Hairy Canary

I know Paul seems to get under some peoples skin now and again but surely its not just Worthy Outers who are concerned about the lack of signings. Ask Huckerby.

I think thats pretty much right Saint. The board are having to budget for next year now. After all any players we sign now, and many we already have, will have their wages paid for out of next years income. How long are Etuhu''s and Hughes contracts for example? With that in mind it is obvious that if we do not go up we are going to have a massively reduced income streem next year. The parascute money will be gone and season tickets are likely to reduce. It''s no good buying players now and then finding we can''t afford them next year, then we really would be in the do-do. I have a horrible feeling that if we don''t go up it will be good-bye to the better players next year. The board gave Worthington his chance last year and he spent it on loans and average runners. Many of the contracts handed out were surprisingly long ones and now we are stuck unless we off-load. My guess is he''s been told, you bought this lot now make the best of it because next year will be hard enough as it is. 

Top post JC. Agreed with every word. Out limited squad size was a liability last year and it''s even smaller this time.  

I''ve read the posts on here for ages but have only recently put a toe in the water as far as posting is concerned. Compared with other NCFC forums this is by miles the most entertaining one. I don''t mind all the spleen venting over Worthington, it''s the main topic after all! I always enjoy Mook and Mellow Yellow who often make me laugh (believe me with my job that takes some doing!) and Saint is always interesting and reasonable, although I tend not to agree with all of what he says. Paul Rankin, what can you say? Often he starts fine and then ends up going on a random, yet repetative, rant. I always feel like responding to his posts which can''t be bad. But for taking the biscuit it''s got to be Blah x3. Please Mr Blah try and be a bit more accomodating. Whatever the club says or does you agree with, surely you have an oppinion of your own? Also, try and understand that when other posters are critical it is bourne out of concern for the club they want to succeed: they can''t sit silent and watch things going in what they feel is the wrong direction.    

I first thought you were having a joke, some sort of irony! Henderson is a good lad, he works really hard and want''s to do well but no way is he under-rated. Quite the oposite, he has been given far more chances than his performamnces warent, as oposed to other players such as Jarvis and Mcveigh who should have been used more. I do have sympathy for him playing out of position but if we had had a decent right sided player I don''t think we would have seen much of him at all. I see him being of the standard of Forbes or Easton and will have a career at a lower level but nothing more.

I think thats a fair point Mr Ulf. For me the best transfer policy is definitely evolution not revolution. We have had far too much of the later in the last couple of years. The trouble is that the squad is so unbalanced and has glearing weeknesses because of the wholesale changes and poor buys of the last close season that it''s going to take a lot of sorting. The other worry I have is that our squad doesn''t seem to fit any particular formation. We either don''t have a good enough hold-up man for some sytems or too week a midfield / wide right for others.  .  

I find this all a little strange. Presumably the manager has a prefered formation for the majority of the matches (obviously it might change to suit different senarios and teams) and has therefore been gradually tayloring the squad to suit over the 5 years he has been in charge. This would explain why we haven''t played with an out and out right sided player because Worthington prefers to keep things tight across the midle. IMO we have played a long ball 4-4-2 style for a few years now and had success with it partly because of the big man little man combination up front (several combinations come to mind). The reason why it suddenly looks so awful is because we are trying to play it with two guys up front who can''t head the ball! So why does it now all seem so difficult. The fact that we are suggesting all sorts of systems and finding that the players we have don''t seem to fit any of them is a huge issue. Either Worthington has adopted a different style and has yet to get the players in to fit or he has bought very poorly over the last couple of years and ended up with a dijointed mess. I know which one I believe.    

I''m afraid no. A good proportion of the first 11 is good enough, if they play to their full portential, but the squad has nowhere near enough strength in depth. I can''t see us coping with injuries, suspensions, lack of form or a woeful centre midfield with the squad we have. Sad but no, no chance.    

I know this thread has turned out to be a little frivilous but I''m afraid it does begin to explain why there are two oposing poles over the current situation. Of course Worthington hasn''t plumbed the depths of some, but there is no getting away from the fact that he (and others such as Mr Skipper) have caused offence. You say that you were amazed that anyone took offence at the "true fans" statement. Well my father (who has supported City for over 50 years!) and I were offended and angry; which took some doing as I have never felt like that towards any other manager of the club. I stayed behind after the game by the way. To imply that my father was no longer a true fan because he felt Worthington had messed up a golden oportunity for the club last season and therefore decided not to "celebrate" was ill advised and thoughtless at the very least. The point is this. I haven''t ever abused Worthington yet I felt he was having an underhand dig at people, like me, who feel he should go. It''s not the way to correct the undercurrent of bad feeling. He needed to be building bridges not taking side swipes. I have no doubt at all that comments like "I don''t care what the supporters think" after an inept away performance (forgive me if I can''t remember the exact one, there were several to choose from after all) have contributed towards a lack of respect towards the manager from some supporters. Unfortunately the situation has festered to a considerable degree. We desperately need a good start to the season otherwise the animosity will return. Professional people have to rise above the onlookers and bear in mind the impact and ramifications of what they say.       

I''ve got really mixed feelings - excitement and trepidation. I''m always excited before a new season and this one is no different, after all football is better than no football! This is a fresh start; maybe some of the youngsters will get a chance and do well, injurys might not be so prominant allowing a more settled team and better form. On The Other Hand! The trouble is this year I am really worried about whats in store. If we get the same level of poor management; no youngsters, negative formations, hoofball and players played of possition, then things are going to be grim again. For me the crux of how we will do is down to confidence (like always). If we get off to a poor start, the players will become nervous, the supporters will grumble and it will be hard work. For me the club has missed a trick. The manager should have gone because of the terrible waste of the oportunity the club had last year. It would have given a message that the club was having a fresh start with new ideas and everyone having to prove themselves afresh to the new leader. That chance has gone and we need to get behind what we have, for now. But as I say, "trepidation".    

Hi Herb I sit in the upper Barclay in block D and the atmosphere is fine, you certainly wont get moaned at for singing and lambasting! The banter from the lower Barclay comes upwards and helps start off singing and stuff and really helps. Good friendly bunch near me too. End of last season was really mank but I guess you could say that about anywhere in the ground!