Headbanger

One key thing people are missing - especially those who say ''Some of the chances were so easy I would have scored them'' - is that you have to be there to miss in the first place, which is all about the ability to read the game and position yourself. But then more importantly, you have to be big enough and brave enough to put yourself in that exact position again, and then run the risk of missing again. Saturday was a prime example - Curo misses a sitter (albeit it was offside but a sitter nonetheless) but then 3 mins later when the pen is awarded, who slots it away? Curo could have hidden - Dion or Hucks could have taken it. But no, he took it on. That''s the difference. Rush had it, Shearer had it, Lineker had it. Curo does too.

Curo became a City legend the day he ran out at Portman Rd with green hair and scored within 4 minutes......He remains, and will remain, a legend. Dips in form are temporary. Saha, Andy Johnson, Andy Cole at his peak, Solsjkar, Henry, all top, top players, I''ve seen them all miss sitters  They just play(ed) in sides that created more than one chance a game.......

I don''t post here as often as I should, but felt I should today after reading some of the comments about the Leicester result... I too am gutted at the performance and the result. We were poor, poor, poor today and questions are rightly being asked about selection, players and tactics. But cast your minds back to that miserable Monday at Loftus Rd when City delivered one of the most woeful performances I''ve ever seen from a professional team. If someone had told you that night that by mid Feburary we would be mid table having just had a 13 match unbeaten run, what would you have done? Laughed at them probably as it was so unrealistic. But, that is where we are. One defeat in 14 games of football ain''t so bad. And if you want to be statistical about it, look at the last three away games - had we got three draws at Southampton, Cardiff and Leicester we would probably all be reasonably happy, but it would only have brought three points. As it is, we''ve got six.... I''m not saying all is rosy, but let''s not be too down about one lost battle today. The bigger war is still very much on. OTBC 

One thing I''ve found myself thinking a lot recently which I believe dovetails with this thread quite nicely, is that younger footballers and the next generation of kids seem to be interested in the trappings of being a pro footballer rather than the football itself. In many cases, the motivation seems to be the flash pad, sports car and pop star girlfriend, rather than the desire to win and do well. I''ll pick Ashley cole as an example - not to single him out as he is no worse than many others but he does illustrate the point - but he is a millionaire in his early 20''s, earning (I''m guessing...) around £50K + a week, with houses, cars and a Girls Aloud wife. When he goes home to all that, how much does a defeat or poor performance really hurt him? I don''t begrude anyone their money for their job, I just feel the balance is becoming increasingly skewed.

With the seemingly ongoing recruitment drive for shelf stackers at Morrisons and cleaners at the new hotel, I''m not sure its even one of the top 24 jobs on Carrow Rd...

Don''t like Robson as a manager, but if you''re looking for a Sheff Utd connection, I''d have Warnock at the drop of a hat. I know his history is colourful and he is prone to the odd unsavoury moment, but I''d rather have him on our side than anyone elses. I''m convinced he would do a job at Championship level.

Look at just a handful of names from recent City history: Fleck, Roberts, Newman, Mackay, Gunn. I''m sure there''s more but they are the obvious ones to illustrate my point. All those players had flaws in their game, and on some occassions, all of them could have an absolute mare....BUT, one thing they all had in abundance was leadership, character and spirit. The ability to dig in, motivate those around them and not hide on the pitch, even when it was all going pear-shaped. With Andy Hughes gone, the only other player in the squad of the same type is Dion. I think we are probably missing this more than anything else, and its having a greater impact on results that any tactical matter.

I was under the impression that football was about scoring more goals than the other team. Forgive me if I missed something. It amazes me how people can twist things to suit their argument. For example, Leicester''s win is sneezed at because Villa are not 3rd in the Prem. No, they''re not, but they are a good side who happen to be managed by someone that many NCFC supporters believe is one of the best. Another example, if the first was a bit too difficult: Man Utd''s kids are rubbish? OK, if that is true, why did we all kick up such a fuss about not being able to get Ryan Shawcross at City? Surely, as a Man Utd ''kid'' he is rubbish, right? So, however you slice it, the argument is failing to stand up. (Incidentally, the Man Utd side, although weak, still included Wes Brown, Carrick, Nani, O''Shea and Anderson.....) Still, as long as we lose in the right way.

.....We are told to celebrate and be proud of a 1.0 defeat against Man City reserves.   We really have come a long way haven''t we?