So, what went wrong, and what now?

[morty]

Firstly, what a dreadful season. I really don't think it was a particularly strong league this time, and we definitely should have done a lot better!

I think the fact that Dean Smith got about the same out of the squad as Wagner has tells you where the problems lie, if anything Smith got a bit more out of them, but our centre back / DM situation in the last ten games really has hampered us. I think with a fit Hanley and Mclean we could have been 5 or 6 points ahead of where we finished.

Before the season started, it was obvious that the squad was in transition, it was way too big, and way too short on quality, perhaps a couple of players a bit jaded after relegation, much the same as fans were. Ins and outs in graphic below.

We really tried to trim the fat and bring in slightly better quality with Sara, tried to address the creativity with Ramsey, and hoped that Pukki would have a great season. As ever, we are always rolling the dice, we are basically trying to bridge the gap between the divisions, without really having the money to achieve it. And although Webber hasn't covered himself in glory, I do think we struggle to attract players, literally if a potential signing googled us it wouldn't take long to find out Norfolk is the back of beyond, we have no money, and we always get relegated.

I think it is going to be a big summer, on the pitch and in the boardroom, I do wonder if now will be the time that Delia and Michael rap it in, and sell their shares to Attansio, hopefully bringing a cash injection to rejuvenate the squad. I have seen talk of Aarons and Omabamidele going, but honestly can't see either commanding a high price, Aarons in last year of contract, 6 or 7 million. Big Andy, sure has potential, but would he have nailed down a starting place if it wasn't for injuries? I'd say an optimistic 12m for him.

What do we need? A striker, two centre backs, a DM, a creative number 10, and an effective wide player. Minimum.

 

[Number 9]

Firstly, what a dreadful season. I really don't think it was a particularly strong league this time, and we definitely should have done a lot better!

I think the fact that Dean Smith got about the same out of the squad as Wagner has tells you where the problems lie, if anything Smith got a bit more out of them, but our centre back / DM situation in the last ten games really has hampered us. I think with a fit Hanley and Mclean we could have been 5 or 6 points ahead of where we finished.

Before the season started, it was obvious that the squad was in transition, it was way too big, and way too short on quality, perhaps a couple of players a bit jaded after relegation, much the same as fans were. Ins and outs in graphic below.

View attachment 1254

We really tried to trim the fat and bring in slightly better quality with Sara, tried to address the creativity with Ramsey, and hoped that Pukki would have a great season. As ever, we are always rolling the dice, we are basically trying to bridge the gap between the divisions, without really having the money to achieve it. And although Webber hasn't covered himself in glory, I do think we struggle to attract players, literally if a potential signing googled us it wouldn't take long to find out Norfolk is the back of beyond, we have no money, and we always get relegated.

I think it is going to be a big summer, on the pitch and in the boardroom, I do wonder if now will be the time that Delia and Michael rap it in, and sell their shares to Attansio, hopefully bringing a cash injection to rejuvenate the squad. I have seen talk of Aarons and Omabamidele going, but honestly can't see either commanding a high price, Aarons in last year of contract, 6 or 7 million. Big Andy, sure has potential, but would he have nailed down a starting place if it wasn't for injuries? I'd say an optimistic 12m for him.

What do we need? A striker, two centre backs, a DM, a creative number 10, and an effective wide player. Minimum.

The telling phrase being "if we had Hanley and McLean fit we'd have been better"
If Hanley & McLean are the answer I certainly don't know what the question is.
It shows how far we've dropped unfortunately.
Attanasio seems to be the key, the only key, to progress now. We just have to hope that his involvement will result in a useful transfer window and a good start to next season.
Obviously over the past season things have been changing at the club and long held procedures have been altered.
Watch this space I guess, if it's not Captain America then we're in for a white knuckle ride languishing in mid table!

 

[morty]

I genuinely feel there is a plan, there has to be. I think the priority was sorting the squad out this season, or at least starting to, and if we got promoted, all well and good. I'm not so sure we could have changed much more than we did last summer, it really can't all be done in one transfer window.

 

[Fenway Frank]

You know when you hand your notice in at work and all your motivation goes and you do as little as possible until you leave? That’s how it seems at the club right now.
If Wagner left right now I don’t think many people would be disappointed which is already a problem. I do think that if Kenny and Hanley had been fit things wouldn’t have been so bad, but realistically four or five more need to leave and be replaced in the positions that Morty has already mentioned.

 

[Gunvald Larsson]

A few positives from this awful campaign ....

Josh Sargent emerged as a decent Championship striker
Kenny McLean finally showed some form in a new position
Onel Hernandez finally got a chance and did OK
Angus Gunn showed that he is a quality keeper
the Todd Cantwell saga was finally resolved
we have some decent youngsters coming through

When Smith was being barracked I said we should try and get either Mark Robins or Rob Edwards in as manager. Both of these guys have taken their teams into the play-offs.

I will wait for a bit before making any comments on what I think about 'the future'.

 

[GJP]

As I've mentioned before, it's been downhill since we sold Buendia. We struck gold with the Buendia/Pukki partnership.

We've never recovered from losing Buendia. Although it was always unlikely we would be able to replace his level of ability we've exacerbated the situation by signing players who don't fit or aren't ready.

Rashica + Sargent + Tsoliz equals less than Buendia.

With the other quality/proven operators having already departed (Vranicic for example) remaining players can tell that we're now going in the wrong direction. Belief has gone, trust in other team mates dwindles, trust in recruitment has gone.

Players are looking around the training pitch and they can tell who has or hasn't got a good enough touch, who can look after the ball, who makes the right pass, the right decision.

Then they know Pukki is off, they've probably got wind that Dowell is off, other senior players are injured and it's not a great place to be.


We've wasted a lot of money, signed some crap, appointed the wrong manager (maybe managers) and got on the wrong side of fans with some of the comms so we now have to hope we've hit rock bottom and will be on the up going forward.

There are very clubs in football that stay on top. Most have their dips. Arsenal are quite a good example, they had a few mediocre years but are now rejuvenated and heading in the right direction. Hopefully that will be us next season - but it looks like a lot of work to do it.

 

[Number 9]

Today's the day then, Webber speaks!
What we all expecting?
A grovelling apology is highly unlikely, as is anything other than complete wheelie bin fodder from Mr90%!
Reckon the best he can do is to offer his resignation.

 

[morty]

Well. Mr Webber certainly seems to have got some fans riled up!

 

[Fenway Frank]

Does anyone really care that he doesn’t watch women’s football ? I think the only issue is that in his position he could have been a bit more supportive

 

[Number 9]

Well. Mr Webber certainly seems to have got some fans riled up!

He can't help himself can he?
The very least you'd expect from someone in his position is a little bit of awareness regarding the audience he's projecting himself to.
He has an opportunity to send out a message to everyone with an interest in the club, yet much of it is introspective ramblings about himself and why he shouldn't be criticised.
Maybe he just can't be bothered or maybe he's not the man, but surely if you're in his position and you have such an opportunity, you'd make better use of it.
We as supporters / customers aren't impressed, the female section of supporters wouldn't have been impressed, can't imagine most of the staff / board members at the club would have been inspired, the players wouldn't have got much from that, in fact the only people who would be happy at the end would be Webber himself and Wagner his lap dog.
It doesn't really take an awful lot of media training to develop a better more positive message in the weeks he had to ghink about it.

 

[Number 9]

Does anyone really care that he doesn’t watch women’s football ? I think the only issue is that in his position he could have been a bit more supportive

Correct Frank, the title he currently holds at the club should inform the comments he makes.
He's not very good at a big part of his job.

 

[morty]

To be fair though, women's football IS shit...

 

[morty]

But joking(?) apart, what he actually said is that women's football is entertaining enough, but short on quality. Which is entirely accurate. This rent a mob nonsense that if you don't like women's football you are a bigoted misogynist, is stupid. It is not compulsory to like women's football...

 

[Number 9]

But joking(?) apart, what he actually said is that women's football is entertaining enough, but short on quality. Which is entirely accurate. This rent a mob nonsense that if you don't like women's football you are a bigoted misogynist, is stupid. It is not compulsory to like women's football...

I agree with your sentiments entirely regarding women's football, however, if you're the face of NCFC who funds a women's team in a growing market & part of your business is selling tickets & merch etc for the women's team, you can't face the media and say it's shit.
There's countless ways of saying it whilst growing the business to generate income for the brand.
It's not rocket science, he's just looking talk about himself rather than focusing on the job he's supposed to be doing.

 

[morty]

It isn't a growing market though. There were just over 2000 at that cup game against Mulbarton, and I doubt the tiny amount they got in ticket sales even paid for the stewards and catering staff.

Women's football really isn't as popular as some would have you believe. Check out Premier league attendances.

 

[Number 9]

It isn't a growing market though. There were just over 2000 at that cup game against Mulbarton, and I doubt the tiny amount they got in ticket sales even paid for the stewards and catering staff.

Women's football really isn't as popular as some would have you believe. Check out Premier league attendances.

I would suggest that five years ago it would be unthinkable for 2000 to turn up to that game, so yeah, it's a growing market.

I'm not a fan so please be clear that I'm not defending women's football, it is Webbers job to do so though.
He's responsible for promoting NCFC investments in all their forms, can you imagine if he said he wasn't a fan of Delia's restaurant and would never go there because he thinks the menu's boring & he'd rather go to Spoons?

Even if he doesn't like women's football...
Even if he doesn't like sections of the fan base....
Even if he doesn't like some questions the local media ask...
his job is to speak in a way which encourages customers to spend more, that motivates the staff to remain loyal & do their best, and that inspires the playing side to perform at their best possible level to push the club forward successfully.

Sadly, time and again, when he's sitting with a microphone he fails to do this.

 

[morty]

This is just about the fact you don't like Webber lol.

 

[Number 9]

This is just about the fact you don't like Webber lol.

I don't know him tbh, never met him.
The things he says seem strange sometimes, almost as if he's saying something shocking to cause a reaction. My daughters used to do that when they were kids.

 

[morty]

I think he is honest. And I would rather have that than someone telling me some corporate bullshit that I want to hear.

 

[Number 9]

I think he is honest. And I would rather have that than someone telling me some corporate bullshit that I want to hear.

So does Stu baby shoulder any blame for the mess he's overseen?