A mate of mine at work who happens to be a big Hammers fan has heard today from a supposedly reliable source that Andy Carroll is out for the season. That rather throws a spanner into the works of their season and as one of our (hopefully) mid-table rivals it must surely help us try to secure a top half position come May
I saw that he'd suffered yet another injury and the likelihood of him being fit for the match on 9th Nov are quite slim. I'm hoping it's a good win for us, but I'm taking nothing for granted.
oops if true he's quite injury prone at the moment, regardless of the length of this absence they've just signed mladen petric who was at fulham last season - edit - this begs the question thinking about it, if your 25-man squad announced is not full, then clearly you can add to it with free agents. you just can't buy anyone.
Hooper must be gutted to be not match fit at the minute as he surely would have been in with a good shout of at least a place on the bench tonight given that Enlgand have less fit strikers than the National Union of Darts Professionals taking industrial action over the reduction in pie sizes at the World Championships in 1994.
It'd be nice. Ricky Lambert is doing pretty well, I think Hooper will be our next international call up!
Just think, if Holty had decided to stay with us for another season and had banged a couple of goals in already it could indeed be he and not Lambert leading the line tonight...
I'm putting my tin hat on and battening down the hatches, but given the choice between Lambert and Holt in their prime, I would take Lambert. *braces for impact*
I wouldn't have a go at you for saying you prefer Lambert over Holt They are very similar players, so it's just a question of personal choice and preference For me, Lambert never lead the men on the pitch like Holt did for us, and that is what truly seperates them. Just my opinion.
lol I just mean just because Holt is a Norwich legend doesn't mean you can't prefer Lambert It's a very weird situation to have two such similar players, it's the nuances of each players game that will give people preference. I'd certainly say Lambert has better movement than Holt and a free kick in his locker but Holt had that ability to "run" a game that was so endearing
I know they are often compared and likened because of their shape and in part their style, but I actually think they are quite different players with what they bring to the team. If I was looking for a more technically skilled player, who could score from anywhere and create as well, I would almost certainly choose Lambert who (and I think his recent England call up is testament to this) is actually a naturally gifted footballer. Holt was, at his best, technically better than he was ever given recognition for. Some of his goals in our first Premier League season (e.g. against Everton or Man U) were truly class, but Lambert undoubtedly edges it. If, however, I was looking for a player that would lift the team when heads were falling, that would be a true leader when the chips were down, that would sweat his arse off for an impossible cause and then still keep running, I would choose Holt. Holt has footballing charisma in abundance. He knows just how to wind up the opposition and lift his own players. It's no surprise to me that Lambert has never been outright captain of Southampton - that's not what he brings to them, though he probably does bring some leadership, this is where Holt was superior. Our League 1 team was, overall and even without Holt, probably the best squad in the division, with perhaps the exception of Leeds. With Lambert, we would definitely have got promoted, but I'm not so sure we would have won the title and I'm not convinced we would have got out of the Championship at the first attempt. That's why, if I was to choose now I'd choose Lambert, but if I was to choose straight after the Colchester defeat I'd choose Holt.
Yes,Lambert the better player technically but Holt ahead in terms of his sheer enthusiasm and single mindedness.A draw?
Yeah pretty much I'd say the ironic thing is I think Lambert will be gone from Southampton next summer. Not because he doesn't deserve it or isn't good enough but just because of the rate of expansion at Southampton (sound familiar, again!) So he could drop to the champ or try and get in at another prem club Maybe he'll join a newly promoted team ...He'd fit very well at, say, Wigan Athletic?
