Your Posts is a new project which allows you to voice your opinions on the big sporting stories – Daniel Donaghey places his trust in Norwich City’s key duo to steer the club to a brighter future.
With the remainder of this season in doubt it is a difficult task to see where the league goes from here. But one thing is for certain - football will return; whether we spend the next campaign in the top flight or back in the Football League.
Although sitting bottom of the table now, it was initially difficult to predict the outcome of this season.
Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber collectively made a long term plan that gained us an unlikely promotion with a squad consisting of mainly youth academy products, hidden gems from the lower German leagues, and a couple of free transfers that have certainly proved value for money thus far.
Following the entirety of last season was probably my favourite campaign since I started following the Canaries back in 2002, in which during this time I have seen a number of promotions, with as many unfortunate relegations to follow.
Though a return to the Championship is once again looking likely, despite the outcome of postponed fixtures, Farke and Webber over the last few seasons have assembled a squad with a progressive method that benefits the club financially and carries potential for long term success using its future players.
So, what’s been different this time around that makes this campaign less painful than the previous one’s Norwich have spent in the top flight?
Well, I believe that although it hasn’t been as successful as we’d initially hoped, this time around things have been different, and we are heading in the right direction.
With differences and difficulties of the modern game in the top flight, such as the introduction of the controversial VAR, and certainly the financial pressures of this prestigious league, you can debate these aspects,
But Norwich haven’t made permanent signings of the ‘usual suspects’ this time round - the ones who’ve joined the club for regular first team football in the top flight for debatably the wrong reasons which in turn cause further detriment to our club.
Though the Premier League is a big step from the Championship, and it is common knowledge investment is a key method for a club to maintain it’s place in this league, there was little doubt our champions from last year deserved a go at the top for all their hard work in getting us here. Take note Fulham.
When something doesn’t work, you learn from it and try not to repeat these mistakes, and though we are looking at a bottom placed finish, which may seem a repeat from previous top flight stints, Farke and Webber stuck with their philosophy and whatever happens from here, the club is in a better state.
It is important to consider the additional benefits that a lot of fans look at - such as the financial benefits should our homegrown talents inevitable progress those funds can be put back into our club to create the stars of tomorrow.
Some may put this down to a lack of ambition, but we go again, we learn, we try to work on what went wrong, and I believe we are capable of that.
With exciting prospects such as Sochaux’s midfielder Melvin Sitti, and Coventry’s highly rated defender Sam McCallum, due to join the squad next season we can hopefully pick up where we left off, and continue to build on this exciting project, with players recruited in the same fashion as Webber has found success so far.
Look how him and his team initially scouted Emi Buendia, who is arguably one of our most important Norwich players we have seen in years.
Though we are in a halt for football, as I stated at the outset, football will continue - players will come, players will go, but with our current vision of funding our academy I have no doubt the future is bright.
I know as a Norwich fan you can’t just walk away when the times are hard, so let’s be excited, and let’s be ‘aving you.
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