Carlos Valderrama

The players who are out of contract have been released.  Interesting to see who might get sold in the summer, I think that is where the suprises are going to be.

[quote user="blahblahblah"]If I''d have attemped to take 2 years in sick-leave, my boss would have been rid of me after a couple of months at most.  In Thornes'' case especially, people feel that they have not received value for money, so I guess that''s where the negativity come from. Louis-Jean has just been plain unlucky, and was Forests'' best player when he arrived here.  I would imagine that the players are more annoyed about the circumstances surrounding their inability to perform for us to any level than anyone else though, but receiving 2 years of a 4 figure sum per week probably softens the blow.  I wish them both well in whatever they do next. [/quote] If you needed 2 years of sick leave because you had a serious problem your boss would be able to do bugger all about it.  He certainly couldn''t sack you. However he could stick you on SSP and forget about you.  I wonder if the club has an insurance policy to cover eventualitys like MLJ''s injury? Agree with everyone else though, Peter Thorne is a waste of space.

Harsh re MLJ.  The bloke is not a money grabber.  He is/was a talented right back who got injured.  Unfortunately the injury has been so serious that the bloke might never play again. I agree good decision to release him as there can be no room for sentiment and I agree he is a burden on the wage bill.  But I don''t agree that he is a money grabber or a poor footballer.  He is an unfortunate footballer who has had some phenomenal bad luck.  Not all transfers are rosy, and not everything can go according to plan.

No one at the club has been inspirational this season, hence the sorry league position.  However Drury is a talented left back and probably one of the few saleable assets at the club who could command a decent transfer fee.  The long contract protects the club from losing the player either on a free transfer or for peanuts because we would have no bargaining tools to play with. With rumoured interest from Derby in January and the fact that there are very few good left backs about I think that this is an intelligent piece of business by the club.

[quote user="FilletTheFishWife ."] [quote user="jimmy500"]Can only be good.  Look at Buzacky and Gera, the 2 polish boys at Southampton, Gregor Raziak.  If we did manage to find a gem in that part of the world chances are it wouldn''t cost much.  We need quality, lots of it and cheap.[/quote]   Not true. You have conveniently named some good ones. http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/2006/11/premierships_to.html http://observer.guardian.co.uk/toptens/story/0,,1078421,00.html and add Matt Jonson and Jurgen Chronic to the list. There is undoubtedly the chance of a bargain but if you pay peanuts high chances are you''ll get monkeys.   [/quote] EASTERN EUROPEAN = czech republic, slovakia, poland, hungary etc.... Matt Jonson = Scandinavia - And a bloody good player IMO Jurgen Colin = Europe - Chronic is harsh but agree he isn''t the best Do agree though that anyone we unearth could be a pile of rubbish.  Cheap quality footballers are hard to come by, also expect to fight with others if you do find one. Poland would be a good place to start now that we have a polish deli in town....

Can only be good.  Look at Buzacky and Gera, the 2 polish boys at Southampton, Gregor Raziak.  If we did manage to find a gem in that part of the world chances are it wouldn''t cost much.  We need quality, lots of it and cheap.

A Dave Watson, Poll & Withey match shirt.  I did have the match ball but some little b****rd threw it away because he thought it had a puncture. I also had an Asics shirt, remember the one that looked like vomit.  That I used to wear with pride. But by far and away my favourite possessions are.... Norwich City v Sheffield Wednesday 2002-03 Season - Matchday program, because my first born boy is featured..... Norwich City - Lotus Cars shirt that I bought my boy for his first birthday, it has his name and the number 1 on the back.  Would love to get it signed so I can have it framed.

Fozzy probably still isn''t up to the pace of the english game after stints in Switzerland & Germany.  A good pre-season and we may well see a much improved player next year, lets hope so.  Jury is still out for me on Fozzy. Safri is OK but he rarely plays these days.  Perhaps he doesn''t look after himself as well as he should. At this moment in time I would ditch both in favour of Michael Spillane.

They have all been awful at times.  Drury was shocking saturday, the doc was shocking against stoke, etuhu has had his moments too.  But I have to agree with everyone else, Peter Thorne, possibly the worst player ever to wear a city shirt.

I appreciate that there hasn''t been too much to write home about in the last couple of games, yes they have been mediocre to say the least. However, my one plus from these games is the emergence of Michael Spillane.  Its been a long time since I saw someone at Carrow Road snap in tackles like that boy, looks like we might have discovered the steel our midfield has been lacking.  Lets partner this boy with someone creative and I think we may have the basis of something good.

[quote user="spud nud"] WE WANT ENGLISH NOT SCOTTISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [/quote] WRONG, we want talent, skill, desire, passion, ability etc etc.....WE DON''T CARE WHERE IT COMES FROM

Worthy is a good manager, he just ran his course at Norwich City.  Stop forgetting the good times we had under him.  Playoff season, winning the league, and the second half of our premiership campaign (fulham aside). Could do well at Leicester, especially if he has got money to spend.......

[quote user="Cheeky Monkey"]I''m amazed nobody has mentioned Kris Commons. He used to be a big favourite on here. He''s out of contract and scoring goals at the moment. Much better option that Lappin.[/quote] Good shout for Commons, I had forgotten about him.  Possibly a good long term option to eventually replace Huckerby. Seen J Lloyd Samuel mentioned, not a cats chance in hell of him coming here..........What about Garry Kelly from Leeds, right back, good leader, experienced, probably wont want to play in the championship.

Def GK - I am hoping Marshall, but Warner has done OK for me RB - Ostemboor? LB & CB - Or possibly a utility player who can cover both, Danny Higginbotham anyone? I am thinking wages here... Utility - Billy Jones - We can but hope.... Mid - Spillane looks like he isn''t afraid to tackle so a creative person for me, Koumas style, possibly foreign......Julian Brellier from Hearts, go on Jim use your connections... Left Mid/Wing - With Croft/Chadwick fighting for the right I think we need the same for the left, is Eagle ready, don''t know.  Lee Cook QPR for me Stiker - Healy, offers something different to Earnie, Martin & Brown

Why not, only got to look at Chimbonda at Spurs and N''Zogbia at Newcastle to see that there are real stars to be had on the cheap in the French league. Good shout.  For me, scouting europe for cheap quality is the way forward.

OStemboor has stated since the beginning of the season that he will be leaving on a bosman when his contract expires.  When he got injured Crewe decided to blood a couple of youngsters who have done rather well.  Whats the point of them putting Ostemboor back in when they have nothing to play for, they won''t be coming and they won''t be going down, might as well carry on with the kids and get them some match experience. I think he could be a quality signing.  Possibly even an unpolished gem....

No they can''t stop him from going to Colombia on holiday, but they can advise against it.  No they can''t stop him from buying a Maclaren but they could stop him buying a motorbike.  And no they can''t threaten to withdraw him from the wales squad, but they could advise against it. If you were in Earnshaw''s shoes would you risk aggravating what was a serious injury by playing for your country in a meaningless game when not fully fit, or would you concentrate on getting fully fit and back to peak performance for the following euro qualifier? The simple fact is that Earnshaw is not fit enough for international duty, why take him when he probably isn''t fit enough to play.  We pay his wages and his medical bills, he belongs to us and quite frankly if I was PG I wouldn''t let him go. And finally, is Colombia really more dangerous than Yarmouth?  Sometimes I am not so sure.........

[quote user="Sons of Boadicea"]Jimmy - I think we ar sort of agreeing in as much as I think Grant was right in asking Wales to look after Earnie and the fact the we need a fit Earnie for next year either to sell or score goals, so why risk him now when we are safe?. We knew that Earnie was an established international player when we signed him and we knew he was likely to be called up and of course all of this ignores the feelings of the man himself, what right do any of us have in telling earnie he should not play for Wales?[/quote] Agreed, he is international quality and we know that, and Wales will probably take great care with him.  I am not suggesting that we ask him to withdraw as I am sure being asked to play for your country is the pinnacle of anyones career.  What I am saying, English FA included is do they really need to take him (Owen/Earnie) for a meaningless friendly? The club v country row is very much alive, I believe that if national associations need to be a bit more respectful when it came to calling up injured/not fully fit players.  Surely they have other options, it''s not like it really matters at the end of the day. My advice to both associations, leave them alone for the friendly so they can get fully fit and the clubs would then have no problems with the player going when it really matters.

[quote user="Sons of Boadicea"] Jimmy 500 - If Earnie is not fully fit why is he playing for us?, it cuts both ways, he is as likely to injured in the Championship as he is at international level (as has been proved by his long lay off).  I have no problem with Grant asking Wales to look after Earnie, and equally Wales could say the same thing to Grant. [/quote] But he isn''t really fit to play for us is he, a couple of substitute appearances for the last 20 doesn''t really qualify him as being fit enough for the rigours of internation football. Also, if he is injured playing in the Championship then that is our problem and part and parcel of the game, if he is injured playing for wales then it is still our problem cause the FA of wales just sends a crock back and leaves us to pick up the tab. If we are gonna have a serious stab at this league next year then we either need A. the money from his transfer or B. the goals he will undoubtedly score, if he gets crocked playing a meaningless friendly he isn''t ready for we will have neither. As I said before, if he is fully fit then no problem, but he isn''t fully fit and that is a problem.

[quote user="Konstantin Pobedonostsev"] [quote user="Sons of Boadicea"]If it is club before country every time why have international teams at all?, or why do we not just have players who play for their country and nobody else, wouldn`t work would it!!, that is why clubs have to accept that if a player wants to represent their country (note wants to represent his country) then they should let them go. Jas taking your arguement to its logical conclusion if Ernie played crap every week then we would not have signed him would we?, when you sign an established international player you have to accept that he is likely to be called up to play for his country. I do not like it when one of our players come back from international duty injured, but I accept that it is an occupational hazard.[/quote]   Wow somebody speaking sense ... I was starting to feel like a voice in the wilderness! It''s not an issue of club over country - I am far more passionate about NCFC than England.  If you own an international player you have to accept these problems. Earnshaw is Welsh - if Wales demand his services NCFC have no right to get involved. Too many people are too ''village focussed'' - It is NOT a club vs country issue.   [/quote] The point is that a fully fit Rob Earnshaw being called up for his country is no problem, what is a problem is that Rob Earnshaw is only just back from a serious injury.  If the player is not fit enough to feature for his club then he is not fit enough to feature for his country.  I am all for players representing their country, in fact I would encourage it. The same point applies to Michael Owen. Your points have been well put across but please justify why you think that Rob Earnshaw/Michael Owen should represent their country when they haven''t propoerly figured for there clubs since returning from injury.  Both players cost there clubs a significant amount of money, in transfer fees, wages, insurance and medical bills, the international setup doesn''t contribute to any of this...In this case tell me why the country should get all of the benfit without any of the risk. This is a very serious issue, IF Earnshaw was to return with a recurrence of his injury it would have a catastrophic effect on our plans for next season.

Good shout for Buzacky, just the sort of creative player we are lacking in the middle. Billy Jones would be worth a pop, I honestly think we could tempt him.  He would probably be a first team regular here, not many ''bigger fish'' could guarantee that, plus he might look at Ashton as an inspiration for the future. Alexander could be a good player for us but I still have my heart set on Marshall. One question though, plenty of people have put forward names of promising players from the lower leagues, can we really gamble on them if we are going to have a serious push for promotion next year?

[quote user="Konstantin Pobedonostsev"] “If he doesn''t do that ... [stick to his work plan]... he won''t be going ... [to the Welsh squad]. I don''t care what anybody says, he will not be going" Peter Grant This is ridiculous - and my complaint is targeted at Newcastle United also. Clubs may well pay their players a lot of money and then rightly feel frustrated if their player then gets injuried on international duty or doesn''t come back in the same condition that they left but when the country calls no club team should have the powers or the arrogance to take this attitude. By all means have Earny''s best interests at heart but don''t threaten withdrawal. If you don''t like losing players to international duty Mr Grant then it''s simple. Don''t sign any more international players and sell all the ones you have - or shut it.   [/quote] Utter rubbish. Most ridiculous post I haver read on this site, and that is saying something with the smudgers and clucks of this world about.

[quote user="The Canary"]Freddy Eastwood?[/quote] For me, only we have to spend Earnshaw cash on someone!!! Would rather keep Earnie though....

Ian Hume - Leicester - Too push Lee Croft for a place, quality, quick, uses the ball well and direct, just what you need at championship level. Billy Jones - Cover at the back and in the middle, young and looks a great prospect. David Marshall - Fantastic keeper, we need someone reliable between the sticks.  The clubs history of great goalies needs to continue. Bobby Hassell - Barnsley - Looks a decent right back, impressed me when I have seen him play.  Work in progress?  Worth a gamble maybe... Other possibilities could be, Shaun Derry (Leeds) midfield enforcer, always liked the look of him when he was at Palace.  David Healy - different style to Martin, Brown & Earnie, sometimes to you need to change things completely, could compliment the squad.  Tony Warner, instead of/in addition to Marshall.

[quote user="GJP"][quote user="jimmy500"][quote user="GJP"][quote user="jimmy500"] I must admit that my old dad has a point when he says drop the lot of them and play the kids.  After all a team of hungry 16-18 year olds can''t do any worse than that bunch of overpaid t**s*rs. [/quote] If we played the kids from the start of next season we''d be relegated before Christmas. [/quote] Congratulations for stating the obvious, it was a tongue in cheek quip. Pr*t [/quote] Well I know people who want to see the Norwich team made up of young players so it''s kinda hard to tell that your comment was infact a ''tongue in cheek quip''. It hardly warranted calling me a ''pr*t'' but if makes you feel big then go for it. [/quote] Don''t need to feel big, no offence intended. I agree that you can''t just chuck the kids in, BUT there are times (stoke away, colchester away, coventry home) when you just wonder, could the kids really do any worse!