Stone

It pains me to day this but, yes I''m 100% sure we will. What sickens me even more is that as a neutral I would be glad to see the back of us too. Painfully dour football with a lack of creativity and woefully inadequate finishing will see us finishing exactly where we deserve to.

Like most I really want RVW to be a success, I''ve been trying to give him the benefit of my doubt for a long while now. Trying to take positives out of his performances, wondering how we could play to his strengths, trying to figure out what his strengths actually are. I''m struggling to see what he brings to the team. Yes, he''s scored well in Portugal and Holland but those leagues lack the physicality and intensity of the Premier League which is making Ricky appear very lightweight. He''s not particularly pacey and his touch (particularly in the penalty area) has been woeful. His movement and awareness are probably his best assets but without the strength or pace to compliment them he wont score goals in the Premier League. We could play more to his strengths by employing wingers who are more likely to pick him out smartly but the chances he has had don''t inspire confidence. I did think that a lengthy absence due to a TOE injury may have given him the opportunity to have bulked up in preparation for his return. Yet he''s still as slight as ever. He looks like a 16 year old youth team player we''re persevering with in the first team. Gary Hooper has been superior to RVW in every department; bigger goal threat, higher work rate, better outlet.

''''he is a player that thrives on quick, flowing attacks...'''' ...and herein lies the problem. Our attacking play is unimaginative, predictable and stilted.

There was definitely talk at the time as Malky being considered a contender for the Everton job, and yes he and Laudrup were both on MOTD giving coy responses when the vacancy was brought up. My memory is of Everton fans were quite underwhelmed with the Mackay link.   I think when we consider Malky becoming manager we immediately refer to poor old Gunny''s reign as a reason that it''s a bad idea. Seeing a club legend struggle in that manner was wholly unpleasant. However, Gunn was basically club hospitality and rolled out in front of us all as an antidote to Glen Roeder.   Malky has enjoyed relative success at Watford and at Cardiff since his arrival. Whether he''s the right man for us right now I''m not sure but I think the comparison to Gunn is inappropriate and unfair.

I mentioned Marcelo Bielsa a week or so ago noting his relative success at Bilbao and ability to produce fluid attacking teams. Bethnal Y&G responded in the same manner as he is posting now, and on further investigation and thought I do think he has a very valid viewpoint. Bielsa is himself incredibly inflexible regarding his tactics. His teams play in this manner, with the same formation regardless. Making such a drastic change at this point in the season could be a disaster.    JB - when I was trying to come up with a side to suit his formation (daydreaming like you) I had Ryan Bennett at the back - the best ball playing CB we have in my opinion.          

Marcelo Bielsa.   A bit left field, and I''m not sure how obtainable, but he''s been proven to be a astute tactician producing excellent footballing sides.  

I wouldn''t be rushing to get rid of Hughton. I think the last few games have shown progress, albeit two of them being against top sides who were fully expected to beat us. However, should the time arise in the not too distant future my no.1 target would be Marcelo Bielsa. Perhaps a little left field, but Bielsa has a reputation for producing great footballing and tactically astute teams. In 2007 he started an impressive stint with the Chilean national side and then took Atletico Bilbao to the Europa League final after a two year spell which ended 2013.  He''s currently without a club.

Really interesting OP and something that I discussed with mates before the Villa match. In summer 2012 I would say Swansea and Norwich were very much on a par, then we both lost our managers. Whilst Swansea kept with their blueprint and gambled with an imaginative (now to be considered inspired) appointment in Laudrup we played it very ''safe'' and went for a steady pair of hands. In Hughton that''s exactly what we have, a little too safe for many of us. We thought perhaps the financial situation and clearing our debt meant it was simply a case of survival being paramount, with plans push on this year, which the investment over the summer would indicate. With the new signings we all got carried away (much talk of Europa League qualification on here!) and expected these highly regarded players to be part of a more fluid attacking style of play, but hertfordyellow is right; we have our steady pair of hands at the helm.

I read somewhere he liked to wear 88 at Celtic because it was the year he was born and the year the club was formed (albeit 100 years earlier, but that might just be a coincidence). I personally think he wears 88 because he''s partial to ménage a trois with ladies of the larger form. In which case someone had better point him in the direction of Chicago''s on Price of Wales Rd.    

Blatter remains where he is because the ''FIFA family'' continue to support him in for their own financial benefit. Representatives from the smaller nations can pocket their brown envelopes in return for their votes and continue to enjoy their ride in the FIFA gravy train.  When David Bernstein criticised the one candidate ballot that saw Blatter re-elected immediate support for Blatter and the FIFA family (and condemnation of The English FA) came from representatives of footballing powerhouses such as Haiti, Congo, Benin, Fiji and Cyprus (and of course Argentina, whose representative said they would never support an English bid/motion until we give them the Falkland Islands!). The whole organisation is rotten to the core. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/01/sepp-blatter-fifa-president-reforms

if anyone wants to practice sharia law, they''re welcome to ... in a sharia state. That certainly has no place in our society!

Fair enough, those payday loan companies are ethically questionable but Cisse signed a contract at the club and partaking in elements of sponsorship probably forms part of it. He''s happy to take his salary, the majority is indirectly paid by Rupert Murdoch. I find it baffling that in these times anyone anywhere gives any credence to religion.

Playing career mode recently after about 3 seasons Korey Smith flourished into something like a 84 - 86 rated, £25million+ central midfielder. I wasn''t playing as Norwich either. Although not quite 80+ I reckon Bassong will have a decent set of stats and wind up in the high 70''s.

Answer above it seems! D''oh!

If you do sell it back to the club how much will you get for it? Anyone know? I really had to drag myself to the game on Saturday and (once again) wish I hadn''t have bothered.  

CLUB. Watching city underachieve year after year is bad enough, but watching England is like a whole new level of frustration and underachievement!

[quote user="Arthur Whittle"][quote user="Stone"] Burnley, Hull, Stoke and Ipswich - Now, there''s a reason you''d find those places intimidating... THEY''RE ALL F***ING HORRIBLE!   Of course they''re not nice places to visit! Jesus Wept!  You''ve got to be either a tooled up chav, genuinely tough or a total recluse to survive in those places! The day we see tracksuit wearing, soverign ring-clad, chav scum in this area to rival that of the above is the day I leave!   [/quote] Never been down Victoria street or cricket ground road then? LOL. Theres a pair of twins who drink in my local The Coachmakers, nice lads but fit your desciption. [/quote] Ah, i know we have a few knocking around but I said ''to rival that of the above'' surely our City lads must just be pretenders compared to them down the road and oop north! Like you say Arthur, they''re nice lads really! If they were the real deal they''d not pass the time of day to an old codger like yourself Whittle! [:P]LOL  In all seriousness i''d like to see a more vociferous crowd but lower barclay and snakepit aside it just doesn''t happen!

Burnley, Hull, Stoke and Ipswich - Now, there''s a reason you''d find those places intimidating... THEY''RE ALL F***ING HORRIBLE!   Of course they''re not nice places to visit! Jesus Wept!  You''ve got to be either a tooled up chav, genuinely tough or a total recluse to survive in those places! The day we see tracksuit wearing, soverign ring-clad, chav scum in this area to rival that of the above is the day I leave!  

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=norwich+match+worn I thought I should bring this to your attention everyone! De Waard was such a laughably bad player - that it''s actually quite good memorabilia, for all the wrong reasons! (and no, it''s not mine!)

I''m sure I read or watched somewhere that it''s nearly impossible for a human being to judge many offsides where the ball is played from a longer distance because they can''t watch both event''s simultaeneously. ie, the ball being played, and the position of the attacker. I don''t think a video ref would slow things down too badly - although should only be used to officiate key decisions! Many an advantage would have to be played before passages of play are reviewed though. If asst refs are then proven to have missed key decisions too often I can''t see the system being loved by officials!

Cam, you raise some really valid points. I just dislike the way that players are rubbished before being given the opportunity to prove themselves. There are players, like you say, who may slip under the radar and although fewer players do progess at a higher level having plyed their trade within more humble surroundings there are always a few being fed through. Michael Kightly is probably a good example but in a nod of agreement I''m struggling to think of others have made a real impact in the championship.

We play in distinctive colours!

Having to endure the moans, groans and abuse very time we pass the ball sideways or backwards - knowing if we lumped it forwards the response would be exactly the same!  eg... ''Oh get the ball up there for christ''s sake! How the hell are we going to score passing backwards!''  ''Oh don''t just lump it forward ! We need to keep possession!

Regardless of how badly we''ve been thumped on another away trip we can always leave the ground in the knowledge that their town/city is a dump compared to ours!

Did it not used to be the case that footballers often started at a lower level and having proved themselves were often given the chance to step up and improve themselves at a higher level?