It's opening up for Watford too though, don't forget. A win for them on Saturday and with their fixture list, which is similar to us in that they face most of the contenders at home, they'll feel automatic promotion is there's to lose.
Absolutely Supers. It's now getting so tight - i might have to go down the pub to watch Leeds V Boro on Sat lunchtime!!! I really hope our match isn't decided by questionable decisions by the officials!!!
A win on Saturday would be massive, but as its potentially our toughest game, and with our rivals already dropping points this week, a point would be far from a disaster with so many other games left to make up the points. Agree that we mustn't lose though
Supers is right, of course. I'm hoping for a stream for the Boro match, otherwise it's down to the pub for me as well!
Really can't see any team below Wolves making a serious challenge for the play-offs. Date for our diaries - Sat 14th March. Boro V Ipswich is the early kick off and we play Derby!!!!
Match report and highlights from our under21 game last night - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...ich_city_u21s_to_impressive_triumph_1_3962139
Good highlights. Josh looking good for his goal, but also a bit selfish at times. Some good glimpses of Vadis as well and he looks good on both sides of the ball, twice making good steals to set up counter-attacks by driving forward himself. Great penalty save by Declan and a good final goal by Jamar.
I think my slight disappointment with the club since the F.A Youth Cup win is how little seems to have developed within the squad from those players. I know that Josh Murphy has played a bit and we have had several go out on loan but it has always felt that younger players are preferred from other clubs. Strange one.
I know what you mean, Thurnby. I felt that a bit when Miquel was brought in when we already had Gafaiti and McFadden showing promise. I preferred the old Reserve Combination where young players would compete with senior players for places as a stepping stone to the first team. I know they won't all make it, but there doesn't seem to be much showing from the Academy status yet.
But why do they only have to play in cups SN23? And, surely it would be cheaper to blood our own youth players than spend extra money on outsiders to expand the squad? It all undermines the value of the youth cup doesn't it?
The path modern football has been on in the last decade undermines youth football.. full stop. A Man City fan on a popular drive time radio phone in highlighted this all too clearly by stating that the biggest prospects form their youth team weren't English. Not only that, they would just go out and buy 'ready made' players in their mid 20's anyway. They are not the necessarily the worst and they are certainly not alone
My take on it is all 3 managers have been under pressure to win league games and all have chosen to play the established players rather than experiment and get shot down if it doesn't work. The only player from that great youth cup Victory capable of getting in the side is Josh in my opinion. The rest are just back up in case of an Injury crisis. Miquel for example hasn't had a sniff and we paid a fair wedge for his services. Alex has brought them in to see what they can do and chosen his best 11 , I can see that some would like to see a few youth products come through but I also understand the importance of sticking with a winning side to try to achieve promotion . Adams experimented in the cups and they didn't perform , Rudd always seems to get a game for example and doesn't perform . He may be good and from the sounds of it he played his part yesterday but I wouldn't play him over Ruddy. Morris I like but he is not going to be played instead of our 3 in form strikers. O'Neil and Turner can't even get a game so the youth players are well down the pecking order.
That is a very sad truth KOPR and I am sure that you are right. The Chelsea side that we beat a couple of years ago was also riddled with non British players too and that made the win all the more enjoyable at the time. I guess my dismay is that having overcome the overseas equivalents we have then failed to move on and see the gradual introduction of those players into the senior squad. It makes us no better than the Man City's that you quote and is very disappointing. Ultimately, it means that the job of England manager 10 years down the line will be even harder than it is today.
Again SN23 I cannot argue with you on any of those points and you make them well. It is a shame though as I am sure you accept.
Take Sturridge an absolutely brilliant player yet he got handed from Chelsea to Man City consistently playing well scoring goals but it took a step down to Liverpool to actually get recognition . My motto is if they are good enough they are old enough , other than Josh I don't think we have many rough diamonds yet. Southampton are the exception and this model should be replicated if possibe, the players sold last year paid for their set up for the next 10 years I would imagine with change.
Both Josh and Jacob played well last night by all accounts, the former scoring an excellent goal and the latter with two assists. Both Morris and Loza had good games as well and, IMO, could be possibilities for the future. Toffolo also seems to be promising and is doing very well at Swindon. Have to wait and see, I guess.
