The Voice of the Thorpe Area

Right, here goes. The Players What a total disgrace you have been this season. Marshall, Otsemobor, Croft, Clingan, Cureton, Carney, the countless other loanees (with the exception of Lee, Shackall and Bertrand)- you have been a disgrace to your profession and to this club. I hope none of them want to play for us next year- they can all go feck orf for all I care, we''re better off without these over-paid rubbish ''players''. Glenn Roeder You''re the most unlikeable sh!te I''ve ever known. I really hope you never get a job in football again. Even Ipswich. No-one deserves you as their manager. Bryan Gunn Bless him. He tried, but was just not good enough. Can we blame him? Yes, but the real blame lies with... The Board Where to start? Far too many mistakes to mention. Money squandered, amazingly poor managerial decisions, etc, etc. Just unbelievable. If they were a government they''d have been voted out year ago, if they were an animal, they''d have been put down out of courtesy. Neil Doncaster- I hold in the same regard as Glenn Roeder. How is he still in a job?   I could go on forever, and I won''t list all the mistakes, we all know what they are. I just needed to record my thoughts for my own sanity. Dear God, please let there be MAJOR changes from boardroom to playing staff in the summer.

[quote user="Tim Allman"] Richard Balls - a puppet for the Board? I think that''s the first time he''s ever been called that. You must have missed the bit on the show when he spoke at length about how the NCFC Board didn''t "Manage the Manager", and how he laid into them about their years of failings, and especially how the didn''t over rule Glenn Roeder about letting Jamie Cureton go on loan to Barnsley, a decision which has contributed significantly to the three point gap between us and safety. You just seem a bit miffed that your video idea was knocked back.   [/quote] Of course some might say that Cureton playing for Barnsley COST them more points than it gained them...

In theory, a good idea. However, your proposal relies entirely on 10,000+ (probably more) to make a considerable contribution of £500. We are currently in the middle of a recession. If people aren''t out of work, they''re paying expensive bills, mortages, etc. As good as an idea this is in theory, unfortuantly, it will never happen. Our best hope is a fan winning £100 on the euro millions.

[quote user="Felixfan"]Croft was the best and most exciting player this year by a mile, and he will surely go on to fans who appreciate him.[/quote] Exciting? Yes. I''ll remember fondly having sweep-stakes on what row of the River End his crosses will end up in/ Best? My God No.

To think of the great names who have been POTY award (yes, very apt isn''t it!). I didn''t vote, nor did I get in early to see who won it. When I heard I turned to the couple who sit next to me and said ''The whole of Norfolk''s gone mad''. To which they replied ''we voted for him''! But honestly, all of you who a) actually voted for a player of the season, and most worryingly b) voted for Lee Croft- how do your minds work? Madness...

Okay, before I start, I''ll point out that in no possible way can a relegation for a football club be a good thing. HOWEVER... We have now reached the point where actually, it really can''t do us any harm. Here''s the two scenarios we could find ourselves in next season The Championship (The ''we need a miracle'' option): We will struggle yet again. No ambition will be shown in either appointing a decent manager, or providing any sort of proper funds for players. We will undoubtly over-use the loan system again, and we will be in the same position again, looking up the table, hoping others slip-up. Alternatvely... League One (The ''unthinkably more thinkable'' option): The ''better'' players- Clingan, Croft, Marshall (good god what mentalists voted Croft player of the feckin'' year?) all leave for reasonable fees, Crofty apart of course. A much needed clear-out of the dross that covers Colney like a bad stench. Cue a number of youth players given a chance, plus a large number of free transfers and ''bargain-buys'' from the lower leagues. Probability: we push for the play-offs, and appoint someone knows what they''re doing (Colin Calderwood, who will be released after Newcastle''s relegation).   Ultimately, as much as I can''t believe I''m writing this, travelling to St James'' Park (Exeter) could somehow be a blessing for our club. Relegation could, ironically, stop the rot. ''Cos I tell you something, as much as it will hurt, and is hurting, in the long-run, it could be the best thing to happen to us. Mind you, I''m still praying for the biggest miracle since Jesus walked on water (and I don''t believe in that, either).

CA- I was in complete amazement as the admiration people were in. Me and my mates dad just stood there completed gob-smacked at the reception she was receiving. We have the best support in the division by far, but you have to question the judgement of people.

[quote user="Jim Kent"]Can''t see Croft signing a contract with a league 1 club.[/quote] Me either, League 2 would suit his crossing abilities!

[quote user="Red Canary"]Sorry nust be said! five stages of grief - elisabeth kübler ross: 1 - Denial 2 - Anger 3 - Bargaining 4 - Depression 5 - Acceptance I think its funny to see different people in different stages! [/quote] I''m in acceptance, as those who know me will testify, I''ve been through the first 4 stages!

Well, what a terrible journey to poverty stricken Angola that was. Or ipswich as it''s more commonly known round these parts. Where to start? Forgetting the good first half performance, we showed exactly why we will be joining Charlton next year (the irony that we are now following their blueprint to the letter). Otsembor was exposed time and time again at full-back. Every attack was focused down our right flank, and every time they created a half-chance at least by doing so. Sammy Clingan. What''s the point? What does he actually contribute? He has no idea what a forward pass is. He quite clearly has prepared himself for a summer move to Fulham (why God only knows, he is not Premiership material). Alan Gow, or poor mans'' Huckerby as I prefer. He thinks he is good, but in truth, he''s a very average player. The odd trick here and there, but it rarely comes to anything. his two paces are slow and slower. The goal-keeping brilliance of David Marshall. Deary me, it was embarrasing. His kicking is God awful. His decision-making, handling, aerial ability and everything else that comes with him, just terrible (beaten at his far-post twice today, good finishes, or just bad positioning?). I could go on of course. However there was a positive today. Darel Russell in the middle was superb. Challenged for everything, and won most as well. That''s it though. Anyway, that''s my mini report of the day. See you at Yeovil!

[quote user="1st Wazzock"][quote user="First Wizard"] [quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="Mister Chops"]Against Reading, with Mooney ineligible, could Cureton make a return to the squad?  He plays well off a big target man like Lee and would be on hand to snaffle any half-chances which might arise. [/quote]Please no! IF he scores it would mean we would keep him in the summer. Curetons misses have been one of the reasons we''ve been struggling so badly for the last two seasons![8o|][/quote] Totally disagree Lapps (you knew I would) but Lee and Curo would work well together imo. [/quote] Lee and Gow would be better though. [/quote] Lee and Alan Shearer from Madame Tussauds would be better than Cureton.

Sir Alan ''Lee'': Magilton- You''re fired! Oh dear...

Jamie Cureton. Flogging. A. Dead. Horse.

We''ve got Alan Lee, you''ve only got Giovanni...

That was probably an interesting post- but PLEASE use paragraphs- it makes it more readable!

Fear not my friends. I believe it''s a well known fact that officials aren''t assigned games until only a few days before the match (less likely chance of match fixing, intimidation, etc).

Huddy, what happened to the original Gunn poem...?

Alan Lee in the short period of time that he has been here, is the first in a long line of signings to have replaced Dion Dublin. His power, ability in the air, and sheer willingness to run after the ball and be a general pain in the backside, has been something that we have sorely missed since Dion retired, and before him, Iwan Roberts. Forget his past Town connections, Lee is a player that could do a decent job for us no matter what league we are in next year. His track record at this level speaks for itself, particulary for Ipswich. Hopefully those few idiots will not be booing him monday...

Doc this season has been our most reliable defensive player. He is one of the few who has stood up to the challenges that this team has faced. I''ve been one of his biggest critics since he arrived here, but are not in this position because of him. Infact without him, we''d probably already be down...

Exciting''s one way to put it...

GOAL!!!! Come on Bristol!

[quote user="AJ"][quote user="Arthur Whittle"]Considering our current position and QPRs, I will have to plump for the "could be worse" option and go for the safety of QPRs league position.[/quote] Agreed, and their financial status! [/quote] But to be THE laughing stock of football? To have a board of directors who really not care about the integrity of your club (even more so than NCFC). They have the richest owners in football (apart from Man City), yet their season ticket, and match day prices, are unbelievably high. Sorry, but this just isn''t football in my opinion, and demonstrates everything that is wrong with the game at present.

They have just sacked yet another manager. That''s about 10 in the last 45 minutes they''ve got through. I suppose it proves that money can''t buy you happiness. Or respect.

There''s only so much ''the 12th man'' can do. Yesterday was a prime example. Sell-out crowd. First 15-20 minutes- superb vocal backing, as you''d expect for a big game. Problem was though, for such a big game, the players produced a whimper in 2 respects- 1. the quality of our performance was very poor, but even worse was 2. none of them seemed to care. A combo of the both hasn''t happened under Gunny yet, and that was why yesterday was so worrying. Lastly I''ll say this- we back our club. 24,000 of us week after week back our club. Personally, I think that''s support enough, regardless of loud we are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqgVtdcQqTo So, Germans'' do have a sense of humour...