Emails to Doncaster

I disagee - I attach a run of emails that i have had to and from ND:-

Neil

Thanks for your reply to my points. Can I suggest if you have not already done so that you read the article by Richard Balls in yesterday`s EDP. He asks all the questions that committed fans who have been supporters of this club a lot longer than the players and manager have been at the club, have been asking without adequate reply. Norwich`s demise in 20 months from a Championship winning club to a poor Championship club with an expensively assembled team, with an unbalanced squad playing unattractive football devoid of quality or flair is fairly and squarely down to the Manager. The Boad have given him the money and it has been squandered. The players are clearly not playing for him on the pitch ( despite the public pronouncements from the players and the manager ) ; there are no discernable tactics on the pitch ; set plays are a joke; defensively we are conceding far too many goals; the midfield is neither defending, creating nor scoring with any consistency and up front to quote over manager`s words " we lack penetration."

As to December`s results the only performance in terms of quality was against Sheffield United with the goals scored by two players , one who has left the club ( would Ashton have left if we were playing to our potential and gunning for promotion -I doubt it ) and the other who is a fringe player . Form is temporary , class is permanent they say. The results in 2006 have been shocking and the performances on the pitch abysmal. Relying on a run of 5 games against a backdrop of failure over 20 months is clutching at straws which have already been broken by the results and performances in 2006.

As to changing the manager not being a panacea - there are many examples of change being successful. Ian Dowie at Crystal Palace; examples in our own history- David Stringer; Mr Worthington himself. " Rome burns whilst Nero fiddles" comes to mind.

I very much hope that the Board is right to continue pinning their faith in Mr Wothington. The general view amongst suppoeters that I have spoken to is that Mr Worthington will go in the summer. I could put up with another 3 months of dross whilst avoiding relegation if that were the case.

I will now close our email exchanges and you will not hear from me again this season ( other than vocally supporting my team on the pitch). I will be renewing my season ticket fo myself and my son only because Norwich are dear to my heart not because the manager or the players deserve our support .

On the ball City

David Drake

thanks for your further email David

my responses below

if you'd like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to give me a call on 01603 218 707

best wishes and thanks, Neil
-----Original Message-----
From: David Drake [mailto:david.drake@cunningtons.co.uk]
Sent: 14 February 2006 10:06
To: Neil Doncaster
Subject: RE: The solution to how do we sack Nigel Worthington without bankrupting the club.

Neil

Thanks for your reply to my points. Can I suggest if you have not already done so that you read the article by Richard Balls in yesterday`s EDP. He asks all the questions that committed fans who have been supporters of this club a lot longer than the players and manager have been at the club, have been asking without adequate reply. Norwich`s demise in 20 months from a Championship winning club to a poor Championship club with an expensively assembled team, with an unbalanced squad playing unattractive football devoid of quality or flair is fairly and squarely down to the Manager. The Boad have given him the money and it has been squandered. The players are clearly not playing for him on the pitch ( despite the public pronouncements from the players and the manager ) ; there are no discernable tactics on the pitch ; set plays are a joke; defensively we are conceding far too many goals; the midfield is neither defending, creating nor scoring with any consistency and up front to quote over manager`s words " we lack penetration."
[Neil Doncaster] i have read Richard's column - some of the questions he poses are indeed good questions - however, they are questions to which there is no easy answer - for example, "why are the players developed by our Academy not graduating to our first team?"
is it more likely that this is down to Nigel not picking them? or that the product being produced by the Academy at the moment is not good enough?

Richard asks why the Board aren't asking questions of the manager. Why does he think that they are not?

Going out publicly and heaping further pressure on the manager's shoulders is not helpful to anyone.

As to December`s results the only performance in terms of quality was against Sheffield United with the goals scored by two players , one who has left the club ( would Ashton have left if we were playing to our potential and gunning for promotion -I doubt it )
[Neil Doncaster] i disagree - Dean wanted to leave in the summer, when we were favourites to be promoted as champions

and the other who is a fringe player . Form is temporary , class is permanent they say. The results in 2006 have been shocking and the performances on the pitch abysmal. Relying on a run of 5 games against a backdrop of failure over 20 months is clutching at straws which have already been broken by the results and performances in 2006.
[Neil Doncaster] i'm not relying on a run of 5 games. i was merely making the point (following your email about the Hull game) that to look at one result or five is not particularly illustrative.

As to changing the manager not being a panacea - there are many examples of change being successful. Ian Dowie at Crystal Palace; examples in our own history- David Stringer; Mr Worthington himself.
[Neil Doncaster] you might equally look at George Burley at Southampton or the situation at Forest over the past couple of years

" Rome burns whilst Nero fiddles" comes to mind.
[Neil Doncaster] i disagree - it's much easier to do what a large number of vocal fans are calling for than to do what the Board considers to be right

I very much hope that the Board is right to continue pinning their faith in Mr Wothington. The general view amongst suppoeters that I have spoken to is that Mr Worthington will go in the summer. I could put up with another 3 months of dross whilst avoiding relegation if that were the case.

I will now close our email exchanges and you will not hear from me again this season ( other than vocally supporting my team on the pitch). I will be renewing my season ticket fo myself and my son only because Norwich are dear to my heart not because the manager or the players deserve our support .
[Neil Doncaster] thanks David - your support is much appreciated - ultimately what you want is what everyone at Carrow Road wants - which is long-term success. this year however, below-par performances, coupled with high exectations has left everyone feeling very disappointed - that is natural

On the ball City

David Drake
-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Doncaster [mailto:NeilD@ncfc-canaries.co.uk]
Sent: 13 February 2006 18:14
To: David Drake
Subject: RE: The solution to how do we sack Nigel Worthington without bankrupting the club.

David, thank you for your email.

I have given my comments below to your points.

If you would like to discuss the situation further, please do not hesitate to let me know.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Drake [mailto:david.drake@cunningtons.co.uk]
Sent: 13 February 2006 11:33
To: Neil Doncaster
Subject: RE: The solution to how do we sack Nigel Worthington without bankrupting the club.

Neil

Yet another email from me but I like many other City supporters wish to keep trying to get the message across to the Board that Nigel Worthington must go.

After the Hull game NW said that it was a good point earned, that the team had played well but that more penetration was needed. I make the following comments on what NW sai:-

1 It shows how low his expectations have sunk when he refers to one of the most expensively assembled squads in the Championship, playing a team last year who was playing two divisions below us and who are no better than an average Championship side, doing well to earn a point as though this was a point gained rather than two points lost. His comments are more appropriate to the expectations of another average Championship side. The truth is that " an average Championship side " is an apt description for us - acceptable if he had had no money to spend but totally unacceptable for such an expensve squad signed almost entirely by him and playing to his tactics.
[Neil Doncaster] David, no-one at Carrow Road thinks that the level of performances this season has been acceptable. However, the notion that changing your manager is a panacea is simply not true.
2. Have you read the Sunday neswspaper reports of the game? Those available say that the point was undeserved ( Sunday Times), That Norwich got a huge slice of luck to get the equaliser ( The Guardian on Line) and the most damning ( apart from reports on websites from Norwich fans attending the game) being from the Sporting Life descibing Norwich as being " Second best all afternoon and lifeless to the point of being disinterested". These are from national journalists ( not local journalists who will tend to put the best spin on the game ) with no axe to grind against Norwich.
[Neil Doncaster] to make judgments on one game is, in my opinion, not helpful. you might equally look at the games throughout December which led to Nigel being awarded Manager of the Month
3. NW`s comments after game made a mockery of his opinions but we have come to expect this from our manager these days.

I know that you bravely receive and respond to an ever increasing number of emails from supporters. Some will be posted on the fanzine sites. All that I have read are erudite, are consistent with what I have seen of the team this year , come from supporters who like me are passionate about their club but whose opinuions appear to be given little or no weight.
[Neil Doncaster] all supporters' views are very important to the Club. that is why we have the Supporters' Consultative Group which meets every 6 weeks, meet the board roadshows (most recently in Hull and Sheringham last week) and correspondence like this that i reply to personally. but while hearing and absorbing views can shape policy - it is a very different matter to simply do what a number of supporters want you to do. the Board is elected to make decisions in the long term best interests of the Club Can you reassure me that the Board are given copies of and give proper regard to these emails and are not dismissed by the Board as coming from rebellious people who dont really hold the best ineterests of the club at heart.[Neil Doncaster] i am totally confident that you have the interests of the Club at heart - as do i and as does the rest of the Board

Thank you again for taking the time to read this email.

David Drake
-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Doncaster [mailto:NeilD@ncfc-canaries.co.uk]
Sent: 06 February 2006 14:09
To: David Drake
Subject: RE: The solution to how do we sack Nigel Worthington without bankrupting the club.

thanks for your email David - reality is always more complex than it might appear - perhaps you would give me a call to discuss the situation?

i can be reached on 01603 218 707

in the meantime, thanks for taking the time to let me have your views

best wishes
Neil
-----Original Message-----
From: David Drake [mailto:david.drake@cunningtons.co.uk]
Sent: 06 February 2006 13:43
To: NeilD@ncfc-canaries.co.uk
Subject: The solution to how do we sack Nigel Worthington without bankrupting the club.

Neil

Anothe email I am afraid. The performance of our assembled expensive stars against a team of locally produced youngsters and journeymen old pros was truly embarrassing. We have one of the most if not the most expensively assembled squads in the Championship. Only Green was home grown. All the players brought in are our manager`s players chosen by him and playing to his tactics and coaching regime. Defeat after abyssmal defeat is followed by our manager`s post match platititudes of " I cannot fault their effort or commitment" ( ie we have no quality) or " the players are not doing what I tell them" ( ie he has lost the players and cannot motivate them or get them to play as he wants) .

Our manager has presided over 18 months of abject failure and our team is unbalanced and lacking in quality in the vital areas ( midfield) and pace ( at the back). We are leaking goals like nobody`s business ( the fourth worst defensive record in the division) , we have a midfield which neither defends nor creates or scores goals and we have a strike force with a mediocre goal scoring record. Further we have a reserve team whose record this year is atrocious and a youth squad not producing first team players. ( in the opinion of our manager).

He has to go and this is how you do it in a way that is affordable.

I would:-

a) Ask Worthington to resign and offer him a years salary payable monthly reduced over the year by any salary he recieves from a new club. I would sell it to him by saying " You did a great job in the early years of your reign but you have failed and failed badly since we were promoted to the premier league. You are manging a team of probably the most expensively assembled players in the Championship and yet the performances and results this season are totally unacceptable. The Board have backed you but you are not turning it around.The Board ( and the fans ) feel that the time is ripe for you to move onto a new challenge. You cant be getting any job satisfaction seeing your players underperforming week in , week out and realising that you have lost them. Leave now with your reputation intact" and then offer him the financial deal. If he refuses sack him.
b) Promote David Williams from youth team manager on a caretaker basis. Say to him " The Board and the fans realise that the season is over in terms of promotion. You are caretaker for the rest of the season. Your only brief is to get the players playing for you ,playing in a style that is pleasing and where they are encouraged to express themselves. Get them back their confidence. At the end of the season we will be looking for a long term successor . If you meet these objectives and succeed in terms of results you will be in the frame for the job long term if you want it. " Ask him whether he would prefer Foley or Livermore as his assistant . Increase William`s salary to give him 50% more than his assistant.
3. Redoply who Williams does not want to be youth team manager. Sell it on the basis that you see them as the best person to develop the youth team squad. If they dont like it sack them and settle any claims based on appropriate legal advice being prepared to argue mitigation of loss where appropriate to limit the damages payable.
David Drake



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Posted By: Westfields1, Feb 14, 13:17:56