The default stance of someone in Alex Neil’s position would normally be to claim ignorance of the scepticism which surrounded his appointment, aged 33, as manager of Norwich City. Not only is Neil’s approach the polar opposite, it appears he is using such dismissive attitudes as motivation.
With Norwich firmly in the mix for promotion back to the Premier League they departed last season, the January move to coax Neil from Hamilton Academical looks a smart one. It was a no-brainer for Neil, given Hamilton’s relatively scant resources and tiny supporter base. It was partly because of that Scottish backdrop, added to Neil’s youthfulness, that many queried Norwich’s logic.
“Initially I don’t think there’s any question everybody said: ‘Alex who? Who is this wee guy? They have players older than him.’ All the usual stuff,” Neil admits. “To be honest I would probably be the same. If I was at a club and a young manager came in, I would be asking: ‘Who is this?’
“But people will treat you the way you allow them to treat you. If you set your stall out quickly, earning the respect of people quickly, then things change. And they have done. I have sensed a huge shift from the fans, now getting to the stage where they think this guy knows what he is talking about.
“It was a brave decision by the club. Hopefully I can go on and repay their faith in me by taking them into the Premier League. But listen, I’m under no illusions. At the moment we are doing really well and I had to hit the ground running, not only because of expectation but because people are looking at you immediately asking: ‘Who is this guy?’ If you don’t prove yourself right away and find yourself on the back foot, you could be pretty quickly out of a job.”
Realism, then, can be instantly identified as a Neil character trait. Norwich’s players soon discovered precisely that. “What most managers would do is take the players out of their comfort zone, the dressing room,” Neil said. “I didn’t. I went straight in, I was in their area. I had a chat with them, told them about me, my expectations and demands. It was pretty much that, if we all worked together, then we had a chance of a really successful season.
“I have not encountered any resistance. When you meet someone you will pretty much make your mind up quickly on whether they know what they are talking about or not. Thankfully for me, the lads have respected me and responded.”
So what has been altered at a team who have gone from seventh to fourth in the Championship under the guidance of the second-youngest manager in England, after Mansfield’s player-manager Adam Murray? Norwich go into Friday’s game at Brighton & Hove Albion having won 10 and lost only two of Neil’s 15 matches in charge. “The structure of the week has completely changed,” Neil says. “Different days off, how we do analysis, shape and things like that. That structure has to be consistent.
“The style of play is different. The intensity is different. So a lot of fundamental changes but it has to be gradual, you can’t just go in and say ‘bang’ to everything without upsetting rhythm. With some things the players won’t even know they are doing it differently. I can see real fundamental differences in the team but I’m sure that, if you asked the players, they would speak about tweaks here and there.”
Neil’s focus is impressive. He does not seem the type to leave you rolling around the floor with laughter but there is an obvious dedication to his work. He is also straight thinking, as shown by his reluctance to heed football media. “I think if you read things it could have an impact on your decision-making,” he explains. “I do my own thing. I have ways that I want things to be done. I do what I think is right and go with it.”
What Norwich have is a coach with successful experience of play-off football. Hamilton were 2-0 down to Hibernian after the first leg of the knockout scenario to see which team would play in Scotland’s Premiership this season. On a spectacular afternoon in Edinburgh, Hamilton clawed back that deficit and won on penalties. Neil also presided over a historic victory at Celtic Park before moving south.
“The scrutiny is a lot, lot more down south, partly because of everyone in the area being a fan. But the media is also more intense compared to Hamilton. As a manager, you want that. It drives you. That expectation and people putting their faith and trust in you to deliver can only be a good thing.”
He was back in Scotland at the weekend, offering his support for the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow as it seeks to win funds from Aviva’s Community Fund. Ten of Neil’s players have nominated their own charitable causes.
“I have lost three of my own grandparents to cancer,” Neil said. “Recently my father-in-law spent time at the Beatson before he passed away. It was really comforting for him, he was looked after so well. You see everything that is done to make people feel comfortable.
“Once the Aviva fund became available, the first thing that sprung to my mind was to try and help this place as much as I possibly could.
“I would always look back home. I have only been in Norwich for the best part of three months; I have had limited time there. Most of the big things that have happened in my life have been in Scotland.”
The most significant professional moment of all is within touching distance. “This is no different from any other profession; you want to go and compete at the very best level you can,” said Neil.
“The club wants to go up, make no mistake. The board and people in charge are desperate for the club to be promoted. The squad feels the same and we are working hard towards that. If we don’t get promoted, I will be disappointed. But if we were to bounce back at the first time of asking, certainly given where we were and certainly if it was to be automatically, it would be a tremendous achievement. With the position we find ourselves in with seven games to go, we have a great opportunity.”
