FAO blindasabat

Sorry, but it's not a question of 'slicing' or spinning anything. Following relegation, we were bookies' favourites to win the title; yet two desperately poor seasons followed, and we're in an even worse position now. This despite superb attendances, two years' worth of parachute payments, and considerable profits generated by selling Francis, Ashton, Green, Earnshaw, Safri and Etuhu.

As a result, instead of being considered a small club punching above our weight, as we were between 2001 and 2004, we've now become an example others are terrified of emulating. A Watford fan on 606 at the end of last season said he was optimistic about his side's chances of going straight back up, but nervous about becoming "the next Norwich"; and after going up in May, one of Derby's fansite editorials warned against "Norwich City style delusions of grandeur".

Sorry, but for us to have collapsed this fast, something behind the scenes simply has to be seriously wrong. Only two months ago, Doncaster told us all the money made from the sales of Earnshaw and Etuhu was available to Peter Grant: now, we discover only a loan signing is possible. We are continually outbid for player after player (with Davies no doubt about to be yet another example), and it wouldn't surprise me at all if agents are telling their players to steer well clear of us: not because we don't pay enough, but because we are in a death spin.

When he joined us on loan in 2003, David Healy described us as "a club going places", and I imagine that's what the rest of the footballing world thought then too. Doubtless, it was a big reason why Huckerby chose us over Wigan and West Brom as well. Yet look at those two clubs now - then look at us. Both Hucks and, going considerably further back, Adam Drury, have been here when this club was seriously on the up - both must find our subsequent fall pretty hard to believe, let alone accept.

And that in turn creates a palpable sense of decline in the dressing room, the continued sale of our best players not part of a virtuous cycle whereby we reinvest in quality and help the team improve, but instead, just making success ever more difficult to come by. Hence Huckerby's outburst during the summer. A club must be in harmony from the boardroom down for it to succeed - but we are currently anything but, with a £7m black hole to fill this season, a manager under pressure and disliked by many of his players, and the arrival on the scene of the Turners suggesting a possible takeover could be afoot too.

This ALL has to take its toll. Manchester City finally started going in the right direction again when David Bernstein became Chairman in 1998; as soon as he was forced out five years later, they immediately fell back towards trouble. Newcastle's poor fortunes on the pitch last season were down hugely to massive problems behind the scenes: they were threatened by financial meltdown, Sir John Hall sold his shareholding, and Freddy Shepherd was eventually forced to do likewise. Not only a good manager, but stable finances and a competent board are all needed for us to steady the ship: presently, we have none of these things.

Indeed, that Grant has been denied more money and lacks the explicit 100% backing of the board (hence ND's warning to him after the Wolves game) probably owes a huge amount to the limbo created by the Turners: and when this stasis and lack of support filters down to his players, what do you think they do? Players don't give their absolute all when they perceive the boss to be on a shoogly peg: it's all part of the same thing, and only when the situation in the boardroom is sorted out (probably by way of a change of ownership: why else did Delia and Michael hoover up the last remaining shares? To get the best possible deal, I'd suggest), can we truly move forwards again.

Posted By: thebigfeller on October 6th 2007 at 11:29:54

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