Well done Norwich City
As Oliver Hardy often said to Stan Laurel: “Well that’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into…” A phrase equally apt for the hierarchy at Norwich City.
In a slight departure from Liverpool FC but also relevent in regards to poor decision making. I am sure I’m not alone in being surprised to see Chris Hughton sacked last month in a move that was as foolhardy as it could ever be called brave from the Chief Executive David McNally. In January he said relegation would be, in a sporting sense “worse than death”. Well, be careful what you wish for, Sir. And so it came to pass.
We are gathered here today, to discuss the folly that is Premiership football club leadership and that in particular of the little club from East Anglia. RIP Norwich City and all those who sailed with you. You’re well and truly sunk now. There are a few things that I find mind-numbingly startling with this sorry episode. How on earth could such a ridiculous decision have been arrived at? If my memory serves me right, Norwich were fourth from bottom and about five points clear of the relegation zone when they fired Hughton.
I appreciate that isn’t exactly challenging for Champions League football but we’re not talking about Liverpool, Manchesters United and City, or Arsenal here, or even an Aston Villa or Tottwnham. We’re talking about a side that has spent much of the last 10 years in the Championship and historically, have a couple of League Cup wins and some FA Cup semi-finals to their list of honours. Not exactly Roy of the Rovers stuff.
In replacing him, the powers that be could have made a number of appointments, or at least tried to. Roberto Di Matteo, Guus Hiddink, Lothar Mattaus, Frank Rijkaard. All perhaps long shots but surely fortune favours the brave. Did they try to bring any of these proven managers in? I would say not. Let’s not even think about playing the “ace of race” either. For me, you make a change only if you have a better alternative. Change is only going to bring chaos and break valuable continuity otherwise. As my father says haste makes waste.
Enter Neil Adams. Not as successful as the above named as a player or a manager so let’s give him the chance to save us from relegation. Notwithstanding the fact that we’re five points clear or two wins, perhaps, away from those below us and that our choice has no management experience whatsoever. What can possibly go wrong? Glen Johnson called many an onlooker “sofa experts” the other day and “absolutely clueless” in light of views expressed following Liverpool’s draw at Crystal Palace. Let’s face it Glen, you don’t need a string of coaching badges to work out that Norwich’s decision was as ill-fated as deciding to steer the Titanic around an iceberg.
Same for Liverpool’s capitulation against the South Londoners. Whatever the arguments, fact is the LFC defence was poor. The collapse shouldn’t have happened. It only did because the team isn’t good enough – as it burns me to admit. Same can be said for Norwich’s appointment of Adams. With all due respect to him, maybe he can be an excellent manager in future but he’s been given an almost impossible task. Perhaps one that a more experienced manager would have been able to cope with. One like, dare I say it, Chris Hughton.
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