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https://www.alongcomenorwich.com/articles/the-lambert-diaries-part-4#

Last season, Fulham lost just one game from the 16th December to the end of the season - the final game against Birmingham (had they won, they would have achieved automatic promotion). Fulham went on to defeat Derby and Aston Villa in the play-offs to secure promotion to the PL. Imagine the morale in the squad, and the sense of achievement, to go so long unbeaten and then to win the play-offs. In the summer Fulham spent £112m on new players. With a new manager long since in charge, Fulham started on Saturday with just three players who lined up in that play-off game at Wembley - Mitrovic, Ream and Odoi. Four more of that Wembley squad were on the bench. There were eleven changes to the play-off squad. So for an outlay of £112m, Fulham have won just 4 from 26 games, losing 17. They are currently 8 points adrift from safety (9 if you include their dreadful goal difference). Norwich have surprised most of us this season, so as far as I'm concerned, if they were to get promoted, next season in the PL would amount to a 'free-hit'. That would mean giving the majority of the current squad a chance to prove themselves in the PL. If the likes of Aarons, Lewis and Godfrey are being scrutinized by PL scouts, then they should be good enough to play in the PL for Norwich. No silly money wasted on 'big transfers'. It is far more satisfying picking up players for 'peanuts' and proving others wrong.Save funds for future 'rainy' seasons. Sticking with Farke regardless of the results. The entertainment, effort and style served up on a weekly basis by the current crop of players deserves continuity next season in the PL should promotion ensue.

Really? Have you watched us this season? Surprised to see such OTT negativity when we’ve got the second best record in the league for coming from behind in matches.

This is a key point for our future... Last summer we had an unproven manager who was unknown to the general public and being questioned by a lot of fans, two players who were of any significant value, both of whom we sold, and had Maddison's injury been more severe and his transfer fallen through we would have been in major financial trouble. Today, we have a table-topping squad which honestly could probably hold its own in the Premiership already, and between Buendia/Aarons/Leitner/Pukki/Lewis/Godfrey/Vrancic/Stiepermann/Cantwell/Klose if he extends his deal, we have easily 100-150m worth of assets that we are under absolutely no obligation to sell and arguably the most exciting and increasingly talked-about young manager in the country. I think we'll go up and I don't think any of our big stars will leave, unless someone gets a call from a massive club that has a track record of trusting in young players for the fist team and will pay us 20m+. Honestly the only side I can see who would fit that bill right now is maybe Dortmund. But if we do lose anyone, then (a) We will be able to afford a replacement, and (b) from everything we've seen so far, I'm certain Webber and Farke have already identified targets to bring in if we need them.

Boxing gloves you say.... The return of the Mac?

Lovely message of condolence from Pele.

Decent manager and an honest bloke is Alex, more than petulant Paul Lambert will ever be......

I noted Declan Rudd got a round of applause from NCFC fans at HT too. Who knew that you can maintain a positive relationship with the fans if youre not an egomaniacal little c***. Its almost as if you get respect from the fans if you behave like an adult after leaving instead of jeremy kyle fodder antics

Alex Neil showing plenty of class at the end.

I'm not sure who hasn't missed at this point.

I love the way that they always have to mention "parachute payments" Don't they realise that to get parachute payments, (1) you have to have an ambitious owner, (2) you have to good managers, (3) you have to have excellent players and (4) you have to be good enough to get into the PL. You don't get parachute payments for being a rubbish club in The Championship for nearly two decades.

In Norwich it's the same thing....

I played against him whilst serving in the Royal Navy and he was in in the USA

If you could see your way clear to a repeat off this tonight it would be very much appreciated.

We didn't have Leitner or Vrancic. Tettey with either of those has been just fine. Surely Trybul was in the Vrancic/Leitner position today. Farke soon saw it and changed shape with Trybul replaced at HT.

I remember in the 01/02 season we made the playoffs by one goal- think we'd scored a late consolation v Bradford when we lost heavily that season that essentially made all the difference.

Nelson just scored a belter that puts Ipswich further in the ****, so not a total bust of a night.

Reality check We are still 2nd Only 1 point off top No real damage to GD 32 games, 60 points Still in our own hands Keep the faith

Passlack hattrick incoming

This is also one of those games I'm really resenting watching via red button. Three goals, two pens, goal ruled out for handball, loads of chances and no bloody replays.

Ipswich have equalised against Frank Lampard's Derby Frank Lampard of Lampard's Derby

Anyway, been a great season so far. Keep the faith! Come on you Yellows!

This. Don’t actually think we’re playing that badly. We know we’ll create chances as already proven. Luck hasn’t been with us so far, Preston are playing really well....and we can’t score f***ing penalties!!!!!!!!!

Plenty of grumbles on here aren't there? Game is only just over a quarter gone against a team on a roll. We've proved we have the skill and the stamina. Keep the faith and trust Farke and the team to sort it out.

Chuckle. Good stuff again. It's the gift that keeps on giving with Lambert, isn't it?

That's a relief - I first read that as Free Bear All those ladies who got excited when they saw Free Willy advertised in the 80's

Can't really agree with both Tettey and Trybull in the middle as we'll be sorely missing the creativity that either Vrancic or Leitner bring to the table. Would rather have seen McLean or Cantwell given a go there instead of the more defensive pairing tbh.

I watched the game and saw the incident 'live' and immediately said he's dived. I also said (not long after that) Forest should be awarded a penalty for the shirt pull in the box. If I can see it slobbing on my couch, how on earth Lee Mason did not, defies belief. Both times his view was unhindered.

Ruel's got a dodgy knee these days and Louie's lost a lot of pace, so I think we should probably pass on them at the moment!

Nailed on for scapegoat of the season until he left though.

This doesn't really address the question which started on this thread because a bookie had Preston favourite for tonight, a situation that seemingly has altered since we started talking about this. City's results are City's performance so by definition there is no mismatch. That these results are not supported by the analytics would seem to indicate the analytics are flawed if their predictive ability is the measure of their success. If the City's results don't match those predicted that is surely a failure of the model used rather than City outperforming.

I don’t think anyone has ever said it is gospel. The thing that is so wonderful about football and for me lifts it above all other sports is its marginality. A team can be thoroughly out played but still win as goal events are so low in football. That doesn’t happen in most other sports.

If this insight was gospel the bookies wouldn’t exist for you to place the bets!

We need this sort of insight on Ray's Funds Beth.

Yes, but in a very different system. They provide the defensive platform to allow Maddison to not have to worry about tracking back and staying in dangerous locations. Without Maddison the main source of creativity in the team has been either Leitner or Vrancic.

What a time to be alive😀

Genius again Duncan. Not sure there were enough mentions of winning the Champions League though...😂

How many times have we heard a myriad of reasons why it would be better to stay here than move to a bigger club in the past? And how many times has the player in question stayed? None as far as I know. No matter how much players enjoy being here, if there’s a lucrative offer on the table, they will secure their future and leave. 12 months in football is a very long time and there’s no guarantee that an equal or better offer will be there a season later.

It's a hugely important factor in determining how many points you pick up; indeed, it can turn a decent team into a promotion winning team, or a hopeless team into a relegation-avoiding one (as all those Ipswich supporters blaming their plight on the sale of Waghorn clearly realise).

We're winning this League, I've no stats to back it up, I'm telling ya.

Rumour has it that a fresh entry has been discovered in a lay-by somewhere near Kesgrave...

Six QPR players booked in injury time - must be some sort of record. Begs the question why the other five didn’t get ‘stuck in’........

This is all a play for the ipswich fans. It takes the focus away from how badly they play and their hopeless position in the league table. It also creates a victim mentality with PL as the fans cheerleader so that they will blame everybody else except Lambert for their predicament. He just needs to keep the fans on his side until the end of the season, so we can expect to see more outbursts and the Noriwch situation dragged out for a while yet. Farke is playing it coolly, the perfect response to Lambert's nonsense.

A huge inspiration to me in my youth and last I shared his company was over a meal and nine holes at the Links, West Runton in 1997. My condolences go out to his lovely family. Sad news.

Legend of a goalkeeper and not up his own backside like one or two of the England goalies that followed him. Such a shame he had that car crash which effectively ended his career far too early. RIP

Seems like my phone has a Norfolk autocorrect👍

Compare his comments to Farke’s comments in the press conferences and there’s a huge gulf in both maturity and class - I’m actually completely embarrassed for Paul Lambert, what is he, 12?

A legend of the game and a great loss to English and world Football

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to..... laugh😆