Budapest Canary

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]I don''t really like the whole ''big club'' debate but anybody with an understanding of football knows the Old Firm are huge clubs suffocating in the SPL. Only Manchester United & Liverpool can claim to have bigger fanbases than them. I don''t want them in the English league but give them a couple of years with the increased revenue and they''d be major contenders.[/quote]I hate to say this, but when here in Budapest people see my son''s City scarf it usually need explanation who they are and what they are. Celtic has been constantly present in international football in the past decades, kids have heard of them, at least via footie trading cards, etc. They are a bit like Ajax -- big fish in a small pond, and they are bigger then City, at least as a brand name.

[quote user="Robert N. LiM"]So if I were him I would be looking to move to a club with more money, so he could buy established quality players and prove he can manage them. That would then make him a candidate for one of the big jobs. [/quote]If I were Lambert, I''d Win the FA Cup, take City to Europe to show that I can be successful at that level too.

I absolutely agree with that, was actually considering posting something alongside these lines myself.. NCFC as they are, indeed, are not a typical Premiership side, by relying on home-grown talent (I know it is a loose term, but in terms of cultural background, language, etc. City are probably the most homogeneous side of the EPL), and the wage cap, the teamgeist, the unquestioned authority of the manager all make it stand out from among other EPL sides.

[quote user="First Wizard"]Their fans want Lambert.  [:S] [/quote]No big surprise. In their place I would want him too.Hic transit gloria mundi. Three seasons ago many of us would have been more than happy with McCarthy.What a reversal of fortunes. Btw, where is W8WBA now? I miss him!

Holt has a bit of a Balotelli in him, he likes walking the line. But he''s 100% Premiership!

Otto Rehhagel.If he could win the euros with Greece, he can do anything.

[quote user="Shankslad"]It''s got to be Paul Lamberts fault - for saying they need all the points they can get!!![/quote]Spot on! Lambert must have also said something like "don''t take your foot off the pedal, son!". Gaffers say things like that.

As Europa League, which is further up above EPL, is still within reach, I would write that option entirely off.  While I realise that this is a mock-moaning post, I do not find the combination of the words "Lambert" and "out" funny even in this context!  Shame about the open-top bus parade though!

Ebbsfleet United!

I watched the game on a local sports channel with Hungarian commentary. The commentator heaped a lot of praise on our entire defense, slightly more on Whitbread, his MOM being Ruddy. IMO Ayala improved his game by not giving away potentially dangerous free-kicks, and was doing a great job today. The fact that we are arguing over the fact that which of our two central defenders were better tells volumes! OTBC!

[quote user="Salopian"]Good signing, and will strengthen our midfield options. He seems to be good and keen tackler and also no mean goal scorer with head asnd foot, and from distance, and surely it is no accident that he is captsin at Leeds.   We have to be patient, for at least three reasons: 1) Other bids may yet come in, and we may be defeated by money 2) He may fail a medical 3)He may not accept terms, especially wages, which are low  by Premiership standards, possibly. He may not like the set up.   Otherwise we must surely be attractive to him  - highish in the Premiership, and making some headlines, and a good team spirit and manager. Surely Johnson will speak up for us? [/quote]Relevant points, but as far as 1 and 3 concerned, I have the feeling that the places where rivaling offers might come from, are limited. Joining (esp. injured) a low-positioned Prem side (such as QPR) would be a big gamble for the player (plus these sides need more immediate impact), whereas clubs much higher above us might not want want him at all, or he could find easily find his playing options very limited.

[quote user="dhickl"][quote user="First Wizard"] Leeds view:   http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=323&fid=14&sty=2&act=1&mid=2115516773 [/quote]   WACCOE are loving it...   "Maybe tomorrow I will awake suddenly from a coma, and the unbelievable fact that we have become Norwich''s feeder club will just have been a terrible nightmare..."   http://waccoe.com/index.php?showtopic=224935&st=60   [/quote]I likewise enjoy reading stuff like "Since when have we been feeder club to mighty Norwich?" Made me laugh. Not too long ago, we were a feeder club to West Ham... Times have changed since.

Judging by the inflated price of Championship players, it would make sense to look overseas, towards Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium or Eastern Europe (Poland, Croatia, Hungary), where Lambert''s money could go further. On this forum I had a shout about Marko Futacs (Portsmouth) while someone else recommended Wolski from Legia Warsaw. It would be interesting to find out more about who were the actual targets (of course after the window closes).

[quote user="......and Smith must score."][quote user="Budapest Canary"]The greatest player I have seen "in the flesh" must be Puskás, whom I met in a Turkish bath in Budapest a few years ago. He wore nothing but an apron, (as I did). Well over 60, he was extremely overweight, but very cheerful Otherwise it is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who could not match Hungary''s defense on the day. [/quote]Ah, but he wasn''t playing at the time..... or did that apron come in handy ?  [;)]   [/quote] He was reading a paper. It occured to me to ask about the world cup final in 1954, but I decided not to disturb, so I''ll never know. These baths are rather traditional, either all men''s or women''s, and as such they have a reputation of being gay watering holes, but the typical guests, in my experience at least, are soaking/saunaing OAPs. [:)]

Dickson Etuhu? (Looked the part against us on new year''s day)

The greatest player I have seen "in the flesh" must be Puskás, whom I met in a Turkish bath in Budapest a few years ago. He wore nothing but an apron, (as I did). Well over 60, he was extremely overweight, but very cheerful Otherwise it is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who could not match Hungary''s defense on the day.

In a way it is not so much either-or but both or neither. If we take the 3 points, then I see no reason why shouldn''t we keep going on in the cup, whereas if we lose or draw, then we should probably focus on the league. 

[quote user="andyc24_uk"]Would happily take anything 1p5wich or anyone else offered for Wilbraham - OK he did alright today (although still a way off Holt, Morison and Jackson''s performances) and scores goals for the reserves, but does anyone seriously think he''s up to Premiership standard? With his contract ending in the summer, we''re unlikely to get anything for him, so yeah I''d bite the binners'' hand off if they offered 75k![/quote]Or a swap deal for Priskin?

[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"][quote user="Largey24"]And I''d personally drive there to bring him back here![/quote]   Then I''d personally drive him back to Ipswich!! [/quote]Oh no, you don''t!

Moving read, and I feel sorry for them. Here in Hungary, not any of the local top clubs have a stadium like Darlington''s.

Against Fulham, around the 60th minute, in came this big fella, some Etuhu. Could we use him? (About 6 month on his contract).

Ayala did  well today, and I did like his long forward balls. Promising indeed! Before the goal he did not seem to step in effectively, and later, probably in compensation for that, he gave away two fouls in potentially dangerous places. But as the eventual free-kicks caused little problem, these have proven to be right decisions.

Merry Christmas to all Canary fans from Budapest! (In fact I''m in Thetford, and after Santa has brought me a couple of tickets to the Fulham game I''m quite excited)   OTBC!

Two further pieces of interesting statistics from BBC: If we managed to stick to our one goal lead in five (with Volwes) six games we would have 10 /12 points more and would be sitting on 5th! With 11 headed goals we headed more goals than any other PL side this season. In a way I was disapponted that Jackson at our second against Wolves did not go for one!    

[quote user="mrs miggins"]3-0 [/quote]Possible, although I seriously doubt  we''ll be able to can keep a clean sheet!