Oh no, it wasn`t… oh yes, it was… the BBC soundbites that perhaps betray some transparent logic!
There was a little pantomime amid much melodrama yesterday as Paul Lambert left for Norwich City – especially in one particular difference of opinion between City`s new boss and the man who appointed him, chief executive, David McNally.
City`s conduct in officially luring Lambert yesterday morning to Norwich was essentially to make an illegal approach, confirmed by club Chairman Robbie Cowling who outlined that his U`s resignation and subsequent move was in a breech of his contract and Football League rules.
McNally looked foolish from a Colchester United perspective since it seems obvious that he and his fellow directors were seduced into selecting Lambert because of the barnstorming 7-1 victory his now ex-team inflicted upon City only a week-and-a-half ago.
McNally denied it, despite admitting that the board cleared his arrival while not giving the Scot a formal interview and only employing him on a short-term rolling contract.
How`s that for a vote of confidence in the new man`s ability? But this is the grating question; would any of it happened if Colchester had not inflicted that marvellous match-slaying while August and the season were both still so young?
Read the quotes below, U`s fans. Weep? No – laugh at the ease witch which City were charmed into appointing Lambert, before observing the great lengths McNally went in trying to apply a professional-looking cover up.
The references are taken from the BBC.
Put them side-by-side and it could almost make pure pantomime!
McNally, Radio Norfolk:- “In isolation, the 7-1 game isn`t really connected what we`ve done [in getting Lambert]. It was a bad day at the office for us, not a freak result. It was a very poor performance and one that we all struggle to get over.
In isolation, it was one game. We`ve taken the decision to change the manager based on seven months, not one game and the board unanimously agreed the criteria that we needed and are delighted to say that Paul fits the bill.”
Lambert, Look East:- “If Norwich hadn`t come out of the blocks flying and beaten Colchester then I wouldn`t be standing here.
I could never have imagined I`d be here. If I knew that, I`d probably do the lottery every week!“
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Here’s another quote from Lambert, where it seems he had forgotten what he was doing yesterday: “I don?t have any grievance about what happened on the first day of the season, my main job is to get Colchester to win.? – BBC Look East. Someone should tell him he’s changed teams…!
If Gunn’s sacking was based on 7 months performance then why keep him over the summer and allow him to bring in players and spend cash???!!!!
Exactly – and Gunn was given the job in full-time in May, right? Not seven months ago (although he did have plenty of time as caretaker from January this year to turn it around!) Lambert wasn’t at all professional in the way he went about leaving, although it’s ture he has gone now, so maybe there’s no need to worry. Any manager who spends a whole summer building a team and then goes the moment someone shows and interest, well…! I know he’s supposed to have turned down the Watford and Hibs jobs since he joined us, but it seems clear from all the statements and everything that the Norwich interest had only come about the weekend before Lambert left. Part of me still can’t believe it all!
Lambert is clearly McNally’s man, and McNally (who arrived after Gunn was appointed) clearly didn’t want Gunn in the job. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. It wasn’t based on one game, there is no conspiracy, McNally just decided who he wanted and he went and got him.
That makes sense, Guru! But still, if the Norwich directors had seen a load of those narrow 1-0 defeats at the end of last season, maybe they wouldn’t have been so quick to appoint him. City still should not have gone about it all that way and probably the U’s will not be better-off without him, this season. I am intridged to know if he will bring any players in at all, or just to see if he has faith in his own motivational abilities with only about a week to go until the window shuts.
They should never have given Gunn the job in the first place, but that happened before McNally’s watch. I think it’s a farce quite frankly, but whaddya gonna do?
What was Gunn’s role before that? Had he much experience? Paul Lambert isn’t yet amazing but has shown signs of his potential as a manageral mastermind, in my view. He doesn’t really deserve the chance with City yet and he should know that if he fails Norwich will not stand by him in the way that the U’s mind have done. He obviously has enough faith in his own ability not to need that security and that kind of manager has proven sucessful in the past at the really huge clubs. I think what Colchester United are going to do now is wait for the compensation fee to come in!