LinkNR9

[quote user="Salford City YELLOW"]Positives: - Surman looks calm/assured/quality - Scored 2 when playing badly - Holt looked alright when he came on Negatives: - Nelson is a donkey - Fox failed in linking defence with midfield and attack - Hoolahan gave the ball away far too much[/quote] What match were you watching? Surman was disappointing. Fox looked very good going forward but not strong enough as the player at the back of the diamond. And Nelson a donkey? What, and Ward was Bobby Moore? Nelson was by far the better of the two centre backs.

[quote user="eddy melito"]fox will get outmuscled for fun as the back of a diamond. he can get the ball and pass it, but you have as much chance of him breaking up an attack as seeing delia going teetotal.[/quote] Agreed; he can pick out a pass going forward but is seriously lightweight in defending. We will miss Darel Russell defensively.  

[quote user="chicken"][quote user="LinkNR9"] [quote user="morty"]Lol, if you say so. [/quote] Yes, I say so. Sorry for having an opinion contrary to yours. Not. [/quote] In actual answer to the actual question - I think we would have won more in the air in their box if Holt had been there and their defence would have had even more of a headache. For me it still has to be Holt and Martin to start at the moment. As for us playing hoofball, I wonder what some games people have been watching, as for Hoolahan not touching the ball since christmas, I really do hope that is a joke! [/quote] Thank you, all I wanted was a sensible observation. With Holt in the team, the temptation is to knock it high and long for the flick-on (as with Crouch in the England team). Based on today''s performance, can we get the ball out wide for crosses whipped in or are we going to get more success going through the centre?

[quote user="morty"]Lol, if you say so. [/quote] Yes, I say so. Sorry for having an opinion contrary to yours. Not.

[quote user="I am a Banana"] me, idiot?! [/quote] Yes - you - idiot.

Yes, you''re right, but if worthy charities benefit, who gives a damn?

We have in the past, yes.

[quote user="Dr. Ink"]http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/24/2040255/pre-season-2010-preston-north-end-0-3-everton-norwich-city-2[/quote] RE your signature, that should be 3 narcotics - add ''Women'' to this!

[quote user="Webbo118"]What are the odds on anyone taking notice of this? Pretty good, I would say. Could be worth a punt![/quote] LOL, you beat me to it!

A genuine question, please, for those who went today. Did we miss Grant Holt? Reading the reports, it sounds that we had to keep the ball on the deck rather than default to any type of hoof-ball - was this suitable for us? Will our style change when Holty returns, or will he be a better option than Martin and / or Jackson?

[quote user="John"]Again, i have to say thanks Googler, that''s a brilliant report. [Y] All very encouraging stuff. Perhaps those extra defined elements in Crofts play will make him that much of a better player than Hughes as a midfielder. The chemistry, although still incomplete, seems to be coming along quite nicely. The forward play seems especially impressive. Despite it only being a friendly, all of Jackson, Martin, Hoolahan, Surman, Fox and now, perhaps more so than ever, McNamee (he was the dynamo that a successful Swindon sides play revolved around prior to us signing him) seem to give off the impression that they possess an abundance of intelligence, the envy of many a side of ours in the past. And i''m anticipating further improvements to this department when we integrate a match fit Holt into the play, more than likely the cleverest target man i''ve seen out of the Premier League in my opinion (if we''re comparing with Chelsea, like Jackson may be our answer to Anelka, perhaps we might have a ''Drogba'' dynamic to the side also?). It is a friendly, and while we may not profit from such relaxed and garnished play in the season, i see no harm in assessing the potential for what might originate out of it [/quote] Hear hear!

I agree. It''s a really good idea, with the money going to charity. As has been said above, though, lucrative pre-saeson tours for the big boys might preclude it.

[quote user="go donowa go"]Hopefully now some posters on here will stop panicking and get a grip. Anyone who slags super chris is a f***in idiot and anyone who thinks we will struggle is a d**k. Championship champions 10-11 otbc [/quote] A couple of points (a) the poster was being ironic, not moronic (unlike some poster...) (b) Even if he / she was being serious, everyone''s got a right to post what they want on here without people like you swearing at them.  

[quote user="RUDOLPH HUCKER"]He had more than his fair share of knockers and also had his failings. But consistent availability and fitness were not amongst them. At least with Doc in the squad you knew you had a reliable and hard working prescence and the same is true of the much maligned Michael Nelson. Like Jackson who immediately relegated Chris Martin to the bench on some posters starting eleven so Whitbread and Askou are often touted as first choice. I am happy to wait on Ward but the other two are never out of the treatment room. Whitbread in particular has a very great deal to prove. Shame for me Doc isn''t around, at least he would be putting in a shift and as centre halves he and Nelson have been the most consistent centre halves we have had in years. This is becoming a position of concern. It did last season and who came back in from the cold to do a job? Yup, Gary Doherty. Give me a tough and determined donkey over a show pony or a temperamental and injury prone thoroughbread any day.[/quote] I haven''t had my fair share - some men get all the luck!

My main worry is that we don''t have like-for-like replacements on the bench for Holt and Hoolihan, our two best players. Without Hoolihan, our midfield doesn''t appear to be craetive enough. If we''re forced into Plan B (because Hooli is out) then we will struggle without a target man. I agree that some people have got an inflated expectation of what we''ll achieve this season. We''ll stay in this Division, but I feel that it will be mid to lower table. 

[quote user="The Walking Man "] [quote user="Elliot Ward takes a MEAN peno"]Hi Guys, I''m a massive long time reader of the pink''un forums, but never made an account as I don''t really like online discussion because.. well I jsut don''t. But I LOVE football banter, so I don''t full understand my self why I don''t have an account.. but that''s neither here or there! Before I begin, I''m 24, have followed football, played semi-pro, an had a norwich season ticket since the age of 15. So PLEASE don''t tell me I don''t know what i''m on about, because I do :) now, let my rant... begin; Grant Holt - Unproven in the championship, no pace (which is critical to sucess at higher levels, and I will not be persuaded off this as in my eyes it''s a fact) and not world amazingly strong. I''m not saying he WONT do well, or he''s a poor player.. i''m jus saying I''m not expecting many more than 10 Goals. Chris Martin.. Again, in my eyes if he was top championship quality, and if his "deadly finishing" was all that it''s cracked up to be, we would be fighting to keep him. And as we are not, that tells me other clubs arn''t interested in him, and there for not scared of him. and finally MR JACKSON! Our main summer target, let me point something out.. this man was also been chased by the likes of.. QPR..and Southhampton.. if he''s that good, why are burnley, boro, pompy, not forrest or any other "top champ clubs" linked with him? The likes of Crofts and Fox coming from League One Clubs, with no competition for signature from other clubs too just doesn''t inspire me, and similar can be said about Elliot Ward, who may I remind you all had a disapointing end of season with PNE.. whom he was LOAN TO from Coventry.. Just to me seems with are filled with "okay-ish" players from other scrappy middle of the league clubs, and because of that.. I just that''s EXACTLY where we should all be expecting to see our selves in 8 months time. Mid Table at Best.. And please, if people talk to me about how great of a signing Andrew Surman is.. grr! The guy played 6 games for Wolves, and was sold. A PROMISNG, "GREAT" YOUTH PLAYER does not get sold after 1 year and 6 appearnces if there isn''t something wrong. Fact.[/quote] Okay i''ll bite, if you played semi pro football the chances are you can''t get to many games and therefore unlikely to have a season ticket... Chris Martin, how do you know we''re not rejecting bids for him? When he first broke onto the scene there were rumours of top premiership sides looking at him, you don''t suddenly lose the ability to finish. As for Mr Jackson, QPR are one of the leading favourites for the championship, Southampton have probably got just as much money as QPR and will annihalate league one this year. Perhaps the reason why Pompey, Hull Burnley aren;t after him is because those clubs are skint? Forrest and Boro have got enough strikers on their books and to play for Boro these days it seems you have to be Scottish anyways... Elliot Ward, you''re entitiled to you opinion but Rooney had a poor World Cup, that doesn''t make him a bad player does it? Ward has played in the Premiership, still only 25, and is a former million pound player. To pick him up on a free is a massive coup for the club and I don''t care if he doesn''t inpsire you. Surman - Give the guy a little slack, he has after all played 133 games for Southampton prior to Wolves. Did it ever occur to you that Wolves had older more experienced players ahead of him in the pecking order? A first season in the premier league isn''t the time to gamble with a (then) 22 year old. [/quote] I played semi-pro AND I''ve been a season ticket holder for many years, but with a sizeable gap between the two! It might well be that this guy only played a season at that level beofre being injured / released by that Club.

[quote user="Boogle"][quote user="cityangel"] GK: Ruddy GK: Rudd LB: Drury LB: S Smith RB: Martin CB: Ward CB: Whitbread CB: Askou CB: Nelson M: Fox M: Surman M: Lappin M: Mcnamee M: Hoolahan M: K Smith M: Hughes ST: Holt ST: Martin ST: Johnson Other players who probably wont make first 11 and could go out on loan   OTJ, Gill, Cody, Adeyemi, Daley,  Francomb, Steer   Have I missed anyone? Presume we still need a right back and the striker that Lambert is after. [/quote] Feel awkward saying this, but am I the only one who thinks that squad may struggle in the Championship? Oh hey ho, in Lambert we trust and all that guff hey. [/quote] I think you''re right up to a point. I don''t think that we''ll be looking at a relegation fight, but to finish mid-table will be quite an achievement. That''s not being negative, it''s just that we haven''t invested in one or two really special players, due to financial limitations I suppose. However, Lambert will make sure that the team gives 100% in each game.   

Yes, Southampton it seems!

[quote user="Bomber"]About time Houghton made his mind up on this one - we need to think about ourselves and get a keeper in rather than keep waiting on the decision of houghton - surely he must know by now what he wants to do instead of keep messing evryone around - lets get out there and get ourselves sorted instead of keep pampering to this idiot  [/quote] ''This idiot'' let us have Forster last season, with the result that his saves made a difference to our promotion attempt.   

[quote user="Canaries in Bed"]The police don''t get ovetime on a Sunday, the ''copper'' who told you was mugging you off. It might be a rest day and you get a day back or uf they were given less than 5 days notice it would be double time if they were off. I would like to see a Tuesday evening match, the atmosphere would be quality.[/quote] Thank you, CIB, it saved me posting this fact myself.

[quote user="grantroederdisaster"] With a similar police operation to what we see on those awful early Sunday kick offs, kicking off at 3pm would make absolutely no difference whatsoever!   The away fans are escorted at both games from coaches and trains in a manner that they can''t go anywhere other than to the ground!   The original reasons for changing the s cum Derby game to a Sunday was so that yobs didn''t mingle with shoppers and pubs and bars would be closed. Nowadays both reasons are irrelevent cause shops are open on a Sunday and bars and pubs have longer opening hours!   Their hasn''t been serious disorder at the Derby games since the mid 90''s. You only get a few idiots which is no different to any home game or every Friday and Sautrday night in the City. The police have exaggerated brief moments of disorder and linked unrelated incidents to the football in order to justify all the police presense and moving the kick off time.   Its convenient for the police to move the game to a Sunday cause they get overtime!   If the old firm Derby, AresenalVSpurs and other Derby games which would have bigger crowds and seen as more of a risk then the S cum Derby can be played on a Saturday then so can Norwich V Ips hit!   Sunday football never feels right, Sunday lunchtime is ridiculous and I see no real reason why the Derby games can''t be played on a Saturday afternoon! [/quote] Sorry to disappoint you, but that''s 100% wrong.

[quote user="Docs Big Nose that was at the Heart of the Defence"]Sneaky with the Chrissy bashing but I hope this is a joke thread because if not you can just fcuk off now.[/quote] Are you for real? Of course it''s a joke thread!!!!

[quote user="PhatCanary"]So some City fans are not happy with first summer signing,what a crap signing they scream,even though they haven''t seen him in a City shirt,my God what a bunch of  planks give it a rest and give players a chance,comparing Gunns ideas of a good player and Lamberts is like comparing Cheryl Cole to a fat bird from Ipswich so stop calling him the new OTJ and stop moaning that we are going to struggle next season on the basis of one player signing who some of you haven''t heard of,bloody hell people what will make some of you stop moaning and just get behind PL and the players old and new!![/quote] Thank you for that incisive post. By the way, have you heard of something called ''punctuation''?

Perhaps someone can ask the Chairman during his web chat tomorrow. 

[quote user="Eadienhucks"]Shame doc aint playing[/quote] LOL!