Seriously, I need some reassurance......

[Dubai Mark]

What am I saying? Well, this is the lowest I have felt for a long time over the situation at Norwich City and I am really very worried about this season now.

Yes, even more worried than I was after the Colchester debacle, the end of Worthington, Hamilton, Grant...even Roeder, Gunn and Adams.....even earlier days than these when things were well tough for our club. 

Putting aside the injury situation, Saturday was dire in every way.....sure Brentford were decent, I liked the way they played....BUT we were chronic, absolutely clueless.....continual long diagonal balls ffs.

I am at my lowest I can remember over the club, because this is not a limited squad, we are not in heavy debt and this is not a particularly strong league we are in...demonstrated by a workman like and organised Ipswich doing so well.   This should have been a golden opportunity and we are making a right old pigs ear out of it.

I need someone to tell me that I have lost the plot, or not....and give me a realistic view that gives me some hope........................my wife watching on Saturday even said we were "embarrassing"......although it wasnt until  the 60th minute she realised we were playing Brentford and not Bradford!

 

[Canaryboy]

I can't tell you that you've lost the plot, but I will say that I don't think we should write Alex Neil off after one shocking performance. I'm a bit worried too, but we've got a new Assistant Manager coming this week to replace Phelan and we just have to hope that the players buy into his ideas and philosophies.

I doubt that his ideas are "punt it up field" or "just give it to Redmond", despite what we saw on Saturday, considering Hamilton were said to have played high tempo attacking football. At least, I hope that Saturday isn't an indication of what we can expect from an Alex Neil team.

He must be allowed to sign a few players and have time to implement his ideas. I honestly just think that this is the hangover from the Phelan departure, and hopefully the arrival of McAvoy will sort things out. 

 

[Fenway Frank]

You're earning tax free in a country that has 360 day's of sun and you want reassuring? How do you think we feel ?

 

[eatonparkboy]

I can't tell you that you've lost the plot, but I will say that I don't think we should write Alex Neil off after one shocking performance. I'm a bit worried too, but we've got a new Assistant Manager coming this week to replace Phelan and we just have to hope that the players buy into his ideas and philosophies.

I doubt that his ideas are "punt it up field" or "just give it to Redmond", despite what we saw on Saturday, considering Hamilton were said to have played high tempo attacking football. At least, I hope that Saturday isn't an indication of what we can expect from an Alex Neil team.

He must be allowed to sign a few players and have time to implement his ideas. I honestly just think that this is the hangover from the Phelan departure, and hopefully the arrival of McAvoy will sort things out. 

You are guessing or to quote the manager "hoping" about our new 2nd in command. I know managers always like their comfy blankets around them but the club doesn't exist to give jobs for mates.

Phelan is a proven 2IC and McAvoy has nothing on his CV that we can find. That doesn't make him unsuitable but all the accusations about Adams lack of experience and contacts goes for him even more so.

I won't dismiss anybody after one game but I can see why Dubai Mark is feeling a little bewildered. Whatever Hamilton played under AN, we did do earlier under Adams. Just not often enough. So far. all we have is words because apart from 45 minutes against Cardiff, who missed two sitters and a penalty while we were scoring three, we have seen the worst football since Peter Grant.

 

[Surgeryman]

Can't help you DM as feel pretty much the same. We should be attracting better calibre managers, players...etc but seem unable to.

You can see it all going horribly wrong. Such a shame, but the Board are the biggest culprits here. Shocking decisions over the last few seasons.

I suppose there is aways the hope that it will click, so we will just have to see how it goes from here.

 

[Canaryboy]

You are guessing or to quote the manager "hoping" about our new 2nd in command. I know managers always like their comfy blankets around them but the club doesn't exist to give jobs for mates.

Phelan is a proven 2IC and McAvoy has nothing on his CV that we can find. That doesn't make him unsuitable but all the accusations about Adams lack of experience and contacts goes for him even more so.

I won't dismiss anybody after one game but I can see why Dubai Mark is feeling a little bewildered. Whatever Hamilton played under AN, we did do earlier under Adams. Just not often enough. So far. all we have is words because apart from 45 minutes against Cardiff, who missed two sitters and a penalty while we were scoring three, we have seen the worst football since Peter Grant.

Of course I'm hoping, what other choice have we got? Are we going to sack a manager that we appointed 15 days ago after one bad performance? That's one way to make ourselves a laughing stock. 

 

[Yellow Fever]

I have to say that I'm not optimistic about how this 'gamble' on management change is going to work out. I felt we had a chance to push on under Neil if Phelan stayed, but he hasn't and after Saturday's game I'm even more dubious (and yes, your wife was right, DM - it was embarrassing!). I also can't find out anything about McAvoy (he doesn't even have a Wiki page) except that he was the youth team coach at Hamilton before he became Neil's assistant. When you look at what Turner said about Phelan in the Pink'un, you have to wonder if the reaction is going to be the same about McAvoy.

 "When he (Phelan) first came in, I think everyone was enjoying the sessions he was putting on,” said Michael Turner. “He has got huge experience in coaching and everyone learned a lot from him. He put on very good sessions and everyone enjoyed them....When he came in he brought in some good ideas and the lads really bought into him."

Are the lads buying into Neil? Will they buy into McAvoy? It's hard to say really, but I don't think that will be helped by the public criticism of the players dished out by Neil after the match. Lambert, Hughton and Adams didn't do that. In private, probably, but not in public. It might have been more understandable if he had accepted some of the blame himself for the way the team was set up and the tactics chosen, but he didn't. I may be very wrong about this and we'll see a big reaction and a good result against Birmingham. I sure hope we do and that Neil turns out to be what McNally says he is, but I can't back up my hope with anything like confidence. 

 

[Canaryboy]

We need to give Alex Neil a chance. 

For David McNally's sake actually, because if this appointment is a disaster then he may have to fall on his sword. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

Of course I'm hoping, what other choice have we got? Are we going to sack a manager that we appointed 15 days ago after one bad performance? That's one way to make ourselves a laughing stock. 

Some see it as one bad performance but some of us say two successive bad performances. Cardiff was a win but not a good performance. So his two attempts flying solo have not showed us anything.

Of course we can't sack him. But I think we have to be prepared for it getting worse before it gets better. If he has a plan then fine. But if it is the same plan as Saturday then we should be worried.

 

[Dubai Mark]

I have to say that from the responses we all seem to have similar concerns. I could understand the player criticism on Saturday had he also hinted at least that he was accountable for that very very poor display.

Also, I have to respond to Fenway Frank's comments..........the days of real "tax free" living are over, that is if it ever existed. Sure some these days and many years ago certainly earned ridiculous money working here and didnt/dont pay DIRECT tax. BUT...for normal family guys like myself with a family and a normal job, it is the general life style that is the attraction and certainly not the, on the face of it "tax free" situation. In reality, and I have been here nearly 11 years, there are many charges and additional things you pay for here that comfortably equal the amount of taxes paid in the UK...they just are not called taxes....usually a "fee" and there are many of them.

 

[Fenway Frank]

Mark, I was kidding, don't take it as a pop at you, perhaps I should have put a smiley in. I was in Dubai myself in the summer and it was mighty expensive !

 

[Paul Handscombe]

Sorry can't give you any.  After Saturday I am convinced that we are going to finish in the bottom half of the table, this has Grant and Roeder written all over it.

Another cheap option by the board

 

[Salopian]

By now it is becoming clear that we have a major inconsistency problem, and play at our best only occasionally. The question for me is whether we can find more consistency quickly, and my answer is that I do not know. It has been with us for a few seasons now. Only rarely do we look like the best slick passing and movement team which the best show.

Immediately a number of things can be don, however:

• Be prepared to throw younger plays into the fray.They are committed to the club and have not experienced the fear, or whatever defeats most of the senior players at times.
• Find a leader, especially for the defence, to shout and encourage better performance. Perhaps one of the defenders is already doing this, without it being obvious, but the impression is the contrary.
• Improve techniques, by practice, in tackling, passing and shooting, and above all encourage everyone to run into space to receive passes.

It may already be too late this season, although I still hold a slight hope of finishing in the play-off positions. The new manager has shown what he could do with slender resources at Hamilton. It may be that we have to dispense with the "old guard", if they are beyond improvement, in which case he has a squad building task to perform for the future.

 

[ZLF]

Our prime hope has to be that this group of players dont play so badly at the same time again - and we have won enough times to give that hope some credance.

We are still in with a shout of getting a play off spot - but do need some consistency.   I just dont know that the likes of martin, bj, olsson are capable of doing that given their age.

Its an inconsistent league - we just need to have fewer bad days than the rest 

 

[hogesar]

Lower than our 7-1 defeat to Colchester?

What planet are people on?!

Yes we've got a good squad and should be doing better but we're not in League One, the club is more than secure and has the money to be promotion candidates for more than just this season.

People need to get to grips a bit, realise that we're not 'due' promotion. Us as fans are just sitting 'expecting' promotion rather than actually just enjoying the football for what it is. Brentford was an awful game for NCFC but i've seen plenty, plenty worse and i'm only 23!

 

[Yellow Fever]

I agree, Hogesar. We've taken 16 points from the last 8 games, so there's no need to panic or start getting rid of players now. There is plenty of competition for places, so use it.

 

[Din]

The fact is that in his first 3 games Alex Neil has taken 6 points out of 9 against 2 teams that were above us in the league, and another that were relegated from the Prem last season. Saturday could well be a blip, and against Birmingham on Saturday we'll return to the form we were in before Brentford.

I think it's a bit silly to say that this is a lower point than Colchester was.

 

[It's Character Forming]

I didn't see the game on Saturday but reading the comments from posters on here that I respect, are certainly enough to make me worried. Having said that, it is only one game.

I'm going to Birmingham for our next game so I'm hoping for an improvement and at least I'll be able to report first hand.

It's worth remembering under Lambert we started in the Championship with a disappointing home defeat to Watford.  And didn't Hughton start with a 5-0 defeat at Fulham, and that didn't work out so badly. ... Hold on, maybe that wasn't the right example to pick...

 

[Yellow Fever]

It's a tricky one, but I don't see how Neil can be credited with the Bournemouth victory. Yes, he had some input after Howson was sent off, but that team was set up by Phelan and Holt who also planned the tactics used. Neil went to a much more attacking formation which worked initially with the 3 goals in the first half, though we also conceded the penalty, and the second half came close to falling about completely. He still gets credit for the win though, and the Bournemouth result as well, I'm afraid. Birmingham will give us further indications though.

 

[Dubai Mark]

Sure I may have been a little dramatic saying I am more worried than after the Colchester defeat, but that's because I was thinking about the bigger picture in respect of the overall state of the club, but yes I disagree with myself, that was THE lowest point in modern times for the club. This present situationthough, I believe is being under estimated by many, and I personally still believe that with the right man in charge the squad we have should have been challenging for top spot throughout the season..........yet here we are in the also rans hovering around just below the play-off's and behind some pretty average outfits. There needs to be a huge improvement Saturday against a vastly improved Birmingham, yet another test for us and particularly for our new manager....

P.S. Fenway Frank, it was taken the wrong way apologies for being so sensitive, despite it being expensive I do hope you enjoyed your time in Dubai.