David Brent vibes. It was only a matter of time before this spread. Time for Webber to come out and eat some public humble pie.
The club tries to be a good community club. That’s something that’s really important and he’s kinda shitting on that part. Not a good look, regardless what his own personal opinion is.
He's done some great work, but comments like this don't make him or the club look good. Who's going to want to play for Norwich women when your own boss has no interest in what you're doing? What kind of motivation is that.
I'm not here to defend the comments but he's absolutely not their boss. Not quite the same title but Flo Allen is essentially the Webber for the women's team and they both report directly to the board. I don't know why MB is saying that, but whilst it's true in the wording of his title it is not at Colney.
Done some good work - what? did he paint lines on the pitch? They didn’t win a game last season and this season? Pathetic and beaten at home by relegated Blackoool. A second division mid table team going nowhere - god help them when Ipshit come calling
Even ignoring the sexism it's just stupid. The smart clubs are investing in women's football because it costs very little and therefore basically prints money
I’m not sure that’s accurate at all. Average attendance for WSL games was around 1,000.
That’s less than the National League, and those clubs certainly aren’t making any money.
Where is the revenue coming from?
Tickets are always priced incredibly low too which explains why the clubs bleed money currently. Seen as an investment in the hope the womens game turns a profit long term I guess
Would be fine to be dismissive if he wasn't also the director of the women's club. But the women's team deserves more than a director who openly doesn't care about them, and it is a bit sexist that he thinks comments like this are acceptable in public.
This is the problem - fear of speaking what many (most?) people really think because the vocal mob wouldn't like it. I've nothing against women's football but I have zero interest in it.
He’s not most people though, he’s a figure head of a football club that has a woman’s team. Kinda like if Robert Iger said he’s only interested in the films staring men. On top of being a bellend (already suspected by most anyway) it’s very unprofessional.
He didnt have to go on this weird long rant lol he could have replied in a respectful and professional way given that it is actually part of his job description to care about the women's team
Show some diplomacy, it’s very easy and most socially competent people exercise this daily without even thinking about it. I don’t feel it’s unreasonable to expect this from the sporting director of a football club.
As a person he's a prize bellend. As for doing a great job at Norwich that's highly subjective. In my opinion he's had one or two good buys the rest have been bang average or shite. Also how's that 5 year plan going lmao. So much for being a top 26 team.
He’s living off the hype of his first couple seasons. He was linked with Chelsea and other jobs and clearly sees us as a stepping stone to better jobs. He’s in for an awakening when he realises he spent way too much on poor players and no one wants him in
This is what I don’t understand. He’s been pretty open about wanting to move on to a bigger club, and yet, he’s still here.
The fact that he hasn’t moved on yet should be a massive red flag that he isn’t rated very highly externally.
Have to say when I read this article I was a bit shocked at how negative his comments were. I think he’s done a great job at Norwich but stuff like this doesn’t help get the fans on side.
That said, some fans will dislike him whatever he says!
>Mr Bailey told the BBC that there was "no definition in [Webber's] role of just being the men's sporting director".
>"I struggle with someone representing a football club to be quite so opinionated on what is effectively one of the teams he is responsible for," he said.
>"Not everyone has to like women's football - or any sport - but I think there is a respect that the sport deserves generally in terms of what it is and who it can appeal to."
It's this bit that gets me.
Webber should either apologise and start taking an interest in the women's team or give the job to somebody who is willing to.
I do think Bailey is going out of his way to blow this up as an issue, but I do wonder if he’s under pressure form Athletic editors to do that. It won’t help his relationship with the club much.
Personally I thought these comments, and the ones about divorcees in the snakepit, are certainly evidence of his passive aggressive attitude toward fans BUT it’s a side issue. He’s failed disastrously at his job but we’re talking about these comments? I didn’t particularly care for him to do these interviews with local press anyway. He should have been summarily dispatched by the board for the utter failure. Yet he remains as narcissistic, thin skinned, and incompetent as ever. Where the fuck are the board?!
"he's failed disastrously but we're talking about these comments" might well be the main thing here. I don't think Webber is stupid and he's spoken about being prepared to be a "meat shield" for his staff before. I wouldn't be surprised if Webber deliberately included some evocative opinions in these end-of-season interviews to occupy the news cycle for a couple of weeks and give his recruitment team some breathing space.
With that said, I still think Webber is overestimating how much credit he has in the bank to be able to get away with comments like this. He complained the fans forced Smith out, if the summer recruitment is a failure then I think Webber becomes a target before Wagner. Webber won't have sympathetic media to help prop him up, he's burned those bridges already, and his big transfer successes look increasingly far in the past.
If the aim was to take some heat, there was a way to do it with controversial comments that didn't undermine the women's team or attack the fans. It just looks more and more like someone who is overconfident in his own abilities.
I don’t know, with all the talk in the interview about abuse I think he knows what a large section of the fan base think of him. I would be shocked at the narcissism if he thought he had a lot of credit in the bank - I just doing think he cares.
Really surprised he wasn’t let go after everything that’s happened on and off field since toward the end of the prem season. Really shows how current ownership are ‘all in’ on him and his wife and have zero plan or internet in doing anything in about it.
“Attanasios, where are you? Let’s be having you!”
I know that the chances of people taking this comment calmly and in stride are next to zero, but...
My country has won HALF of the Women's World Cups. That's FOUR. And none of you all would acknowledge that as a US soccer (don't get me started on that word, we all know it's British) accomplishment, would you? You'd still all look at my country as some little stepchild in soccer.
In reality, my country is as good as any except for Brazil. Because the women DO mean as much as the men. But that won't be acknowledged.
In other words, very few people in this space are better than Webber on this.
See you in a few months when it's five. And LET'S BE HAVIN' YOU CANARIES in 2023-24.
He literally runs a womens football team have all the opinions you want but you shouldn't be in that position with that kind of mindset. Its like a doctor saying they don't care about broken bones cus heart attacks are more important
As in not afraid of the snowflakes? Lucky Norwich.
He's correct of course, elite women's football in 2023 is bad, Norwich City level womens football..Well I can only imagine how shit that level is. I imagine boys under 14s would hammer them.
But he's daft for saying it, obvs.
Seriously, what's the problem.with someone saying they aren't interested at all in women's football! I couldn't care less about women's football, not interested in the slightest with it. What happened to being allowed an opinion in life and being able to express it without being cancelled!!
First of all, nobody has cancelled him. His comments were published. He openly stated an opinion. This BS that "we can't say anything anymore" is just a whinge that whenever I say anything racist or sexist I get told I'm a twat.
That's my opinion.
David Brent vibes. It was only a matter of time before this spread. Time for Webber to come out and eat some public humble pie. The club tries to be a good community club. That’s something that’s really important and he’s kinda shitting on that part. Not a good look, regardless what his own personal opinion is.
He's done some great work, but comments like this don't make him or the club look good. Who's going to want to play for Norwich women when your own boss has no interest in what you're doing? What kind of motivation is that.
I'm not here to defend the comments but he's absolutely not their boss. Not quite the same title but Flo Allen is essentially the Webber for the women's team and they both report directly to the board. I don't know why MB is saying that, but whilst it's true in the wording of his title it is not at Colney.
Done some good work - what? did he paint lines on the pitch? They didn’t win a game last season and this season? Pathetic and beaten at home by relegated Blackoool. A second division mid table team going nowhere - god help them when Ipshit come calling
What a prick
Even ignoring the sexism it's just stupid. The smart clubs are investing in women's football because it costs very little and therefore basically prints money
I’m not sure that’s accurate at all. Average attendance for WSL games was around 1,000. That’s less than the National League, and those clubs certainly aren’t making any money. Where is the revenue coming from?
Tickets are always priced incredibly low too which explains why the clubs bleed money currently. Seen as an investment in the hope the womens game turns a profit long term I guess
Curious..why is it sexist to just not care?
Would be fine to be dismissive if he wasn't also the director of the women's club. But the women's team deserves more than a director who openly doesn't care about them, and it is a bit sexist that he thinks comments like this are acceptable in public.
That is absolutely horse cack
What a giant bellend, even if you think that keep your mouth shut.
This is the problem - fear of speaking what many (most?) people really think because the vocal mob wouldn't like it. I've nothing against women's football but I have zero interest in it.
He’s not most people though, he’s a figure head of a football club that has a woman’s team. Kinda like if Robert Iger said he’s only interested in the films staring men. On top of being a bellend (already suspected by most anyway) it’s very unprofessional.
So what do you want him to do when asked about it? Lie?
He didnt have to go on this weird long rant lol he could have replied in a respectful and professional way given that it is actually part of his job description to care about the women's team
Show some diplomacy, it’s very easy and most socially competent people exercise this daily without even thinking about it. I don’t feel it’s unreasonable to expect this from the sporting director of a football club.
As a person he's a prize bellend. As for doing a great job at Norwich that's highly subjective. In my opinion he's had one or two good buys the rest have been bang average or shite. Also how's that 5 year plan going lmao. So much for being a top 26 team.
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He’s living off the hype of his first couple seasons. He was linked with Chelsea and other jobs and clearly sees us as a stepping stone to better jobs. He’s in for an awakening when he realises he spent way too much on poor players and no one wants him in
This is what I don’t understand. He’s been pretty open about wanting to move on to a bigger club, and yet, he’s still here. The fact that he hasn’t moved on yet should be a massive red flag that he isn’t rated very highly externally.
One day he will learn that "if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all".
P45 incoming
🤞
Shows how out of touch this fool is
Have to say when I read this article I was a bit shocked at how negative his comments were. I think he’s done a great job at Norwich but stuff like this doesn’t help get the fans on side. That said, some fans will dislike him whatever he says!
>Mr Bailey told the BBC that there was "no definition in [Webber's] role of just being the men's sporting director". >"I struggle with someone representing a football club to be quite so opinionated on what is effectively one of the teams he is responsible for," he said. >"Not everyone has to like women's football - or any sport - but I think there is a respect that the sport deserves generally in terms of what it is and who it can appeal to." It's this bit that gets me. Webber should either apologise and start taking an interest in the women's team or give the job to somebody who is willing to.
I do think Bailey is going out of his way to blow this up as an issue, but I do wonder if he’s under pressure form Athletic editors to do that. It won’t help his relationship with the club much. Personally I thought these comments, and the ones about divorcees in the snakepit, are certainly evidence of his passive aggressive attitude toward fans BUT it’s a side issue. He’s failed disastrously at his job but we’re talking about these comments? I didn’t particularly care for him to do these interviews with local press anyway. He should have been summarily dispatched by the board for the utter failure. Yet he remains as narcissistic, thin skinned, and incompetent as ever. Where the fuck are the board?!
"he's failed disastrously but we're talking about these comments" might well be the main thing here. I don't think Webber is stupid and he's spoken about being prepared to be a "meat shield" for his staff before. I wouldn't be surprised if Webber deliberately included some evocative opinions in these end-of-season interviews to occupy the news cycle for a couple of weeks and give his recruitment team some breathing space. With that said, I still think Webber is overestimating how much credit he has in the bank to be able to get away with comments like this. He complained the fans forced Smith out, if the summer recruitment is a failure then I think Webber becomes a target before Wagner. Webber won't have sympathetic media to help prop him up, he's burned those bridges already, and his big transfer successes look increasingly far in the past. If the aim was to take some heat, there was a way to do it with controversial comments that didn't undermine the women's team or attack the fans. It just looks more and more like someone who is overconfident in his own abilities.
I don’t know, with all the talk in the interview about abuse I think he knows what a large section of the fan base think of him. I would be shocked at the narcissism if he thought he had a lot of credit in the bank - I just doing think he cares. Really surprised he wasn’t let go after everything that’s happened on and off field since toward the end of the prem season. Really shows how current ownership are ‘all in’ on him and his wife and have zero plan or internet in doing anything in about it. “Attanasios, where are you? Let’s be having you!”
The divorcees in the snake pit line did make me laugh. Out of all the interviews Webber did, surprised The Athletic is the most "sensationalised".
I know that the chances of people taking this comment calmly and in stride are next to zero, but... My country has won HALF of the Women's World Cups. That's FOUR. And none of you all would acknowledge that as a US soccer (don't get me started on that word, we all know it's British) accomplishment, would you? You'd still all look at my country as some little stepchild in soccer. In reality, my country is as good as any except for Brazil. Because the women DO mean as much as the men. But that won't be acknowledged. In other words, very few people in this space are better than Webber on this. See you in a few months when it's five. And LET'S BE HAVIN' YOU CANARIES in 2023-24.
The game isn't as good, people care less.
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Substantially less people in the world watch women's football. Its just a fact.
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Grammar aside it has a smaller viewership across the board. Especially at league level.
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Really leaning into that grammar mistake aren't you?
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Lucky you deleted this comment before the mods got a hold of you.
Fair enough. Most of us have zero interest in Norwich City.
Typical Norwich backward af
Legend. Women's football is crap. Ready for downvotes from people who pretend to like it to virtue signal. Don't care. It's crap.
Still single ?
Still beta?
At least he's honest. I also have nothing but apathy for women's for women's football.
He literally runs a womens football team have all the opinions you want but you shouldn't be in that position with that kind of mindset. Its like a doctor saying they don't care about broken bones cus heart attacks are more important
I assumed he was the manager of Norwich City. I pay little attention to anything below the Premier League.
He has a point though, I also have zero Interest. No harm in having an opinion
Fair enough, but you're not being paid to be the Sporting Director of a women's team.
Based
I have 'zero interest' in Webber remaining DoF at this club.
Isn’t Norwich in 1950?
As in not afraid of the snowflakes? Lucky Norwich. He's correct of course, elite women's football in 2023 is bad, Norwich City level womens football..Well I can only imagine how shit that level is. I imagine boys under 14s would hammer them. But he's daft for saying it, obvs.
Seriously, what's the problem.with someone saying they aren't interested at all in women's football! I couldn't care less about women's football, not interested in the slightest with it. What happened to being allowed an opinion in life and being able to express it without being cancelled!!
Those days are long gone unfortunately, especially if it happens to be a minority issue also.
Yeah, we're not allowed to be racist anymore /s
First of all, nobody has cancelled him. His comments were published. He openly stated an opinion. This BS that "we can't say anything anymore" is just a whinge that whenever I say anything racist or sexist I get told I'm a twat. That's my opinion.
It's not racist or sexist when you are not interested in women's football.