It's not just the results, you know

However alarming 23 points from 26 games with an FA Cup exit at home to a non-league side thrown in for good measure is. It's the whole approach.

That's why so many are rightly on Calderwood's back: because he's been the epitome of overly defensive hoofball s**te virtually wherever he's been in management or coaching. But in Hughton's case? Hughton's way is not Norwich City's way: it never has been.

A number of clubs throughout the world have a certain way of playing. Very often, that style leads them down a cul-de-sac; and in Norwich's case, taken to extremes, it's what's led us to be so infuriatingly nice and such a soft touch over the years. But there's a reason why so many fans loved John Bond or Kenny Brown - and why they're remembered so much more fondly than Ron Saunders, whose relentless hard work and no nonsense attitude kicked it all off.

There's a reason why Mike Walker's my favourite NCFC manager ever too - and it's not just that brief, golden era. Because Mike Walker WAS US: our way IS to say "you score two, we score three". Never mind the danger.

Now, maybe that's arrogant; maybe it's completely delusional; maybe it's just not do-able in the modern Premier League. But while he got the benefit of the doubt last season - his first year here, a clearly weakish squad with Holt all over the place and the priority just to survive - he won't now. Is constantly setting out for 1-0s at home and 0-0s away (usually resulting in 0-1s away) all there is? It can't be: not after the money we've just spent.

Lambert's Norwich were limited too - but you could never, ever write us off, and you knew we'd be liable to follow a poor performance with a great one. You knew we were never out of any game either. Yet Hughton's Norwich? Losing at home counts double given the way most away games are a write-off: we're close to the most predictable side in the league in that sense.

Those wins v West Brom and Man City at the end of last season only happened because CH finally let us off the leash - prior to West Brom, he'd left himself no choice - and what resulted represented a repudiation of what he'd been doing. Sadly, he didn't appear to learn anything from that.

Stoke lite? That's not Norwich City, and the fans won't wear it for much longer.

Posted By: thebigfeller, Sep 21, 16:21:29