GJP

From a football point of view I''m very happy David is back. He''s one of our best players and he''s definitely our best right-sided midfielder. He''s world class and dropping him was a complete was of time.

[quote user="Boyo"] from the last couple of seasons i think youssef safri is our main man in midfield (and probably the whole team) so i think regardless of what Peter Grant thinks he should be put in the team before Fotheringham and etuhu and i also think the midfield and the whole team should be built around him instead of huckerby.  Why cant Peter Grant see this.  [/quote] I would think/hope Peter Grant is aiming to build a team with balance, strong across the whole pitch. Safri is a good player and, at this level, a very good passer of the ball. But without doubt The Dazzler is the best player at this club.

[quote user="Dan Grant"]i have always thought that the u19''s is the championships version of the England u21''s, because if you are 18 but a brilliant player, you get promoted to the u21''s. So all the players who can''t quite cut it are left in the u19''s. this is why you always see our youngsters in the u16''s, u18''s, u19''s, but not the under 21''s.[/quote] Spot on. There is a gulf in quality between the England U21s and the other ranks such as U19 and U20. That''ll be a good way to judge how good Chris Martin is, if he is the business then he''ll eventually knock on the U21 door.

[quote user="gazzathegreat"] It''s good to see that we at last have a manager who thinks the academy is our young football team, not just an over excited bunch of school children. Well doneMr Grant for showing some faith in our youth product - and the academy for finding us some real talent...as Ricky Martin says, five out of nine is pretty good....yes, it is and if only three of the five turn out to be as good as Chris Sutton, Bellamy and Eadie we will go forward, instead of stagnating using other''s cast offs as under Mr Worthington.... [/quote] I think you''ll find that Mr Worthington didn''t have a lot to pick from when it came to the youth setup. For example, NW realised, much like PG has, that Jarvis and Henderson aren''t up to it. Jason Shackell was a better prospect which is exactly why he figured in Worthingtons teams. A lot of fans seems to think if a youngster is in our academy they must be on the verge of becoming an outstanding professional footballer...but it just doesn''t work like that. The standard of what we bring through our academy is way off what other clubs around the country produce. Look at Gareth Bale of Southampton and then before him Theo Walcott....we''ve got nobody anywhere near that quality in our youngsters.

[quote user="viennacanary"] I''m afraid that when anyone talks about ''passing it backwards'' or even ''passing it sideways'' it displays a lack of understanding of how the game is played.  I do not mean that in a personal way and of course, you are more than entitled to your opinion, but if you asked any player who has played the game who was a better player out of Hughes or Robinson, it would be Robinson without doubt. [/quote] I know what point you''re trying to make about ''passing it backwards'' or ''passing it sideways'' displaying a lack of understanding but.. I''d have to say that sometimes players don''t know what to do with the ball when they get it and that''s when it''s safer to try and pass back to the keeper than actually do something with the ball. In some cases it is, of course, sensible to keep the ball. But in other cases it does mean that the player doesn''t have a clue where to go with the ball. When it comes to Carl Robinson I agree a lot with you, I don''t think he''s the worst player City have had. He''s had a career in professional football, he''s not been to the very top but he has played for his country which is something. He''s a player who plays within his limits. Andy Hughes is a different type of player, he''s got a bit of an engine on him and he''s very enthusiastic. He''s prone to some erratic passing whereas Robinson keeps things simple, wins the ball and plays it nice and simple. However, Robbo doesn''t have that omph or that drive that Hughes does. Basically if Norwich were to be near the top of this league you''d expect players like Robbo, Fozzie and Hughes to be backup players.

Well Fotheringham isn''t a left-winger and Martin isn''t a right-winger. While I would hope Fozzie is seen as a backup player if City are to do anything I thought he at least worked hard today, as he usually does. He isn''t used to this tempo and his match fitness isn''t there but I still think he tries to do his bit. Unlike Chris Martin who was lazy today and the worst player on the pitch for City. The two young lads who came on, Spillane and Renton, gave it a good go. Spillane does get stuck in but doesn''t do anything going forward. Renton looked fairly lively and got more involved than Martin ever did. Nice to see Lappin back but fairly obvious he was a bit rusty after some time out. Shame the manager didn''t have the sense to switch Huckerby wide left and let him have a go at the right-back.

[quote user="sonnycityfan aka Ginger Pele"]Grant has said he will go out on loan again but personally i think he is better than spilliane, and should get a go for two or thrree matches, and ryan should get one more chance to play and if he dosnt play well he should go, i liked ryan jarvis when he scored against liverpool amd watford but he needs to do that in the first team more rather than in the reserves [/quote] Just wondering...how come you consider Rossi to be better than Spillane? Not having a dig but just curious as to what makes him a better player. I thought Spillane did alright against Ipswich the other day but sometimes when he had the ball he didn''t know what to do with it and he didn''t give us anything going forward. He''s got quite a way to go, I think, before he''s ready. Ryan Jarvis should be finished at Norwich - if he was going to do something he would have done it by now. Both Worthy and Grant can see he''s not up to it.

Yeah, I think Tony Warner has done alright. I think he looks like his heart is in it and in general he''s a good keeper for this level. There''s been a couple of times when I thought his reflexes weren''t great but then again....we''re not likely to get Casillas in goal for us. I''d like to see Lee Camp again as I don''t think he had a good chance to prove himself and when he did play he looked very promising. But just haven''t seen enough to really judge it. Thought David Marshall was pretty ordinary. Although lots of people seem to think he''s something special. But I have to wonder...if he''s that great why, when good keepers are hard to find, he''s only coming on loan to Norwich. Moreover...I also wonder why Martin O''Neil hasn''t been back in for him - because he''d surely know if he was up to it. In my opinion he looked quite average and didn''t look too interested.  

[quote user="gissing canary"]was having the same debate with my friend as well. evra isnt even france no1, abidal (spelt wrong) at lyon is, and is tipped for a big move to barca, so i reckon him. other candidate is cashley, but personally dont think he is. [/quote] Hmmm. Yeah, Abidal is definitely quite a good player. Wouldn''t be at all surprised if Arsenal and Lyon had had some chats about him either. Evra is neater on the ball though.

There''s not and isn''t usually too many outstanding left-backs around. Evra, since he''s found his feet at Utd, does seem to be a fantastic player.

[quote user="XXL16"]Honestly I doubt Chris Coleman will have a close look at our youth players, Fulham always love to spend money for players[/quote] I''m fairly sure you''ll find that Fulham have spent very little money in recent seasons. Fair enough they spent money to get where they are but since then big players like VDS, Boa Morte and Malbranque have left the club and where have Fulham lashed out millions to buy replacements? Maybe he would have a close look at our youth players realise that most of them are miles away from being good enough.

It''s a shame he weren''t available when we needed him to be. He did a brilliant job at Fulham. Kept them in that league while having to sell his best players and being given very little money to buy replacements. Fulham play good football too. I''m sure he''ll get a good job sooner or later.

[quote user="Indy_Bones"] Marshall was looking superb and if by some chance we do get him permanently it will be a top class signing, [/quote] Not really the main point of your whole post but... Marshall looked...decent. He was a long way off being ''superb''. He''d be a good signing if we paid a very reasonable fee for him.  

[quote user="DumbleDelia is Magic"][quote user="GJP"] Really hope things work out for Nigel. I hear if he sorts them out and gets results in these 5 games then the job is his. All things considered he did pretty well for Norwich and Peter Grant has got a long way to go to live up to what he did for this club. Too many people can only remember a few bad months and some dodgy signings. They seem to forget that great day out at Cardiff, winning the league and then playing Premiership football. [/quote] That is very true.  Peter has got to work immensely hard this summer to bring in the kind of quality Worthington brought in with the likes of Louis Jean, Hughes, Colin, Etuhu, Thorne, Boyle, Lisbie, Jarrett, Rehman, Robinson.... Phew work cut out.  Also Peter needs to sort out our youth policy.  He appears to be of the illusion that playing kids or sending them out on loan will some how make them better players!  Ludicrous!  He also needs to sort out the general atmosphere between the fans and general anomosity between supporters and to the board.  I mean for goodness sake, when did we last have a protest?? A long way indeed [/quote] I''m probably going to judge Grant on what we do on the pitch and where we are in the league (based on the resources he''s given). Sending a few duff youth players out on loan doesn''t really make it for me. Hopefully Peter Grant will also be able to bring players with the quality of Huckerby and Earnshaw to this club. I''ll then focus more on the good signings he''s made and accept that everyone makes mistakes.

Really hope things work out for Nigel. I hear if he sorts them out and gets results in these 5 games then the job is his. All things considered he did pretty well for Norwich and Peter Grant has got a long way to go to live up to what he did for this club. Too many people can only remember a few bad months and some dodgy signings. They seem to forget that great day out at Cardiff, winning the league and then playing Premiership football.

[quote user="Hardhouse44"] Lappin is also a doubt as far as I am concerned. He isn''t a left winger for one reason he can''t out run anybody. He has no pace. This will be Eagle''s problem along with his lack of physical stature. Fullback is probably the place for Lappin if he can improve his defensive side of the game. Imagine that a fullback who can get forward once in a while knows what to do with the ball at his feet and can deliver a decent cross. Wait, now I''m just getting silly!!! [/quote] I think Lappin has been quite impressive so far.  Although I think everyone likes a winger with a bit pace sometimes speed of thought can be just as much of an asset and I do think Mr Lappin is quite an intelligent player. He''s definitely a player who has improved our squad and I think, if used correctly, he will become a quality player for Norwich

Difficult one, in some ways. I liked Nigel Worthington, I thought he was a good manager who wanted to play good football. Unfortunately he did start to lose his way and it was time for him to move on, but that happens to plenty of managers, As for Grant...well he gives it the big talk but so far he hasn''t quite delivered. Fair enough he needs time to build his own team but there are aspects of his management I don''t like. I can''t help but feel he over does the ranting on the touchline, there''s a time and a place for it but he does it too much. You know sometimes you''d like to have your players nice and relaxed but focussed on the game, not being distracted by some Scotsman barking out things they probably already know. Another thing I dislike about him is his habit for changing a winning team. He has done it so many times since he''s been here, pretty much everytime we win a game he changes the side/system for the next game. Even just putting in Martin for Dublin gave us less of a chance yesterday. Also his team selections have been a bit dodgy over his time here, although there has been improvement in recent weeks. At Nigel Worthingtons peak we were the best football side in this league, box to box we played the ball better than anyone. Can I see Peter Grant getting us playing that well? Nah, not at the moment. We''ll have to see what happens after the summer but for me it''ll take a bit more than putting a youngster into the team, sending a couple more out on loan and promising to drop under-performing players to impress me.

No doubt that we were outplayed today. The manager picked the wrong team. As soon as I knew Martin was in for Dublin I thought we''d be in trouble. Why? Because Chris Martin hasn''t got what it takes to hold the ball up, especially at this level. I don''t buy into any rubbish about Dion not being able to play 2 games that close together, he''d have put in a performance had he started. What Martin is good at is running at defenders, twisting and turning with the ball at his feet. But he isn''t cut out to hold the ball up so the ball keeps coming back at us. It''s happened in several matches lately but it doesn''t look like Peter Grant can see it. I think I''d just about pick Dickson as my man of the match, worked quite hard and scored a great goal. Thought Andy Hughes had a good game too. West Brom were one of the better sides I''ve seen down here this season though, they looked better than Birmingham did.

[quote user="tim howard?"]could he be the next c.martin hes defiately very quick /quote] In the way that Chris Martin isn''t very quick.   [;)]

I think Eagle has got a decent left peg on him, he can deliver a good ball. But I don''t think he''s got a lot else at the moment. He''s clearly short of pace and he''s not exactly got a big build. In the couple of appearances he has had in the first team he''s looked way out of his depth. Definitely needs a loan move next year to see what he''s made of.

[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 user="Shack Attack"][quote user="GJP"] I think most people, who understand the game, know that England fail to perform because a set of top players has fallen into the hands of bad management. An unnatural and unbalanced team isn''t going to perform, no matter who you are. Unfortunately we''re lumbered with a negative manager who can''t pick a team. [/quote] Sorry but I think you''re wrong there. England''s main problem is that although their ''world class'' players look just that in The Premiership this actually means nothing in the world of international football. The Premiership is a unique competition, unlike any other league, that''s why it''s shown in so many countries around the world. It''s exciting, it''s fast paced, possesion is lost one second and then gained back the next. In other words, it''s absolutely nothing like international football and therefore it''s no surprise when players who look ''world class'' in The Premiership fail to carry this form over to international football. If you want an example then just look at Frank Lampard. Scorer of 15+ goals each season in The Premiership because the game suits him, stick him in an England shirt and, with the exception of a few games in Euro 2000, he looks like a fish out of water. It works the other way round as well. Check out Fernando Morientes'' goal scoring record for Spain and various teams in the Champions League. Now does that sound like the same player who played for Liverpool last season? The same goes for Alexander Hleb, many people in football rate him as one of the best midfielders in Europe but in this country he''s portrayed as ''weak'' by the media and thought of as ''not up to The Premiership'' by many fans. Until we change the way the game is played in this country and coach our kids to play a more continental style of football we''ll go on getting bad results against teams who play a different style of football to us. Whilst some people ''who understand the game'' realise this the rest seem content to throw insults at yet another England manager, as this is much more fun than addresing the real issues. [/quote] I can see your point but if you look to these seasons Champions League it''s English clubs that have the strongest representation. Obviously Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have several England players in their teams and they seem to have no trouble mixing it up with the best in Europe. The recent successes of Man Utd and Liverpool in the Champions League suggest that the English brand of football can compete with anything else out there. If anybody thinks Steve McClaren has got what it takes to be a good manager for England then they''re on another planet. England are suffering because they lack a manager who can pick the right players/formation/system, of that I remain convinced.

[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.

I don''t think you can expect Safri to pick between club and country. If playing internationals causes him to underperform for Norwich then the manager needs to make a decision. But if he still wants to represent his country then that''s up to him.

I guess it all depends what you consider ''proven'' and ''world class'' then.