Criticism makes Roeder chippy not chirpy

AFTER Ipswich Town's travails over the David Norris saga this week, it is Canaries' boss Glenn Roeder who is not so chirpy today.

The Norwich manager was barracked by a section of the club's shareholders at its annual general meeting before later apologising after reacting angrily to tough questioning over his managerial tenure at Carrow Road.

He told them: “Let's stop living in the past.”

Roeder felt forced to launch a vigorous defence of his City record during last night's meeting.

He said: “The squad I inherited, in my opinion, was probably the worst squad I've ever worked with,” he said. “That is why so many players had to leave in the summer. We didn't change a team, we had to change a squad - 17 players. Most managers have to deal with a turnover of three to four players but it was a total rebuilding situation.

“The fact of the matter is, apart from inheriting a poor playing staff we also had a poor recruitment record. It wasn't just a case of going to a filing cabinet and looking at these wonderful young talented players we knew about. We didn't have that facility which is why we have had to build the scouting side up and Bryan Gunn is doing a tremendous job and working as hard as he can to try and target and locate players.”

A bullish Roeder also went on the offensive over his liberal use of the loan system, saying: “What you and I want ultimately is a squad of players that is all ours, with the exception of one or two players. I accept one or two haven't come up to the mark but signing players at this level is not an exact science.

“The majority of players who left went on free transfer so we got no revenue back in. It's very difficult to sign quality players on contracts.

“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to have a squad totally of our own players but where we are right now that is not possible. Everyone knows that if they are honest with themselves. I'm not going to try and con you say all the loan players and signed players have been a great success.

“But what I don't accept, and I don't care if you all in here disagree with me, is that those loan players do not love playing for this football club.”

Roeder again insisted he was right to offload City talisman Darren Huckerby in the close season.

“It was not an easy decision for me to make,” he said. “But it was my decision and my decision only. Darren had an excellent career at Norwich but he was not always fantastic - he was part of things that were not so fantastic here like a team that was relegated.

“Football is about opinions. You will never please everyone all the time. We have to move on.”

During the meeting majority shareholder Delia Smith said he has received written confirmation that Peter Cullum, the man who had shown interest in taking over the club, had withdrawn his interest.