BLUES coach Steve Foley has pointed his finger at his former Norwich City employees as the reason for the Canaries current predicament.

By Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

BLUES coach Steve Foley has pointed his finger at his former Norwich City employees as the reason for the Canaries current predicament.

Foley has questioned some of the decision made by the board over recent years and has also questioned the City players' attitude.

Now Ipswich Town's technical skills coach, Foley spent 10 years at Carrow Road between 1996 and 2006 before being ruthlessly shown the door and has inside knowledge of how the club works and believes they should have shown more patience.

Foley said: “The board chose Peter (Grant), who they thought was the right man, and it didn't work. Now they have Glenn (Roeder), who they feel is the right man, so only time will tell.

“There will be sticky times and it is then that people look to the board of directors to stick by them.

“We had a sticky time at Norwich and got through that, then went on and got promotion.

“I know it is hard being the chairman, because they get stick from the fans and panic, but that is football.

“I feel they should be more patient with managers. You look at Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson. They had a bit of luck and the board stuck by them, especially Alex, and look what they have gone on to achieve.

“Football is fickle and you never know what is around the corner, so you just get on with it.

“I had 10 years at Norwich and what happened to me there sticks in the throat a bit, so I want us to go there and do well but ultimately it is about the three points.”

Foley knows Roeder's arrival will boost the players but feels they could have done more to help Grant.

He said: “Getting a new manager in will give them a spark. The sad thing is we will see on Sunday that the players will give the extra 10-15 per cent that the old manager was looking for. That is the strange thing about football.

“Peter got his own people in so he had time and each manager has his own way of man management and it just didn't happen for him with that group of players.

“Peter is a great fella but it didn't work out for him. But I think we will find the stats on Sunday will be different from what they have been recently.

“Ultimately it is down to the players to perform. The manager is the conductor of the orchestra and we are only part of the giant jigsaw. If part of that is not right, it looks a rubbish jigsaw.

“It is then easier to get rid of the manager because the players are on such big contracts so the short-term fix is getting rid of the manager.

“We spent five years at Norwich getting success, it was not an overnight thing. We steadied the ship, got into the play-offs and then later we got promoted, so I have been there and done it and know what is required.”

During a 6-0 beating by Fulham in the Premiership, Foley fell ill with a chest infection that developed into pleurisy, so has empathy with new City boss Roeder, who was forced to leave West Ham after an aneurysm and knows the former Newcastle boss after studying for the UEFA A licence at the same time.

Foley said: “I have been where he has in terms of a bad illness and looked at the other side of life and you realise football is a great world.

“I'm not surprised he came back in because, if you are a football man, then you go on for as long as you can. Glenn had a serious illness and it is great he is back. I know, when I was ill, that you wonder what life is about but that football drug takes over and you get back in.

“I know Glenn a little after being on the same FA course and he comes across as a decent fella.

“Norwich have got in an experienced manager now after Peter, for whom it was his first job.

“Time will tell if he is the right man for Norwich. I thought Peter was but it didn't work out.

“Glenn did a fair job at Newcastle and it was a bit sticky at West Ham, so we will see.”

While Foley appreciates what an East Anglian derby means to the respective fans, he insists the players will be focusing only on getting the win.

He said: “We just go out to win every game as it is. We all know that, in a local derby, form goes out of the window. It is one for the fans for bragging rights.

“It all depends on which way you look at the takeover whether you think it is good or bad. For some people, it may mean they will be safe, others will worry they are going to be chucked out.

“It is an old cliche but you just take each day as it comes. I have been in football 40 years so nothing ever really surprises me.

“The only surprising thing is that people are surprised.”