Stone

[quote user="Hardhouse44"] Overreaction. Yes he played well today. hardly put a foot wrong. But that was one game against a very poor attack. I don''t care what you say about them beating Liverpool last week. You are judging Pearce on what you saw today you then you must do the same for Barnsley''s front line. They were very weak. He did a great job. Let not get carried away and lets not heap pressure on the lad. Swallows and summers and all that. [/quote] Well said, yes Pearce did play very well today against a poor attack. I think a lot us were particularly impressed by his distribution of the ball. Credit were it''s due but let''s not build this guy up too much! It won''t help anyone.  

I thought Gibbs showed huge improvement against Barnsley, he rarely lost possession and looked tidy both in the air and on the ground. Had this not have been the case we would have been under real pressure because Pattison''s distribution was poor. After the (rather harsh) stick he got for his performance agianst Hull he deserves some credit because he proved an able replacement for Fozzy. He will improve given more games and obvioulsy needs to build up his strength to thrive in this league - but I guess that''s why he''s here on loan - to learn, toughen up, and improve his game.  Sad to say it - he already looks streets ahead of Rossi Jarvis!

Marshall - 7 - Looked steady and made an important save late on. May owe Semmy one after his goal-line clearance in the first half. Ostemobor - 7 - Looked particularly good going forward, links well with Croft. Could still improve defensively Bertrand - 7 - Really solid performance, coped with all that came his way. Pearce - 8 -  Superb, especially considering this was his first league start. Strong in the tackle, good distribution of the ball. Never once looked uncomfortable. Doc - 7 - Defensively strong, and even provided a couple of the game best passes. Although typically provided a couple of dodgy one''s too. Wasn''t helped by Pattison''s distribution. Croft - 6 - Full of running (think his 40-50 yard run late on to tackle their left winger shows how far he''s come!) little end product today though. Gibbs - 7 - Good in possession both on the floor and in the air. Massive improvement on last outing. Pattison - 5 - Hustled, harried and slogged it out to win the balll, but would so often lose it cheaply afterwards. Huckerby -  7 - Looked dangerous and definitely worth his place. Will only improve with more games. Cureton - 7 - Great finish for the goal but both he and Evans lacked decent service. Evans - 7 - Ran hard at the Barnsley defence, often putting them under pressure. Can''t be faulted for effort but nothing broke for him today. 

[quote user="Thecanaryfan"][quote user="Stone"] To celebrate I think Doc should then do the dignified thing and shave his damn head! Go bald gracefully fella!!   [/quote] Here here Does anybody else think that Doc looks about 45 years old even though he is 28? Isnt there a name for this? Dean Ashton looks about 45 too and he is only 24! Is it the stress or playing for our club that speeds up the age process? [/quote]   Nah, just look at Paul McVeigh! Anyone noticed how Ashton bleaches his hair so that it hides his bald patch. When the dye grows out you can really see it against his natural dark colour. Funny as - the lengths these guys go to in denial! Just realised I sound like I have an unhealthy obsession with balding footballers! Er, guess I''m just observant!  

[quote user="Bingo"]Because I was once seen leaving a club with ''2 fat ladies'' and it''s been a nickname ever since. I had Stevo as my username for a while and then bowed to the inevitable and stuck with the nickname. p.s. they weren''t that fat[/quote]   Am loving that! Ha Ha! Could also apply to so several of my mates! Not me though no, no, definitely not me!

Doc''s a limited player technically but in general he fulfils the primary element of his job which is to defend. He gets his foot in when he has to and doesn''t attempt to over-elaborate, which is good thing for him really! We all know he''s a bit clumsy and does appear to be ''on edge'' during a game as if he''s primed to make a mistake but he hasn''t made many since Roeder''s arrival and his partnership with Shacks is improving. He''s looked solid of late. Would like to see him make more of a nuisance of himself in the opposition box and bag 4-5 goals a season though!    I''d renew his contract. Even if we sign another CB he''d make decent cover. To celebrate I think Doc should then do the dignified thing and shave his damn head! Go bald gracefully fella!!     

                      Marshall Semmy      Doc      Shacks       Camara Croft         Gibbs    Pattison     Bertrand                 Evans   Cureton   Subs: Hucks, Pearce, Martin, Velasco, Spillane The back four had been solid before last week and deserve the opportunity to redeem themselves.   Gibbs is a massive gamble after his last outing but hopefully he''ll have learnt from that and will have got his head down in training over the last fortnight in preparation for another start.  Think I''d dispense with sub keeper as it''s a bit of a patched-up team and we need as many outfield options as possible should it not work.        

I was given mine as a nickname, when some mates reckoned I look like the wrestler ''Stone-Cold Steve Austin''.

[quote user="suffolk canary"] Before people get on my back, I''m not a ''knocker'' of the club -  I want the best for all concerned, particularly us supporters.  Putting the mathematics to one side - assume we could get promoted this year.  How many of you would actually want that this season? Our gazes have understandably moved 180degrees from the bottom to the top of the table and that''s all due to Glenn, the lads and a few slices of luck.  However, if we got promoted we would need to spend zillions to stay up and would realistically run the risk of ''doing a Derby'' (who I suspect will face a relegation battle next season in the Championship too). That''s all coupled with ridiculous plan of the Premier League to take matches abroad - all in the name of money and greed and nothing to do with the fans and the individual clubs.  Is that what we all really want to be involved in - my heart says ''of course it is'', but my head has many concerns. Any thoughts? [/quote]   I have a similar viewpoint, only it''s my heart that wants us to go up and my head that has reservations (i''m not thiking purely financially obviously)! My heart says we could go up establish ourselves along with the elite and challenge for the title against all odds! My head says the best we could EVER hope for in any season (unless a multi-billionaire fances buying us and buying success) is establishing ourselves as a mid-table team, just playing each season out until we''re safe. Hardly that much to get excited about. I think in the current climate a championship club is never going to be ready for the premiership given the gulf between the divisions. If we went up this season it would be a HUGE struggle, but then it will never be any different. It wouldn''t be a bad thing for the club to go up (i''m thinking financially really) but i''m a disillusioned with the premiership really, rubbish kick off times, plastic fans and clubs owned by foregin millionaires more interested in their investment than maintaining and/or enhancing the true identity and culture of our national game. 

[quote user="Beaker"] Bring back the good old days:          Gallacher, Colin,Fleming,Rehman,Boyle,   Etuhu,Hughes,Robinson,         McVeigh, Jarvis              Thorne [/quote] Just taken one look at that, and its brought on a seizure!

[quote user="sam"][quote user="Stone"] I''d go with much the same. Possibly swap Gibbs for Henry on the bench for some cover on the right-hand side.  [/quote] I thought Henry was a right winger??? [/quote]   So did I. I''m suggesting that Henry takes Gibbs (left-sided player) place on the bench (Gibbs drops out of squad). We already have Pattison and Huckerby to cover the left. We would then have Henry to cover the right.

[quote user="sam"] Who would you play after Tuesday''s performance?? I''d go with this: Marshall, Otsemobor, Doherty, Shackell, Camara, Croft, Fotheringham, Russell, Bertrand, Evans, Dublin Subs: Gilks, Pearce, Pattison, Gibbs, Huckerby If Dion not 100% then go with Huckerby up front and Dion on the bench, if Camara isn''t playing again??? then go with Bertrand at left back and Pattison on the left hand side of midfield, and bring in another sub (Henry). [/quote]   I''d go with much the same. Possibly swap Gibbs for Henry on the bench for some cover on the right-hand side. 

Signed (can''t believe I left a typo on my message though!)  What a complete farce. Surely it also undermines the respective leagues in the other countries ''lucky'' enough to host one of these games?

[quote user="Tumbleweed"]My understanding is that these guys are only back ups or cover for what we already have, so the comparison is valid only up to a point. So far its only Bertrand and Cheddars who I''d take permanently if funds allowed.[/quote] I''d take Camara, I thought we missed him really badly last night. I agree, Camara has been a great signing and provides some much needed experience and solidarity at the back that I think we lacked last night. I''ll give it a few more games before I comment on the other loans though!

Bates did look good against Preston and I think he may show that again with a few games under his belt, but on last night''s evidence Semmy. Bates has barely played for well over a year through injury though - I think we need to be a little realistic in our expectations! Semmy definitely needed some competition, and a rest by the look of it!  

Marshall - 7 - kept us in the game with a great save, generally looked solid. Bates - 5 - Defensively ok, seems to have enough to get himself out of his own mistakes, but didn''t link up with croft or show much beyond the halfway line. Shackell - 6 - Solid enough, still looking a lot better than he did 4 months ago. Doc - 6 - Typical Doc, few edgy moments with backpasses etc but did his job otherwise. No nonsense suits him best! Bertrand - 6 - Got better as the game went after looking a bit fragile. Tried to get foward but had little support in front of him. Croft - 7 - Attacked with intent, looked dangerous, only wish we''d have got more ball to him. Russell - 7 - Usual busy performance, passing and tackling generally decent. Fotheringham - 7 - Looked composed on the ball and did try to drive us on. Gibbs - 4 - looked out of his depth and was almost anonymous. Should remeber it was his first ever league game - give him time.  Dublin - 8 - Lead the line well, rarely loses possession, well taken goal. Evans - 4 - Almost anonymous Subs Huckerby - 7 - Looked really dangerous, only wish he''d have replaced Gibbs, not Croft! Pattison - 5 - Looked really out of sorts when he fisrt got on but did improve. Not sure if he was playing centrally or on the left (he only appeared there occasionally!) Ostemobor - 7 - Made some great forward runs and looked sharp. Rest may have done him good!    

 I have to disagree regarding fozzy, I think he had a good game last night.  What some see as ''dwelling'' on the ball I think I class as composure, of which we''d been lacking in midfield for some time! I think he can sometimes appear to have a quiet game because he simply makes simple passes to keep the ball moving to retain possession, but again, that''s exactly what we''ve been needing for ages. Generally he does this as well as driving the team forward and passing accurately with clear intent, and I thought that in the main he did that again last night.

I''ve yet to see a member of ''The PC Lobby'' give someone a good kicking due to their race or religion, so I would suggest that there is quite a large difference. What is ''PC'' anyway? As far as I can see it''s just an extension of the very old fashioned notion of having good manners. It''s just that where once we were told as youngsters to respect our elders, now we''re encouraged to show respect to everybody. How I wish that was true!  We''re now way off the subject of the original thread but... PC is... - Councils refusing to allow towns and villages to display Xmas decorations in fear of offending those with alternative religious beliefs - Kids at school having to refer to a blackboard as a chalkboard, or use the term ''thoughtshower'' instead of ''brainstorm'' as this could offend sufferers of epilepsy - Positive discrimination in the workplace resulting in employers hiring staff specifically from ethnic minorities for ''diversity'' purposes as opposed to hiring staff based on ability. - The hanging of the ''St George Cross'' flag being deemed racist - Signage around UK government buildings (hospitals, police stations etc) being in around 323 diferent languages  ''The PC Lobby'' may not be personally responsible for any real good kickings but can probably be accused of far worse. Over-accomodating extremist Islamic preachers or views has to be held partly responsible for the July 7th bombings, so does the result of that amount to in good kickings?  

[quote user="Grando"]Well there was a group of chavvy yobs near me at the match who started singing ''The Referee''s a Muslim''. To be honest, I wish I''d had the courage to point out their error and the fact that he''s actually a Sikh, but I didn''t really think it would achieve much other than get me loads of abuse, or just sneering blank stares... The comments on here though are just as bad in displaying that special form of small-minded Norfolk racism, that can be passed off as a bit of a laugh. Whatever the web team says it is racist and should be removed.[/quote] The Chavs singing that are a real embarrassment to anyone associated with the club! Just ignorant morons.  I don''t think that the comments on here can be compared to that though! As C.T. said - his turban really is just a peice of headwear (although I don''t think it would''ve impaired his vision). It wasn''t a slur on his race or religion!

Oh, poor Ian Murray! I''m sure Roeder was an angry man to play for if you ambled around on the pitch thinking about how you''d rather ''chuck it'' than put in a worthy performance! Disappear and rot in Scotland you loser. When I played as a kid there was one team in our league that got thumped every week (we beat them 28-0 once!) I think they grew to just not care anymore but by crikey - they were a happy bunch I tell you! We''d be on our 2nd and 3rd hat-tricks and these kids would be mucking around amongst themselves having a right good laugh seeing who could slide furthest in the mud Klinsmann style! Great fun! Maybe Ian would''ve preferred to have instigated something like this during the humiliation at Plymouth?  

I think Chris Lakey nailed this one! He was dog****! In the first half particularly. I actually think he was partly responsible for the first half being so dreadful, he just kept blowing up for minor contact between players and seemed intent on making the game as stop-start as possible. If he''s usually this bad, I wonder if he would be refereeing at this level if he WASN''T sikh? Positive discrimination and all that.    

I''ve only left one or two games early in the last 5 years, and would never do so at 0-0! Unfortunately others don''t share my view - (are these idiots scared of getting caught in traffic and missing ''The One and Only'' or something?) So whilst standing to let others file though my vision was blocked and I completely missed Russell''s goal! Gutted! And if you think I''m standing up to let anyone through before time''s up now - FORGET IT!

Although I''m a little underwhelmed with so many relatively unknown loanees I share your point of view. Evans and Bertrand have definitely added something to the squad and I would much rather see young hungry players of their ilk here than senior pro''s who come with a fraction of the motivation for christ nows how much more a week in wages! We now have defensive cover and some exciting young attack-minded players. That''s the positive view anyway! We''re going along nicely at the moment, so i''ll save the criticisms for another time! Although a goalscorer would be nice...   

Despite being underwhelmed by the latest three recruits I''m inclined to agree with you ''Norfolk&Chance''. In october we looked like we would really struggle to retain our status in the championship, and I know if someone had''ve offered me our current position in the league I''d have taken it without hesitation! Roeder has done a great job and so far, and our form hasn''t been this solid for years now. Every loan player he signed before this week has been proven worthwhile in my opinion so I''m prepared to ride out too in the hope that the same continues to be true.  Now for a goalscorer...

I only listened to the game last night, and it''s always hard to tell what''s happening, although I thought I heard the odd chant from our fans, hardly raptuous though! But I do agree, would be good to get the chants going early on and build up the atmos a bit! I thought we were in half decent voice against Leceister, just need to crank it up more consistently! Then, maybe, just maybe, we might here a murmer from the City Stand and/or River End. Although saying that - have you ever tried to belt out a chant whilst wearing dentures AND sucking on a Murray Mint at the same time!?