Has this season been our best ever? I know we finished 3rd in 92-3, but other than that we have never finished in the top 12. If we were to manage that then only that 3rd place finish would be higher since the begining of the PL. I propose that this season has been better than even that. In that first season of the prem we went pretty much injury free (other than Rob Newman, I cannot remember another). This season we have had lengthy lay-offs for Vaughan, Whitbred, Barnet & Ayala to name but a few. When you also considr the standard of the oposition, some of the best players in the world have been to Carrow Road this season, I think the achievement if not league position is so much greater.
See your point, KF. In 92/3 Chelski, for example included Dave Beasant, Mick Harford, Andy Townsend and Vinnie Jones amonst their array of talent Look at them now
And dont forget Flecky! Man U who won the league included Pallister, Parker, Bruce, Phelan, hughes... all good players, but how many would make their team now?
And if you compare our first 11 in 92-93 to now, how many would be better? Gunn - Ruddy - Would still have to go with Guny, but Ruddy could change that in the years to come Culverhouse - R Martin - Too tight to call Polston - Whitbread - Again, not much in it, but Whitbread for me, just Newman - R Bennett or Ward - Newman was a hero for his heart, but Bennett looks like he is quite some player. Bowen - Tierney - both solid left backs. Bowen maybe jst shades it, but only just. Goss - Johnson - Goss' shooting was better, but in all other departments Johnson has the edge for me Crook - Howson - Howson is unlucky here, up against probably the best midfielder we have ever had Fox - E Bennet - Fox has the edge (more goals) but not much in it. Phillips - Pilks - Pilks all day long Robins - Jacko - Robins for his finishing. Sutton - Holt - Very tough. Sutton was undeniably the more gifted player, but Holt's presence, and impact on the team makes this tough I have tried to compare like for like as much as possible but in addition our current squad has the delights of Hoolahan, Morison, Ayala, Wilbrahamovic, Vauhgan and so many others. This for me has to be the most talented Norwich city squad ever assembled. Yes, there are some better players in our history, but never have we had so many riches all at the same time.
Walker was a decent manager who was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. The only real signing of note he made was a bit of a coup in getting in Robins just before the start of the season after Fleck left for Chelsea. Fox, Sutton, Goss & Power all hit the peak of the careers at the same time after coming up from the youth set up and joined Culverhouse, Bowen, Gunn, Crook and Phillips in a side that had the basis of a decent team but lacked a little flair. Walkers other pre-season signings (Megson and Newman) were both grafters and did their jobs well, but were never outstanding players. By contrast, Lambert is a god put into Hell at the apocolypse and converted it to heaven!
In my opinion no doubt whatsoever - I have been watching City for 40 years,and this side is the best.The level has gone up so much in the time since the third place finish.Holt is quite simply inspirational.But let us not forget that while Lambert has achieved so much he was a Gunn purchase.With hindsight other teams would have been lining up to add another nought on the end of what we paid.
interesting topic. difficult to compare against teams from the late 80s, early 90s as football in england has moved on so much that teams like ourselves simply could never compete financially with any of the big clubs anymore - and in that respect i'd have to say this has been our best ever league season achievement-wise. when you consider where we came from and how quickly we did it, i don't think there have been many teams who can jump two divisions seemingly at ease as we have, definitely hasn't happened in the modern era although saints are following our trend! it has been an astonishing three years
sorry kenny, no comparison with the two full backs - both culverhouse and bowen were as good a full backs as any in the early premier league days, both better than the current incumbents although i think naughton has the potential to play for england one day. likewise, goss was a much better player than johnson ever will be. don't disagree with any of the others though sutton v holt is a tough one!
Agreed with most of the ratings: But for me Bowen would be streets ahead of Tierney and I can't see Johnson getting in the side over Goss. Maybe I have a bias towards that european side
As good a forward as Sutton was, he was also a damned decent centre half as well. I think I'm right in saying that he started off as centre half, and in his debut at Liverpool he was outstanding.
Poor old Rob Newman. As has been mentioned earlier, he was a grafter. I went to Colney to watch them train once, and they were doing sprints. Eadie gave Newman almost 1/2 a pitch head start and still caught him.
i bought a suit from rob newman... i mean, it wasn't his, i'd drown if it were his, but he ran a suit shop in the city for a while after he retired
For me, it has to be the season we finished third. Just for the sheer excitement of being right up there with a shout as late as early April. I know eventually we finished quite a way behind MU but it could have all been so different if we had won the game at Carrow Road in (I think) late March. I take all the points about Prem being better now, Lambert starting from zero (minus?) etc, though.
Sorry mate but IMO there isn't one player in todays team I would swap like for like from that starting eleven. However, todays side would turn it into a marvellous squad. Good topic though that had me thinking about it for some time.
I have been giving this plenty of thought before posting for two reasons. 1. It is hard to compare the teams and league that are nearly 2 decades apart. 2. My gut feeling was going against the general consensus of opinion. After 2 days I am still of the opinion that Mike Walkers side was better (even if it was inherited) - as things stand today. The current team is full of promise but that early era, although pretty short, was amazing.
Where's Darren Beckford on the list??? I still find it difficult to fathom quite how we managed to beat Bayern Munich and finish third in the Premiership with Rob Newman in the heart of our team. Bless him he gave it his all and was a fantastic professional, but I personally never rated him as a player - though perhaps my memories are slightly tarnished by his ill-fated stint as a makeshift striker when we were completely skint!
