Norwich City represents a timely reminder that the ‘one-and-done’ attitude toward managers may not lead to success. Instead, patience is paramount to cracking the championship conundrum.
The date was the 25th of April 2011. It was the first of my many visits to Carrow Road.
At stake was a home fixture to 18th place Derby County–with the knowledge that nothing other than three points would do in the chase for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The clock ticked into the red. Two late Derby substitutions were made. Time-wasting tactics were in full effect. Then with manager Paul Lambert frantically pacing the touchline, and all three substitutions were used, no more rolls of the dice were left. He, like the entirety of the stadium, could do nothing but look on and pray.
Then it came! A driven shot, a deft flick or wicked deflection, depending on your viewpoint. Pandemonium! 26,000 fans simultaneously erupted, and one 15-year-old fan was hooked for life.
Almost a decade later, Norwich are once again targeting the top spot. And the similarities between the two teams are unmistakable.
Firstly, is the love for late drama. The goal by Simeon Jackson in 2011–coming in the 96th minute–wasn’t the only late drama the Canaries produced that season. Goals against Scunthorpe, Burnley, Cardiff, Bristol City, and Reading all secured valuable points via goals that were scored in the dying seconds of matches.
The never-say-die attitude and fighting spirit is something current manager Daniel Farke is equally proud of–constantly praising his team’s energy and drive in the closing moments–resulting in 21 goals in the final ten minutes, six of which have come in stoppage time.
The championship is widely regarded as a grueling league. Forty-six league games mean games come thick and fast. It’s a balancing act between playing beautiful/intricate football, which gets fans, pundits and media outlets purring in admiration, and playing dirty, getting stuck, and grinding out ugly results.
This current team, like the 2010/11 squad, has danced along this jagged knife edge in elegant harmony, part of a choreographed ballet performance, enthralling the audience to the very last.
Secondly, there’s the management. In 2009–and after an abhorrent start to the League 1 season–Norwich City appointed Paul Lambert. Much has been written about the fact that he had little managerial experience and, at 40, years he was relatively young. Nine days earlier he managed a Colchester team that had dispatched Norwich 7-1. A year later, he was promoted to the Premier League.
This cycle has been repeated by the board at Norwich City, diverging from the traditional merry-go-round of managerial appointments found in the championship–with bookmakers shortlisting the ever-present names of Bruce, McCarthy, Warnock, Monk, etc.
The faith shown by the Norwich City board is potentially a lesson for the rest of the teams in the division (and potentially further afield, (cough) *Chelsea*).
In 2015, Alex Neil was appointed from Hamilton Athletic, leading Norwich to promotion in his first year. But they have more importantly, in my opinion, demonstrated patience.
In recent years, clubs have become increasingly trigger-happy. The benefits have been long established of changing manager towards the end of the season (in the hope of surviving relegation) and gaining a ‘bounce’ in form. However, recently teams have begun to release managers whilst their season is far from concluded.
Nottingham Forest dismissed Aitor Karanka whilst one place and just 4 points off a playoff birth. Southampton sacked Claude Puel after he guided them to eighth in the Premier League and the League Cup final.
Daniel Farke (photo, BBC)
Daniel Farke was appointed Norwich City manager at the end of May 2017. Having finished 8th the season before and still receiving parachute payments from the Premier League, many pundits and fans expected Norwich to challenge for the title. They came 14th.
An underwhelming season resulted in rumors beginning to circulate about Farke’s job security. It would not be presumptuous to remark that–at many a club in the English Football pyramid–his tenure as football manager would have been prematurely terminated. Nevertheless, he kept his job.
The club backed him during the transfer window and a squad overhaul, which started the season before, was completed with 16 players leaving and (as of the 2019 January transfer window) 16 players joining.
Currently sitting atop the championship table, it’s a timely reminder that the ‘one-and-done’ attitude currently adopted by various clubs across the football pyramid may not lead to success. Patience, instead, is paramount to cracking the championship conundrum.
