My email to Doncaster (think he's got a few today) warning it's long

Neil

I live in Bristol, have a season ticket and have had for 6 of the 10yrs I've been down here and I am at the end of my tether. I have left 2 games early this season, QPR away at half time and last night after 60mins, I have never done this before and have followed Norwich for 21 years.

We are right back where we started (albeit wealthier) under Nigel Worthington, but the sad indictment of our current predicament however, is just how much support you and the board have given him over this time for us to be back where we started.

I can live with Norwich not being very good, some of my best times supporting the club were in the days of the mid/late 90's, remember WBA 1-5 followed by Port Vale 1-6?, well I went to both, that was poor and unacceptable but you could understand it, we had no money and no real hope.

We had a wonderful chance to really invest and build the squad this summer and NW has wasted it, you may say no he hasn't, well if not then please explain to me the need to bolster our squad with loan players all the time, we had a "wealth of midfielders" at the start of the season, now we have 3 more (Rehman incl.) and we're still poor and show no quality in the middle of the park, in addition since Huckerby & Crouch I can't remember a loan player who has been a success / made an impact.

NW is responsible for the first team squad, we entered the season with a lack of quality in the midfield, everyone saw it.

This brings me onto my next point, NW is in charge of tactics as he is the manager, however, do you ever question what you are forced to endure ?. Last night against admittedly the best team in the division (they play wingers don't you know) we leave our full backs exposed all night, now surely given the high profile of football these days NW could have seen this threat in advance on TV or do we actually employ scouts at Norwich ?.

Now you will tell me that changing managers achieves nothing but looking at the body language of our players this season they have no belief and NW clearly can not motivate these players, they are his players, he brought them to our club and he can no longer motivate them. In addition he has now turned on them 3 times, how many more times does a manager need to publicly criticise his team, they are underperforming and he can not address this.

You will point to injuries and absent players, a squad is a squad and should cope with absent players, the fact that we have not won a single match without Safri in over a year shows just how reliant we are on him, again this shows what a weak squad we have amassed, if he broke his leg on Sunday would we win another match all season ?.

My question to you is how long can this go on for ?, NW spent ?2.75m of the clubs money yesterday, we may aswell have Rooney & Owen upfront but if you don't give them the service they will not do anything for you, this is the fundamental problem at Norwich and our manager seems incapable if identifying this. You and the board must authorise his signings has anyone questioned why we have signed two strikers and a defender when it is clear we need a RB and RM........ I do understand both Johansson and Rehman can play in these positions however I must state these are not their preferred positions so why sign them ?, again this is poor management.

NW bought some great times to this club and for that I will always be grateful, but NW himself said that there is no room for sentiment in football when we axed Iwan and Malky, well if that's true, judging NW on his record for the past 18months he should no longer be our manager. If this goes much longer he will be forgotten for the good he did and only remembered for the bad.

I will not be using my season ticket on Sunday and I will not renew as long as NW is in charge. In any other walk of life, 18months of under performing would lead to the manager being held accountable, well not at Norwich a club that we are so often reminded is run as a "Business".

It takes a 13hour day to watch Norwich at home which is a hell of a lot of commitment and right now it appears the board aren't listening to the fans. I would go to Sheringham tomorrow but as you will understand an 8hr round trip on a week night is not realistic, especially after I wasted ?45 last night to see an hours worth of inept football.

Finally I am not alone in my views I travelled with 6 others last night from the Bristol area and all agree with the sentiment I have outlined above.

Regards, a disappointed and very angry season ticket holder

P.S. Earnshaw is a great striker and good signing but until we address the fundamental problem in midfield and defence his benefits will be nullified, has anyone questioned why Ashton suddenly decided he wanted out..... he looked thoroughly frustrated many times this season, I don't blame him the support he got.

Posted By: Taxi 4 Johnson, Feb 1, 12:56:21