Staying up up up.

[morty]

I think this time we'll manage it.

The future is stupidly bright for Norwich City. We kept the best part of our Premiership squad, and added some handy players to it too.

Financially we have never been better off.

We have a manager who will do very, very well I think.

Our youth system is starting to produce.

I honestly think this time, we're staying there.

 

[derehamyella]

I agree.  but the biggest factor for me of that happening is how long we can hang onto Alex Neil.  Other clubs will come calling that is for sure. 

There is something about the guy and his management style that breeds  confidence and hope.  I do not like comparing but for me he is better than Lambert. The team has a stronger line running through it, the defence is far stronger and he sets up with a far more balanced feel.

The future is certainly Green and Yellow with a little tartan in there

 

[morty]

I agree.  but the biggest factor for me of that happening is how long we can hang onto Alex Neil.  Other clubs will come calling that is for sure. 

There is something about the guy and his management style that breeds  confidence and hope.  I do not like comparing but for me he is better than Lambert. The team has a stronger line running through it, the defence is far stronger and he sets up with a far more balanced feel.

The future is certainly Green and Yellow with a little tartan in there

I saw an interview with him, early on in his city career, and he struck me as extremely humble, and massively grateful to Norwich City for his chance.

This guy is no arrogant Lambert, it might be naive on my part, but I believe he will show us loyalty.

 

[splutcho]

I'm going to sound very pessimistic here, but if we do well, or if we do poorly, I don't think Alex Neil will be here in two years time. We will stay up next year though.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

What is going to be interesting is how we recruit this summer. And please god if we buy any strikers please lets do our homework and have an idea of what we're going to do with them if we get them.

Alex Neil I owuld imagine is starting from scratch when it comes to recruitment. Having spent 9 years at Accies, he has no real old boys network to turn to in the way Hughton could go in for a Bassong or a Kane. He has noone he can really turn to for advice or a recommendation. Any players Accies might have been looking for would be inappropriate for the Prem.

He's passed the first test, but recruitment is a big part of management, and my impression of his time at Accies was that he worked with what he had and gave the kids a chance.

That said, one comment stuck with me from the preview of the final, and that was that norwich were Premiership-ready. To some extent thats true in that I feel we underachieved under Hughton and had the players to keep clear of relegation had the tactics not been so restrictive.

I dont really think the team needs a massive overhaul (despite the massively long list on the 'Questionable Futures' thread).

Really I think we only really need a right-back with some pace, a proper left winger and a striker. A second Wes would also be useful.

Lets hope the club scouting network has some irons in the fire

 

[Din]

I agree that I am confident (although it's a fair way off yet) that we can easily stay up next season. There's a lot of teams in the bottom half of the Premier League with not a lot between them in terms of quality, and I believe that if we add a couple of talented additions in the summer, then there's no reason why we can't finish above most of those teams.

However, unfortunately I also agree with Splutcho, that Alex Neil won't be here in 2 years time. 

I don't believe he is the same as Lambert though. Although everyone loved Lambert when he was here, I think it was always a bit obvious even to us Norwich fans, that he wasn't actually a particularly nice bloke. Alex Neil though despite coming across as a hard, ruthless, Glaswegian barstard, is also clearly a nice man, and as Morty said seems to not only be very humbled and grateful to be here, but also to have really enjoyed it here so far. I think though the reason that he will leave is that we will do quite well next year, and then the bigger teams will come knocking. It's incredibly hard to ignore the job he's done here considering how young he is, and I think that'll be the reason why a lot of big clubs will be interested.

Obviously though it is only theoretical at this point, as there's still all of next season to go, and based on what we've seen so far the longer he stays around the better. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[morty]

The thing is, with this "other teams will come knocking" is its limited. Now, lets assume Norwich do well and finish top ten next season. I doubt anyone will offer him a job on that basis. And not at a top six club either, lets face it, he's good, but only by our standards, if that makes sense. We thought Lambert walked on water and the best he could get was Villa.

So take the top six or eight out of it, then the perennial flirters with relegation, then the vulnerable newly promoted clubs, and that really only leaves a handful of employment oppurtunities.

The likes of your Villa, West Brom, maybe Everton.

And personally, I think we can offer Alex a lot here, Lambert was offerred the biggest transfer budget in NCFC history, and only left mainly because he fell out with McNally.

It makes sense in my head lol.