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"Hands Off" ACN Pod 152
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It's beginning to look a lot like Norwich. 3 great performances in a week has us all feeling the magic of Norwich. Happy Norwich, everyone.
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Transcript
Optimism and Transformation under Philippe Clement
00:00:22
Speaker
Welcome to the Long Come Norwich podcast, where we teeter towards tentatively toasting a towering table-turning transformation from our tenacious, tactically-tuned canaries. After weeks of turbulence, it's time to take stock, trace the trajectory, and truly revel in two terrific tone-setting triumphs against teams in top form, performances that have turned trepidation into tangible belief. Momentum is mounting, confidence is climbing, and belief is blooming under Philippe Clement. Can they keep it going now and complete Clement's triumphant turnaround?
00:00:51
Speaker
Claire, have we got our Norwich back? I think we have. I think we might have. Saturday, i honestly can't remember enjoying a game at Carrow Road that much in a really long time. It was just fantastic. The energy, the passion, there was a bit of needle. just it was Everything about it was fabulous. um The change in our performance is just seismic. I mean, it hasn't been a perfect week, but it ended perfectly.
00:01:21
Speaker
And i think... I enjoyed performances under Hoff at the beginning, but we appreciate this one so much more because of the utter shit that we've looked at for the last three months. You really appreciate what we're seeing now.
00:01:34
Speaker
and it's just complete and utterly enjoyable and an actual joy. And yes, I think we have got Norwich back at
Match Recaps and Player Resilience
00:01:41
Speaker
last. Thank God. yeah I think that the start to finish bit is is really, um really telling. And Punt, I think Claire's sitting down on the head in terms of it not being a perfect week.
00:01:52
Speaker
However, what I would say is I think they were three performances in Watford, the Blades and Saints. They're three performances that on another day or another set of three days get you nine points.
00:02:03
Speaker
like We've played worse in all three of those games than one in this league, right? I think the one that we maybe deserve to win the most was the one that we lost as well. you know kind of I thought we were terrific against Watford and and probably in terms of chance creation were...
00:02:18
Speaker
were way up there. Sheffield United, I think, was probably just about right for for a draw. But actually, if you add in the additional layers of content, content context in terms of Sarge going off, Kenny going off, actually it looked like a real group of players who at one point were fairly beleaguered and and you felt like they could go under and then they just didn't. Actually, there was this inner belief.
00:02:43
Speaker
And I think the bit for me that is just... really encourage him with with um Big Phil's tenure thus far is that he seems to have drilled into all of the players.
00:02:58
Speaker
And I mean all of the players, you know, kind of to a man throughout the squad, exactly what he wants and exactly, you know, in in every position. So, you know, it didn't really matter if McCarmer was playing as a nine or ah or a wide forward.
00:03:10
Speaker
He knew the expectations on him. He knew, you know, kind of where he was going to have to bust the gut, what positions to take up. He'd started to learn his craft a bit more, even, you know, with Forsen coming in and and just understanding, you know, it's the players almost understanding what Clement is trying to do with them really early doors, which just demonstrates that it feels... and alert maybe we need to temper this a bit and not go completely overboard because we've been here and done that before and, you know, did that with Hoff to be to an extent.
00:03:43
Speaker
But this does feel a bit
Team Unity and Dynamics under Clement
00:03:45
Speaker
different. It does feel a bit more considered. It does feel like the players are really bought in. I think that's probably the big thing here is you can see it, you know, post-match celebrations and, you know, there there's players there that aren't part of the matchday squad that are just completely into it. And that feels very...
00:04:02
Speaker
18-19, where you had, you know, kind of maybe someone like Grant Hanley who wasn't getting any game time, but actually was a cheerleader in the in the squad. It just feels like there's lots of ingredients that ah just will probably just serve us really well moving forward. So now, yeah, I think, as you say, you know, it could have been nine out of nine.
00:04:22
Speaker
um i think probably six or seven was about right. um But we got four. But actually, you know, look, Things look really on the up um and it it feels to me like if you probably roll on three or four games, we're going to be out of the drop zone and then, you know, looking upwards.
00:04:40
Speaker
Well, also, we're going to have ah fewer injury ah hit weeks and we're also going to have fewer weeks where you're facing Watford, Sheffield United and Southampton. I mean, that that is a tricky, especially with the Watford game being away, you know, their upper mid table, but still, you know, away there, away at Blades and home to one of the one of the form teams as well as one of the better squads in the division. and That is a trust that's a really tricky seven days to take on when you're losing a talisman for one and a half of those games or in you know your your best attacking player.
00:05:14
Speaker
and You have that knee injury scare, which means Chris Curran doesn't get much and in in the way of minutes either. um i think ah PC world that we're now living in, I yeah i am so enraptured in the the the turnaround. and I think what has what swept so many of us off our feet compared to to to kind of past spells, and it is to your point, Clarebert, how bad it was beforehand, but the speed with which, yeah we are talking four weeks now-ish, and already it's not like, remember when Wagner came in and he said, and it was at Coventry, we did we you had that that mad five-a-side game where they scored those, and the said, well, to be honest, we didn't have much time to work both sides of the ball, so I thought I'd just focus on one kind of thing. um and
00:06:04
Speaker
But with this guy, it's like, oh, okay, the keeper is now racing off his line to bail out defenders who aren't fast enough to get back. So he's addressed that issue that we haven't got we keep getting beaten in behind because he seems to be telling Vlad to do that. and He's addressed um the ah the keeper's confidence and and and yeah if he's made a few big saves. and You'd hope that that's kind of a bit come on and a bit Vlad. Maybe de and big Declan Rugg now in there to get involved.
00:06:30
Speaker
ah instead instead of Tony's DAB Roberts radio. and Then you've got in the back line, Kellen Fisher is back to player of the season caliber. I mean, one of the best players on the pitch on Saturday in the Southampton game. Probably all three games as well. He he was super. I mean, yeah, it's fantastic. And and then and all of a sudden we've got from one of the most shocking, worrying, upsetting regressions we've seen in recent times, has been arrested. it So Harry Darling went from, oh i think I think we might have said at the end of August, well, he's probably player of the season. You know, it's already looking pretty obvious like it's it's Harry Darling's award to to lose, right?
00:07:11
Speaker
and and And then he went backwards and backwards and backwards and backwards. And now all of a sudden he he looked brilliant again. and You've got McGonville who was, you couldn't get a sniff, but now all of a sudden and Clement goes, oh, now that guy that's done really well in international duty, he might be good enough actually sea to to play for us.
00:07:28
Speaker
And you've got the midfield of Mattson. And I thought it was really interesting what Clement said about um he was focused. He said, I felt he was focusing so much about having to prove that he was tough enough for this league and proving that he had the physicality that he he was not concentrating enough on actually bringing what was the reason we bought him in the first place. And why I noticed him before as a player, because I knew him before, he said as an aside,
00:07:53
Speaker
and I thought that was really interesting so i think that is exactly the point. Because if you go back to the thing that, you you guys were much higher on Max than than I was in the early days. But the thing that I was frustrated about was that he wasn't playing forward enough and he was being a little bit too conservative and he was kind of turning back the whole time. And you you guys were quite rightly calling out that he was clattering into people and he was getting around the pitch like really, really well.
00:08:16
Speaker
but But this is it. Clement has gone. don't know. There's a real player there. So play on the front foot. Everything should go through you. And i love that they keep the ah the social media ad bins keep referring to everywhere with Pella Mattson because he's just she kind of a hero. kind of epitomises the whole change, really, doesn't he? Mm-hmm.
00:08:34
Speaker
Here's it in a nutshell. And so, yeah, I i just think there's there's there's hardly a chance creation, as as Punt said. that's That's fixed in four weeks. We're now going to create multiple, we're missing multiple glorious chances and still winning games.
00:08:47
Speaker
um So the the number of things, the resilience, yeah the fact that we've got we've gone behind a couple of times. i loved what you said about about the resilience that he just kept drumming into them, resilience, resilience, resilience, like for weeks on end. And he said, I'll stop once I don't need to talk about it anymore. And he said, I've stopped talking about it now. And I was like, that is, that's fantastic. You know, you can see it as well, can't you? There was a bit, I was just going to bring up, there was a bit in the game, I rewatched the game last night and I hadn't noticed it at the time when I was there at Carrow Road, but it was Harry Darling and Rory McConville. Right towards the end of the game, Darling was on the floor and got a foul, and I think he sort of blocked the shot, and he got up and absolutely roared, and then McConville got and roared with him, and I was like, oh, my God, and I had to rewind it and watch it several times. I was just like, wow, that's just amazing. Well, it's mindset, isn't it? It's mentality. In three weeks, it's just insane. Insane. That's the sort of thing that you design. And obviously, Manning was very... You kept pointing out that he didn't design the preseason. But that's the sort of thing that typically a coach would point to. I need to take the lads to the Alps. Or, you know, I need us to take... We all need to go to Baden-Baden. We need to go to wherever in order to form that kind of siege mentality,
Clement's Management Style and Discipline
00:10:07
Speaker
form that kind of tribal... Us against the world thing. And in four weeks... But we made omelettes. are you talking about? If we did make omelettes, yeah. I wonder if that was hot. I wonder if that was half designed as well. I don't feel like I can even name the omelette cooking competition.
00:10:21
Speaker
It was... um I think from... even the PR, it's interesting that he's not done anything cringey. Do you see what mean? They've not tried. would be fascinated to see whether not they've gone, oh, Philippe, could you just do a quick piece of camera where you say, hello, Canary fans, this weekend? I wonder if he's been asked to do anything a little bit that and he's just gone, fuck off. think they dare. Yeah, I don't think they dare.
00:10:49
Speaker
But he doesn't suffer fools, does he? He hasn't suffered in the press. I think Rob Butler even tweeted, he was like, I nearly got a bollocking off PC World or whatever. And you're like, yeah, he's not going to take it. He's not going to take any nonsense, be it from fans, press, players, opposition manager. He's very wise. He's very wise. And he knows his own mind. And that's, I think, one of the most important things. Yeah. He's going to have some work out convincing me that VAR should come into the championship, though. That was an interesting soundbite from the weekend. Yeah, that kind of got glossed over, didn't it? Yeah. I would
00:11:27
Speaker
um i'd still much rather have be be convinced about the fact that we were robbed about something than no for for fact that we were robbed in the moment, if you see what I mean. Yeah. You know, as as we've we've said this, we haven't talked about this for while been in the Prem for a while. But my my opinion VAR is it's all about the implementation. id still fundamentally support the fact that it could be a great leveller. And that was why I wanted it in the first place. But until the implementation is faster and and better, then i don't want to anywhere near the championship because the championship is bonkers. and and And you're going to get, even with the kind of the replays, obviously it was a Sky game, wasn't it? So there lots of replays and lots of options of watching McCalmer's goal against Southampton, his second one, coming in off his hand and then then pointing out that, the and you know, Darling, i think it was, who headed it onto their number six and his hands in an unnatural position above his head, which I always think is really harsh on defenders. Like if you're jumping, you're just doing your best to jump. Like, you know, if your limb goes up, your limbs go up. Yeah.
00:12:27
Speaker
But by the letter of the law, it would should have been a penalty to Norwich. So, okay, yeah, it shouldn't have been a goal, but
VAR in the Championship: Pros and Cons
00:12:32
Speaker
we should have had a penalty because they handballed it before we did. And you could argue there was far more of an accidental element to McCalm as, you know, and touch that, football pauses but you know, you win some, you lose some. I think the penalty was...
00:12:46
Speaker
debatable but I thought it was a penalty in real time did you get much of a view of that pump yeah it was absolutely a pen I didn't think it was in real time in real time I didn't but yeah but it was almost because you're like he's got his shot off but actually look it's almost like that was the mitigation it'll be fine but when you see it again you're like he's absolutely clattered yeah he's taken him out and McLeanville's got the yellow for actually having a go at him for diving which I thought was quite excellent did actually get bit for what he said or did he just mistakenly book him? No, I think it was McConville was kind of picking him up and like, yeah, almost like wishing to assault him. I'll tell you what, 13 can get in the bin, like generally, I mean, whilst he did get clattered and a couple of times, he spent an awful lot of time on the floor. He's good player, number 13 for Saints. Yeah, it was because good player, yeah.
00:13:35
Speaker
Is that the Brazilian Sienzo or something? He should have spent a lot more time his feet and it was not cold enough for gloves. So, yeah, he deserved all kicking. Mind it's funny when you're at the game, like we we all thought the ref was having an absolute mare and was just like being sucked in by Samson throwing themselves to the floor. but having re-watched it he actually got pretty much everything right so it's very different when you're actually there don't think i'd prefer my narrative right let's not let's not do that thank you i will say it took me until this morning to actually see the handball like i've watched no i'd watched it over and over and again again and i just couldn't see it it was like i was completely blind to it i was like what is everyone seeing it's not blatant handball is it did you you the board you can't score with your hand i know you can't i'm not saying it wasn't i'm not saying it shouldn't have been disallowed but i i genuinely took till this morning to actually see it come off his hand i was like the way everyone was talking about it's like he'd like slam dunked it into the net or something it wasn't blatant it wasn't blatant and that's all i'll say It was. I convinced Southampton fans about that. don't care what they think. because goal The third goal was legit and that shouldn't have been wiped out because there was absolutely nothing wrong with that third goal. The better team won. i mean that they were they They were really good team and they played some really good stuff in patches but they actually, I thought, their mentality was was dreadful and in the second half when we you know really, ah only with only a one goal deficit, they
00:15:15
Speaker
And it really what we had, we were killing the game in the, in the, in from this kind of the 84th, 85th minute, we were killing the game in the corner, which I actually thought, again, from a mentality point of view and, you know props to Cordoba, who did, did a fantastic job of this as well. and But we were doing a really good job with that. And and you just thought this is so, they were being so wasteful and snatching at things. They didn't keep calm. They had seven minutes with such a long injury time. And I don't, did they have a single shot on time? Connor said, Connor said, I've just read something that you said in the seven minutes of injury time, Southampton didn't have a single touch in their half, which is amazing.
00:15:53
Speaker
But this is it. You just think... What, in Southampton's half or in our half? Yeah, in our half. They didn't take the ball. Because when they finally got the ball back each time, they snatched at it and rushed. And you just think you only need a minute to score a goal, especially against previously brittle Norwich confidence. No, thought the best team over the piece, but it was two very, very talented teams. And we were, both teams were short of some people they'd rather have playing. But I thought both teams went back to front really, really nicely. What loved was how meaningful our press is. Now we, you know, we all sit
00:16:32
Speaker
where we've got quite an elevated view. So actually, especially in the second half, you can really see the press and the way it's designed. And you can really see in Sutton, again, I'm a complete idiot, but that is it's very transparently different.
00:16:47
Speaker
the way that we press and the kind of ah kind of inverted triangle that shifts from side to side. And Southampton in the second half in particular didn't have an answer for it. And what I i might be giving too much credit to Clermont here just because I'm gushing about him But in the first five to 10 minutes of the second half, they seemed they they made a couple of changes and and they actually seemed to have an extra man in midfield and they were beating our kind of 10 and Wright and McCormick didn't know who to close down. And then after about five or 10 minutes, all of a sudden we were back to being able to kind of shuffle them side to side and they didn't have a room through. And I'd like to think that's because a word came in from the bench that said, you go stand there, you go stand there. Maybe the players worked out and themselves, don't know.
00:17:30
Speaker
They're not capable, are they? Well, they've shown most of the season they're not. So, no. Yeah, Liam Manning put it
Festive Fixtures and League Position
00:17:37
Speaker
at their door. He was like, oh, we let players work out what's good. You know, it's like, hang on. They can't sack him won't change anything. That's the biggest thing. Absolutely. And it really hasn't.
00:17:45
Speaker
So, look, that's the big sort of talking point that's come out of of these performances and and we'll we'll give some guarantees for Preston in a little while. ah Really, really looking forward to this slate of of of games. We've got a little sort of ah an odd, it feels odd to be this close to Christmas and have a whole week between games. It feels odd. Can I just raise one thing? Right. Just whilst we're talking about the game and you just said Christmas and it made me think of it. um How many people lost out on Whamageddon at half time? Because I did.
00:18:16
Speaker
They played last Christmas at halftime. when it No, um I heard it, yeah. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. It was straight right at the start of halftime. That was me. I was out. Couldn't believe it Unlucky, mate. Those prawn sandwiches are just too alluring for you. Disgraceful. So on the on the thing about the ref in the Saints game as well, and it was, yes, it's an interesting take, particularly for this podcast, Claire, to actually, you know, watch the game back and see it see the videos and and, you know, even willing to change your opinion. I'm not sure how me and Pump feel about that. and It's sort of off-brand. Sorry, sorry, I've let down. That's fine, an alternative approach to to life, you know, being you know sensible. You like to be rational. so Yeah, no, I i don't. i Far too professional.
00:19:04
Speaker
yeah So, um I think that was different as well. The togetherness of the fans, and that was one of the reasons it was so good. So, and i am i had to get I had to get from the city the city.
00:19:19
Speaker
out to pouring land, which, and you know, going south of Norwich is horrific after a home game. And then I had to go all the way back to my, where I live north of Norwich to then go back out again for a kid's birthday party. So it absolutely screamed of, you need to beat the traffic here.
00:19:36
Speaker
But there was no way I didn't, even though I was fairly confident at 92, 93 minutes because of the aforementioned, they're not getting anywhere near our goal. I was like, no, no, I want to hear that roar. I want to be here when we get that final whistle because it's it's just too delicious. And it took me nearly an hour to get to Poringland after the game. Worth it. Totally worth it. But on that point of being and the the referee, being ah against the referee,
00:20:04
Speaker
ah I'm not sure four home games ago. I'm not sure Carrow Road is screaming. You don't know what you're doing. And because I think that helps the players feel aggrieved and that helps the players feel like they're playing 12 men and they're like, oh, listen to all them. Maybe they've seen a replay on on the phones or whatever. And and actually it was wasn't a penalty or you know we we were unlucky or whatever it should have been.
00:20:25
Speaker
And just the vociferousness of how quickly we as one when you're not fit to referee. I think that is also ah and a symptom of what's changing here. And we mentioned it on the WhatsApp and it's been mentioned a few times on social media.
00:20:39
Speaker
um I clocked Clement whipping up the crowd when he could tell that we were starting to. And there was there was a time when there was a drum beat and and there was a clap and there was no song to go with it. And it was almost like, we know we need to make a noise here.
00:20:57
Speaker
There isn't, we're not really singing a song. There's not really a thing. We're just sort clapping our hands because we need to continue some sort of noise because the boys need us to show that, come on, it's getting a bit tricky. Come on. It was lovely. And eventually it turns into Yami. But before that, it was just, just sort clapping here, but that's fine. That's okay. That is wonderful. It's one of those super, super games that, It felt was so far away back in Manning's tenure, which brings us to the listener questions that are mostly around the fact that, you know, a lot of these players are players that we necessarily didn't think could do it. So you want to go? Liam Manning signings, according to one high profile married celebrity
00:21:39
Speaker
Don't start me on Humphrey. No, no, let's start you. I think he might have enough oxygen. I don't think he needs any more fuel from us. Oh, lordy. Anyway, yes, the questions. So basically we had one, two, three, four, five questions all on the same theme. And it was, yes, basically, do we have to apologise to Ben Knapper? So basically Mattson, Wright, Macomberville, Macamah, Macamah, all his signings, all absolutely thriving.
00:22:14
Speaker
Do we need to apologise to him? Is he actually the messiah? One of the questions. Would someone actually say that? Yes, Jamie and jason Wallace said is Napa the messiah after all.
00:22:26
Speaker
I think on Instagram you're quick as it. That's pushing it. hyperbole you know You know my stance on this and I'm looking very smug right now and you know I'm going to let you talk because I've said all along Let's give him one more go The squad is good.
Influence of Ben Knapper and Management Balance
00:22:44
Speaker
and one point I think it's way too early to make any definitive judgments, right? And I think that we're only going to find out in the fullness of time how much of a Ben Knapper appointment Philippe Clement is and how much of Atanasio slash Norfolk Holdings Group appointment Philippe Clement is.
00:23:06
Speaker
And I kind of... Well, we definitely got the sense and all the noises in the media were the that the ownership were way more involved in this appointment oh you were last time. I don't think... but Look, I think we've said on this pod quite a bit, I mean, Claire has definitely been, you know, kind of the cheerleader of of this, you know particular...
00:23:25
Speaker
um position but you know these none of us thought these were bad players. Yes, they Tom to definitely thought Mattson was a bad oh player. all right and well no it ah i'm going to know And we thought McConville was rubbish as well. I didn't i i know i did say McConville was a bad player. I thought McConville was hopeless, but he had such such a low carry. And as i to his first game as I tweeted after his first light game, we had meaningful and meaningful minutes.
00:23:56
Speaker
this is This is exactly why we might need to reconsider all of the players in the squad once they've had some time on the PC world. Because, you know, clearly he he he is one who looks like a different human being. Mattson, I said, I can see the potential. I can see the logic, but but he's really, really...
00:24:14
Speaker
and like you but He was playing in a negative way and I didn't think he was ah impacting it. And I actually think that Cremont has... ah ah i think he actually publicly, as I said earlier today, I think he sort of in his post-match press conference said there was half his game missing and now he's leaning more into that.
00:24:31
Speaker
he's He's that complete package. and now i use He's been given ability and ah to play on the ball, though, isn't he? He's been given licence to play on the ball. And actually, one thing that really super impressed me with with Mattson um over the last couple of games is, and it's only because I watched him for about five minutes, is it's it's his scanning. Like, he's forever scanning. He's forever looking you know over his shoulder, around him. And then as soon as he receives the ball, he's so aware of what's going on around him that he can just, you know,
00:24:58
Speaker
play on the half turn or take a touch and then drive. or you know He's just completely aware of his surroundings. And I think that probably was always there, but he was just throttled by the previous manager.
00:25:11
Speaker
But to get back to Napa, look, we're only, as you said, Tom, earlier, we're only four weeks into a tenure. It looks really, really promising. But I think the fact that we've appointed someone who I would maybe see as A self-starter, if you like, you know, in terms of Clement, much more of his own man, much more someone who is going to be able to drive culture on his own.
00:25:33
Speaker
it is the reason that we're having success. Has Ben Napa signed some good players? Yeah. There's no doubt about that. Do we owe him an apology for that? For, you know, turning on him for that? No.
00:25:45
Speaker
You know, to go full Roy Keane, that's your job. Do you know what I mean? You don't think you owe him an apology? No, I don't think owe him any apologies. But I never said, like, oh, you know, look he signed awful players. I think he has assembled an imbalanced squad. And I think if you asked Clement in a private moment, is this squad imbalanced? He probably would agree with you. You know, and he knows there is business to be done in January, um but he is extracting the absolute maximum, are ah you know, kind of out of what he's got right now.
00:26:18
Speaker
Napa is the one, you know, who actually, if you look at all of the things that the previous sporting director did around infrastructure development, um how much of that has progressed how much of that has kicked on under ben napper very little like you know kind of in terms of like redevelopment of colony or redevelopment of you know kind of sporting structures or you know we don't need to do that though because that's already done it's his first job in as a sp sporting director nobody goes in and their first time in that role knowing exactly what to do and getting it all perfectly right nobody Absolutely not. But you should be a bit more innovative if you've come from a club like Arsenal, which, you know, kind of is held up there as an exemplar of one of the best clubs that's been run in the country.
00:27:00
Speaker
um I would have expected him to be able to come over and probably implement a few more ideas. And I would also just chuck into that. He's pretty much ditched the academy in terms of, you know, kind of an an actual throughput of players. And now we sign 18, 19 year old players, you know, kind of. and And then there are young ones that come through. and And again, you know, that kind of worries me in terms of, Norwich's DNA.
00:27:24
Speaker
And look, it will work as a, you know, kind of you can flip players and you can make profit on them. And, you know, and if it's educated, I mean, Makama and Jacob Wright going to be two really high profile, decent examples of that, I think.
00:27:36
Speaker
Just really quickly, I think Schwartel might sell for silly money in the next 18 months. Yeah, and I think, you know, I had a question for you guys, which I'll come on to in a minute. um But I think there's lots of things that I would expect a sporting director to be doing that I don't necessarily see him doing.
00:27:52
Speaker
And so that's why I don't think we owe him an apology. I think that all of us have kind of acknowledged that he signed some good players. I think, Claire, you were the only one who was prepared to give him another chance with another appointment.
00:28:06
Speaker
yeah So maybe we might owe you the apology rather than Ben Napa. Yeah, but I will i will ah accept that we don't know how much he had to do with getting Philippe Clement and how much it was the owners. And maybe we will never know. But the point is, he has come in under his tenure. And with the players that he has assembled, we are now looking like a very capable player.
00:28:29
Speaker
championship team we are so there's it's not time will tell and this is this is what the this is what the conversation around Napa needs to recall it wasn't just purely a case of all the players are crap Napa out it was why are you pausing so long on getting rid of this manager he should have gone after the scum game you know what's that not to do with the owners a bit though Because they were like, we don't we don't want to get rid of him yet. Like, he might have wanted to.
00:28:56
Speaker
it's 100% clear. that there's There's six to seven sides to every every facet of this in terms of players, in terms of that. But i'm I'm just giving some examples of some of the reasons that people wanted to get rid of Napa, of which any two of them might have been enough for you to want to get rid of a sporting director.
Impact of Recent Signings under Clement
00:29:13
Speaker
And there were multiples. So... There's the players underperforming and therefore there was a suspicion.
00:29:18
Speaker
and And to be fair, particularly the ones that he signed most recently, you know, they were the ones that were struggling to kick on, right? They were the ones that, you know, that your Duracex and your Diallos and your Kvistkirans with their injury issues and they're not, you know, not really making much, getting many minutes for how much we spent on them. So, you know, the more recent signing seems to be the issue. um It was the culture. To Pant's point, Clement doesn't need a sporting director to it to implement a culture. And he's had to change the culture, which suggests that the sporting director whose job is the culture. And there is lack of resilience and the mental makeup of the players and how, you know, going back to what we said about what Rob Newman said with when he was chatting with Rob Butler after one of the games. um
00:30:06
Speaker
about you know what's what's between the six inches between between the players' ears, that being the sort of thing you really need to make sure you're scouting as much as as just the data and just even watching them. like You need to get to know them. you know Can they do it on a rainy Tuesday when they're losing 3-0? Is the running back at the same speed, etc.?
00:30:22
Speaker
Context, etc. um And it was also to do with the lack of communication, the lack of style going from Wagner to Hoff to Manning. So there's this playing style, the culture, the recruitment, the communications, the PR, the lack of conversation, which he did say during the Manning cycle or exit cycle, he said, look, I maybe need to speak more.
00:30:52
Speaker
it's interesting that we haven't heard from him. If I were him, I would have done something on, especially with the whole week off. And we were recording this Monday, 15th of December. can't even read the date. It's how good I am. um ah I would have maybe sat down with Connor and Paddy and said,
00:31:10
Speaker
Here's some early observations from how, and I would make it all about Clermont and I would make it all complimentary, complimentary, pushing lots and lots of flattery on. Here's what I've seen since he's come into the building. He's done this approach, which is really, really interesting. One of the things that I think he learned from Monaco is he likes to do this. but And he could do a lot of puff piece, a 20 minute sit down, snip it up for the socials.
00:31:31
Speaker
And it makes him look brilliant because he, even by association, is they didn't sack me, they kept me with this guy. Or you can sort of gently allude to maybe I had at least 5% or maybe as much as 70% influence on getting Clermont hired. He doesn't need to say any of that. He can just... Well, maybe they're keeping him hidden away because they're going to get rid of him.
00:31:52
Speaker
Well, quite. But I mean, i ah but it isn't it's it's too, and I am very simplistic and and and ignorant, but it is it is far more far more a diverse set of reasons why people were so angry at Napa. and and Yeah, fair enough. And that's why it wasn't Manning out, Manning out, Manning out for 90 minutes when we had Manning losing 407 games in a row.
00:32:17
Speaker
It was because there's just, there isn't a single thing on the, on the sporting directors to do list that you currently seem to be doing well. We know you've signed a couple of players with promise 18 months ago, but in the last few months, your signings have so far been shit. Now in the last four weeks,
00:32:34
Speaker
two or three of those recent signings really do look the ticket. And I'm excited to see what Diallo can do. and I'm excited to see if Stacey, under Clement, can maybe just go... Because Stacey has been a fantastic...
00:32:50
Speaker
servant maybe a bit overstating it, but he's been a tremendous championship fullback for us. But, you know, final delivery has sometimes been somewhat lacking, but, you know lung busting runs and especially if we if we're under the cosh, occupying the ball, dribbling, fitness,
00:33:07
Speaker
its fantastic he's got lots and lots of that. Similar to what he's saying about Jovan now being at maybe 50% of his potential. If he can look to see he's done with Mattson, et cetera, if he can look at Stacey and maybe help him find a way of making the right choice once he's run 80 yards, what do I do with it next, mate?
00:33:22
Speaker
what Do you think he comes back in the side, though, with the way Kellen's playing? Like, you know, genuinely. No, I don't think you can. I don't think there's a route the moment. I mean, there will be chances down the line. but Because there will be times when we have got a three game. If he had Kellen and Jack um at 90% plus fitness, and and that's, you know, in Clement's mind, rather maybe no one's ever fit enough for Philippe Montt.
00:33:44
Speaker
But and if he'd got the two of them available for selection, there is no way Kellen plays whatever three times 90 is 270 minutes. It doesn't happen. He gives at least 20 minutes in the middle game or 30 minutes because because you're exposing him to muscular injury, right? and Or exposing him to getting banged on the knob but when when there's a celebration of a goal. don't know if you saw that. You've seen the angle of that yeah that replay. yeah Yeah. So you exposed him to really dangerous challenges like that. There was a question about... He'll get his chance.
00:34:12
Speaker
About Fisher, actually. From Master Purdy, do you think Fisher has potential to be better than Max Aarons? Oh, what excellent question. That is a great question. isn question Well, I would just like to point to the to the and outside of the boot, curled pass out the right. That was beautiful. And the fact that it was bring it down and then stroke it straight away and then right, brought it down and then curled it in straight away. mean, that was a but I know it was a bundled home goal, but the two touches, but really the three touches, because the knockdown from Darling was the right thing to do as well.
00:34:47
Speaker
That was just, what you know, one and a half touch football. It's gorgeous. And I think I'm going to answer that question. Yes. I think his ceiling is unreal. That's a hell of a call. I mean, I still maintain Max Aarons was the best, technically the best fullback I've seen play for Norwich. And I'm kind of going back to Culverhouse was maybe the start. I don't think there's many that you could argue. Yeah.
00:35:15
Speaker
would be above him but I think Kellen is not Fuglestat no he's a left he's a left back you said fullback you didn't say right back yeah sorry i meant right back I meant right back okay um because actually then yeah then you've got Mark Bowen you've got the Mark Bowen if you say fullback Mark Bowen probably is the one um I don't know if Bowen was technically as good as Aaron's though he's just an unbelievable player Oh, yeah, it was phenomenal. Of course he was. One of best players ever for He ended top scorer at back, you know, kind of like one season. I'll say that's been Kellen lax, doesn't he? He doesn't hasn't scored a single goal for us yet. No, but I mean, Although I felt like they're hard. The one that he crossed and it kind of went in. Yeah, he's getting closer compared to last season when they were mostly over the top of the stand. And he's had four weeks of Clement. like Yeah, who knows?
00:36:05
Speaker
Who knows what's coming? Fisher has had anything like the standard of coaching that Aarons has had. No, i don't know i that's true. I'm not saying he's better than him now. I'm just saying I think I can see it.
00:36:17
Speaker
I think he's a better footballer than Max Aarons overall. But i think Max Aarons right now or back when he was 20 was a better right back.
00:36:28
Speaker
ah But I think you're right that there the the ceiling with Fisher is is really, really high. And I think give it another 12 to 18 months if you're talking about players that might be you know kind of getting Premier League overtures or you know top flight overtures. already have, hasn't we? Everton were interested in him.
00:36:48
Speaker
But I think it's him. i think it's Oscar.
Contenders for Player of the Season
00:36:51
Speaker
And I was going to ask you guys, um and Oscar is my answer on this, but we were walking down to the ground on Saturday and someone just said, who would your player of the season be thus far?
00:37:02
Speaker
And I couldn't think of anyone else but Oscar.
00:37:07
Speaker
Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. In terms of impacting games, material impacting games, I don't think it's Oscar, but he would be in the top three. Oscar only because he was the only one that was still performing under Manning, wasn't That's where I picked him. He was the only one every week we were saying he's actually doing okay and nobody else was and everyone else was going backwards. He was actually somehow getting better.
00:37:38
Speaker
But I think we need to start that now from like after Clemont. I don't think the first three months should even come into consideration in any of our thoughts anymore. It's like it never happened. It's going to Pelham Hatson then.
00:37:52
Speaker
Yeah. i think about and there's always There's always a ri recency bias to these things anyway. Yeah. If Vlad keeps saving penalties, then... Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:04
Speaker
Yes. So have we got anything on the twatter then? We have got a couple on the twatter. Oh, well, okay. So I will ask this question, but I'll have to adjust it.
00:38:14
Speaker
um Who would you rather have? um Someone who plays for Ipswich right now or Ella Mattson? For me, Mattson already offers more than that bloke who plays for Ipswich did, except for goals.
00:38:30
Speaker
Yeah. That's not even close. I mean, as I always say, I never even rated the previous guy. Like he's never i never he never, I was never as high on him as everyone else was anyway.
00:38:41
Speaker
So not even close to me. Yeah, Mattson can control the game and will consistently do it over 90 minutes over every single game.
00:38:52
Speaker
His engine is phenomenal. His tackling is better. He's not really there to score goals. He's not going to give us amazing free kicks, but overall he's going to do so much more for us than the one we can't name.
00:39:05
Speaker
And know he's not thick and he's not ugly. i think not He's not thick or ugly and he doesn't want to go that other team. Especially playing as ah as a six, if you like. you know We play with two sixes. In that role as a defensive midfielder, I think Mattson, by a long stretch, you know i would I would rather have him. If you were talking about maybe in a more advanced player...
00:39:27
Speaker
then there'd be a conversation. You can't compare them, can you? like i think this skills like for like I think in terms of tricks and flicks and little bits and bobs, Mattson can do what that piece of shit can do, but it tends to result in more.
00:39:45
Speaker
Maybe we will start to see In a few months' time, we might see a few fly in from 20 yards, 25 yards. The other thing is he's not getting near set pieces. Maybe Mattson can take set piece, don't know. But, i mean, he's three or four down the pecking order there. i mean, the the the one that I am hoping the most we get to see a tune out of is Eurosec.
00:40:07
Speaker
Because, yeah you know, he he has offered two to three minutes um of so sparkling touches where you think there was one earlier in this season where he sort of, it was for a goal where he got an assist, two of the assists. He got someone away on the right-hand side by sort of scooping the ball like a little flicked up over the head of the defender to like play someone in and then they cut it back to be, but think Sarge maybe knocked it in.
00:40:33
Speaker
um like we're going back right to sort fourth, third, fourth home game something. He might have played Jack Stacey in for was it him or Stacey? Yeah, no, he might have done. And Stacey, she finished it. Yes, it might have been that goal. and But there's been a couple of little times like that where you've just gone, oh, that's a bit tasty because most people are trying to bend it round or just play it long. you' You've decided, no, I'm good enough to scoop this and put this right in the lap of of ah of the of the attacking play. I'll do that.
00:40:58
Speaker
So you just think if we, if you could get him fit and he does look overweight, he doesn't look, he doesn't, he doesn't look as streamlined, particularly if you put him next to Mattson and Wright and those other kind of engines. and Shout out for Wright last couple of games. I mean, he really is relishing that number 10 position. Yeah. And we did say it on the pod. Why is he not being tried there? and You know, him and Kisgore, and you just think, well, if you've if you've got two number nines that are your number one and number two, number nines, then try one of those two. And the 10 must be worse that can happen. they can't They can't score from the bench. They can't create from the bench. So put them in there. He did a couple of absolute peach of passes. that That one quite early on where he curled it.
00:41:39
Speaker
Otama Karma. Yeah. And even Clement was on the side, up you know, clapping the fans when their feet clapping. That was beautiful. Like he did quite a few amazing, amazing passes, really, you know, reveling in that role.
Key Assists and Gameplay Highlights
00:41:54
Speaker
The cross for the goal is just perfect. both of He got both assists, didn't he? but and Well, assists never assists.
00:42:01
Speaker
But the first goal in particular, because you you have to put it in one particular position at a certain pace and and it it can result in a goal. And I actually started, and weirdly enough, my my friend who sits next to me will attest to this.
00:42:13
Speaker
I started celebrating the goal before Makama had even touched it because I could just see what was going to happen. Yeah, because he had to break stride, didn't he? Yeah. yeah Yeah, amazing. That was a lovely goal.
00:42:23
Speaker
So let's look ahead to to the ah Preston game. um So we've got, they're obviously, they've been in form, and but then also we're kind of in form. And that doesn't bother us anymore. i was going to the last two teams. Yeah, Sheffield United are in Sheffield United are in form.
00:42:43
Speaker
But the but thing that's really weird is we're in form. I forgot. There might be a few of their fans that have gone, oh, Krum's under Clement. They've picked up a few points. They seem to be playing some good football and they've just, you know, held Sheffield United away and they've just beaten Southampton at home. We might actually need to be a bit worried here. Um, so they are, um, above us and they're in third. It's going quite well. And, know, they've won two of their last five, which is hardly, you know, we're in the league form. Um, but it is still Preston and, you know, come on, it's not, it isn't Southampton. It's not Sheffield United and, and Deepdale is not, you know, the Emirates. It's not going to the Etihad. Come on. It is, it is only going to, Deepdale. So, mean, personally, I'm going to break tradition here and I'm going to go with my guarantee first. We win 4-0.
00:43:36
Speaker
Not really breaking tradition, I am. I am. I'm going first. Oh, right. I'm going first. In what way are you breaking tradition? We're going win. No, but, and again, to break with tradition, I really think it. I mean, I really. Oh, right. You really think it this time. I really think it. I'm going first because it's not just, oh, he's going to say 4-0. I'm saying 4-0 up front because they are due a defeat. 4-0 away at Preston. Yes. Wow.
00:44:04
Speaker
Yes, because we are decent and we're going to have extra people back. Josh won't be back, will he? That doesn't matter. We don't need him to score goals anymore. It's two weeks, isn't it? I think it's fairly set. I think the elite protocol might be slightly different and it's about when this symptom stopped. And so, but I think in typical FA circles, like if one of us did on a Saturday or Sunday morning, then yeah, we would be two weeks guaranteed. Two weeks after symptoms, I think it is. The problem with me it wouldn't be clear whether or not actually the symptoms have gone or not. Not for you, mate. Not for you. He still sounds pissed. No, honestly, I think I really have got such confidence that it's a way win. And there is a possibility that it's only 2-1 or something like that. But
00:44:58
Speaker
I think this Clement team, excuse me, I think this Clement team has got a a battering in them, i.e.
00:45:09
Speaker
I think we actually take some of these chances, we get on top and we're relentless and it's three and a half time. That's what I'm seeing and I feel that that is going to come probably more likely against Charlton. I was going to say, I'm saving that for Charlton on Boxing Day. I've just got a feeling that because it's more likely against Charlton, actually, Clermont has one more, even more exciting twist, obviously. So, come on then, you two, you can predict your narrow away defeat now. Punt, off you
00:45:42
Speaker
um I'm going to say that we're going to keep a clean sheet for the first time in a long time. oh that would be nice. Oh, gosh. So optimistic. I know. We're a form team now.
00:45:52
Speaker
ah Exactly. know, but... Exactly. And I think i think we're we're just going It's going to be a comfy 2-0 victory. I think it'll be 2-0 at halftime and then we'll just we'll just manage that game as well as we did for the last 10 minutes against Southampton.
00:46:10
Speaker
Look at Tom celebrating. I love it so much. Bless him. Yes, we're good again. We're second from a bottom, but we're 26 points ahead of the team below us. twenty six We are. We're not going to be second bottom for long. I keep seeing people going, oh, but we're still 23rd. We are not going to finish 23rd.
00:46:30
Speaker
No. Well, we were third bottom for a little bit. Because the team the teams around us are poor teams. We have got a really good squad that is now performing at a decent level in the championship.
00:46:44
Speaker
And there is absolutely, we haven't even played a single team twice yet. We're not halfway through the season. We've got a whole half season left to go. are not going to finish. Is it one of the quick things? Is it the last game halfway or is it the game after? we on 21 or 22 games? When we play... We haven't played Charlton yet, so it can't be the next game. No. We've got QPR on New Year's Day. Because we have QPR and Watford again, that means. And Watford soon, yeah. Yeah, so it must be after Charlton. Yeah, soon. It's Christmas time. But on the table thing, Claire... 29th, it'll be Watford. To back up your fantastic point...
00:47:16
Speaker
If you look at the goal difference as well, bearing mind how bad we've been, thank goodness under Manning, we did only mainly lose by one goal. And as a result, whilst we are we've got the, and if you ignore the relegated Wednesday, and goodness me, sucks to be them. And I do feel sorry for them. and But I'm glad it's not us. If you look at us and kind of Pompey, who have got minus 10, you've then got most of the teams around us are a couple of games swing away from that. So you've got Oxford in minus nine, goal difference, Blackburn minus six, Swansea minus seven, Sheffield United at minus six, Charlton minus six, West Brom minus three, QPR minus five randomly. Isn't it? I mean, it's someone up the top. Is it Millwall? They're quite high. They've got minus four. And they're what, fourth or something? yeah Yeah. So, like, in in ah in a league where Preston a third and Millwall a fourth, Norwich are going down this season under a problem manager, basically. And I think there's going to be massive... I think this might be one of the biggest turmoil in terms of looking at the league at Christmas versus looking at the league in May. I think there are...
00:48:18
Speaker
at least three of those playoff teams will be maybe even bottom half, definitely not playoffs because they aren't. that I think there's been so so many of the decent teams, your Leicesters, your Norridges, your Southamptons, and you know, West Brom, you know, so many of the like teams that have got really good squads um and and have been really, really wobbling. And that is why Coventry and Middlesbrough have benefited so much from the fact that they've been able to pull away is that all of their all the people who in theory should have been rivals to them yeah have have been changing manager and falling out and and having massive injuries and all the rest of it. So, no, I think it's i think that the the top 12 will end up looking a lot more like you think it's going to be. um
00:49:01
Speaker
but But anyway, we'll see whether that's right. So you carry on with your prediction for for Preston then. I was trying to put you off because I don't want to make it because it's going to be not as positive as yours. Well, we're winning 6-0. I'm going to try and make it positive. Okay. I was going to say one all, but then I thought, do you know what?
00:49:18
Speaker
We've missed such sort of late chances in a few games where, or we've let a goal in late. I feel like we'd be one all. And then in the 94th minute, we're going to score the winner.
00:49:30
Speaker
2-1. So basically what Forsen didn't manage to do. Yeah, we're going to actually do it this time because he's had you know he's worked with them now. You've got to take those chances. But that's better than a 4-0. They're going to take it. Last-minute winner is better than a 4-0. Well, yeah, i mean, I've done... Have you have you two done deep, Dale?
00:49:46
Speaker
Yeah. No. It's cold. It's really cold. Absolutely not. And it was was shit. Fucking far. Like you get to Manchester and you're still like, we're not even fucking nearly there. is so far. at least it's Saturday afternoon and not a Tuesday night. the last Saturday before Christmas. Yeah. People are giving up. that i i Honestly, props to those who are going. And I bet a lot more of the tickets went in the last couple of weeks compared to the the couple weeks previous. um And if I could, I'd be well up for it. Be well up for it. Josephine's working, unfortunately, so i can't. But I would be well up for going. um And I, yeah, I got a feeling they're going to be rewarded. I mean, I've got a hundred percent record the one time I went with 1-1-0. But it was, um it was really cold and it was really far. And yeah, it just felt like it took two days to go. But ah yeah, so you, I would take that two one limbs would be terrific. In a way, there's, you could argue that a two one limbs,
00:50:45
Speaker
victory is um almost adds as much momentum as a four nil or a two nil comfy because effectively if we put them out of if we if we kind of handle it handle our business after 65 70 minutes and we coast and they sort of go oh not today lads we're third anyway which sometimes do you do kind of get results like that you you get a blips no one wins every game um then you yeah know sometimes you get those last minute winners. That can give us some real momentum into a Christmas period where we've got the opportunity to move up two or three places in in probably a week. um you know we We just need to make sure that we keep pace. So as long as we match,
00:51:22
Speaker
what ah Oxford and Portsmouth do. So we've got Blackburn 22. So they're obviously a couple of couple of games away from us. and Portsmouth, just the one game away. Oxford, because of the goal difference, Oxford, just the one game away.
00:51:36
Speaker
So that's what one of the reasons I wanted to jump in with my 4-0 was because I feel like if we could if we could get one comfy victory, like a 3 or a 4, then all of a sudden the goal difference isn't an issue and a draw moves you up a position, if you see what mean, rather than, you know,
00:51:52
Speaker
we need I feel like we do need one thumper to kind of make it so that when we're level on points, we're the team that's about I really don't think we need to worry about goal difference though. But it it but at the moment, I'm i'm talking about the the progression because there's a...
Strategy to Rise from Relegation Zone
00:52:08
Speaker
Let's say we win against Preston on Saturday. Mentality is absolutely enormous. And I think mentality has been a huge, well, of course it's been a huge difference because we haven't got but got loads of different players to under Manning. So it it's got to be coaching, mentality, concentration.
00:52:22
Speaker
They are they are um getting instant feedback from what they are putting in, in that they're now getting results, but they haven't moved in the table. So we might as well have just lost all those games in terms of the fact that we are still where we are. Right. So what would be great is to actually now start to see us go to 22nd, go to 21st, go to 19th, because he can then go, look, the performances are there. The results are there. And we are now having this material effect and we start climbing, which is why if for example, we win 2-1,
00:52:49
Speaker
and But so do Oxford and so do Portsmouth and go, oh, right. OK, if we've still got exactly the same distance to climb that we had previously and we've you know we've we've gone to the well, we've gone to third in the league and we've managed to get a result. But so have Oxford and so have Pompey.
00:53:03
Speaker
um So, yeah, that that that's why that's why I feel like it could... we it could it I think the players want to see we you need to see some progress soon. I feel like we're more than capable of putting a run of wins together. More than capable. Far more than any of the other teams that are down there. And someone, it might have been my sister, someone was saying to me other day, like the difference is down the bottom, it's easier if you go on a run to get out of trouble because the other teams are not winning every game. yeah It's far harder to get into the promotion places and and the automatic places because those teams are winning every single game. So yeah ah if we put a run together, which we will, I'm certain we will, we will pull out of the relegation zone. No no question. i think I think we will be out of the relegation zone by two places at least by the time we play Walsall in the FA Cup. because and I think the way that the fixtures land plays into our favour. Preston's a tricky game because they're going to be full of confidence and it's a tough place to go. I love the fact we've got all week to deal with it. Absolutely love it. It's going to take a very different type of performance to beat a Preston team than it is to beat a Southampton United team. Are we going have more players back as well? Who's coming back
00:54:17
Speaker
There was talk of Gibbs being back, wasn't there? Gibbs, Mahovo, was it? different Yeah, no, I think Mahovo's there. Interchange the left backs, which is... Didn't they say Jack's not too far away as well? Stacey was... There was talk of... He's got loads of left backs and right backs all of a sudden. But but after after that game, the run the run that I'm really... yeah After our 4-0, or whatever happens this weekend... can The thing that I think really, really gets is that momentum is Charlton at home.
00:54:43
Speaker
ah Anything other than a 5-0 drubbing, you know anything other than a return to Manning Ball against Preston, it's going to be a fantastic atmosphere because we've won two on the bounce and we we it's back to being great going to Coward Road again and everyone's happy from Christmas and stuff. So you go, right, Boxing Day, we we sing loads of songs about O'Neill and we win 5-0.
00:55:04
Speaker
And he scores an own goal. And then we have Watford. So I think that Christmas doubleheader could be massive for us. Now that now we've got the feel-good factor. And to be honest, that 3-2 against Watford...
00:55:16
Speaker
You have two middling championship teams playing that game out 10 times. you get You get 50-50 in terms. it's like Sometimes you win 3-2, sometimes you lose. Both teams could have scored four goals. Both teams could have scored two goals. You see what I mean? like it was It was a championship ding-dong and they came out just on top. So I'm confident we can get something there. QPR, I'm confident. I um that ah i wasn't impressed with them. Stoke wasn't impressed with them. I'm to decent.
00:55:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. haven't been there a while. I normally hate hate going to QPR, but I'm so excited about what I'm seeing. that i like right Well, I don't think they're much caught, so I think we beat them. So I i think we get three wins from um Charlton, Watford, QPR and Stoke. I think we get three wins and maybe three wins in a draw. And like to to your point, 10 points in in a five-game, six-game period. We're well out of it at that point. We're well out of it. So I think come also so we will be. But look, we'll see.
00:56:09
Speaker
You know, it's cyclical. He can go up, he can go down. and any final Any final thoughts, Punt, particularly on on kind of Preston and um yeah what you want anything else you want to see from Clement as we continue this wonderful rise?
00:56:23
Speaker
um no I think I just want to see more of the same, you know, in terms of Preston. I want to see, because the the one thing that it's been built on is endeavour and spirit. Well, there are two things, endeavour and spirit.
00:56:37
Speaker
He's managed to inject that into the players really, really quickly. They're all fighting for each other. They all seem that they're unified as a group. But we just need to continue to harness that energy. And I think we're going to be just fine. I think, you know, look, Clement said it on Saturday. It's not linear progress. There's going to be a little bit of up and down with this. But, you know, as long as we're trending upwards, then that's the thing that matters.
00:57:01
Speaker
in terms of you getting carried away with yourself, Tom, because i think you kind of were a little bit, um but that's not like you, is it, at all? Yeah. The only thing I would say is it's Norwich at Christmas and historically we haven't been brilliant over the Christmas period. Oh, boo. Yeah, but we havent we haven't been living in peace as well. Yeah, and we've been rubbish for three months. So, you know, we're owed it this year. hopefully, yeah, we've we've, you know, I don't want to come across like the Grinch. I'm just saying it's Norwich at Christmas and, you know, and that's that's sometimes what happens. not going to let them sit and eat loads of turkey, is he? He's had them in every single day. They're probably, you won't let them out of their sights. I liked the little comment when he said, oh, yeah is he going to, I think it was about Mattson, is he going to be allowed on the Belgian beers? And he was like, no, not not for the players. They're just for the staff. They wouldn't dare. Nice.
00:57:49
Speaker
Claire, any last thoughts for people to feel excited and reassured that you were right all along? Only that I saw Philippe Clement first. Okay. No one loves him as much as you. Hands off. Hands off. He's, yeah.
00:58:05
Speaker
Yeah. I didn't didn't think that we'd end with a on a possessive note, but, you know, there you go. Yeah, was it Tom? You were like, i love him, I love him, I love him. I do love him, yeah. i was like Yeah, I saw him first. It's PC's world and we're just living in it.
00:58:20
Speaker
Okay. Right then. So it's not long until that yeah Christmas, thanks for the Grinch message pump, but it's not long until Christmas run of wins that we're going to have. and Let's see if we can do it on a very cold December Saturday at Deepdale.
00:58:34
Speaker
Mind how you go.