him too and to ball keeps rolling and we gain nothing from it, if we can't hit the lucky ticket and at that point it can be we have lost the momentum already and are too far from being premiership team.

When I saw our team after the summer I knew already we will struggle. In winter window I felt our big signings were average so it was hard to see any major change in terms of quality. It is really hard to put blame on our manager when you look at our roster.

I just think it is complete madness to change manager every two years. Only reason is fans demanding it in this new fast spending culture.

 

[OldRobert]

I'm sorry Lavanche, but I have to take issue with you on a number of points:

In the Championship I agree you could see what AN was trying to achieve, but I'm not sure now whether that is the case, we seem to have evolved with so often with players playing out of position I can't help feeling that that is a large contributory factor to the many stupid mistakes that have occurred, leading to the loss of so many points this season to date.  I think the manager still struggles with what his best lineup is.

In McNally's interview he stated very clearly that AN has the final word on transfers, so you really cannot say his role is a minor one.  So far his record with signings is pretty mixed with the exception of Brady, who I cannot believe will still be with us next season should we be relegated.

Nobody wants to change managers' every 2 years, but if it's not working there's no alternative.  Obviously this is but my opinion my friend.

 

[Wiz]

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail!

He has to go.

 

[Lavanche]

I'm sorry Lavanche, but I have to take issue with you on a number of points:

In the Championship I agree you could see what AN was trying to achieve, but I'm not sure now whether that is the case, we seem to have evolved with so often with players playing out of position I can't help feeling that that is a large contributory factor to the many stupid mistakes that have occurred, leading to the loss of so many points this season to date.  I think the manager still struggles with what his best lineup is.

In McNally's interview he stated very clearly that AN has the final word on transfers, so you really cannot say his role is a minor one.  So far his record with signings is pretty mixed with the exception of Brady, who I cannot believe will still be with us next season should we be relegated.

Nobody wants to change managers' every 2 years, but if it's not working there's no alternative.  Obviously this is but my opinion my friend.

In my opinion if you don't identify targets and only have to say yes or no when player is brought under your eyes, is a minor part in signings. This is something that is widely discussed in major teams where manager like Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have forced in their contracts a section where they must be part of the whole process of getting players in as they don't feel it is enough just to use the pool someone else has put together. I doubt AN has this kind of contract and has much more part in identifying process than stating what he could use in his team.

Best line up is old saying and with modern game tempo and competitive league changing around 3 players per game is normal rotation. If we had won more games this would be issue that we all praised as good thing, but as we don't get results we keep seeing it as a bad. 

Anyway as you say these all are opinions.

 

[Gaffer]

So Newcastle appoint Benitez and you have to say, as it's between us, them and Sunderland, they are probably favourites to stay up now. Who wouldn't be delighted if the board pulled off a 'coup' of their own and got in Mourinho so the old adversaries could slug it out at the bottom? But what manager could we realistically get to replace AN?

 

[Dubai Mark]

We have someone on our staff with Premier League management experience watching over our loanees, why not give him another try.......................of course I am not serious, just in case anyone thinks I am.   

 

[Canaryboy]

Most of the managers I can think of for a short term possible Houdini act are managers I wouldn't want on a permanent basis, Di Canio for example.  

Whereas the managers I would want on a permanent basis would probably be reluctant to take a short term contract if it means a probable relegation on their CV, Pearson for example.

So for me, I'd just like to get to the summer. If we stay up we stick with Alex Neil and hope he can improve us with a decent summer window, or we get relegated and the fans and board can hold a post mortem. 

I don't think Alex Neil can keep us up, and I have my doubts about whether he is the man to take us forward too, but don't really have the desire to see the board appoint somebody for 2 months. 

 

[Lavanche]

Well personally I dont think Benitez is that great manager. He is strict so mayby he can pull Newcastle out of trouble, but sooner or later there will be again trouble in locker room and his style probably don't get fans too happy either.

Anyway speculation about managers is somewhat useless as we dont know what the board want's or don't have any shortlist who might be interested about the job. There is plenty of experienced big names without a club at the moment. 

Bielsa, Pepe Mel, Moyes, Julen Lopetegui, Rudi Garcia, Di Matteo and even Brendan Rodgers could be all realistic premiership managers if we offer them a right contract. But as said name doesn't mean anything, if his style and personality doesn't fit for us. Also I personaly don't believie in signing big name managers. Outside of Ranieri I can't remember too many success stories of small teams flying high with experienced highly rated manager.

 

[Wonderbar]

AN is growing into, and with both the Premier League and the team.  The bad run of results was not a bad run of performances. The weak point thru the last half of it was an inability to score.. The game plans have been effective, the strike force has not.  The new players have settled in. The defense has gelled nicely. Ruddy is back. The midfield is helping cover as well as creating opportunities. The past few games have shown AN can adapt to forced changes brought about by injury and yellow cards. They've also shown he can switch things up due to ineffective play (see Bassong and Naismith, both of whom returned with fire in their bellies today) and make it work.