CheepShot

I can''t understand ppl having a shot at Roeder after today''s result. His plans before the match were shot by Otsemobor''s migraine - let''s face it, he would never have played the Doc at right-back if had free choice. City played well first half but were worn down by Stoke''s physical approach in the second half. Okay, no points today and we are still bottom, but we are improving, playing football and looking like a team. Can anyone honestly say that Peter Grant got 11 men to play as a team away from home? I think it''s going to be tough to stay up, but Roeder can do it. The improved displays and more confident looking players says it all for me - we have a manager who can get us out of this mess.

I wonder if anyone told Kevin Drinkell back in the 1980s that he shouldn''t enjoy a pint and a fag down his local when he was banging in 20 goals a season for City? I doubt it. When the Canaries are doing badly, no City player can be seen to smile or have fun. When Norwich are doing well, seeing the players cavorting in Mercy would have been greeted with the smiles and comments of what lads they were. Unless they start bringing pints on to the pitch, leave them to it.

Beautiful idea, great support and yeah, we should all get behind the team... but it''s not going to get city winning. It might help, hey, it might even get a few cynical fans to believe in the power of support, but it''s the players themselves who get results. We can get behind them, but it''s who Peter Grant picks, how he shapes them and how they perceive what he has told them to do. At the moment, I very seriously doubt his skill in picking the right men and tactics to do anything effectively. City will always need fans like you pickle, and thank God it has fans like you coming through and supporting the team, but it''s all down to Grant and the players now...

Danny Mills was a total wind-up merchant last night, it sickened me. However, he and Charlton showed Premier League experience (and cynicism) to wind-up our players and destroy our discipline to win the  game. It hurts, but it just shows that we need to work harder on our discipline - you can''t afford to get sucked into the games people like Mills play and if you do, you end up on the losing side.

We didn''t do badly last night at all, the Doc was very effective alongside Dion Dublin but he ruined it with a clumsy challenge. We had chances in the first half to have taken the lead and almost had a point in the bag. I really don''t think it was as bad as some people are making out. Of course, we all have our own opinions, but I agree that we should give Granty a bit more time before we get on his back.

I agree wholeheartedly with those people who say City didn''t do badly against one of the most expensively assembled teams in the division. Apart from Doherty''s totally clumsy challenge, City were undone by a poor referee and a lack of a killer finish up front. Grant should be critiscised for playing Chadwick from the off again and only bringing on Strihavka and Cureton when the game was beyond City, but his side did well. If we could just keep concentration for 90 minutes and not get dragged into the cynical attempts of players like Danny Mills to get players sent off, we could have had a very decent point. Let''s see how we fare against Wolves. OTBC www.cheepshot.co.uk

Just a quick message to The Pink ''Un forum bods to let  you know about a brand new Norwich City web fanzine - Cheep Shot (www.cheepshot.co.uk). It''s a site for City fans to have their say on what''s happening, give their opinions on the latest Canary news and results and have a laugh with other City sufferers about club stories past and present - I''m aiming for it to be the first place you head for on the net when you''re looking for an alternative view of all things NCFC. There''s plenty of content on there already and it''s all just for you, you lucky yellas. Please let us know what YOU''D like to see on the site and we''ll try and make it happen. If anyone wants to lend a hand, pen a few articles or have some transfer gossip they want to share with fellow Canary fans, email me at cheepshot@hotmail.co.uk. OTBC!