Surely Newcastle, Everton and Norwich are the 3 standout teams of this season, far exceeding their fans own expectations, let alone the pundits! Lawrenson has the crystal ball predicting powers of a castrated baboon, as we all know. --- As far as I can read into the staying-up situation, and please correct me, but Norwich City are now in the situation, where level on points with Liverpool, and neither of us are going to get relegated, with 5 games to go, not in a million years! --- Now the main question for all my fellow Norwich fans: Ruddy, Steer R. Martin, Ward, Naughton, Ayala, R.Bennett Johnson, Surman, Pilkington, Hoolahan, E.Bennett, Fox, Howson, Lappin (squad morale choice) Holt, Jackson, Wilbraham (squad morale choice) The above list of 15 players should be our core squad for the next 2 or 3 seasons, with the players in green as the youth future of our club...this means of course that there are players I have deemed either replacable (stronger talent)/old (soon to retire): 1) Rudd (Reason: keen to move to secure 1st team regular starts, Keep: YES if he is content) 2) Drury (Reason: close to retirement, Keep: YES if he feels up to it) 3) Whitbread (Reason: injury-prone, Ward/Bennett/Ayala/R.Martin solid CB cover, Keep: YES true quality when he is fully fit) 4) Barnett (Reason: not truely PL quality) 5) Tierney (Reason: coped without him for huge period this season, Keep: YES if fit and same level of performances as before) 6) Crofts (Reason: keen to move to secure 1st team regular starts, 8th choice midfielder ATM) 7) Morison (Reason: replacable with a better, younger striker, I prefer the 3 strikers listed above) 8) Vaughan (Reason: injury-prone, "James who?", absent and not missed, cut the deadwood) --- Surely with this stellar season under our belt, with a bright future ahead, with the youngest Premier League squad, packed to the rafters with leaders, we can attract the likes of Robert Snodgrass, Jordan Rhodes and secure Naughton (permanently) and fully justify the investment. --- Top priorities: 1) Keep our young U23 talent (Pilkington, Ayala, E.Bennett, R.Bennett, Howson, Steer) 2) Improve our squad (yes this means 5 or so players will have to go to make room, survival in this league relies on the evolution in talent at PL clubs) 3) The above three transfers 4) Most importantly, tie Paul Lambert down with a 5 year contract.
I wish people would stop speculating about the players they want to leave the club in the summer, I think it's kind of cruel. I remember Aaron Wilbraham was on everyone's out list just 3 games ago!
Keeping squad-morale-boosting players like Wilbraham (who is a good partner to Holt) and Lappin (utility player) is essential. I have only listed 3 players (Barnett, Vaughan and Crofts, who I firmly believe are prime candidates to be replaced by better players, and I don't believe I am alone in this accessment!) Morison depends on whether he ever gets back into his prior form or whether he features in PL's plans for next season, he could well stay if Vaughan and C.Martin leave, always a useful striker to have on the bench.
Wilbraham is a squad morale boosting player? No.. he's not. He is a good footballer and he offers us a real option as he has shown in the last three games, and as I am sure any of those players you have listed could do given the chance.
I'm with DM. This season has been brilliant and every player has contributed. Lets celebrate success. June is the time to argue on the merits of who should stay and who should go. My worry is the big offers some of our stars will attract rather than thinking about who should go.
