Wandering Someplace West

It has to be put quite bluntly - Nobby you truly are talking out of where the sun don''t shine. Being a Norfolk exile, I will be lucky to make 1/2 games at Carrow Road this season. With work / family / other commitments (some of us do have them) I am aiming to make about half a dozen away games. Don''t you dare tell me, or Wiz, or anybody else, that because we don''t see every ball kicked, that our opinions are less valid. I''m assuming you have an opinion on how well David Beckham and Michael Owen have done in Spain? Correct? Is that based on your attendence at every Real Madrid game? Dross, I''m afraid Nobby, utter dross. When I queued for tickets in the snow at 6am during the European run and been a fraction from getting arrested  or trampled under a horse during the Chase protest, it sickens me that you can even come out with such insulting and arrogant squit. Enjoy your cloud cuckoo season ticket my friend.   

[quote]I much as I hate to say it, he is entitled to a loyalty bonus as he has not put in a transfer request.[/quote] Francis may not have physically requested to leave, but I think his actions speak louder than any formal request. Skulking like a little kid and pulling out of games because ''my head is not right'' Was Bryan Gunn''s head right after Francessa''s death? Of course not. But he never whinged once, got on with the job and showed tremendous dignity. That''s loyality.

I like Flem. Whole-hearted, commited, a great servant. And I would like to see a role for him at the club. Just not on the pitch! Last season, he was woefully lacking in pace, positioning and his reading of the game. And even the season before that, I thought it was Malky who looked the commanding and organising centre back, not Flem. Not to diss Flem at all - he''s been a great player, but come August this year, I only see him as second or third choice.

I''d love to say I''d just do a very calm, very cool Thierry Henry shrug of the shoulders type thing. In reality, I think I''d do a mental and jump in Block D/E of the Barclay, and probably get sent off.

[quote]Did you attend many games last season.Most of the knockers on here dont just mean the fulham game there was a awfull lot of other matches he didnt turn up for. if as i said in my thread francis has go...[/quote] Yes. Did you ?

I keep hearing about Francis'' attitude and his going ''missing'' in games, and yes, it has happened. But I don''t think it''s half as bad as some on here make out. The Fulham game is a particularly bad example - for one thing nobody in the side turned up that day, and secondly Francis had to carry Holt for 2/3 of the game. And if we''re going to talk about people going ''missing'' in games, can I also point you in the direction of David Bentley, Craig Fleming, Thomas Helveg and Gary Holt - with the exception of Bentley, all far more experienced senior pros than Francis. When someone quits, or goes public in saying they want to quit, by all means lay into them if it makes you feel better. But until then, a wise man keeps his gob shut.

I simply based this on my belief that WBA, Southampton and Palace won''t win all their remaining games. But I guess what I mean is which ever of the bottom four wins their remaining games will stay up - who ever can piece together a mini run now. I just can''t see all the bottom four suddenly winning. So, I stand by that - if City get 9 (7 maybe?) points from the remaining games, we''re home and dry.

It''s actually really simple. City win their remaining three games and we stay up. And all those games are winnable.

Two words in my humble opinion: Damien Francis

I still have hope and faith, but being realistic, I think we''re on our way down... But what I don''t get is this... Why worry about it? We all KNEW this was going to be pretty much mission impossible. We all KNEW there is a massive gulf in quality from the top of the first disvision to even the bottom of the Premiership. We all KNEW that the club would not have the hard cash to compete with the majority of Premiership sides - an AVERAGE Premiership player goes for around 3/4 million - until 6 weeks ago City''s transfer record was one million. So unless anybody has a hundred million to invest and thinks they can do a better job, shut it. At the end of this season, we will still have NCFC. We will still have football at Carrow Rd. A few years ago we nearly didn''t have a club. Look to the likes of Charlton - it took 2/3 years of yo-yoing between divisions before they could establish themselves as a top flight, and they did that by sticking together, backing the manager and backing the players. And if - and I know its a big if - if we can hold on to the core of the side can you see any one stopping us next season? How many sides would have a strike force like Hucks, Leon and Deano in the first division? Not too many.

[quote]It does strike you as funny though that along with all this best training/coaching/acadamy facilities in the world etc etc etc that we never seem to produce anybody who can 1. Get in the team and s...[/quote] Danny Mils, Darren Eadie, Craig Bellamy, Chris Sutton, Robert Green... Yup, you''re right about the academy - nobody ever makes the grade. Not even worth a place in the reserves. And for what it''s worth, this thread and its attacks on Norwich players is a damn disgrace. I''m no big fan of Hendo, but the treatment dished out on here is appalling. Call yourselves City fans?

First it was Bentleys fault. Then Holt. Then Francis. I think even the tea lady got some stick for putting too much sugar in the players drinks. Now Green is to blame for all thats wrong in the world. Jeez people, get over it already. I''ve said it before and I''ll say it again - Green is the best young goalkeeper in this country. Clear enough? He is better than Robinson, Kirkland and James. Comprehend? Look at the last two England first choices - Seaman and James - they never made errors did they? Nope, solid as a rock, game in, game out. What you  are all forgetting is that Green has been a Premiership goalkeeper for SIX MONTHS. Did you know your job inside out and never made a mistake in the first six months? And have you also forgotten that without Green we wouldn''t even be in this league? Are you the same people that turned on Gunn, booed Goss and applauded Roberts getting subbed when their form dipped? Feels good does it? Well, I hope you enjoy Green playing for England in the next couple of world cups, and winning major European honours at whichever club he ends up at. We can always get Andy Marshall back I guess.

One thing I find quite objectionable is the unmerited criticism of the ''white elephant'' that is City''s youth / academy policy. There may be things wrong at the club, but that isn''t one of them. Any batch of youngsters at any clubs academy is only ever going to produce one, or maybe two players of real quality - ie, Beckham and Mulryne coming through the same youth team at Man Utd. One goes on to captain England, the other settles into a more mundane career at a smaller club. No disrespect to Mullers, but the Beckhams are the exception rather than the rule. The Norwich production line over the years has produced more than its fair share of quality - Sutton, Bellamy and now Greeno to name but three. It has also produced a lot of players who have happily carved out careers at lower levels - Cureton, Llwelyn, Broughton, Akinbiyi etc. Sadly, not everyone quite makes the grade. That''s how talent is - it''s rare. It has nothing to do with a poor youth policy. The likes of Shackell, Jarvic, Hendo and Crow are on the fringes. They might stay there, or they might find themselves at Lincoln, or Southend, or Tranmere or wherever, playing professional football at the level their natural ability dictates. That is not a bad youth policy. That''s life. And when you do unearth the real gems - ie England''s number one for the next world cup (it will happen, trust me) - that justifies and explains all you need know about this alledged ''white elephant''.

In the words of Jim Trot... N, n, no, n, no, no, nnn, no, no. YES. Of course we will.

Well said that man - City were  heroes today And to all of you moaning in other threads about conceeding goals, getting relegated, not having quality and slagging off the players who got us into the Premiership - carry on. Just please go and do it at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge with all the other fairweather glory seekers. Or have you got 100 billion in your bank account to invest in the club? No, didn''t think so. We knew the deal when we got promoted - it was going to be damn hard to stay up, and so it is turning out to be. But some of the whingers on here need to look at the guts and grit shown by everyone involved in the club. You might learn a thing or two. And anyway, City go down, so what? They will still be my club, my team. I would support them in the Norfolk Sunday Morning Pub League if it came to it. So come on, if you''re not going to stand shoulder to shoulder in the trenches, go some where else, cos you''re heart don''t bleed yellow and green.    

[quote]I too believe that Damo has been probably our best player this season. I just want to see more of him. I want to see him win a big tackle and drive forward whilst shouting at everyone. We need a big...[/quote] True But we must remember even the most inexperienced players in that quartet have been playing international and premiership football for five years. Francis has been in the premiership for five months. I saw both Gerrard and Terry struggle in their first season or two. Keane has played top class football for 15 years, Vierra has won the world cup. I think it''s a lot to ask a lad who was at Wimbledon 18 months ago to match that! But give it time, and maybe he will

Hurrah! Once again it''s let''s knock Damien ''Best Midfielder at the Club'' Francis. What games do you people watch? If you want to talk about people going missing during games, go watch Helveg. He goes missing as often as his ''passes''. Ditto David Bentley. If you want to see people missing tackles, go watch Mulryne. Great player given time and space, but who creates that. Yup, Francis. Jonson ? Improving, but not exactly a goal scoring threat is he? Honestly... I really don''t think Gary Holt is Premiership quality, BUT if the likes of Helveg, Bentley and Mulryne had half his bottle, we might get somewhere. I exempt Safri from this because I don''t feel he''s had a real chance to prove himself, and Hucks because he is Hucks and the Chosen One. But the others? They could learn a thing or two from Damo.

Sorry, but it''s a no from me. A few flicks and a love of long, speculative shots on goal when there is a simple pass on, don''t impress me much. Dammo is worth three Bentleys.

I have it on very good authority that the Wiz is eating a large slice of humble pie at the moment. Although as of when I left work today at 4.30 it still wasn''t 100% confirmed, though near as damn it. Wiz has also informed me that under no circumstances what so ever will Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry and Rio Ferninand be joining City in the transfer window.

[quote]"For your future reference there are only four sources worth taking note of. 3: Radio Norfolk" LOL, come on Wizard, do you not think Radio Norfolk get their sporting/news info from their bigger BBC ...[/quote] A rather nice leg of lamb, with roasts and seasonal veg, followed by Death By Chocolate pudding. Some of us did want to know. And for the football moaners... Zamora is a donkey, pure and simple. Came from Brighton. They have a nice beach there for donkeys. But with the money Worthy has, I''m afraid our only concern is exactly what level of donkey we will get. Cos small change don''t get quality. Simple. Anyone know any cliches about peanuts and monkeys?