Long gone are the names of Bryan Hamilton, Bruce Rioch, Gary Megson, Alan Irvine, Martin O’Neill or indeed any manager of old that once swam around the financial roundabout of success that football management brings you. Those names are long gone and now get replaced by new traditional favourites, whilst in amongst the guessing game is truth.

Dean Smith the now ex Norwich City manager has left the club after what has been determined a poor season in the championship, they are currently fifth in the play offs. That will always leave the question as it bounced around Reading yesterday regards Russell Martin and (Matt Gill) becoming his predecessor. Martin is already being mentioned, and we do know today after much speculation a club will be approached for a managers services in the coming day or so. That doesn’t mean that the manager in question will actually be offered the job, it’s just that, an approach for his services.

Russell Martin looked tired and out of sorts yesterday post match at Reading, he gave the impression of a man who was slowly running out of ideas. Let down by his players in the main after yet another defeat. Both he and Matt Gill have played for Norwich City, Russell Martin in nearly three hundred games is fondly remembered, and it’s no surprise some see his name in the running for the new vacancy.

We all know Russell’s ethos of how to play football, and maybe with those players at Norwich he could get a tune out of them ? However, what he does know is that he wouldn’t get a lot of time to turn what Norwich perceive as an issue around. He wouldn’t get anywhere near the time that Swansea have given him, and will continue to give him as long as he wants to stay at Swansea. And that’s the key area, if he signals his intent to leave, then there will be little mercy shown towards him by the swans owners if his desire to leave fails.

He also knows there will be absolutely no loyalty towards him at Norwich if he goes on a run the same as he has experienced at Swansea over the last eight games. He will be long gone before game eight. We can’t see Russell Martin choosing to leave unless the game plan for January doesn’t come off, he needs the support now to bring in those players who can be a part of his long term vision. We have taken pain in recent times, we can take a bit more. One point from nine since the club returned to the seasons fixture list isn’t good, but then what is good when you translate that performance return when at a club like a Norwich City ? It’s unlikely any manager would get to see another three games with that return.

There will be speculation surrounding Russell Martin, especially as Norwich are by all accounts looking to approach a club for their managers services. But even now with a despondent Russell Martin at such a low ebb he surely won’t take the plunge, even if he has the choice ? For us Norwich City have already decided who their next manager will be, and it isn’t Russell Martin, he is too much of a gamble, and far too much of a risk. The canaries will look elsewhere to fill their vacancy, Martin is too much of a risk, and being risk averse is something that Norwich City as a club are all about.

But that won’t be forever, and he surely will be there one day ?

Photographs licensed from Reuters

johnjubal1958 added 14:05 - Dec 28 Hi there, I heard on the radio during the game with Reading that the Manager has been ill for a few days and it was his first time back since recovering!
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