susie b

Can''t wait to hear Colin''s comments this coming Saturday after their televised outing at Cardiff. Will he reign himself in a bit as it''s live to the nation, or will he go on to confirm to all of us that he is, without doubt, one of the most pathetic, miserable, bitter and loathed people in the game today? I actually almost feel a bit sorry for Blunts fans having to put up with him. Well, almost! (Anyone know who the ref is for that game? Would be interesting if it is a prem ref, eh?)

I am trying my best to get the Wensum Wing of the City Stand going, but it''s quite hard when there are a lot of moaners sitting there just expecting to be entertained and to receive the right result, without any input from their good selves - apart from their moaning, of course! At least my lack of voice on the day after matches makes me feel I have done something to contribute, but I agree that it helps if the Barclay and Snakepit can get things going, then other sections of the ground seem to get caught up in the momentum. It''s an infectious thing, this singing, but it needs carriers to spread it!

I''ve just had a thought...(steady on susie)...how about singing ''The referee''s a COLIN'' every time the ref gives a poor decision against us on Saturday? This should make the ref think we are being reasonable to him, so he might be more favourable towards us. At least it will make him confused, which would be amusing in itself!!

If I was Worthy I would have the dressing room walls absolutely covered by now with copies of quotes from various players and managers that our club, players and even us fans have had to put up with in the past few months. No need then for his ''hairdryer'', just a good, long reading session before pulling on that shirt with pride and heading down the tunnel into battle. Perhaps visualising the face of an overboiled beetroot (Colin W.) on the shoulders of each of the oppo players would inspire us to greater things too. I know it wouldn''t take much to make me go out there and give everything I''d got to prove such cretins wrong. If we were in the position of the Blunts, Mackems, (un)''Appy ''Ammers, Wigan, etc., I''m sure Worthy would be making positive noises, but I''m equally sure he wouldn''t resort to making himself and the club look stupid in so doing. Come on City! Make Colin look like his new surname!

Your third point, Gazza, points precisely to what I was trying to say on another thread yesterday. Now is the time to take the bull by the horns, so-to-speak, and be proactive in our approach to games, not reactive - waiting to see what the opposition do and then trying to nullify whatever that is. We can only go on and get what we all so badly want, or we can fail. Those are the only two outcomes. If we ultimately fail then I would prefer us to do it really going for it than sitting back and hoping that we get the first goal before we settle and try to dictate from there. The negative approach is, I''m afraid, beginning to get us into a bit of a rut and is making us too predictable, and thus easier to beat. Anyone else (dis)agree?

James, if you have Hucks on the left side of midfield, as your format seems to suggest, the danger is that we will be exposed by teams attacking down our right flank as he would be expected to track back and defend when needed. That just isn''t his strength and isn''t the most sensible use of what he does best...if that makes sense. Ok - play him in a wandering role with two others up front, but then I think you would have to just go with three across the middle. Problem is, we may concede more, but at least we''d stand a pretty good chance of outscoring the opposition. Remember Rotherham. That''s the formation we played there, but it did weaken us at the back, and we didn''t outscore them that day. Hucks is a striker not a midfielder, but I agree with you about not taking him off just because others are not playing to his strengths.

It already looks like the skipper might not make the Stoke game, so Brennan at left-back and McVeigh on the left in midfield sounds like the obvious answer on that side. I would start with Cooper on the right, and two from Mullers, Holt and Francis in the middle. (Depends if Worthy thinks Stoke pose more of a physical threat, in which case he might go for Francis ahead of Mullers). As for the two up front, perhaps it''s time for Robbo to start again with Hucks, as in the Blunts game. The back four as usual (with the addition of Brennan in Drury''s place, if needed, and Shacks to replace Flem if he doesn''t make it). Any other ideas, anyone?

And something else to make you smile...the Ippo fans singing ''we beat the scum 5-0'' at their match on Saturday. Now what century was that? No wonder their fans'' site is called ''Those WERE the days''...past tense!

In answer to the question that is the title of this thread, I really can''t believe that if we ultimately fail it will be through lack of effort. I wonder if part of the problem, apart from the obvious nerves creeping in, is that we are not going out there to impose our game upon the other team. It seems like we are being too reactive, rather than proactive, especially for the first half or so of games. Also, because of the enormity of what is at stake, it is almost as if we feel that playing with freedom and creativity is going to leave us vulnerable, so we don''t do it. This leaves us being a pretty one-dimensional side and makes it easier for the oppo to work out how to deal with us, and makes it easier for them to create against us. I don''t know about others on here, but I would rather we go forward to the end of the season trying to really go for it, as opposed to being quite negative/defensive-minded. Thoughts please?

Exactly my comment on the ''Sorry But Here''s My Rant'' thread. Was he injured? If not, I can''t think of a good reason why he wasn''t playing, or at least on the bench. Presumably there is a reason why Jimbo didn''t feature, but I don''t suppose we''ll ever find out what it is.

I think I''m right in saying that we cannot have Crouchy back now unless we buy him. We had to secure a season-long loan before the end of last year, but it just didn''t happen. I can''t help wondering where we might be now if D O''L had let it happen. Still, we must now think forwards to next Saturday and try to stay positive, just like those fabulous Portsmouth fans this afternoon against Southampton. They didn''t stop singing. That''s what our lads need!

Was Jimbo injured? If not, why wasn''t he out there at left back? I know Shacks did nothing wrong against the Gills last Tuesday, but I would have thought that if you have a fit, ready-made left back you would play him ahead of someone else filling in out of position. I expect that there is a good answer to this and I trust Worthy to learn from whatever happened, but it does leave us fans asking the question regardless.

Are you saying that you missed us for those two seasons when you were in the Premiership? No, I didn''t think so! Sorry to disappoint you, but IF we make it and IF you don''t, I don''t think most of us will miss you either, for however long we are apart, and that is not hate talking - just a lifetime of loathing perhaps. Kevin Cooper, for your information, will be wearing Lotus on his shirt this afternoon. May he start smoothly, accelerate with power and take corners with finesse, speed and agility! There seem to be several Wolves fans who are puzzled as to why he is even out on loan when they feel they need him. Only time will tell, but I hope he proves you wrong. Surely you are not saying that you would not have welcomed him at PR if you could have afforded him? I won''t be prepared to judge him until he has had time to settle in and prove himself.

The Gills certainly had some quality in their side and plenty of determination, more than can be said for some visitors to FCR this season. For those reasons I hope they stay up, and, in doing so, manage to do us some favours when they play any of the top 12!

Please tell me, cityangel, that your dream is in no way related to Wiz''s dream of scoring naked in front of the Barclay! (Incidentally, we are not the only fans to have a ''dream'' thread. Have just been looking on the Hammers site KUMB and they, too, have one. Must be catching, eh?)

I have a varied taste, including white stilton and ginger, creamy Somerset brie, double Gloucester, Bavarian smoked and the good old Wensleydale you mention, CC. I also quite like the little Babybel cheeses wrapped in red cellophane. It''s the thrill of unwrapping them and the excitement of managing it! My cat prefers medium white cheddar if given the choice!

Cats love cheese because they spend the vast majority of their lives asleep, and the cheese helps them into slumber and gives them pretty good dreams! My theory, anyway.

Sorry, NMTD, I forgot about the parsnips, although I was thinking more of sugar beet, myself! More appropriate for around here, don''t you think?

And in signing Kevin Cooper have we not now got an insider who can guide us every step of the way so we avoid whatever happened to them two seasons ago? Good psychology, Worthy...perhaps!

Talking of Dean Ashton, I watched him closely during the Crewe v West Brom game last weekend and he looked a real class player, as many on here have said. Almost every time he had the ball he looked as if he would score or create for others. Definitely worth consideration, I would think.

HELP! I''ve just realised that I have had the same earrings in since August! NO... not in all the time, ''cos I take them out for performing my ablutions and for sleeping, but, nevertheless, I have stuck to the same pair for all that time. Is this the key to the whole season? Hmmmm.

And I have got a cheesecatcher ON my bed, gazza - my cat, who likes to gobble up all the crumbs of cheese I miss - so that I can have all the dreams I like! It''s far better than living in the real world, I find!

The giant inflatable sumos were also good for a laugh, I seem to remember. One of them got knocked over pretty early on in proceedings and spent the whole of the rest of the time trying to right itself, but couldn''t. Now if there are any human sumos out there willing to try this, that could really be good!

Agree with you, DumbleDelia. What do points mean? Points mean prizes...it''s as simple as that! Save the pretty stuff (hopefully) for when the heat of the battle is over and the objective achieved (again, hopefully).

Tumbleweed, I''m sorry that I cannot appear on the pitch as part of the half-time entertainment but I am always too busy sorting out the misguided opinions of the City Stand regulars who sit near me, i.e. the moaning minnies! Besides, one of the things I have done this season is sew green and yellow designs onto small pieces of plastic canvas and hang them on several door handles in the house for good luck. Don''t think it would be possible to project me demonstrating my crafty talents large enough so that the gathered masses could see, and, for goodness sake, who the heck would be interested in sewing anyway? And as for the green underwear, you will all just have to take my word for it!!! I''ve got to protect those who know me. They have been humiliated enough already!