nycanary

Interesting stuff.  Would agree we need 6-8.a. back up goalieb. right back to compete with russell.  may even beat out martin for first team spotc. a starting center-back.  i dont think whitbread is up for it.  barnett may well be but i would go get another good one.  its important to have two solid CBs if we''re going to have attacking full backs.d. a quality striker to start with holty.  jackson and chrissy martin to be on benche. a tough tackling, hard working midfielder to back up both fox and croftsf. a quality attacking midfielder (maybe lansbury but i would def be open to others) to challenge surman and hoolahang. a traditional out and out winger to replace mcnamee and allow us to switch to 4-4-2 as needed.lets assume we dont pick up much money selling the rest (maybe a million).  then i think we''re looking at spending maybe 10-12 million pounds to do this right......but who knows...could be a lot less given lambert''s nous for spotting talent.

Typical, isn''t it.  Have an opinion that''s not popular and everyone has a go.I bet we all thought the 2004 promoted team with Hucks were going to do just fine in the Prem, right?  If they were good enough to win the Championship, they''re good enough to stay in the Prem.  Sound familiar?  Guess we were ALL wrong - myself included.  I LOVE the current team.  And this has been my favorite season as a supporter since I started following the club in 1979.  And it would be simply brilliant if they can stay in the Prem.  But I just have to say that if everyone here was looking at a club other than Norwich getting promoted twice in a row and were to critically evaluate the squad, the responses would be slightly different from the rose-tinted ones I''m seeing here.  That doesn''t mean I don''t love the club, squad or the manager any less than any of you.

AllI of course hope our lads will do well next season.  And nothing would make me happier than seeing this particular team prove the doubters wrong and succeed in the premiership, even without any real top flight experience.But if I had to look at the team and say "here''s a player of definite premiership quality.  a player who can consistently start for some other premiership sides", the list is very thin.For me, there are only two in our squad:  John Ruddy and David Fox.I think Fox has shown he has total class, vision and distribution operating from that role at the base of the diamond.  And Ruddy has shown enough to suggest he can start in the league above us.Outside of that, I dont think we have anyone.  I am I''m going to get beaten up over this but I''m trying to be dispassionate about it.  Russell Martin has had an incredible season.  But is he gonna be able to be able to contain the best next season?  He will certainly have to curtail his actions going forward, which is now an integral part of his game.  Crofts looked off the pace when Wales played England.  Surman COULD cut it but he''s a bit slow.  Holt is big and strong and could get there but the premiership defenders are big, strong and quick.  Jackson had a great end of season but his decision making and coolness under pressure can be a little suspect.  Etc etc.Anyway, I REALLY want to be proven wrong and I will be pulling for the lads to do so.  But I just thought I''d throw this out there and see what people think.  We''ve already over-achieved and we mostly all believe that....so if that''s the case, the leap to the prem should raise this issue.  If we suddenly believe that they can all play in the Prem, then we can''t really say we overachieved, can we.

if anyone does find a link of it, please post it.  i just have to have it!!

[quote user="CDMullins"]Is it really better than coming 3rd in the premier League?[/quote]yes.because we were just promoted last year and the odds of us going on to do it again were slim, to say the least.because we''ve been pulling out last minute winners so often.  the level of excitement has been unmatched in prior years.because football, much more so than the early 90s, is driven by money....and we''re doing this while essentially on a shoestring.because we have a group of players that have a point to prove and dont know how to give up and show us that drive EVERY week.i''ve supported the club since 1979.  and today was the first time i''ve had tears of joy when jackson completed his hat-trick.its just too amazing.  this is a year to remember for decades to come.

Up 3-0 over Boro.  Good news for us.Soz if repeat post...first one didn''t seem to go up.

its an interesting debate, this one. i have all the time in the world for pacheco. he''s quality - pure and simple. and i''ve been frustrated more often than not with jackson. he just doesn''t seem to keep a cool head when he''s on the ball. he''s got to be a clinical finisher and he needs ice in the veins for that. he''s not there yet. pacheco has that spanish technique when he looks like he''s moving slowly but he''s just gliding past defenders. no one did this better than zidane....slow-looking but impossible to stop. HOWEVER, i am not sure having hoolahan and pacheco on at the same time is the right move here. one of the most important things the boys do is create space for hools to work in. that space between the other teams midfield and defence. and i think one of the ways to do that is to stretch the defence by having someone quick on the shoulder always forcing the defence back and helping create that room for hoolahan. holty does that a bit but he''s normally in the thick trying to win balls. jackson is that player. without him, as much as he frustrates me, hools will get crowded out. and an ineffective hoolahan trumps the fact that pacheco is simply miles better than jackson. that, plus the fact that in the heat of the derby, having two super creative players who are not the strongest like hools and pacheco might get us a bit outmuscled. so....jackson in. pacheco on the bench. course, i''d be happy to see pacheco stick it to the binners!! thoughts?

try these guys:  http://nycanaries.wordpress.com/the pub on the upper west side might be showing it.its also on cable tv, most likely on fox soccer plus if u or anyone you know has that.

[quote user="Excited Canary"]The fact is, they only want £2 million for League One''s top goal scorer. Charlie Austin is less prolific and went for about the same price. If we get promotion we will have to pay an extra £1,000,000  yeah it''s a snip of what we will receive for reaching the promised land. If we don''t go up then we have got a very good striker on our books who can score goals alongside Holt. According to the Peteboro fans he never stops working, and his work rate is simply sensational, just think about him with Holt it would give defenders hell. In my opinion, this would be a very good signing, goalscorers come at a price and £2 million isn''t all that much in today''s ludicrous footballers pricing. Getting CMS would soften the blow if we weren''t to get promoted, as we would be very well set for next years campaign with a formidable strikeforce. On the other hand if he bags a few goals to help us get promoted (maybe 1 at Portaloo, he he) then he will be absolutely priceless. From the sounds of it he is very eager, hungry and an honest footballer so the least we will see is up most passion and effort.Go for it Lambert & McNally & co. [Y][/quote]I agree with ExcitedCanary over here.  Lambert likes his hard workers.  And for good reason...hard workers get the crowd behind them and get the other players working hard too.  Its part of why we''re successful this year, along with the silky skills of Hools and others.  This CMS fella looks like a hard worker PLUS he scores goals.  Buy him and we''re set up for next year even if we dont get promoted.And lets be realistic, whether its the Championship or the Prem, we''re only going to be able to afford a striker who has question marks over his head.  We''re not going to be able to afford a real proven Premiership goalscorer that fits the Lambert mould.  We HAVE to take a chance.  I''m in favour of this one....even though we are paying a bit much.  And at 27, he''s not green so hopefully has a good head on his shoulders and has a good 5 years left in him.  Look at Holty!Lets get it done already!  I want to see him in yellow and green!

few thoughts.  firstly think this is a different time from when the ashton/earnshaw deals were done.  with a few notable torres/carroll exceptions, the prices for players have gone down dramatically since then.  that should influence things.but more importantly, i dont think this is about what mackail-smith''s ''market value'' is.  thinking its more about what he is worth TO US and TO POSH.  and if those two things agree, then there''s a deal.his ''market value'' is probably 1-2mm.  but that''s not really the point.  if he is the difference between us going up or not (or making it more likely) then he''s worth a helluva lot more.  and for posh, if he''s the difference between them going and not going up, he''s worth a helluva lot to them too.  given that, if this deal is done, then i think we should have little doubt that we will be paying well over ''market value''.  there''s no other way for it to happen. hopefully, on our side, the board structures it in a way that protects us as much as possible if we dont get promoted and i''m sure they will.  personally, i would love to see a deal that says:500k loan feeincremental 1mm if we dont get promoted (for a total of 1.5mm)incremental 2-2.5mm if we do get promoted (for a total of 2.5-3mm)even if he doesn''t cut it in the prem, i''d pay an extra mill to increase our chances that we actually DO get there!

[quote user="Phyxius"]Have to agree, could hear all the songs loud and clear through sky sports.[/quote]hmm...maybe i''m just spoilt with the commentary from chris/neil/crowd on the radio......

dunno if we had the same sky feed over here in the states but it was dead quiet.  i think they intentionally keep the crowd sound fairly low in the broadcast.  dunno why...completely takes away from the atmos.

brilliant.  its so great to hear chris so up for it.i was watching the match on the telly here in america and i dont know if its the same commentator as on sky but i was wishing how it was chris and neil doing the tv commentary.  plus the crowd sound is turned much lower for the tv commentary so you dont get the same atmosphere as with the radio.agree with whoever said it -- goosebumps.someone should do a compilation of all of chris'' wildest bits from this season.  there are LOADS of them.....

i''m not sure why we''re all assuming its a 2-3mm deal.i think we''ve actually seen this board be very frugal with its money during lambert''s time, even when you consider the additional 2mm from foulger we got recently.i would imagine the deal would be something more along the lines of:a.  loan fee in the couple of hundred thousand poundsb.  if promoted to premership, a larger fee, like 2mm totalc.  if not promoted, its either a lower fee, like 1-1.5mm or he returns back to posh or something like thati''m not really sure.  but i think i would trust this board''s judgment to not put in a situation where the money doesn''t make sense.i dont really know this player but i watched a 6 minute montage on youtube.  he''s very committed.  he''s a lambert-style player who gives 120% to the cause.  we like those players.if we do get promoted, and he''s part of a team of strikers that includes holt, cms and martin (cant see AW or SJ making it), then it still means we will have many millions to spend on a 4th (and potentially #1) striker.i think this is a good move under the assumption that the deal is not as cut and dry structurally as simply a 2-3mm move at the end of the loan.my two cents...

which norwich players are on twitter?soz if this has been asked before.  just thought i''d keep up with holty''s wittiness...among others.

Am curious.  I know we''re all equally paranoid, pessimistic, hopeful and excited about our chances.  And we look at how other clubs are doing and post our thoughts.But what do other clubs fans think of how we''re playing and our chances?  When I watch us, I can''t really look at it that objectively.  I''m just too connected to it all.  So, what''s the consensus from our rivals fans?  Are we really good?  Are we lucky?  Do we deserve to score those last minute goals?  Are we good enough to get automatic promotion?  How will we fare in the playoffs?That''s it.  Just curious to see how we''re perceived by others....

Hey allI know there''s been lots of chat about this but it always seems to get wrapped up in finger pointing.How things are looking right now IMO:1.  We''ve done brilliantly to get to this point.  What the lads have done to have us where we are in the table is nothing short of incredible.2.  We are getting into the teeth of the season now.  And it feels like there are moments where we are stuttering when we shouldn''t if we want to be a side that gets promoted.  Losing 4 points at home against Preston and Doncaster is not the hallmark of a side that''s on course for promotion.  Those points would have put us in 2nd place by a couple of points.3.  Apart from Grant Holt, if we''re being honest, we do not have another true goalscorer in the team.  Even with Martin fit, he hasn''t scored in a long while.  Jackson is quick but doesn''t finish well and doesn''t make great decisions (not to mention likes to be offside when he shouldn''t).  Wilbraham is a nuisance in the air but simply doesn''t score.  That doesn''t mean that they can''t score in any given match.  Its just that they are not at the minute.So, if we are really looking to push on and grab the mantle of promotion, we need another striker.  Someone with confidence.  Someone who can take the pressure of Grant.  The other clubs around are are making those moves in the market.  We may be trying -- there''s no way for any of us to know what''s happening at the club...so all we can see is what the result is.  And right now that result of getting a new striker in is zero.If we don''t get promoted this year, who knows when the next chance comes along.  We might be in a serendipitous moment -- where the momentum of last year has propelled the boys to perform at super human levels, above their own true quality.  If we dont get it this year, it might bring them back down to earth and the feeling of invincibility that came in last year will be gone.  Who knows when we''ll be back up here.I am not second guessing Lambert.  He is brilliant.  But what I am saying is that I think its imperative we pick up a striker as soon as possible, even if it means spending a chunk of that 2 million on someone that might have some questions hanging over their head.  I dont know who that player is.  I dont know who is attainable.  But I know that player needs to be far better than Jackson, Wilbraham or even Martin, in his most recent form.We need him NOW!!!

[quote user="s10_yellow"]Yeah I think it''s being shown live somewhere in Asia so there will definitely be a stream. One previous visit to Turf Moor (2-0 defeat in 08/09 - utterly abject) was more than enough for me so very good news.[/quote]yah...its also showing in the US on Fox Soccer Plus and also live streaming on foxsoccer.tv for a fee.

Over here in the US we were treated to the full 90 mins of the Derby v NCFC match...albeit a day after but nonetheless.....was surprised to see it on.Did it show over in the UK?Its quite a treat to have two matches on TV in a week!

i''d be up at keeleys if i were here.  did i tell you my neighbor downstairs (live in a 5 unit brownstone) is an ipswich fan?  what are the odds....in ny!anyway, foxsoccerplus has it being shown but its online streaming counterpart, foxsoccer.tv does not have it.  which is peculiar...

Hi allI''m going to be in Barcelona this Sunday.  Any ideas on where/how I can watch the derby?  I dont know if the BBC streams work in Spain.  I dont know anything about Spain, to be honest....just going there for the first time tmrw.    Just dont want to miss the derby!All help most appreciated.  Cheers!

- when saturday comes - the pub in new york is up in the columbia university area.  here''s the website:  http://nycanaries.wordpress.com/i grew up in hong kong and went to a british school there.  i got into football when i turned 7 or 8 and i had to choose at team.  coincidentally, my sis was leaving to go to uni and i asked her if the town where her uni was had a football team.  she went to UEA....so, i chose norwich!  all my mates were man u or liverpool fans so i was laughed at a fair bit when i wore my yellow and green kit.  i still remember the first elevent from back then with ken brown as manager - woods, haylock, downs, mcguire, walford, watson, barham, o''neill, deehan, bertschin, bennett....its imprinted forever.  anyway, you have to be loyal so i now live in the states and could not possibly support any other team.  its just the way it is.  mind you, there have been times over the years that i yelled at my sis for not going to uni in manchester or london....i thought carrow road was brilliant.  the only other grounds i''ve been to in the UK are white hart lane and selhurst park.  carrow road is much more along the lines of spurs home than palace, obviously.  just smaller, that''s all.  it certainly didn''t disappoint.  i hope one day when we''re in the prem we redevelop and get to 35-40,000 capacity somehow - maybe total rebuilding of the norwich&peterborough stand?  dunno if that''s poss.to be honest, i was not being particularly objective when i was there.  i loved every minute of it and it did not disappoint in the slightest.  as an aside, i had just finished a holiday with my fiancee in france before coming to norwich and after hundreds of photos around paris she poked that the only time i smiled properly in a photo was at carrow road.....haha.  too true.  a happy night.

[quote user="Largey"]Great to hear you enjoyed your trip over nycanary, and glad that you got seats near Hucks! You picked a fantastic game to go to! Will you have an opportunity to post any of your pics onto here? Was your pilgrimage based purely on watching Norwich or were you over to see family/friends etc?[/quote]was over to see family too.  they live in surrey.  i do have some pics/vids and when i download them, i''ll put them up here.....just have to say that wherever i''ve been, i''ve always been the only norwich supporter around.  and after 30 years of that, to be surrounded by 25,000 of us....it was just surreal.

AllAfter supporting Norwich from abroad for 31 years, I finally made the pilgrimage to Carrow Road for the match against Leicester.  Had great seats in the Jarrold (6 seats away from Hucks) and had a brilliant time.  Of all the matches to get to watch, we got a 4-3 thriller!  Managed to get to the Lambert press conf after and also walked on the pitch and got a few photos...Anyway, just had to report back that it was an amazing time and thanks to all those who suggested sitting in the Jarrold - the view was top.  Next time, might have to be the Barclay -- there''s real atmosphere over there!  Wont be another 31 years tho...Cheers!

norfolk ned -- yup, am in brooklyn.newyorkcanary - i think we''ve met before up at the pub when norwich played chelsea and we got it back to 1-1 (didn''t leon score or something?)  there were maybe 4 of us there....thanks for the advice, everyone.  it is a bit of a decision between best atmosphere in the lower barclay, which i would LOVE but i also do want the best view to take it all in....ok, will have to decide!