P.J. Davitt's Blog, page 10

City announce furlough plan

Norwich City have confirmed they will begin the process of furloughing members of non-playing staff in response to the on going coronavirus shutdown of professional football.

City released a statement on Tuesday evening outlining their plan, in line with the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, to ‘safeguard future jobs and help sustain the club’ through the current period.

The Canaries have made it clear they will top up the money payable by the government scheme to ensure any furloughed member of staff will receive their salary in full.

The statement, released on their official site, read: “Owing to the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic, Norwich City football club will begin the process of furloughing members of its staff who are unable to work at this time.

“Under the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, the furloughing of staff will safeguard future jobs and help sustain the club throughout this period.

“The coronavirus job retention scheme will mean that 80% of the salaries of furloughed staff, up to £2,500 per month per individual, will be paid by the government. The club will top up the money received from the scheme to ensure that all furloughed staff receive their usual salary in full.

“Where necessary, part time and casual staff will also be furloughed.

“As part of the scheme, furloughed staff will not be permitted to carry out work for the club.

“The club will continue to monitor and review the situation as it develops.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Sheffield Wednesday announced a ‘significant number’ of employees will be furloughed from next month, although the Owls like Norwich also pledged all those employees will continue to receive their full salary, over and above the 80% covered by the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme.

Tottenham announced on Tuesday 550 non-playing staff would take a 20% pay cut, initially for April and May, while also signalling they intend to use the furlough scheme to ‘protect jobs’.

Newcastle United previously announced on Monday their non playing staff would be placed on temporary leave.

The coaching staff and players of Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds United agreed to a wage deferral last week, in order to protect non-football jobs at the Yorkshire club.

It is believed Norwich City and the rest of the Premier League clubs will discuss the matter of player wage deferrals as part of on going discussions on how to respond to the global pandemic – and the financial impact on the game – at a video conference meeting scheduled for Friday.

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City new boy reveals he has work to do to impress Farke

Norwich City’s deadline day signing Sam McCallum returned to Coventry City with homework from Daniel Farke.

The 19-year-old left-back sealed a Carrow Road move on Friday, after agreeing a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

McCallum was touted with the likes of Liverpool following a breakthrough season at the Sky Blues, who he swiftly re-joined for the League One promotion push under Mark Robins.

The defender admits he has a lot of hard work ahead, and aims to take Farke’s advice to heart over these coming months.

“The boss has said there are things to work on and I’m still not the finished article,” he said. “I won’t be for a long time, but I need to keep doing what I’m doing because that’s what he likes and what the club likes.

“I’ve watched Max (Aarons), Jamal (Lewis) and Sam (Byram) when they’ve been on television and in a few other games. I feel like I can do the job that they do at the moment.”

McCallum was featuring for Herne Bay in non league and got his big break as part of the Jamie Vardy academy, which gives young players a shot at the professional ranks.

“I got picked up from there in showcase games. Coventry came to see me and liked how I played,” he said, speaking to the Canaries’ official site. “It was a massive step up. Coventry had just been promoted from League Two to League One. Even League Two would have been a big step for me, coming from the eighth tier. That was a massive step for me.

“It’s a bit more common nowadays to see non-league players in the Football League. We saw Jamie Vardy come through and I’d like to aspire to be like him, as well as the others who have come through non-league.”

McCallum’s arrival followed on from Melvin Sitti’s move from France earlier in the week, before another swift loan exit to previous club Sochaux. When they both return in the summer they will have to convince Farke they are ready for whatever challenge lies ahead.

“We’ll open the door and give them all the tools and then it’s up to them how far they can come,” he said. “There was lots of interest in Sam and Melvin but they were willing to sign for us and believe in our way.”

“We have spoken a lot about our whole strategy. In the short term focusing on the success of the team we brought in Lukas and Ondrej. The other topic is to work on the future of our club. You are always searching for some good options, that is our way to develop young players.

“Sam is fantastic. He has done a really good job at Coventry.

“He is young, a left full back, which is not easy to find. A great character and a homegrown player. I am not so tempted to speak about his strengths or perhaps about the topics he has to improve. It is now upto him.”

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‘We agreed with Norwich in three minutes’ – How City won the race for Duda

Norwich City pulled out all the stops to entice Ondrej Duda to England – according to the father of the prospective Canaries’ loan signing.

Duda will formally seal a short term deal to join City’s Premier League survival fight in the coming days, and could make his debut at home to Bournemouth.

Ondrej senior has told Slovakian media Premier League rivals Aston Villa, West Ham and Crystal Palace all made overtures, along with late interest from Real Betis and several clubs in Germany.

The 25-year-old had fallen out of favour at Hertha Berlin since the recent arrival of Jurgen Klinsmann, but notched 11 goals and provided six assists in the Bundesliga last season.

“We agreed with Norwich in three minutes,” Ondrej senior is quoted on sport.sk. “Negotiations between the clubs were a bit more complicated because Hertha’s entire management was on tour in the US. In winter there is not much time to change the jersey. Norwich had to meet all the requirements, not just of the player, but also Hertha.

“In such a short transfer window, only the English teams are currently able to meet the financial requirements without any problems.

“There were several German teams in the game. They know him well. Hertha, however, would not allow him to go to a direct competitor. Only England could be considered.”

Duda’s idol was former Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard, and the chance to play in the Premier League is a huge draw. City head coach Daniel Farke also played a key role.

“It is very important for us to play in the leading competition. Norwich was the hottest candidate,” said Ondrej senior. “Other interested parties wanted to attach conditions. Norwich was the most specific and direct.

“Ondrej’s salary was taken, and the coach also played an indisputable role. Daniel Farke knows Ondrej and wanted him for the team.

“He will certainly be given space. It was the most serious offer. Ondrej looks forward to a new challenge. He is very happy that he will play in the best league in the world after the Bundesliga.”

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‘Maybe I send Teemu out on loan’ – Farke’s classic banter on Idah heroics

Daniel Farke admitted the chances of Adam Idah being allowed to leave Norwich City on loan took a major hit, following his starring hat-trick role in a 4-2 FA Cup third round win at Preston.

The 18-year-old grabbed his chance in stunning fashion with injuries to Teemu Pukki, Dennis Srbeny and Josip Drmic handing him an unlikely cup start.

But Idah struck inside three minutes then rifled home a 35-yard lob, before a coolly taken penalty after the interval in a huge statement of intent from the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international.

City’s original plan was for Idah to gain some loan experience lower down the Football League tree this month, but Farke joked he might need to come up with a different plan.

“Maybe I send Teemu Pukki out on loan,” he said. “There is no need for an emergency situation. We are in the driving seat. If he is scoring goals for us we won’t be loaning out our best players. He has a long term contract so there is no urgency on our part.

“It will be a bit difficult to keep him a secret now. That is for sure. He deserves to be in the spotlight a bit.

“We back young players as a club but there are no gifts. They only come to the pitch when they are ready.

“Okay, we had a few injuries but Adam is prepared to deliver and he grabbed his chance with both hands. Not just his goals, but how he kept the ball and linked the play and worked for the team.”

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VAR-megeddon: ‘When it is drawn with a nice pen Teemu is offside’

Daniel Farke praised Norwich City’s players and fans for keeping their cool after another VAR call went against the Canaries in a 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham.

Teemu Pukki’s first half finish from Mario Vrancic’s pass was chalked off by the VAR officials, with the Finn adjudged to be offside.







Home fans made their feelings towards the match officials clear in the aftermath following the latest VAR episode at Carrow Road.

But City survived a Tottenham second half surge to earn a battling point.

“It is tough for the lads to accept. To be 2-0 up half-time is a big step,” he said. “I was proud with the whole stadium. We were excited, celebrating, Teemu is relieved after not scoring for two games and the whole place is buzzing.

“Then we get a sucker punch for the players and the fans but we reacted in a perfect way. Our supporters tried to back us even though we were all annoyed.

“It seems each and every week I am asked about VAR decisions. I will give you a general thought, VAR should help make the game fairer. Against Aston Villa we had a decision when we conceded out of a clear and obvious mistake from a referee, who gave a throw in the wrong way and without touching the ball from that throw in 10 seconds we concede a goal.

“But there was no over-rule allowed. I was told in 10 seconds you could have defended this goal. It was a clear and obvious mistake and in that instance it would make the outcome of the Villa game more fair.

“Watch this latest scene back without a line on the pitch and ask 100 people. They would say no offside. My player starts one yard behind the Tottenham player. I am not going to judge anything but the VAR official here was the referee at Aston Villa. You can judge that.

“My gut feeling is that when you look at the technology you see a line where Teemu is an inch offside. I would like to know if the line is drawn at exactly the moment Mario Vrancic plays the ball. When it is drawn with a nice pen Teemu is offside.

“I thought we wanted to support the attacking players and if there was any doubt it should go to the offensive players.

“It is wasted energy. I can’t influence it but it feels like no VAR decision goes our way.”

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Tim Krul delivers brutal home truths after Villa defeat

Tim Krul is urging Norwich City fans to stick with the Canaries, after sinking to the bottom of the Premier League following a 1-0 Boxing Day defeat at Aston Villa.

Conor Hourihane punished another toothless offering from Daniel Farke’s side at Villa Park to leave them 20th – a distant seven points from safety.

“I know that is hard but the fans have to stick with us,” said the Dutch keeper. “I understand why everybody’s frustrated because we’ve got 12 points and that’s the hard facts.

“I have been through bad spells at other clubs but we were playing really badly.

“I’ve never been at a club that played so well and not picked up points, I just don’t get it.

“I go home and ask myself the same questions. What can we change? They were ruthless and we were not. But you couldn’t say Villa played great.

“The only way we’re going to change this around is just work our socks off and believe in each other, because if we start pointing fingers then that will end in bigger trouble.”

Krul admits the Canaries’ face a mammoth task to pull off an unlikely relegation escape. City return to action swiftly on Saturday at home to Tottenham.

“It seems like the last six, seven games, we’ve been saying the same thing.

“And it’s not what people want to hear,” he said. “But you have to be objective and see the facts, we’re playing some great football, we are creating chances. But whatever it is, luck, a bit of quality, in the end we’re lacking at the moment.

“We created enough to walk away with three points. They make a clearance off the line from Alex (Tettey), I just don’t understand how he does that.

“Goals change games and their goal maybe takes a little flick off Zimbo (Christoph Zimmermann). It’s just frustrating.

“I think we should have at least 20 points, in my opinion by this stage of the season for how well we have played.

“We have to look at ourselves because we are the only ones who can change this around in 2020.

“Obviously we’ve got a game in 40-odd hours. We need to be up and ready for that. We can’t sulk, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves that the luck is not on our side, or coming out with all that. The only way we’re going to turn it around is by ourselves.

“We can’t keep hoping for other teams to drop points.

“And that’s the only way we’re going to get out of it.”

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EXCLUSIVE: James Maddison on Hillsborough tears and the debt he owes the Canaries

Without James Maddison there would be no Norwich City in the Premier League.

A club record sale of the England midfielder to Leicester City in 2018 averted what sporting director Stuart Webber has since labelled a financial ‘disaster’.

But what unfolded on his farewell Norwich performance at Sheffield Wednesday could have had far-reaching ramifications.

Maddison left Hillsborough on crutches after feeling his knee buckle in the first half of a final day 5-1 thumping. That stabbing pain may well have reached Webber, as he contemplated a long lay-off for the club’s most saleable asset.

Had Maddison not departed, others would have had to leave that summer, undermining any serious tilt at the Championship title-winning success engineered by Daniel Farke.

“It was the darkest place I have been in football. I was in tears in the changing room while the game was still going on,” said Maddison, speaking publicly about that pivotal event for the first time.

“If you knew how I felt on that last day. As soon as I stood up I knew something wasn’t right. My knee was almost wobbly and I was putting it on the floor but not really feeling any weight through it.

“You think the worst straight away, that I’ve done my cruciate or whatever. I tried to continue, had a little jog, couldn’t do it so had to go off and the knee swelled up almost straight away.

“That’s why I was so grateful to Leicester, the owners, Claude Puel the manager at the time, because they bought an injured player really. It was a risk.

“I was doing my rehab, the knee was getting better and it was fine, but it is still a risk to buy a player who was not fully fit or cannot train fully. They paid £20m or whatever it was and it’s why I will always be grateful to Leicester.

“Now I’m an England international, something I dreamed about as a boy. I’m still just a young lad from Coventry who wanted to play football.

“I believe I belong in the Premier League and now I’m playing for a side second in the table. It’s fairytale stuff really.”

Maddison may have firmly shaped his own destiny but he can never re-pay the debt he owes to Farke or Webber, who inherited a talented yet unproven youngster.

“He didn’t have to play me. I remember he threw me in at Fulham on the opening day of his first season and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

“That’s why we have such a good relationship,” said Maddison. “I remember when I left Norwich and just before the deal got announced I spoke to Daniel and Stuart on the phone and the feeling I got from them was they were so happy for me.

“You don’t get that with every move. When I left Coventry for Norwich that transition was a lot different, it was deadline day with people questioning things and fans getting on my back.

“Daniel and Stuart knew I’d had a good season and they had been pivotal in that. Stuart gave me a contract extension in the summer before. He didn’t have to do that. I’d played about 20 minutes of Championship football.

“He showed faith in me and then in pre-season I remember Daniel pulling me in for one-on-one meetings and saying I can see it but you need to do this or that a lot more.

“He was on my case a little bit and at times in that pre-season I thought he was on me more than others and I was thinking why is he on my case, but looking back now it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I became a mainstay in the team and felt like an integral part of it.

“I scored 15 goals and that one season got me to the Premier League.

“So I’ll be forever grateful for the trust to play me.

“By the end he would ask my opinion on things, we had that type of relationship, and it’s not as common as you think in football.”

Maddison is not the only Farke graduate to make it to the top table. Angus Gunn got his move to Southampton but the duo’s recent Premier League meeting brought contrasting emotions.

Gunn shipped nine goals, including a free kick rifled home by his ex-City team mate, in a league record-equalling loss.

“No we didn’t use to face each other at Colney. Gunny always went in after training and left it to the young keepers on the free kick practice,” joked Maddison. “Normally we’d shake hands or have a word in the dressing room but he was obviously not going to be in a good mood after that one.

“So I left it and then texted him.

“We were 5-0 up at half-time, I think, and it was just one of those games when everything went in. I couldn’t believe it. The messages from the manager to the players at the break was this is 0-0.

“As silly as that sounds, almost like you might hear in Sunday league.

“That was the attitude we had and we went out and we played it quickly, there was no foot off the gas, no feeling sorry for Southampton. Topped off with a free kick, which is always nice.”

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Paddy’s Pointers: Five observations from City 2-2 Arsenal

1. Progress

After that vital win at Everton, and against a backdrop of Arsenal dismissing Unai Emery and installing the popular Freddie Ljungberg on a caretaker basis, this was a test of whether Norwich’s Merseyside mission was blessed relief or the start of a genuinely encouraging phase of the Premier League journey.

It was most definitely the latter.

City led twice, were pegged back twice, had to endure more unwanted attention from the officials at Stockley Park in another VAR episode, yet finished the stronger.

Bernd Leno foiled Kenny McLean and Max Aarons before Todd Cantwell guided a first time effort agonisingly wide.

Arsenal were heavily reliant on the world class goalscoring instincts of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the other end, but there was not question who will take more from this stalemate.

Norwich’s fan base warmly applauded Daniel Farke’s men back down the tunnel.

After those chastening episodes against the likes of Aston Villa and Manchester United this was another step in the right direction.

2. Another quiet shift at Stockley Park

Time to pull the power out of the cameras, audio and technology linking Carrow Road to VAR headquarters. After two VAR-awarded penalties in the home defeat to Manchester United – both admittedly saved by Tim Krul that day – those in attendance were back staring at the huge screen and referee Mr Tierney.

United’s first penalty that day was subsequently shown by Mike Riley to be the incorrect call.

There won’t be the same levels of controversy around Aubameyang’s re-taken spot kick in the first half but it was another episode that did nothing for VAR’s dwindling support base.

After Christoph Zimmermann was penalised for handball, Krul flung himself to his right to keep out Aubameyang’s first effort. But home euphoria swiftly evaporated when it became clear there was a check for encroachment.

Aarons was penalised but there was at least another two yellow shirts and one Arsenal shirt in the box as the striker shaped to shoot. There was later a suggestion Aarons was penalised because it was he who cleared Krul’s parry. Had it not been Aarons, the save would have stood. Aubameyang made no mistake second time around, despite Krul’s delaying tactics.

It would be interesting to see whether the same sequence had unfolded if Arsenal had scored first time around. We await the same level of consistency in VAR’s application from here. A decision or two in City’s favour wouldn’t go amiss, either.

3. Never in doubt

It really was only a matter of time before Teemu Pukki returned to the scoresheet for his club.

A first goal in eight (for City) had a slice of good fortune attached in the manner his low effort struck Shkodran Mustafi to wrong foot Leno.

But Pukki’s movement in the build up was top class. First a diagonal run to the right then a switch into the opposite channel to make the angle for McLean to slip the Finn in.

A focus on Pukki’s ‘drought’ was inevitable during a prolonged downturn after that epic win over Manchester City secured by his sixth top flight strike. That was all part of a rocket-fuelled start to his Premier League adventure that earned him the player-of-the-month.

But the reality was during a fallow period for the Canaries Pukki was increasingly an isolated figure, lacking in genuine support or a supply line of chances. That has started to shift in the past two games with the re-deployment of McLean in particular. So much of what Norwich can go on to achieve this season will hinge on Pukki and the template Farke can wrap around him.

4. Quality counts

Cantwell’s fourth Premier League goal in 14 appearances at the highest level is productivity far beyond what any could have reasonably expected from the Dereham youth before a ball was kicked at Anfield on the opening night.

Farke opted to dip him out after a lull, following his impressive early season displays, but he has come back with a bang in the last two games.

A composed finish set Norwich on their way at Everton and there was another in front of those fans who declared he was ‘one of their own’ in the aftermath in front of the Barclay.

Collecting Onel Hernandez’s cutback after finding a pocket of space just inside the Arsenal penalty area he whipped a curling shot around a Gunner’s defender and past the partially unsighted Leno.

It was the act of a footballer so comfortable at the top table.

You might have got generous odds in pre-season that come the end of the season Cantwell would be the brightest shimmering star among the Canaries’ cast of young talent. But he is certainly blazing a trail to this point.

5. Now we know

This was a first real chance to assess Ibrahim Amadou in the defensive midfield role he was essentially recruited to fill before a debilitating central defensive glut of injuries forced him into makeshift action alongside Ben Godfrey.

With Alex Tettey unavailable for personal reasons this was his moment.

Farke labelled him the most like-for-like replacement at his disposal on Friday, and 90 minutes later you could see where the City head coach was coming from.

There was any number of athletic interventions to mop up the ensuring danger. Capped by a fantastic, arguably match-saving full length block to foil Lucas Torreira deep in stoppage time.

In the interests of balance there might also have been one or two moments of alarm in possession. One diagonal ball back to Krul required the Dutchman to make a diving tackle to halt an Arsenal attacker.

But overall, Amadou looks like a more than useful addition to a midfield mix which has plenty of technical ability but perhaps not as much grunt.

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Webber on City’s transfer fighting fund

Stuart Webber pledged funds are available for Norwich City in the January transfer window – but he is not about to give rivals the inside track by putting a figure on the Canaries’ fighting fund.

Webber was inevitably asked about City’s approach in the upcoming market to the task of Premier League survival on Thursday night, at the club’s annual meeting.

The sporting director, along with head coach Daniel Farke, have engineered a major turnaround on and off the pitch – and there will be no risky outlays.

“There are funds available for January,” he said. “But we make no apologies for saying any money we do spend, we spend wisely. We are not going to sign players for a popularity contest. They have to be genuinely capable of improving this team now and the club in the future.

“What we have to avoid doing is trying so hard to stay in this league that we chase it again and put ourselves in danger.

“I can talk from personal experience of that over the past two years.

“Is money available? Yes, I would be daft to say otherwise. Our job is to give Daniel the best chance to put a winning team on the pitch.

“If we have learned anything it is in this league money helps but you can spend £200m and go backwards quickly in the Premier League. I am not going to put a figure on it because it will be reported and then held against us in negotiations.”

The club’s top brass formally presented the 2018/19 accounts on Thursday evening. The bottom line figure of a loss of £33m, for the year to June 30, came with healthy forecasts for 2019/20 swelled by Premier League income to a projected £16m profit.

City’s commercial income rose to almost £8.5m in the last set of accounts, with a forecast of £15.9m in 2019/20. That is part of a total income forecast to rise sharply from £36.5m to £126m.

Webber admits it is a relief not to have to approach the transfer window needing to offload players out of financial necessity.

“Our plan is not to sell anyone.

“No conversations about selling players have taken place,” he said. “You have to respect every offer that might come in but for the first time in our tenure myself and Daniel are working without a gun to our heads.

“But every player in the world has a price, whether it is Liverpool, Real Madrid, Norwich or Accrington.”

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Zimbo savours Canaries’ return in Everton triumph

Christoph Zimmermann admitted his Norwich City team mates helped him through a landmark return from injury weeks ahead of schedule in the 2-0 victory at Everton.

Zimmermann renewed his Championship title winning double act alongside Ben Godfrey at the heart of a backline that secured a first away success of the season and only a second clean sheet.

Daniel Farke hailed his compatriot as an ‘unbelievable hero’ but the modest Zimmermann preferred to praise his pals.

“I felt a bit rusty to be fair in the first couple of minutes. I needed some time to get into the game to be fair,” he said, speaking to the club’s official site.

“But I think that’s normal. My last 90 minutes was Villa away last season which was six months ago. I didn’t expect any miracles and I knew I wouldn’t feel fresh and sharp from the beginning.

“I was happy that the lads have been brilliant and supportive of me. They didn’t give me and hard or difficult situations to handle.

“Therefore, I could ease myself into it and after 20 minutes, I felt really good and comfortable being alongside the guys I won promotion with.”

City’s first win in eight was a perfect response to those preparing the Canaries’ Premier League obituary.

“We have lost six of our last seven, but I’d have never said it was because we didn’t want it or we didn’t leave our hearts on the pitch,” he said.

“There were various other reasons that we’ve been trying to analyse over the international break but the mentality and the work ethic we put into it has never been in doubt.

“We’ve just shown that reaction. I was pleased the result matched our performance. We had the better chances in the first-half but to be fair, Everton were also dangerous. We were happy that we kept a clean sheet through that and we were then able to build on that in the second-half.

“We improved a bit more. There were a few instances early in the second-half when we had to dig deep, block shots and throw our bodies on the line.

“We scored the first goal at a good time and the second goal at an even better time.”

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