GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary

I''m not sure we do?, that being the case its vital that Sunderland win tonight because should we lose to Villa I could still find solace in the fact that we''d still be above them, however should Villa win tonight and then again on Saturday ,to see go go above us in the league for the first time this season in the process would be difficult to bear.

I dont see how Barton is in any position to criticise?.  On the last day of last season he let his club down by disgracefully getting himself sent off at Man City and QPR went on to lose the game, it was only results elsewhere that kept them up.

back to the OP original question..........I don''t doubt that he will be given money to/and will improve the squad ,personnel wise, the doubt I have is that he will coach them in any different way and style that he is currently doing? RVW is all very well but he wouldnt have had a chance today given how the side was set up around and behind him.

I think Wigan will lose to Spurs and Arsenal and beat Swansea and WBA....which (if we don''t get another point all season) would leave them a point behind us...leaving their last game at home to Villa, so it then depends on how many points Villa pick up between now and that game as to whether the fact that they play each other means that we''re safe? Villa could conceivably beat both Sunderland and us in their next 2 games ,putting them above us , if we lose at Stoke........but just as easily lose both of them....afterwhich they then play Chelsea before going into that last match vs Wigan I think that if we avoid defeat to Villa, we will be safe by virture of it being Wigan v Villa on the last day.

[quote user="Baracouda"]We should arrange it, then arrange another friendly on same day. Send the U18''s to Ipshit, and play a top european team at home. Just to rub salt in the wounds. If serious answer, really don''t see how a derby as a friendly is a particularly good idea. Whatever the result, it will potentially be too hotly contested for a pre-season match, and I don''t really want to run the risk of RvW and co getting injured.[/quote] now that I like!! Ipswich Town vs Norwich City XI  !!

[quote user="The Pinkun Role Model"]Would the police bill be that much more than a few thousand Celtic fans on the lash? I doubt it.[/quote] yes?....Celtic fans were here to enjoy themselves and have a good time an mix with the locals and the City..........those filfhy blues b*stards ,would be here for anything but any of that........add to it a warm summers afternoon in July/August with drinks flowing?..its a recipe for disaster. one point though....are we assuming it would be at Carrow Rd?....usually the Premiership club plays away at the lower league club in pre season friendlies, if that were the case ,I''m not sure I''d want to set foot in that cesspit anymore than I''d ever have to.

I can''t see the club/police agreeing to an unnesscary headache it doesn''t need to put itself through........more trouble than its worth

i must fight Mark Bowen''s corner here.......but Garrido is the best since then......in the top league

[quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"][quote user="Sing up the river end "][quote user="Fozzie"]I doubt anything will come of it, but I did ask Mcnally if there will be any sign of solidarity for the Boston bombing tomorrow. Personally I''d like to hear ''Sweet Caroline'' played just before kick-off, Red Sox style, but I doubt many in the stadium would get the significance.  They''d probably just play ''More than a Feeling'' instead. [/quote] Don''t get me wrong I have the upmost sympathy for anyone envolved.But if we had something for every event , it would be something at just about every home game. [/quote] that doesn''t seem to stop Liverpool FC ?!? [/quote] right on cue!....BBC Sport‏@BBCSport18m Liverpool FC will hold a minute''s applause before Sunday''s game in memory of Anne Williams & those affected by Boston Marathon attacks   Anne Williams understandably but I didn''t think that football club were going to resist an opportunity to grieve in a tradgedy that has nothing to do with them when nobody else in the country felt the need to this weekend?

I suspect that Hughton will have a network of scouts casting their net far and wide accross Europe,  rightly or wrongly we can expect to be linked with many a name we won''t have heard of before i.e Tettey and the Lazio defender we were linked with a few weeks ago, or RVW. I think the days of us shopping from the Championship maybe gone......unless its a standout player that will come in and improve the 1st XI such as a Snodgrass. A lot of tough decisions will need to be made with our squad, and Hughton will need to be honest as to which our players really are of a quality that can help take us forward. Hughton has been criticised for not using his squad enough during the season but in reality only half of our 25 man squad are of Premiership quality and I think Hughton knows that....so we haven''t actually had much room for changing the team. If we''re being brutally honest the only players who are good enough for a team that would really want to progress in this league IMO are, Ruddy,Martin,Whittaker,Johnson,Bassong,Turner,Snodgrass,Howson(squad player),Holt,Pilkington,Hoolahan,Garrido,Bennett.R(will get better in time),Tettey,Bunn & Van Wolfswinkel thats only 16 players, therefore in my mind we need another 9 of similar quality to bring the overall sandard of the squad  to a higher level.

[quote user="Sing up the river end "][quote user="Fozzie"]I doubt anything will come of it, but I did ask Mcnally if there will be any sign of solidarity for the Boston bombing tomorrow. Personally I''d like to hear ''Sweet Caroline'' played just before kick-off, Red Sox style, but I doubt many in the stadium would get the significance.  They''d probably just play ''More than a Feeling'' instead. [/quote] Don''t get me wrong I have the upmost sympathy for anyone envolved.But if we had something for every event , it would be something at just about every home game. [/quote] that doesn''t seem to stop Liverpool FC ?!?

If the club has reduced itself to this hysteria for this match... I dread to think what it''ll do for the Villa and WBA games if we still need the points?!?

I''d rather it not this way but Hughton has painted himself into such a corner where he is now left with no alternatative but to send a team out all-out to win. If nothing else it will be a good test to see whether he is actually capable of it at all as a "dress rehersal" in readniness for next season whichever league we''re in? If we''re in a league lower and he''s still here, there''ll be plenty of "must wins" for a side presumably looking to gain automatic promotion.

Difficult one, Ruddy must play at Stoke as they will do everything to exploit Bunn''s height with their set pieces but equally it would be a hell of a first game back to throw Ruddy into.........for that reason ,I think Ruddy needs to start against Reading to get his "eye in"...........but then again if he does come in against Reading there''d be plenty of questions asked as to why Bunn was dropped!

[quote user="Chip20"][quote user="Dpj Canary"] On present form?   Relegated. [/quote] Curious. Is there any particular reason our current form is a greater relegation threat than Stoke''s? They have lost six of their last seven games and drawn the other whereas we have lost just three over the same period and won one? This is form that has seen them drop from four places above us to two places below us in the table over that period. [/quote] yes, because they have us at home on their fixture list.

[quote user="Pissed As A Mattress"]I am sorry to say it but the free ride is over. If we dont start banging the goals in and believe.....we are doomed. The time has come to stand up and be counted. We have let the ten point gap go. Come on boys, One last push[/quote] Thats ultimately where the beginning of this mess started. We were around 9-10 points clear pretty much from November through to the end of March and maybe complacency set in? those 2 back to back Wigan matches, their last minute handball winner against Newcastle, followed by our defeat there ,cutting the gap to 4 points is where we will be able to trace the beginning, the mood has ceratainly changed since then as seen with the nervousness against Swansea....its going to be a tall order for players and fans alike to keep their heads from here on in.

I would suggest that the introduction of Walcott rather than Fox had as much to do with if not more so, the game moving in Arsenal''s direction.....the villian however will always be the linesman, without his intervention ,whilst Arsenal may well have got a late equalizer,we certainly wouldn''t have lost.

[quote user="JonnyH"]This is a similar situation to 1992, but I think we''ll survive.[/quote] We survived in 1992!.....I''d actually make the 1991/2 season a better comparsion to that of the 94/95 that many are at the moment. We had a disastrous run of form after the FA Cup semi defeat to Sunderland but were never in the bottom 3 and in the end survived with a couple of ugly draws...one being against Wimbledon in front the the old Barclay for the last time...........I''m hoping we''ll scratch together the last few points we need, but it won''t be pretty.

Not sure how serious Johnson''s injury is but if he''s a a doubt for Saturday it might just force Hughtons''s hand into going 442 with 2 wingers and going at Reading. Snodgrass  Howson  Tettey  Pilkington                   Holt  Kamara we''re going to need 2 wingers but we''re also going to need someone (Howson) to get the ball to them.....this isn''t a game for both Johnson and Tettey in the team, we need to attack.

the 2 sides in the worst form are us and Stoke and the fact that when we play them their home advantage will count........I''ve seen it coming since the Wigan game that we just could not afford to lose........I think we''re down

[quote user="Olly"]The fact QPR have been used as a good example of changing manager is pretty laughable. As stated, I''d love to know who is going to come in and do better.[/quote] What are Redknapp and Hughton''s comparative records, from the date he took over at QPR??

wrong time to be playing Reading?!?............who the hell would you rather we be playing?????? all of Hughton''s negative tactics home and away, his sacrificing both cup competitions have all come to a head this weekend....Hughton couldnt have a better fixture to prove that its all been worth it this season to put us in a position to win this game at home to an all but relegated side to pretty much guarantee our safety. Here''s Hughton''s big chance......blow this and he, Calderwood and Trollope can clear their desks as far as I''m concerned.

when Di Canio took over at Sunderland ,I said at the time I''d rather have him in charge of our last 7 games than Hughton, and I''ll stick by that. Ultimately its all about who you replace a manager with, I remember in ''95 ,Deehan took the noble decision to resign with a similar number of games left to what he have now as he didnt think he could stem the poor run of results, unfortuntaly his coach Megson couldnt help us as he was just the same voice in the changing room, rather like Connor at Wolves last season. The old saying is that if you can''t be a good manager be a lucky one............I''m not sure if Hughton is either?

Ruddy must play at Stoke to help with their aerial threat, Stoke would have a field day with Bunn from set pieces, equally it would be a hell of a game to throw Ruddy straight back in for. Therefore IMO Ruddy has to be given the Reading game to get back into it. harsh maybe on Bunn but we''re past the point of sentiment now ,Hughton must pick the right team all over the pitch from here on.

sadly when we did get a rare decision in our favour against Southampton, we didn''t take advantage of it.