I was one of those who were in the room at last week’s AGM, and heard first hand the 80/20 comments made by joint majority shareholder Delia Smith.
For me the most telling part of the incident was that the question came from a supporter who didn’t mention the boos and negativity from the crowd. He was talking about the majority who had been much less animated, and a feeling of apathy amongst supporters. He was asking “can you give us some hope?”
The AGM was held just two days following a disappointing defeat at Watford, after taking an early two-goal lead. There was generally a feeling amongst the fans at the meeting that the squad was underperforming, that our position at the wrong end of the table was concerning, and changes were needed if promotion was to be achieved this season.
Having sat through the 90-plus minutes at Carrow Road the previous weekend, watching a less than convincing win over a poor QPR side hadn’t engendered much confidence, and it felt like this season was still in the balance.
On Sunday with the help of an own goal from the opposition, and a late strike by Adam Idah, we stole away three more points from Ashton Gate and climbed a little closer to the top half of the table.
We are not yet at the halfway stage of the season and find ourselves just four points below the play-offs. Yet with so many ups and downs in his stint at Norwich City, not all supporters are convinced David Wagner is still the right person to lead the team, the question being debated after recent performances is; do we stick or twist?
The person who is tasked with making that decision is sporting director Ben Knapper, who has now been in the post for three weeks. Many thought his first task would be to replace the head coach, but instead he has taken a more considered approach.
Aware the team has been struggling since long before Wagner’s appointment, with the previous incumbent also failing to inspire, a root-and-branch review of the club is needed.
Interestingly at the AGM Knapper mentioned the number of injuries we had in the autumn, which no doubt had played a role in our poor results, and he was looking into possible causes. The sporting director also spoke about the playing squad, and the plans being made for changes in the January transfer window, and how that too will affect the outcome of this season.
🚨 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐔𝐍+ 𝐀𝐏𝐏 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑 🚨
— The Pink Un (@pinkun) December 1, 2023
It's 7⃣ games in December for #NCFC (including the East Anglian Derby) 🟡🟢
We will be at 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 game, providing you with live coverage of 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 kick, so come join our growing community 🙌
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However underwhelming you may have found the football under Wagner recently, we have turned round our results from one win in seven, to three wins in four. We now have two home matches to consolidate our reinvigorated form, before we travel 40 miles south to renew local rivalries.
That is likely to be the biggest test for our resilience and may determine the future of our head coach. Those who inspire wins in the derby, or even a draw in the case of Timm Klose, become heroes. The humiliation of defeat in that fixture however can be the swansong of a Canary’s career.
We are getting results without playing well, which is definitely a good quality to have. What we need now is a more convincing win, to get the noise back inside the ground, right from the first minute to the last. The upcoming match against Preston gives the team a chance to prove those wins weren’t just lucky, and a corner has been turned.
The celebrations on the pitch following the late winner against Bristol City, shows that the Norwich players certainly are still on the side of the head coach, as they piled atop him in that moment of euphoria. They still believe in each other and the boss.
Maybe that spirit will drive our season forward and at this crucial time give us that much needed hope.
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