And so Chelsea look like going 10 points clear and WetSham fans are leaving their practically 'free' stadium in droves!!!!!
Definitely. I'd to endure a WetSham fan giving it large in Sportspark the other week, telling me (and anyone else in the changing room) how little they had to pay for it!!!! Shame they've hardly ever won in it.
Good win for u23's last night, interesting to see no Maddison or Godfrey in the squad, maybe on the bench tonight? http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/...win_for_young_canaries_at_newcastle_1_4919402
I'd LOVE to see both AT LEAST on the bench (Godfrey to start maybe!!!) tonight. Ah, hang on - it's AN we're talking about here!!! Thanks for that link Dave and I forgot it was being played and other players who have impressed whenever I've seen them play got a mention in the report - the visitors regrouped and Diallang Jaiyesemi converted Glenn Middleton’s cross to equalise just before the hour mark. Edit - Just seen this - “We have been recruiting younger players and now you have a phase that could get a little bit messy, where decisions have to be made. There is going to be some sort of fallout in the summer. You can’t have the season we have had and expect it to wash over us. That is not going to be acceptable. We have 11 games left, we are trying to do our bit to show we want to be a part of it.” Neil conceded his faith in the old guard may have been misplaced. No 5h1t Sherlock!!!! Full article here - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...il_warns_his_under_performing_squad_1_4919120 I eagerly await the team news in just under 11 hours!!!!!
That's a great win and shows that the U23s don't necessarily need to be supported by senior players to produce results. I think AN is being honest and forthright in his assessment of the situation. Imagine the reaction if he had thrown young players in and produced a string of losses. I think he will take this opportunity now to bring young players in under less pressure and I hope they show some of the senior players how it should be done. On a different tack, I wonder if Bristol City's Hörður Björgvin Magnússon might be the left-sided CB/LB we've needed for some time. At 24, he's the right age and he already has 8 caps for Iceland. He's 6'3" and has done well for BC as well. I also think that Tammy Abraham, on loan to them from Chelsea, could be another player we should be looking at for next season. He's only 19, but has 18 goals in 31 appearances so far this season.
I'm sure I'm not alone Rick in the fact that I'd have cut AN a 'lot more slack' if he had put some youth in the team and they had run up similar losses to what the senior team has done!!! I like your suggestions as to who we should look to recruit for next season as well. Well, well, well - I see that 2 ex NCFC players make Garth's team of the week and VERY interesting to read Garth's comments as to how BOTH players have improved since they left NCFC!!! "It's the second time this season that Olsson has made my team of the week, and both selections have come under Swansea's recent revival. It never ceases to amaze me how some players, when they move from one club to another, see their game transform into something quite significant. Olsson was having little effect with Norwich City in the Championship, but in the Premier League his quality appears to be better suited to the game and certainly appreciated by the players around him. Norwich might have lost their way, but Olsson is looking like a player again." "How this lad has grown since his arrival from Norwich City. I stated earlier in this column that the Canaries failed to get the best out of Martin Olsson and the same is certainly true of Nathan Redmond." Why am I not surprised????
But was his faith entirely misplaced? I still think that his management undermines any players chances of playing to their true potential. These players have got us promoted before, some are definitely good players. What we will see is the youngsters mismanaged and fail because it takes more than youthful exuberance to make an inadequate system that has failed time and again finally work again. Oppo managers have had Neil's number for inxs of a year. He has juggled his options during that time but as soon as we meet a decent team or leave our home comforts were buggered. New ideas and personnel needed in the dug out are required to get the best from the youth and the senior pro's. Bah!
I think AN has done pretty well at bringing on young players compared to the 5 previous seasons under PL and CH. Jacob jumped straight into a starting place and has kept it throughout the season and Josh has had his chances as well, though mostly as an impact sub. Had Thompson not been injured, I think he'd have had much more game time by now. Maddison has now reintegrated into the squad after his Aberdeen loan and he will get his chance now. Though our missing out on promotion is disappointing, it may benefit the long-term devlopment of the squad. As for Olsson and Redmond, I'm not surprised they have responded to their moves to new clubs the PL and in both cases the style of play will suit them better. Both also have their weaknesses though. Redmond' unwillingness to track back when the ball is lost is still there, and 5 goals in 25 games isn't a noticeable improvement on what he did for us in the PL. I'd rather have the £11m and Jacob playing there, as he does track back very effectively and has scored 7 goals as well. Olsson is a good LB, especially going forward, but we often conceded goals when he failed to get back to cover his position and he was always at a disadvantage with any aerial balls. I'd rather have Dijks any day and I hope we can convince him to stay.
I'm not quite so ready to praise Neil for his youth inclusion. He has done more than CH or PL but does that meerly reflect that the others had none ready to make the step up? Of those at the club during their time who has gone on to play at a higher level or at least equal lvel to where the club has been at the time? PL used Chris Martin to good effect. Judging by his ongoing career it would appear that the championship is his ceiling. AN has probably only played youth because circumstances dictated he had little choice. With Redmond sold, Jarvis injured and Canos not upto muster. For me he has not only had youthful options that were primarily ignored for senior counterparts. I.e Maddison, Thompson, Pritchard, Canos, Josh, etc. But those like Canos and Pritchard who are young but have performed well in the championship before have been limited in game time and how much trust he has shown them, even though they were presumably bought to make an impact on the starting XI. I agree £11M for Redmond who we only hear is blossoming when he's had a 1 in 5 good game was a great deal, especially with only a year remaining on his contract. Earlier in the season there were certainly Saints fans complaining about Redmonds disappearing acts in games and his negligence of his defensive duties. It would be very like a pundit to watch one goal and extrapolate to - he's doing much better than when at Norwich. Jacobs form has certainly helped mean that we really haven't missed him. Bah!
So, is he saying that our style of football, or Mr Neil in particular is stifling the development of these types of player? Seems very much like a side=swipe at something NCFC related. Oh well, only another 8.25 years of this turgid dross to suffer Maybe, because she has her stupid, myopic, belligerent mind made up already, is why there seems to be absolutely no rush to appoint a new CEO? Best we all just accept our long term fate in the second tier (or worse?) for an indefinite period and rush like lemmings to renew our S/Ts every spring so poor Delia's coffers don't dry up!
WOW - Some excellent comments from the General, Rick and Cromer!! Yes, I remember the Saints fans being TOTALLY unimpressed with Redmond in his early days and as you say, it's SOOO typical of one of the BBC's pundits to pick him after his occasional good game - the same can be said for Olsson and he was certainly guilty on several occasions for not defending as well as he could do. In hindsight, it does seem that Garth was having a swipe at Norwich. Rick - whilst I agree with some of what you say re our youth players, I still feel that AN could give them more opportunities to 'learn their trade' and hopefully entice them to stay at CR.
Excellent post Rick. I wholeheartedly agree with everything there. A line that particularly rings true with my current thoughts is this "Though our missing out on promotion is disappointing, it may benefit the long-term development of the squad". I said at the start of the season when the transfer window had shut that I wanted us to be up there but I didn't expect or particularly want promotion this season. There is so much deadwood in the squad, and if you think we have struggled this season, can you imagine what things would be like in in the PL. It is all very well to say we would shift the deadwood but who is realistically going to want them and for what price? Pittance I expect and we would need that money for an overhaul of the playing squad. Which going in to a new season at the top table would be far from ideal. So, I am not too disappointed about the prospect of another season in the championship, a season where hopefully we could get rid of this deadwood and play these talented youth players alongside our better experienced players - Klose, Howson, Pinto, Oliveira. All things go well and these young players are as talented as we all hope, then we look at a potential promotion campaign next year with a freshened squad who will have had better experience in the championship to prepare for the PL. That's my vision anyway!
Whilst I like your vision and hope it comes to fruician I'm concerned that those players you wish to build around will be gone. All the 4 named will be sought after by at worse more ambitious Championship clubs or maybe even a higher level? The best of the youth may also be tempted away. Before January there was speculation about the Murphy's. Whilst Norwich lads, will they really turn down money doubling offers? If Maddison and Pritchard continue to be frustrated at being bit part players playing second fiddle to underperforming seniors are they likely to jump ship if offers come in as they surely will? We will hopefully finally get rid of some deadwood, a number of players like Bassong and Lafferty are now finally in their final year so they should be gone along with their inflated wages. This should give us some wiggle room. But as the club says we're skint, so how do we get in the players we surely need to suppliment the promising youth? If we start next season with no one better than Ruddy/Rudd/McGovern then we are already building our castle on sand. Bah!
Well said General and I totally agree. As has been said, I'm also worried that the likes of Maddison, Pritchard and some of the more promising youngsters could be lured away with the promise of first team football/better coaching etc. I guess it's just wishful thinking that Delia and co may come to their senses and get rid of AN at the end of the season (if not before!!!).
Well I hope we never suffer the fate of coming to fruician, whatever that is. We went through all this angst about how many players will leave last summer, but in the end it appears that few did. There were many rumours about Jacob and Josh in the January window, but instead we now have 4 year contracts for them both and Morris as well. Neither PL or CH recruited any young players for the future (other than Redmond who had been at Brum with CH). AN has recruited Maddison, Godfrey, Hylnsson and others with a view to development rather than buying players and hoping they fill the gaps. For me that suggests a long-term plan to replace the previous one Under PL and CH.
Fair comment Rick, but my concern is (and a once prominent poster with whom I now exchange texts agrees with me) is that AN with his coaching/tactics/playing players out of position (delete as appropriate) will HAMPER their development. We also have Middleton who I believe has been at the club since around CH days (we brought him to the club as a 12 year old and he was 17 on Jan 1st). More info here - https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/glenn-middleton-norwich-city-16-124818172.html
