Ok, you maybe right he may not come to Norwich ( I think he will), but he won't want to spend the next 3 years with Leeds in the Championship (after all, it took you 4 years to get out of League 1)
Bradley Johnson is part of a plan that involves creating a versatile midfield. When you talk about Norwich you talk like others do, through Championship manager/FIFA 11 glasses. Norwich buy relatively unknown, we buy mainly British, and we buy hungry. It's got us where we are now and I see no reason to change it. There is NO POINT in signing Mbekele Umbutomatututu from FC BLAGAROOGI because he allegedly "rated" by some spinning liar of an agent or a sportswriter who doesn't know what they are talking about. We take players and we make them grow, the premier league isn't a mystical place where everything changes in relation to the championship, it's just simply a harder league. We're going to be just fine. Cheers for the concern.
Oh come on now, Beefy. I heard Mbekele Umbutomatututu was on a free, and not asking much in wages! Totally agree though, these Leeds fans simply haven't factored in the 'Lambert effect'.
We should go back to buying alleged "rated" players and international superstars that upset the dressing room. Got 4 words, off the top of my head to make any Norwich fan immediately trust the "lambert method" Goran Maric - (Now playing for Lombard-Pápa TFC in the Hungarian Premier League LOL) Michael Theoklitos - (The Worst Goalkeeper of all time)
There's a pretty real chance that Norwich will stay up next season. I know I've been mouthing off around here saying you'll come straight back down but in my heart I know I'm probably wrong. As for Leeds getting back up? It may take a little longer to get back than Norwich have, but it will definitely be on a more long term basis, and it seems Bates understands that it will probably take a while to get back on a foundation that breeds real success. It takes time, it doesn't happen overnight. A financially stable basis that allows the club to spend within their means, which, financially, puts us within the top 6 in the league, and with Premier League money would put us at LEAST top 10 in the PL. Fan census says 9th biggest in the country, 1 million fans, plenty of merchandise sales plus strong overseas fanbase. You get the picture. Realistically, even if Norwich City stay in the Premier League, they are most likely never going to achieve anything other than mid table without some serious investment. A 20 year stay would probably see you get 2 years in the Europa League, through League Cup, FA Cup or League positioning. Of course, this is merely speculation based on the size of the club (which, lets face it, it's pretty big), and your finances (no large amount of outside investment), but I may be surprised. Paul Lambert is an extremely impressive young manager and has amazing potential. The unfortunate reality is that he will most likely move on before he achieves anything real with you though. As for Snodgrass signing? Definitely not. I've heard many things about Ken Bates. I've heard people say he's a tight fisted so and so, I've heard people say he's loud-mouthed and rather brash. A lot of evidence agrees with this, and I agree he is a bit... lets say "aggressive" with some of the things he says. However, I choose (as a loyal supporter of Leeds United FC) to believe he is true to his word when he says we have no interest in selling our best players, based partly on the fact that Leeds are historically not a selling club. I also believe he is true to his word if he says Grayson has money if he wants it, and I believe the lack of spending is mostly down to the doubts I have about Grayson and his ability to spend it properly. End of the day though, Robert Snodgrass will not be a canary next season. He's a white and proud. MOT!
Can I borrow that crystal ball you've got for the EuroMillions Tonight? Jesus! Some Leeds fans just don't get it do they? WE AREN'T GOING FOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALL THIS SEASON! We will simply do the best we can. I really do miss the point at where Leeds are better suited to the Prem than Norwich because I can't think of any reason at all. Whether you want to admit it or not we are comparable club except for your "Legacy support" (plastic fans that never go to games)
i think hes saying we will get a couple years of european football if we stay up for the next 20 years beefy!
1 million worldwide fans and a bigger ground, yet you could only average 62 more fans two seasons ago, and 1913 last season(when a few glory hunters came out of their hiding places). Bit embarrassing really, isn't it.
Are Norwich City out of towners 'plastic fans' as well then? And Carra, ticket prices dear boy. But yeah generally we don't get enough Loiners at our games, that's been a problem throughout our history. A lot of people support Leeds United and Leeds Rhinos/Cas Tigers/Wakefield Trinity/Bradford Bulls but would rather talk about and watch the second than the first. In West Yorkshire at least. As for which club is better suited to the Premiership, Leeds have a 40k stadium which we'd fill each week, a legacy of success which (no matter how you paper over the cracks) does appeal to players, far bigger merchandising potential and a much more sizeable TV audience in the UK and abroad which has meant a BBC and Sky fixation with Leeds over the years. Some said Sky were our only friends in the Premiership relegation season as they kept showing us week in week out which helped us get some much-needed money in our coffers.
Well if we listen to some Leeds fans, we only have fans in Norfolk and they only go to games because there is nothing else to do in Norfolk!
To all you Leeds fans singing and dancing about the million people support... If you're going to play that statistics game, Norwich City, as the thirteenth best supported club in the country and half a million fans are solid PL material. We're not even in the relegation zone of the PL! So while we would never say you're not a bigger club, if you're going to use those statistics you will have to admit Norwich are a PL too. http://www.roymorgan.com/news/press-releases/2006/490/
What is your point exactly? Is it we have 1 million worldwide fans putting us in the top ten with regards amount of fans in the UK, yet only 2.5% of them turn up at every home game!
I never doubted you were a Premiership-sized club, that wasn't what was being discussed as far as I'm aware, it was a comparison. Let's be fair, we're also one of the biggest clubs in Ireland and Scandinavia so it's probably more than 1 million. Man City have 800,000 fans in the UK but predicted they had 6 million worldwide before Sheikh Mansour even came along, so theoretically it should be way more than 1 million! And my point was this: Leeds and Norwich both have fans who don't go to matches. But why call either side's fans plastic? Is that not hypocritical and completely dim?
We get 97% attendances at home and it would be 100% if away teams sold their allocation, so who knows how many fans are missing out on supporting us. I do know we have 2000 on a waiting list for season tickets and 5000 super members who are trying to get one of the likely 2000 seats that will be on general sale each home game next season. I have no idea how many standard memberships we have.
It wasn't actually directed at you personally Loiner, more some comments from Leeds fans and others on here that seem to imply Norwich don't "deserve" to be in the PL because they aren't a big enough club. With regard to the fans who don't go to matches- yes, true, but Norwich max out the capacity consistently, so even if fans wanted to go they couldn't. If Norwich stay up this season apparently there'll be investment in stadium expansion; then we'll see if the percentage attendance stays the same...
Nail...head Loiner. I don't go to anywhere near enough Norwich matches as I am able to (3 or 4 a season), but I still class myself as a fan of Norwich, and a supporter, because I pay my money to be a member, my daughter is a junior canary. I buy merchandise from the club site, so I see myself as a supporter, as it is my money that is helping the club, albeit in a small way.