August 64

I agree with Smooth. Those final minutes and the feeling at the final whistle is often the emotion that remains the longest from the day. Thinking about Saturday I cannot imagine how I would have felt about the game had I left at 80 minutes but having stayed to the end and applauded the players off the pitch I carry with me positive feelings going into next week''s game. August 64

Cold Mountain.

I live near Paul Connolly (supposed target of Roeder).  Don''t know him though so can''t influence his decision! August 64

[quote user="JaundicedJockGeorgy"]If you keep buying/loaning League One players you end up with a League One team. And which division best suits a League One team?[/quote] So you are saying that since we are loaning Premiership players that we will end up with a Premiership team are you? 

[quote user="1st Wizard"] Especially as Glen needs to add quite a few new players to his dwindling squad in the summer hols.. Well, every penny saved and all that!.[^o)] [/quote] Yes is the answer. Now ...could you possibly avoid starting attention seeking threads is a much more difficult question to answer.

I do have to say that I am very glad that the Pink Un now offers us a "new wallpaper" featuring the squad of 2006-07!!  I think that Peter Grant will turn them into a table-topping team. 

[quote user="All dots"]Disgraceful. Yet again I had to drive into work steeling myself for the inevitable jibes and jeering which duly occurred. Thanks Norwich.[/quote] Spare a thought for those of us who had to drive home after the game then!  I got home at 3 AM and it didn''t feel any better then than it had at 10 PM.  As to work - I haven''t had a single person mention it to me.  That must mean either that I am a hard man who can strike fear into peoples hearts with a single glance or that nobody I work with gives a monkeys whether Norwich win or lose - sadly the latter seems by far the most likely reason.  My long-suffering wife told me that we were the next to last game on MOTD despite being the biggest upset - at the moment we don''t even register on the radar of the average "football supporter".  August 64

What a game.  Rubbish first 45 and at half time I was wondering why I had travelled all that way and then incredible in the 2nd half.  Croft and Fozzy outstanding.  Croft simply tore them apart.   Marshall 7, no real chance with goal Otsemobor 7 at fault in lead up to their goal.  Great support for Crofty 2nd half doherty 6 exposed in first half much improved in 2nd shackell 6 ok game  camara 7 poor first great second Croft 9, score mainly for 2nd half when he was simply fantastic ! best 45 minutes by any City player this season rusty 7  Lost in first half but everywhere in the 2nd fozzy 8  really dominant in 2nd half another great performance bertrand - 6 supported Camara well but not very creative  dion 7 led line well ched 7 took goal well and caused lots of probs in 2nd half hucks 7, continued the torment of Barnsley but by then they were on the canvas  cureton 6, a late irritant jarvis not on long enough to judge

I find myself feeling strangely confident.  I''m loving GR''s firm approach to dead wood - he is a breath of fresh air.  He is moving swiftly and assuredly and so far I completely trust his judgement.  If we haven''t added 3 names before the window closes I may feel less confident but I''m expecting new faces in the team and a really interesting squad by the time PNE arrive on 2nd Feb. August 64

Graham Paddon was quite simply one of the very greatest ever to pull on our beloved shirt.  His fantastic left-foot, work rate, style will always live with me.  As part of the great 71-72 heroes he deserves every accolade paid to him.  This is a very very sad day for anyone who holds our Club close to their heart.  If you never saw him play I urge you to read all about him and join those of us who will honour him on Saturday with tears in our eyes.

Marshall 4 - what happened to the great shot stopper?   Looked clownish at times. Semmy 6 - gave us some width and speed Taylor 6 - his understanding with Shacks still needs work and looks a bit slow.  Looked like a groin strain took him off. Shacks 5 - Confidence shot. Lappin 6 - showed some class but not a defender. Croft  7 - scored higher for effort rather than output Russell 7 - similarly worked hard, no creative spark.  Great shot hit bar. Spillane 5 - off the pace, really struggled at centre back when Taylor went off Brellier 4 - words fail me Murray 4 - got stuck in.  Has no idea as an attacking force. Cureton 6 - no service.  Should have scored when he hit the post, worked hard. Martin 4 - no service but did nothing at all with the scraps he was fed.  Looked uninterested. Brown 7 - caused problems for Plymouth in short time on. Striker 5 - only on a short while.  Has the bemused look down to a fine art now. Roeder 5 - Must wonder what the hell he has taken on.  It looks like his job is to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. Do not be fooled by us hitting he woodwork twice.  We could have lost by 5 or 6.  Plymouth missed some gilt edged opportunities.    

I''ll be there hoping for a performance 10 times better than last year''s no show but not with too much optimism. August 64

I''m not an idiot and I don''t understand, but thanks for your bigotry. I have a five and a half hour drive to get home after the game and I don''t leave early - sorry you don''t understand. August 64

[quote user="we8wba"] i was suprised at your lack of turn out on sat [/quote] I wasn''t surprised.  Having been on the receiving end of some rather nasty and unprovoked attacks on previous visits even I thought twice about it, but in the end the urge to be there was too strong.  After 90 minutes my urge to be almost anywhere else rather than witnessing more of that debacle of a performance was even stronger! August 64  

A truly shocking and diabolically inept performance which has to be right up with the very worst I have witnessed in over 40 years of following the team.  No excuses please players and staff - change now or we will suffer the consequences. I''m sorry but Hucks did not look interested at all - he may be upset about the quality around him but this kind of no-show from a highly paid professional is unacceptable.  He was not alone. The two sendings off were irresponsible and fully deserved.  Brellier particularly so since we were already down to 10 men - kicking the ball away is pathetic in those circumstances. I cannot point to one reasonable performance from someone in a Norwich shirt let alone a good one. There is no hiding place - it was all a total disgrace.  The journey back to Cold Mountain left me feeling cheated and very sad indeed.  No excuses please from management or players.  I want changed attitudes, tactics and blood sweat and tears for the shirt - without those we are in big big trouble. August 64

HeHe....quality stuff!  I am in fact a calendar and indeed the only talking wolf in the country also. Is it me?

[quote user="a1canary"] I still contest that we lost becuase we conceded a stupid goal. If we hadn''t we''d have one. Simple. [/quote] Simple to you maybe but I have not got a clue what you are talking about!  What did we lose and what is that we would have one of?

I''ve just surfaced after a long sleep after not getting back to Cold Mountain after the game until 4.30 this morning.  I always enjoy(?) reading the match thread on here after I have been at the game to see how many crazy statements about how people are performing are made by people not at the match. Why do people make judgements on the basis of Neil Adams or Teletext - by all means be exasperated, overjoyed, frustrated, or elated about the way the game is progressing but why comment on how individuals are playing and formations that you cannot see with your own eyes? (Rant over) Did we play well? NO Did Rochdale play well? YES Did we deserve to win? YES Was it an embarassing no-show of the type often experienced in the past few years? NO Was it all the centre-backs fault? NO they were not helped by the midfield and left exposed on a number of occasions. Is Murray rubbish? NO but he can and will need to play much better than he has in the first two games I have seen him in.  I am gobsmacked by the number of people condemning him who have not seen him play once. For those who say he should not have played I say that he needs games and that Rochdale away is not a bad game to give him. This was my second visit to Spotland and a good time was had except for getting stuck in a queue on the M6!  August 64  

I wouldn''t disagree.  I thought Russell was the pick of the team.  It was a a good performance in the circumstances.  A clean sheet away from home is always a positive. I am staggered (I don''t know why!) by the negative comments of people who weren''t at the match. Preston will not do much this year on the evidence of today but we will be fitter and better prepared in weeks to come and I was enouraged by the tenacity and spirit I saw yesterday.

[quote user="Web Team - Vince"]A computer somewhere between us and the webservers is dragging its heels... Has he turned up too late for their team photo too? [/quote] Surprised you decided against the Sinner becomes Saint headline Pete!

Two too

The half-time scores slowly being put using those metal numbers on the "scoreboard" in the River End. Opening the metal gates between the South Stand and the River End 10 minutes from the end of the game and wandering through if we were attacking the Barclay in the second half. Standing in the River End as the fog descended in the League Cup semi against Chelsea. Joe Mullett''s red face as he stood by the post at corners. The almighty crush in the river end at the relegation decider against Crystal Palace and the huge surge as Stringer''s header went in.  Buying Rolos from the sweets guy going round the ground and people passing them back through the crowd to me. Singing "Mike Walker''s green and yellow army" for 20 minutes in the empty San Siro after the game there - proud to be a Norwich supporter. Paddon''s hat-trick at Highbury. Running the length of the pitch at Watford before the championship winning game. The thrill of seeing Jimmy Bone attacking defenders. Keelan''s left hook against Northampton and then watching next day again on Match of the Week. The 5-2 victory at Brammall Lane - total football from Norwich at our best. Partying at Crewe.  

Excellent post Wiz. Last year I took some pretty heavy abuse at a couple of games from supporters around me when I suggested that Etuhu had the makings of a good player.  Now he sounds like Maradona and Pele combined according to some posters on this board.  Personally I think £1.5 million is a great price. I do feel sorry for Grant because of the sudden nature of the departure but ultimately he needs to build his own team in his own style.   

[quote user="Hotdog"] good point blybly as much as hurts me to say it if Hucks walked out the fans would finally realise that the club is in disaray [/quote] OK so following your logic if he stays we are not in disaray I take it.

This game turned out to be pretty standard fare for the first friendly of a new season. The sun was hot and the pitch in good shape.  For some reason the away standing area was closed off so all the Norwich fans were sat on the side of the pitch mixed in with Exeter fans.  The Norwich turnout was amazingly good with at least 200 and maybe even 300 of the 1500 crowd being Norwich fans. Obvious absentees from the Norwich squad were Hucks, Etuhu, Lappin, Fotheringham, Ostemboor, Marshall, Gilks. When you line up with Eagles at left back and a central midfield pairing of Doc and Spillane you know you are watching a friendly and with Chadwick wide on the left and Jamie and Dave the Striker up front most of the interest was in how we gelled going forward.  In reality we did not learn too much.  Dave looks to have an excellent touch but I thought that he looked bemused at times - but he needs these pre-season games.  Cureton looked as bright as a button and showed some good skills in beating men on the ground.  Problem was that in central midfield we were hopeless and Eagles is a terrible left-back.  Put Shacks alongside Eagles and it has disaster written all over it.  This fear came to pass as Exeter scored 2 very easy goals in quick succession against non existent defending and pretty ropey goalkeeping from Lewis. Exeter could have added one or two more.  Dublin was working hard to try and organise those to his left.  By comparison Hughes at right back looked solid. In the final 20 minutes of the half we managed to get more control and Chadwick got himself an equaliser. He and Croft caused some problems out wide and made up for the non-existant central midfield. At half time the changes began.  Lewis off for Gallagher, Dublin off so that Doc could go into the back 4 and Eagles off to allow Drury on.  The defence looked far more comfortable then and Safri''s arrival meant that suddenly we were bossing the midfield instead of surrendering it.  Cureton only lasted the 45 minutes and Martin and Brown supplemented the front line where to my surprise Dave the S remained. I would say that we had much the better of the second half without ever looking like scoring. Hughes hit the bar but that was a mishit cross!  Ryan Jarvis came on for Dave and even Halliday got a few minutes.  Meanwhile Smart gave us some interest on the right. Overall it was a meaningless first friendly and a good session in hot conditions.  We learnt that the Doc is even worse in midfield than he is at the back, Spillane looked unfit to me, Eagles was slow and all at sea at left back, Shacks looks to have little confidence - has he advanced in the past 3 years? Cureton was the pick for me, Safs controlled the game, Martin looked sharp too, and as for Big Dave wll the jury will have to hold its verdict for a few weeks at least.  We may have a front line of a show pony and a shetland pony (albeit a quick goalscoring one). Don''t read much into the team, formation, result or performance. It was holiday fare but pretty enjoyable all the same. August 64