Splendid Rush

That''s why I said that

I agree with Dan. Also, if playing Championship Manager too much has taught me anything else (and it hasn''t), it is that it''s a good idea to give your captaincy to a player who is likely to command a first team place consistently. If we get a top class centre back in (Huth anyone?) then it will be a ding dong battle between Malk and Flem as to who will partner him, whereas Drury will be a shoe-in for a regular place on the teamsheet.

Now that''s good satire!

Most improved player? Ian, Ian Henderson! Remember his 2 goals against Millwall? Spiceworld! Most dissapointing? I know it doesn''t matter now but after the expectancy at the time of Elvis Hammond, he was actually a load of old toilet. Apart from that, it is difficult as all players who have been poor (not many) have redeemed themselves a la Svensson. I dunno, Harper then, after his shocking tackle against Derby. A bit harsh on Rivo, started the season well, but then got injured at Forest and by the time he came back we had Hucks, Crouch, Harper, Hendo had established himself, McVeigh was around - he didn''t really have any opportunity. Did you see him at the parade after Preston? Hands in pockets, bored expression - he knows he''s on his way.

Flem already has a chant from a while back: (to the tune of The Mighty Quinn) Kicking it out Throwing it in You''ve not seen nothing like Craig Fleming!

I went to that Watford game! I think it was my first evening game, definitely the first time I stood in the Barclay. David James, an up and coming young keeper, was playing for Watford. I think we won 2-0, pretty sure Ruel scored one of the goals, possiblt Phillips or Crook the other, definitely remember Ruel was awsome that night, ran rings around the second division defenders.

It would be a shame if he misses out on Saturday - not only because it will be the last home game of the season, but Holt, along with Greeno and Flem, has played in every league match this season. It will be dissapointing for him if he is unable to start every game. Speaking of which, does anyone remember Holty getting substituted? I remember he came off away to West Brom after having an absolute shocker, but as far as I can remember, other than that he''s played every minute of the season. Might be good to see what Mullers and Francis can do together though.

Not too sure about Petit - he is a defensive midfielder, and if we needed to replace anyone, I don''t think it would by Holty (even the other central midfield role is well covered by Francis and Mullers). I think money would be well spent on other areas of the team.

Capital, I was thinking about you last night while I was lsitening to the match on Radio 5 - celebrating with all the Palace fans in your Norwich replica top! Did you wear it in the end?

One nil to Palace... 45 minutes away from being a Premiership team. I''m listening to it on Radio 5 live, and the funniest moment happenned when Jonathan Pearce addressed Malky Mackay directly. They had an interview with him before the game, and towards the end of the first half Pearce says: "And Malky Mackay and the Norwich players, and the board and Delia must be listening with baited breath... The ball comes accross! And McAteer puts it wide, Malky!" Roll on the final whistle...

I got a really expensive, huge Cuban cigar for Christmas from my girlfriend''s Mum, and I promised myself I would save it until we got promoted... Looking forward to the possibility of puffing on that tonight!

I got a really expensive, huge Cuban cigar for Christmas from my girlfriend''s Mum, and I promised myself I would save it until we got promoted... Looking forward to the possibility of puffing on that tonight!

I got a really expensive, huge Cuban cigar for Christmas from my girlfriend''s Mum, and I promised myself I would save it until Norwich got promoted... Looking forward to the possibility of puffing on that tonight!

I''m pretty sure the other one was conceeded away at Rotherham, during that diabolical defensive display. Dunno who scored it, some Rotherham shocker.

Sometimes I praise the lord that we didn''t sign Gareth ''Teddy'' Taylor, David ''Volatile'' Connelly or Rob ''Bench'' Hulse at the start of the season, as we would have never got Hucks then. I never thought I''d say this, but thank god for Forest, Hammers, and West Brom.

But what we''re forgetting is that Sunderland play again before us, away to Wigan at 12.30 on Saturday. So if Sunderland do beat Palace, there will be the same situation for this game, if Sunderland don''t win it we go up. If Sunderland do beat Palace tonight, we should all make the effort to go down early and get in a pub for the game - it will still be weird though, winning promotion while in a pub in Watford.

Quantification for my Svensson at Charlton statement: Crystal Palace - Played 26, scored 10 Charlton - Played 42, scored 8 Derby - Played 9, scored 3 Norwich - Played 12 - scored 7 As I have been saying all along that I''m not positive that Sven won''t be effective for us in the prem, he might be, he might not be, but if we want to buy a new striker, we should go for a superior one. Again, as I have said previously, I''m not saying we should ''replace'' anyone (other than Easton, Abbey, Rivers and Roberts), simply to introduce more competition for places. Perhaps Wolves felt they were a solid team when they went up. We will not get anywhere by refusing to introduce new players to protect our camaraderie.

What!? Come on Nobby, I have expressed that if the squad players proved themselves in the premiership they could have a first team place, I believe they have the potential, but it is naive to say they WILL be effective at that level. If we head into the premiership with a ''we''re already good enough'' attitude, we will struggle. I am trying to point out that McKenize and Svensson aren''t shoe-ins for a place. McKenzie is unproven at that level, and Svensson never really performed at Charlton. We need to go up with the mentality of, our players may not be good enough, we will try to find proven premiership quality, and if the likes of Leon and Matty shine then they''re in the team. We need to strengthen and deepen our squad, and we shouldn''t do that by buying inferior players. In answer to your question "Would I swap Malky for Duberry, Radebe or Caldwell", (not sure where you got these names) the answer is no, I wouldn''t replace him with them but if we could bring in a strong, premiership tested centre back, he would fight for his place along with Malk and Flem, we would have a healthy competition for places.

I hope that you will all forgive me for now assuming that we will be in the Premiership next season. That said, with the risk of being unpopular, here is the how I feel the situation is regarding players for next year. With these opinions I have attempted to be realistic, bearing in mind the performance of Wolves this season, and the harsh reality of the requirements of staying in the Premiership. Debate and critisism are welcomed. FIRST TEAM (Blank spaces denote new players required) GK. Green DR. DC. Mackay/Fleming DC. DL. Drury MR. MC. Holt MC. Francis/Mulryne ML. FC. Huckerby FC. SQUAD PLAYERS (who, if they perform, could challenge for a 1st team place) Edworthy Shackell McVeigh Henderson Brennan Svensson McKenzie BACKUP Crichton Lewis Jarvis Sinclair HAVE TO GO Briggs Abbey Rivers Easton Roberts (sorry) Comments…

But he couldn''t get into the Wolves in the Premiership, why should he be good enough to get into a City team who will be looking to do much better than Wolves have managed this year? We need to be buying proven Premiership players.

When Crouchy was announced I think I was at work on the internet. Then that night I was watching Sky Sports news and just caught what I thought said ''Huckerby'' and ''Norwich'' going across the bottom of the screen. With baitied anticipation I had to wait ages until the text came up again, then, when it was confirmed, I ran screaming through the house. My girlfriend enquired what the matter was. "HUCKERBY''S SIGNED ON LOAN!" She wasn''t impressed. As for when he signed permanently, I travelled up to Sheffield to spend Christmas with my girlfriend''s family. On Christmas Eve, I had read on the BBC website that he definitely wasn''t signing, and then on the way up I read it in the paper, and he was saying something like "I suppose they didn''t really want me". After a somewhat muted Christmas day, mulling over who we could get as a replacement, I negotiated an agreement which meant that I had permission from the future mother-in-law to go to my girlfriend''s uncle''s to watch the Forest match. Before I left I checked on teletext for the teams, and low and behold the headline "Huckerby signs for Norwich" appeared. Like A1, I didn''t really believe this news in the format of 80s writing on the TV. Then, with a mixture of expectancy and disbelief, I stumbled to my girlfriend''s uncle''s house, to see as soon as I got there, Delia parading Huckerby to the Carrow Road crowd. I performed a similar manouver as mentioned above, to which I got some strange looks from the gilrfriend''s family. One commented "The game hasn''t even started yet!". And then to go on to beat Forest... Merry Christmas!

I have been saying all along that Alan Thompson isn''t the answer to England''s left sided problems! How much longer can Errikson ignore The Man with no Game?

A match without at least one ill tempered melee Football to the tune of ''The Life of Riley'' Saint and Greavsie Our keeper pretending to heatbutt the crossbar Elton Welsby

Surely the recent rejuvenation of Sven has been partly down to the way that he is being fed. It is a misdemeanour that he is a big striker in the mould of Iwan, he is only 3 cms taller than Huckerby or McKenzie! In the last 2 matches balls have not been whacked at him from defense, he has been fed from Leon or Huckers, or from passes from midfield, and he has shown where his skills really lie. Yes, he is a physical player, but the first goal against Burnley showed his agility, an excellent turn to beat the defender. If Worthy does decide to go back to the 4-4-2 formation, and he will (we can''t afford to defend like that away at Reading or Sunderland, and I wouldn''t be suprised if he shores up against Wigan at home), let''s hope he sticks Iwan in there, who although is fading, can do the job of a big man. Either that, or play 4-4-2 while keeping the ball on the deck, so that Sven can control the ball and play it though to Hucks. How about these songs to sing at the next few games: (to the tune of Amadeus) Oh Mathias, oh Mathias! Oh Mathias, oh Mathias! Oh Mathias, oh Mathias! Svensson, Mathias! or: Pass to Drury on the left hand side, Pass to Drury on the left hand side!

My only wish for the Millwall Sunderland game was that they hacked bits out of each other, so it was quite amusing to watch Kevin Muscat and some other shocker get knobbled for Millwall and McAteer sent off for Sunderland - in addition to, in the Scum match, watching Russell Hoult looking like an old man trying to stand up, keep those injuries/suspensions coming, chasing pack!