Chris Goreham: The reason Norwich City fans have turned on Dean Smith

Each member understood what was required of them and carried out their own jobs with the minimum of fuss. The individual parts complimented each other to such an extent that the end result was something beautiful.  

But that’s enough about The Salvation Army band and their half-time mini-concert of Christmas carols. 

Had he not been in full crisis management mode in the dressing room Dean Smith may have cast an envious eye in the direction of the band’s conductor. Every meticulous wave of the baton was followed by his players to the absolute letter. I have visions of Smith muttering “if only it were that easy, pal” to him as they brushed past each other at the start of the second half. 

Maybe it is more straight forward to play in a band than it is to be part of a football team. I was equally useless at both of them at school but I tried enough times to be able to recognise when something’s working and when it isn’t. 

The tunes that Dean Smith inspired from the Carrow Road crowd were far less jolly than ‘Jingle Bells’. They did however leave no doubt as to the prevailing festive feeling amongst Norwich City supporters. 

Smith’s response to the fans in his post-match interviews contained more spikes than the carpet underneath a real Christmas tree. It’s hard to think of a Norwich City manager who has turned the tide of such toxicity. 

Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones prepare to leave their seats after City's defeat to Blackburn (Image: Focus Images)

The current situation reminds me of a particular ghost of Christmas past.  

Chris Hughton arrived at Carrow Road in 2012 with a CV that suggested he could make a success of replacing a hugely popular manager in the shape of Paul Lambert. He was regarded as one of the game’s good guys and was hugely respected. “He’ll do a great job there” was the reassuring assessment from those who knew him. 

However, there was never really a connection between the dugout and the fans. Hughton had some brilliant one-off results and guided the team to 11th place in the Premier League. Despite that lofty finish they were still in danger of relegation with two matches remaining. His cautious style of play failed to light up the yellow and green imagination. 

When he was sacked 24 hours after having a cardboard clapper thrown at him from the stands there was consternation from the wider football world. Many probably wonder what there is to complain about now with Norwich City fifth and still well and truly in the Championship promotion mix. 

The truth is that football is not a mathematical formula. Game plans cannot be written out and performed like sheet music. There are no end of facts and figures available to back up any argument. Smith was keen to talk-up the 19 shots that his team had against Blackburn and the 60pc of possession. He was right on both counts but no supporter sits in the stands with a calculator, an abacus and a notebook analysing the statistical success of their team.  

Danel Sinani and Sam McCallum were responsible for two of those shots and they were closer to getting stuck in the end of The Salvation Army band’s tuba than they were the goal. It never really felt like the Canaries were going to get back into the game and that ‘feeling’ is important. 

The reason that more than 20,000 people have Norwich City season tickets is because of what football feels like when it’s good. When a team is playing to the best of its ability, inspiring its supporters and the place is jumping it creates an energy that even could power Carrow Road’s new pre-match light show for an entire season. 

This isn’t just about results. Fans are often accused of being fickle but I’ve seen the Canaries get applauded off on many occasions when they’ve lost a game. They are not happy at the moment because they know how far away City home games are from being as enjoyable as they can be. They also, with some justification, feel a number of players in the current squad are performing well below the standards they have hit previously. 

It may not all be Dean Smith’s fault but managers tend to carry the can when it gets like this. Norwich City’s current set-up makes it clear that it’s the head coach’s job to get the best out of the players in his squad. 

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. The trouble is, with two more home games to come over the festive season, it’s beginning to feel like one of those dysfunctional family Christmases when everyone turns up out of a sense of duty and there’s a big argument. 

Flag day...

The World Cup ended up being yet another missed opportunity and not just for Gareth Southgate. 

Before last week’s semi-final against France we caught up with a group of Moroccans who live around the Norwich area on BBC Radio Norfolk. 

Their run to the last four in Qatar was something special, a first for an African nation. It also meant that the local fanbase here were not prepared for such success. 

If only someone had thought to start selling Moroccan flags on Norwich market in the build-up to the World Cup. They could have made enough money to have enjoyed a very good Christmas. 

Our Moroccan fan reported that decorating a room for the semi-final had proved quite a task. After getting a group of 20 or so to come together to watch the match they couldn’t find flags available anywhere. In the end they had had to design and produce their own in true Blue Peter fashion. The green star that sits in the middle of the red background is apparently not that easy to reproduce for the artistically challenged. 

I’ll have to remember this ahead of the next World Cup and open up a flag emporium. Although the majority of teams would be out well before the semi-finals so it would be a case of anticipating which nation is most likely to be the surprise package. 

It did make me wonder how prevalent homemade football merchandise actually is. Certainly, before clubs realised that having their own superstores selling everything from underwear to car mats might help raise funds for a new striker. I bet lots of Norwich City fans have proudly turned up at Carrow Road over the years sporting their own yellow and green creations.