What a way to send a message

In response to the compensation agreement City announce that Manager Paul Lambert, Head of Football Operations Gary Karsa, and Assistant Manager Ian Culverhouse have all signed new and improved deals. There is even a new deal for apparently sought after Chief Executive David McNally. The article on the clubs homepage isn’t heavy on specifics but its most definitely reassuring. The key off the field figureheads are happy to commit to the cause after a ruthlessly successful first term. Music to the ears of canary fans everywhere.

But we can’t be too optimistic can we? Surely after those contracts and the compensation, (which must come in over what city had budgeted for) Norwich, and more specifically Paul Lambert may have to tighten the purse strings. Wrong.

If you are to believe two fairly reputable sources, sky have us tying up a deal for Cardiff midfielder Solomon Taiwoo in the next couple of days. Whilst STV in Scotland have new chief scout Ewan Chester already earning his keep with city entering talks with recently released Rangers left-back Stephen Smith. Now I know very little about either player but I’d bet a wedge on them being described as hungry and hardworking. I’m happy to wait though, I don’t want Lambert spending all of his “competitive for this level” budget too soon. We don’t know what the summer might bring. That could still realistically be four signings already; this could be the start of something big.

More tomorrow if we get anything more concrete on Taiwoo and Smith. OTBC

425k well spent, goodbye Mr Cowling

Finally the last lingering issue of a wholly satisfying season is put to bed. David McNally and Norwich City’s eagerness to appoint Paul Lambert as Bryan Gunn’s successor last August, without even interviewing him has been deemed a violation of the now dreaded Regulation 20. Regulation 20 forbids clubs from inducing another club’s employees to break their contracts of employment, and Norwich City admitted their violation.

How much ‘tapping-up’ actually took place appears to remain a secret, the improper conduct of Colchester chairman Robbie Cowling is still pretty substantial. It seems obvious now that the delay and stalling of any compensation agreement had an ulterior motive. Any compensation figure decided impartially would increase the longer the season went on, and the closer Lambert edged towards a remarkable achievement. Winning the league with a team he battered in their own backyard on the opening day. His constant push for a points deduction, which hasn’t ended even now, is misguided. I can’t imagine for a moment that he really thought the settlement would be in favour of a points deduction, especially after his stalling and goalpost moving which is detailed on city’s homepage today. It still riles me that in the lead up to our revenge on Colchester in January he claimed he would rather have empty seats than extra Norwich fans watching the game. This type of language to me incites a bad atmosphere. There was plenty of evidence online of city fans who wanted to take those seats just to go against Cowling’s wishes, potentially creating an unstable spectator environment. I don’t think he’s very professional, and even though city’s powers that be are in the wrong and have admitted breaking the rules. I think they’ve come out of this with more credit than Mr Cowling. Still, with this we can draw a line under things; if you still haven’t formed an opinion of Colchester’s lord and master have a look at the picture below. Robbie Cowling, in a suit, outside.

What a tit.