With ourselves effectively now safe from relegation (touch wood) what are your favourite quotes from opposition fans dismissing the qualities of our players and chances of survival this season. Here are a couple to get you started: "Well, when all is said and done, maybe Norwich's players just aren't as good as those of their opponents." "Do you seriously think Holt and co are premiership standard players?" "They will go down as they have no players with premiership experience" No need to mention any names unless you feel obliged OTBC
If only I could find the one from a QPR fan saying Morrison and Pilkington were worse than their signings. Hard to argue with that one, even he has written off their late play-off surge now.
An even earlier one from last season from (well you know who...) pretty much guaranteed our promotion.
I would say I was pretty spot on with that assessment Thai Annoyingly just a couple of blundering defensive mistakes and a missed pen are currently between us and a 3 point play off gap so it could feasibly have happened. I think you'll struggle next season, it's the same old syndrome where the momentum carries a side through the first few months of their Premier League campaign but after that they get found out.
All if and buts though isn't it. Had we not been so poor defensively back in August and early September we could be pushing hard for a European place but there we go, the lack of experience cost us (maybe). As always, every team finishes where they deserve to finish and nothing to do with luck, ref decisions etc
I'd love to know exactly what other people think there is to find out. I understood it with Blackpool- they had one style and a very key man in Charlie Adam and were found out once teams learnt to nullify this. I can even understand when people say Swansea "will get found out", because they do have one style of play (although I think they're now too good to get "found out" on a consistent basis). I accept that we could have second season syndrome, but it certainly won't be because we're found out- there's nothing to find! If we go down next season it will be because we play badly, don't find rhythm and the team spirit disintegrates. It won't be for any other reason. I can't see it being because other teams "tap up" our players- only one or two could fit into other teams above us.
How are we going to get found out Hamps, Lambert's team selection still baffles us at times, when sometimes we play like Swansea City and Stoke City at others it is impossible to be found out!
Saturday's line up was a new one. Playing two wing backsa and I had no idea where our midfielders were mean to be!
By found out gents, I mean that some of the players are punching above their weight. Ruddy, Holt in particularly clearly are not. That momentum, belief, good organisation and spirit is the reason you've ground out results but I don't think you've shone in any of the three or four games that I've seen (no doubt you have shone in a few this season) and quite often it's been exceptional 'keeping that's earned you a point or a narrow victory.
There is no doubt some of our performances have been close if not actually shambolic - Sunderland away, Stoke away, West Brom home are good examples. Other times we have been simply outclassed - Spurs home, Man City away but if we were consistently good we would be higher in the league (as would any other team). There have been games we could have won but for some excellent goal keeping as well so I do not see Norwich being any different to any other club from perhaps 7th place down to 16th. Not many of the teams in that bracket have shone too many times this season either. Not saying we will avoid the drop again next season but I reckon the players, with PL in charge, will keep the spirit that has been so evident for most of the season and that will hopefully produce the goods once again. I will agree with your thought on some players punching above their weight and only next season will show if that was or was not the case. Can Pilkington & Fox reproduced this seasons form? We will see in time.
If the players that have performed so well this season fail to deliver next season, it won't be because they've been found out. Has Torres been found out? Has Berbatov been found out? Has Lampard been found out? Has any player, past or present, that hasn't been playing to the best of their ability, been found out?
