Thoughts on Norwich

[ramAnag]

I don't think there is a secret, its stable ownership, good financial management, good manager/head coach and a hefty dose of luck with key players staying injury free etc.

Burnley are interesting, one of the lowest operating budgets, strict control on finances (not giving Hendrick the contract he thinks he deserves! demonstrates that!) and stable ownership and backing the manager with a clear objective.

As whether Norwich will lose players? Well they kept most of the team together last time and they will wheel and deal a bit of course, but I can't see prem clubs snapping up any, Villa now may see their side decimated.

Maybe Norwich’s problem will be keeping Daniel Farke more than the players. As you say...he dominated the Championship last season and has had little to spend this season. Once the merry go round starts turning he might be in demand either here or in Germany.

[swaledale]

Maybe Norwich’s problem will be keeping Daniel Farke more than the players. As you say...he dominated the Championship last season and has had little to spend this season. Once the merry go round starts turning he might be in demand either here or in Germany.

That might be the case, but then who can say when an offer comes that turns a managers head? We at Derby know all too much about that!

Farke may be one of those managers though whose level is the championship, its all very well and good keeping a style going but isn't it a bit naive to play open expansive football against top flight teams? To be fair to the guy he has had to cope with injuries to key players and no chance to strengthen the squad.

[ramAnag]

That might be the case, but then who can say when an offer comes that turns a managers head? We at Derby know all too much about that!

Farke may be one of those managers though whose level is the championship, its all very well and good keeping a style going but isn't it a bit naive to play open expansive football against top flight teams? To be fair to the guy he has had to cope with injuries to key players and no chance to strengthen the squad.

With Lee Johnson having gone from Brizzle and, more surprisingly, the Cowleys being sacked by Huddersfield yesterday...along with the charmless oddity Pearson from Watford...hero before lockdown, villain afterwards...the managerial merry go round has certainly started.

As you imply, we have a situation where the three teams most likely to be relegated, Bournemouth, Villa and Norwich all have managers who have obviously struggled in the the top flight but who are better equipped than virtually anyone to oversee a rapid return to the Premier League.

Will any of them be sacked? I doubt it, though the likes of Thomas Frank, Bilic and Parker haven’t harmed their reputations and at least one of them won’t win promotion.
Lamouchi too has done spectacularly well in the circumstances, but don’t rule out their basket case - allegedly - of an owner giving him the push if they don’t go up - as I suspect they won’t - via the play offs.

[swaledale]

With Lee Johnson having gone from Brizzle and, more surprisingly, the Cowleys being sacked by Huddersfield yesterday...along with the charmless oddity Pearson from Watford...hero before lockdown, villain afterwards...the managerial merry go round has certainly started.

As you imply, we have a situation where the three teams most likely to be relegated, Bournemouth, Villa and Norwich all have managers who have obviously struggled in the the top flight but who are better equipped than virtually anyone to oversee a rapid return to the Premier League.

Will any of them be sacked? I doubt it, though the likes of Thomas Frank, Bilic and Parker haven’t harmed their reputations and at least one of them won’t win promotion.
Lamouchi too has done spectacularly well in the circumstances, but don’t rule out their basket case - allegedly - of an owner giving him the push if they don’t go up - as I suspect they won’t - via the play offs.

There are unsubstantiated rumours that something happened behind the scenes at Watford which resulted in Pearsons sacking, given his reputation that wouldnt be surprising, because even the most trigger happy owners must see that changing the manager for the last two games isn't a smart move!

Howe has done well with Bournemouth, they lasted much longer in the prem that I thought they would, again a team that sticks to a budget, but some key signings haven't produced this season plus injuries have led them to where they are now.

It does seem that there is an issue with signing players that are not good enough to make the top 6, but supposedly a better class than lower prem teams normally sign - Ibe being a classic example of a player that flatters to deceive. Not sure why this is, but when Stoke tried to sign "fancy dan" players and change their style of football it all fell apart. They come with relativel big transfer fees and wage demands, but don't seem to understand what "putting a shift" in means!

I do hope that Villa and Watford change places, it would at least demonstrate that changing the manager every few months is not a viable method of running a football club! Also I think Watford would be less of a threat then Villa in the championship next season.

[ramAnag]

I do hope that Villa and Watford change places, it would at least demonstrate that changing the manager every few months is not a viable method of running a football club! Also I think Watford would be less of a threat then Villa in the championship next season.

You mean ‘FC Pozzo-Udinese-Granada’, aka Watford. Yep I share your wish to see them fall from grace.

[mistaram]

So Norwich who bossed the championship last year are going down with a whimper!

They have at least got 10 more pts than us, but spent less than a million on transfer fees this season, less than one would spend on shaping a side for promotion from the championship.

On the otherhand they will have earned somewhere in the region of £90 million for finishing last and get two years of parachute payments worth around £40 million per year (based on last years figures).

Given that they will presumably only ahve increased wages by an average of 20% and will no doubt have a relegation drop clause, they have at the least earned a significant cash injection with which to strengthen the team as required and be in the hunt for promotion next season.

As a club they are self financing and have no debt to carry. Their fans have had a year in the prem and no doubt a good season in the championship next season to look forward to.


Or you could do a Villa or like last year Fulham, spaff over £100 million on players and still go down!

Or you could do a Sheff Utd do both don't spend and still stay up

[swaledale]

Or you could do a Sheff Utd do both don't spend and still stay up

Hardly Sheff Utd spent just under £60 million on transfer fees for the current season, (small beer for the prem admittedly) including two players at £19.35 and £17.19 respectively, however their best signing was probable the loan of Henderson an excellent goalie from Man Utd for the season.