But this quite simply doesn't happen in reality. I can't find a list showing the number of appearances for each player this season but I'm sure we have no more than 17/18 players who are rotating on a regular basis, certainly in the first team anyway, with others such as Barnett and Ward filling in when we have injuries. Also I think you are being very harsh on both Drury and Wilbraham there, both have done really well in their limited appearances thus far and haven't let us down even in the slightest and deserved some minutes on Saturday to show what they can do. Albie was actually our best player when he came on on Saturday in my opinion and I think too many people write him off as a passenger simply because he's never been a regular, because of his age, because he's only scored one goal and that we picked him up on a freebie from a lower league team.
i quite like wilbraham. you have to look at him for what he is. he isn't going to score 20 goals a season in any league; he probably wouldn't score 5 goals in most! what he brings is strength. he is a useful link man. many fans may remember robert rosario - hardly a prolific striker but he was the foil for robert fleck to score the goals and it often worked to perfection. its all about how players compliment each other on the pitch and generally i feel wilbraham does a decent job when asked to partner holt. he certainly did last season when he was part of our excellent run after christmas. he gets stick because he doesn't score enough goals which is fine but it isn't what he was brought to the club to do. i don't think he is premier league class and i don't think he should start matches, but he's been a very shrewd signing by lambert and he's done well whenever he's been asked to do a job for the team. he might leave relatively soon but its not a given - he is good value for money and unless we can find someone to do a better job then he will remain at the club
Maybe it is harsh, but if Tierney and Vaughan had of been fit all season, IMO Drury and Wilbraham would only be making the bench on a rare occasion. Drury has only started games since Tierney has been injured and Wilbraham has only made sub appearances even though we have lost Vaughan to injury for most of the season and Chris Martin has been on loan at Palace for a while. Drury has been a terrific servant for us, while Wilbraham has done ok since he arrived, but IMO, neither will be able to perform to Premier League standards on a regular basis. I just think they need to be replaced by 2 or 3 players that have more future potential - after all, that is what Lambert has always done. Of course its always a risk buying players that have no proven Premier League track record, but Lambert seems to be able to know who or who can't make it, barring the odd mistake here and there.
I certainly wouldn't give Wilbraham stick for what he has done for us, especially in that run of games you mentioned. As you say, he is not Premier League class, and if we want to be any kind of force in this league, we need players that are or have the potential to be. The same goes for Drury, Lappin and Barnett.
Do we actually need 25 players who can all start games at the expense of some big characters who will enhance the club in ways other than on the pitch though? Only eleven can start any game and like I said we have rotated a nucleus of far less than 25 so far this year and done very well thanks very much. I maintain that both Drury and Wilbraham have comfortably done themselves justice whenever called upon and wouldn't let us down on the rare occasion that we do need them so why have proven Premiership players on premiership wages in the squad who aren't going to get on the bench even when we do suffer two or three injuries. Like all these thing I have complete faith in Lambert and trust that he knows what he's doing regarding such things so I look forward to seeing his take on it all at the end of the season.
As I do too, and I also look forward to seeing Lambert make the correct decision. If he keeps them, then clearly the only man that matters thinks we can afford to keep them and that they will still do a good job.
One of the reasons I started this thread was because approaching every transfer window you get loads of posts along the lines of ' we must buy 2 strikers, 2 defenders and a midfielder ' and when somebody asks who they will replace the silence is deafening. I thought that for once I would get in first and I am glad I did judging by the response. I can see merit in all ideas including the ones suggesting that very little tinkering is necessary although, as I have strongly suggested in another post, I really do not think Chris Martin is anywhere near the level we need and I personally doubt whether Wilbrahams will be given another contract when the current one finishes at the end of the season. I have lost track of other contracts but suspect that Drury will also be out of contract then as well. Are there any more out of contract? Will PL think that he needs to bring in reinforcements because we will not have the surprise factor next year? Does PL strike you as the sort of Manager who will let any transfer window go by without some ins and outs? Will the Club risk being accused of resting on their laurels if they don't spend serious money in the summer? Would it be be better to hang on to the extra money, pay off the debt quicker, build a new stand and hope for the best on the field? Alternatively will he think we achieve a better chance of consolidation by spending money on the squad by bringing in a few players in to freshen things up in which case we are back to the original question I posed in this thread which has resulted in some interesting and well thought out responses. Time will tell.
Thinking in the shorter term, as in the next two or three weeks, we can look forward - fingers crossed, to welcoming a match-fit Vaughan, Howson and Ryan Bennett into our ranks to help out over the final thirteen matches. How those three - plus Elliot Ward, integrate into the squad will surely have some major bearing on the entire topic of this debate?
Personally, I think we will always have a surprise factor while Lambert is in charge, even if we sign nobody between now and the end of next season. Some of his selections and formations surprise us, let alone the opposition.
I think PL and his staff and the board know that we can't just flatten off. The guys who play for us know they are in a business where they get moved on when they have no further use (harsh I know, but a fact). And I think as fans we do get upset if a particular favourite isn't picked or gets moved on. I always remember Kenny Foggo being a major player for us in the promotion year but was overlooked the next season in the old 1st division and I felt gutted for him. Players have kids at schools etc and friends they make so we mustn't cast them all as money grabbing thickos who are only after the Yankee dollar. I think we are lucky that we now have a club in place who know what is needed to keep NCFC at the top but not at any cost. And if truth be told harldy any of the 22,000 season ticket holders do either. And most guys and gals on here don't want it either. So IMHO I think there will be tinkering and movements but we will never go for broke and bring in anyone who doesn't meet that criteria.
Spending big money doesn't bring success though. Look at Everton, people say they operate on a shoe-string but they paid over £10m for that Bilyadinov bloke who was rubbish, and don't forget messrs. Torres and Carroll and how many Grant Holt's we could have bought for the money they cost.
Let's be honest though, weve been quite lucky with injuries this season, were holt and morison to get injured then are only other big man up top is wilbs and he clearly is not good enough for the prem. Players have to move on at some point and as a club we need to improve the playing side when ever possible, and I believe if we rest on our lorals it could come back to bite us big time.
If you wouldn't mind resting on your laurels for a bit it would be appreciated. May I also enquire as to what position finish constitutes an open top bus parade? I hope all you perch dwellers are in fine form (WLH aside obviously)
A list is available on Sky Sports here: http://www.skysports.com/football/squad/0,,11709,00.html I make it 17 players with 10 or more appearances I think some of these players are worth holding onto- Drury is a worthwhile back-up, judging by his performance on Saturday he still has it. I think Wilbraham also has his uses and I can't see them being in a hurry to get him off the books- he can't be that expensive. For me, Barnett is most likely to go from the centre-backs, as he just doesn't look like he's good enough on the ball, when you consider we're bringing in Ryan Bennett who is apparently very talented with the ball at his feet. In midfield it would seem madness to get rid of Hoolahan when he has definitely stepped up to this level and now has good competition with Howson, who'll probably end up taking his spot, so the only midfielder possible on the way out is Crofts... But he has proved useful at times and there's no desperate need to sell him either as he makes a good back-up with inevitable injuries. So, for me, I see a transfer window of maybe a defender and midfielder leaving and only a winger and maybe a left back coming in, depending on whether we get Naughton. No need for a new 'keeper (despite most of our sentiments in the summer!), our central midfield is no brimming with competition and in the striker department, especially with Vaughan back, we seem to have some great options. The surprise buys maybe a youngster or two "for the future" who Lambert reckons we can develop, but is not ready for the first team. It's that sort of policy that gets value and gives you a long term prospect of success.
I really don't see this fascination with Wilbraham. Vaughan has made almost as many appearances as him and he's been injured for 95% of the season! Surely to goodness it would be better to replace him with someone that can do what he does, but can also score goals. How do we know if him or even Drury are big characters in the dressing room? I always thought Drury was a quiet guy.
Wilbraham probably won't stay, no. But Drury has been good- not sure he can make the full 90 and his passing was wayward, but defensively he was excellent on Saturday and has been an adequate back-up to Tierney. Unless we sign another left back I see no good reason to let Drury go. Do hope Tierney is back soon though as his attacking threat on the left and crossing in is something we've really missed!
If Drury's contract is up at the end of the season, I really don't see Lambert extending it. I may well be wrong, and as I've said, if I am, I totally trust Lambert's judgement.
All the discussion of Drury is irrelevant unless the answer to my earlier post (above) is "No he doesn't". Anybody?
I assure you they both are, as is Simon Lappin. If you're on Twitter Holty oftens mentions Albie in his tweets and he even let him use his account last week for a Q&A as he doesn't have one of his own. Like has been suggested already, we don't need a squad of 25 players who can all start games, we don't play as many games as the Champions League lot so don't need to rotate anywhere near as much as they do and I personally think having too much choice can be a dangerous thing with players getting the hump when they're not getting enough minutes. At the moment we don't have any players who fit into that bracket at all and I'd be amazed if Lambert wanted to make any significant change to the current dynamic
I can see C Martin leaving in the Summer. Whether or not Wilbs stays may depend on what sort of contract he is looking for and whether or not he can be replaced with a better player happy to be the fifth choice forward. Yes it would be fantastic to bring in a top notch striker but do we need our fifth best forward to be a superstar and more pertinently there won't be a huge number of top quality premiership strikers will to come to Norwich to be squad players. If we swap out Wilbs for someone appreciably better then does this relegate one of our four existing players to squad rotation only and if so who? If Drury remains fit and capable then I see no harm in keeping him as a squad player as he is doing a job for us and not causing trouble in the dressing room. Basically a very good (and loyal) team man. I agree with a couple of the earlier posts that I think that Wes's days may be numbered unless he is able to perform week in, week out. For me he has had some brilliant performances this season but some shockers as well and I don't think that PL will accept this in the longer run when Howson becomes available. I wouldn't be surprised if this was an area further strengthened in the Summer, maybe together with a ball-winner. We all have to bear in mind that PL has made some fantastic signings for the club - I have been really impressed with Bennet in the past few weeks and I think that Pilks is top drawer. For all his lack of current form and poor performance on Saturday without Morrisons goals we would not be in the top half and I am sure that he will come good again or be on his merry way Of this seasons signings barring Vaughan for whom the jury has to remain out because of injury you would have to say that PL's recent siginings have been a terrific investment for the club. If we compare how much we paid for any of them to their current market value I think we would be considerably in the black.
