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Reality is, our first 5 games of the season were poor. We then produced a sustained improvement and from game 6 onwards have been the best team in the division. But it's been a concern for the last couple of months that we've been conceding a lot of goals and have given up leads too often, however good we've been at last-minute goals to over come the problems. The last 6 games (including the cup) are a definite downturn and however good parts of the performances have been, the fact is that we've gone 3-0 down at home and have lost another home game after being 2-0 up. To win promotion we need to overcome those sorts of slip-ups. If we now lose several of the upcoming games against our direct rivals, the risk is a downturn turns into a slump. Whereas if Farke can turn it around and we do come through "unscathed", we're very well setup for automatic promotion. As for what "unscathed" means, there are loads of possible permutations so I wouldn't have time to give a precise definition. But like an elephant, I think most of us will be able to recognise it when we see it. So I think it's unquestionable the 5 games upcoming are crucial for our season.

Trouble is, we don't play play a style that fits his strengths. At Millwall, he played wide and put lots of long balls and crosses into their physical and tall centre forwards. He would be very good for someone like that - Sheff Utd, Millwall or, dare I say it, Ipswich.

Bleeding obvious 😉

Much as it's fun to point and laugh, Lambert does have previous for getting the best out of unspectacular players. Collins will add a bit of steel and experience, I've always rated him as a player. And in signing Keane, Quaner and Dawkins, he's clearly going for goals and trying to get them playing on the front foot. In summary, I'm not going to start pointing and laughing until a) we've beaten them in February; and b) they're still bottom of the league in March.

Welcome to Rays Funds, supported by Turner European Consulting and Kare Plus On Saturday it will be the tenth anniversary of the day we lost Arrdee. It doesn’t seem like ten years to me. I’m sure that’s because every week I have this great reminder of our times together doing his beloved free bet threads. I know he’d be so happy to know we’d all managed to keep this going for so long, and from strength to strength, in his memory. I often look back on his posts as I did just now to get inspiration for this. I could never do the great man justice but here’s how he may have introduced this week’s thread… Yes its Free Bet time again PUPs and you guessed it, something’s afoot because its Inchy in charge of picking the final six. Now our lovely old Inchy is a giant when it comes to these Rays Funds threads. He’s had a fantastic five previous wins when in the hot seat. I find it hard to fathom how anyone could get that many wins. It’s miles better than I could ever hope to do. Inchy’s brilliant but he’ll still need our help if he’s to guide us back to wining ways. So let’s do the hard yards and find him our very best selections from the games played on Sat/Sun/Mon of this weekend listed on the Bill Hill or Bet 365 links. Making the final picks for our beloved team’s game at West Brom we have Mandie Moo. Mandie’s a lovely old girl as you’d find out if you get to metre. (alright, I know but I think I made a rod for my own back with these blessed puns!) Mandie’s got a hat-trick of wins when picking the final six and will be hoping for a chain reaction with the help of you PUPs to get her a win in this part of Ray’s signature. Let’s find her some great suggestions from the options on Bill Hill and Bet 365. As it’s a memorable weekend BTTSanon has kindly offered to place a couple of lines of Both Teams To Score. So please make your suggestions with you picks. These companies who support our work to raise funds for the CSF and our wonderful Downe's Syndrome Team of boys and girls have all renewed their support for another year. This is reflected in the new totals on Ray’s signature So we would like to say a massive thank you to: - http://www.turnereuropeanconsulting.com/ https://www.kareplus.co.uk/norwich/ If any other companies out there would also like to support our efforts, we'll be happy to add you to our list of links on this thread every week. So now I’ll hand the thread over to Inchy and Mandie Moo. Remember there’s no pressure because we are all going to be doing our best to help you to success. We all stand together with the single aim of raising money for the Community Sports Foundation and our fabulous Downs Syndrome boys and girls. Good luck all you PUPs... take it away Bernie and Mandie ... the thread is yours.......🙂.......... As always I leave you with Ray’s signature which now reads :- Carve their names with pride.Yankee,5,Fellas,3,P'boro,2,Mr Chops,2,NewYork,2, Inch High,5, Blahblahblah, NCFC_Shaun, 1st Wazzock,4, Fonejacker,3, Norfolkbroadslim,3, Norfolkchance1,2, Scooby,3, Trent Canary,3, Cosmic Twin,6, Graham Humphrey, Leedscanary,3, NcfcStar, Herman, Delia’s Devonshire Dirtbox,3, Lappinitup, Statto, Mandie Moo,3, Mr Bump, Kathy,2, Til1010,3, Snake-eyes, Vindo,2, NWC, Hughesy, Gregt,2, GMF,3, SwindonCanary, Twidio, Hector Brockelbank, Lake District Canary,2, Bor Bor Bor, Yellowfuture, Chellecity,2, Diesel Doris, Lessingham Canary, Molly Windley, Parma Ham’s gone mouldy,3, Feedthewolf,2, AJ, JB, PurpleCanary,2, Hoola Han Solo, Diane, Hissing Sid, yes Norfolkchance1 £2038 for the Academy, and £2623 for the Community Sports Foundation. And with the Norwich match bet. Splutcho, jb,2, Redders Right Foot,2, Hector Brockelbank, Blahblahblah,2, Can u sit down please, Til1010,2, Mandie Moo’s Mear Kat,2, Crabbycanary,4, Paul, Stewfil, Parma Ham’s gone mouldy, Bor Bor Bor, Mr Apples,2, Woostercanary,3, City-til-I-die, The Great Drinkell,2, nutty,4, Feedthewolf,2, Lappinitup,4, NWC,2, Hoola Han Solo,3, Twidio,2, Ray, PUPanon,2, Molly Windley, 93vintage,2, ClareW, Van Wink,2, Diane, AJ,2, Norfolkchance1,Yellowfuture,2, Graham Humphrey,3, Diesel Doris,3, Duncan Edwards,3, Legend Iwan, YorkshirePudding, Kathy, Platonic,3, Cosmic Twin,4, Mr Jenkins, Reggie, Snake-eyes,2, I’m A Banana, ZLF,2, Lake District Canary, norfolkngood, Syteanric, Felixfan, TeamPUPs, First Wazzock,2, Baldyboy, Len, Jamie Abbott,2, King Canary,2, Hissing Sid, Hammond1612,2, Lessingham Canary, Indy_Bones, KiwiScot, Crafty Canary,GMF, yes PUPs £1567 for the Community Sports Foundation. And with Both Teams To Score bets £126 And in honour and remembrance of much loved PUP Chellecity £422 (Of which £50 was donated to SarcomaUK). And £55 to Prostate Cancer UK with Keelansgrandad. And with £4371 for the CSF from the Pink Un Pledges, sponsorships donations and competitions we now have a total of £11,232 since we began £1,639 of which is already banked for the next presentation. Rays Funds on Twitter : https://twitter.com/Raysfunds Rays Funds on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/groups/124098287639888/

going on loan to Ipswich ... .. according to TWTD ... 🤣

A point I made earlier ICF, you put it much better than I could and with the stats to back it up, it's as I said, we're better away and have nothing to fear from Albion or Leeds.

Also I'd say there is no doubt home advantage is a real factor in football. The level varies from league to league and season to season but it is there. For example looking at the Premier League, home sides win on average roughly 50% of the time, draws are 25% of games and away wins are around 25%. The exact percentages vary a bit each season but a quick scout around the internet shows plenty of stats backing up these sort of levels applying widely. Using 50/25/25 for simplicity and assuming home advantage in the Championship is the same level, would mean that the "average" team would get 63.25 points from a 46 game season, which I've calculated on 50% win rate at home, 25% draws for all games, winning away 25%. Last season, 67 points gave Bristol City 11th place so the "average" team would indeed have come in at 12th place. Obviously to get 1st/2nd, you need to out-perform the average team. In terms of points per game, on my maths at home winning 50% and drawing 25% translates into 1.75 ppg. Away, winning 25% and drawing 25% gives 1 ppg. This is why our away performances this season are so impressive. We're marginally better than average at home, 1.92 vs 1.75 translates into about 2 points above average at this stage of the season, which isn't anything to write home about. Whereas our 1.85 ppg away from home is truly impressive as it comes in about 11 points above average. It's our away form which has put us in 2nd place, our home form is hardly better than the average. If you took away those 11 points, we'd be down in mid table (with Bristol City again). Of course its important that we've maintained home form at a decent level. If our home results were worse than average, it would be really difficult to overcome that by our away performances. But it's not misleading to say our away results are the foundation of our success, so far, this season, because that's where we are performing better than average. Going forward of course, what would be best would be to improve our home results (so they're significantly better than average), while at the same time keeping our good away performances....

That’s really cool!

https://youtu.be/6NyeWzH6f84

Each to there own westcoast seems like we don't agree on much... funny old game.

Well if no-one else is going to say it, I will. Delia made the cake.

I honestly couldn’t care less if we never played them again. In fact, if they went bust and reformed as Ipswich19 and played in the EvoStik Jewson Combination or whatever, that would be mucking farvellous.

If you play the record backwards you can hear a womans shrill voice shouting "let's be avvin you, I am a binner". 🙂

Or he plays well for them, Ipswich take some points off out promotion rivals and Norwich go up. Webber shouldn’t give two ****s if it is Ipswich or not. If the deal is good for Norwich, he should do it.

Yep I know this one also.

I know the link was an unknown then in 1969 but appeared on Peter Blakes 50th anniversary Sgt Pepper Album Cover.

I know, and my daughter bought the album and got said person to sign the cover. It now hangs on her wall.

Yep, exceedingly good.

Me too 😁

I know this one too.

Haha yes, I know this one! 🙂

I am still laughing at them and thoroughly enjoying their plight, but I still have a horrible nagging doubt about the derby. Once we've put them to the sword I'll be back in full schadenfreude mode!

please sir I know Mr Kipling does.....

Come on, this was a very funny comment by me an no one appreciated it! Philistines.

He must be the first Ipswich player to be tracked since Gary Croft had his tag removed...

Lambert continues his search for player

Because they're in the red?

I thought he was a cowboy last season but now I see I was wrong. Bloke on the other horse must Eddie How!

It's the Pinkun, best to just let the bitter middle-aged men vent their spleens on here than other areas of their existence.