The Chirp

I do regret starting this thread as I guess it''s a little harsh picking on Paddy but I just really hoped it was going to be a nice long read with lots of names to ponder whilst I had a coffee.I tried last season on my Chirp blog (i think about 26 people read it but ah well!) to go through potential targets as I think around this time of the year, fans like us are like little children dreaming of what Christmas presents might be under the tree... Part of the fun is guessing and speculating... I got nearly all mine wrong bar two (Holt and Nelson), but what the hell... at least there was perhaps a crumb of food for thought for those 26 people :) For me this pre season is exciting as with Ewan Chester we have an almost unknown quantity with lots of different contacts. There are of course also many players going on free transfers... Will Hoskins and Neil Mellor just two of many out there who are looking for a club. Although we have not had great luck before, there are also bargains to be had up in Scotland, James McArthur is/was one... there are a few more gems in the rubble I can assure you. Steven Smith being one of them.

[quote user="Clipped Canary"]I''ll bet you''re polishing your Pulitzer prize while you''re reading that too........... [:|][/quote]I would but I thought I would leave it for you to do for me.It''ll give you something to do between thinking of catty one-liners.

You''re right Morty. I am being a little harsh... I just hoped for a more speculative insightful piece. Almost a.... This is who we, ''the Pinkun'' would target...It''s been a long day (already!) - I think I am just being crabby and jealous that i don''t get paid to write about Norwich City! I''ll pipe down and go back to my world of athletics... :)

As a fellow journalist I don''t want to take a dig... but... I opened the story hoping for an interesting look at who we could sign, hoping for the odd mention of a few names of players I knew very little about. Instead I am sorry to say, the list I found was full of obvious/former players and others who are unlikely to be on Lambert''s radar. (just watch as Lambert signs Sam, Warner, Finnan and Burgess...egg on my face or what?!)  Now I know that none of us can second guess who Lambo is after, (the signing''s so far have gone a long way in proving that) and I know it''s hard to find a Norwich news story in June... but I get the feeling the pinkun is getting somewhat lazy recently...perhaps it is the warm weather? Maybe it is because I am used to logging on to this site and reading excellent stories by the likes of Davitt and co that I have found a few stories on here lately rather lacking in detail/research.I really don''t mean to be harsh.All i am saying is... come on guys... there are always stories/features that can be found/written!(hissy fit over)

Lambert has just signed a new contract. I think that''s quite a good sign.

If you want to know who the stars of the future are going to be then you need look no further than the UEFA U-17''s tournaments... Past tournament star players have included Silva, Henry and Torres.... This years winner was none other than Wickham. The boy has everything it takes and more to make it to the very top. He reminds me a little of Dean Ashton when he came through at Crewe at the age of 17. Massive for his age with skill and vision way beyond his years. No doubt Ashton would be starting alongside Rooney on Saturday if it wasn''t for his cruel injury that saw him retire. If Wickham continues to progress, I have no doubts he''ll be playing for England in future WC''s and could possibly even make his Eng debut before the next Euros. I just hope he has a couple of shockers against us this coming season!

[quote user="Old Shuck"]How interesting -and sad- that a lot of you had promise and trials etc when you were younger, but had to pack it in because of injury. For, presumably, young and developing bodies to be affected and "damaged" at that stage in your life is quite worrying, have any of you suffered for it, as you got older? It also makes me wonder about the training itself and the degree of hard work and physical effort required, is it too much, are coaches expecting too much? As for being "bollocked"-no, no NO! I cannot see how that method can benefit anyone, especially youngsters, and wonder how many promising ones have packed it in because of that? I am getting regular coaching for tennis now and my coach NEVER raises his voice, but does manage to get his point across and I am learning. I am not a "youngster" but I still suspect that, if he did start bollocking me, I''d soon pack it in. I''m sure that the English method of coaching and that in continental Europe is still very different, with the latter still focusing on ball work and skills, where-as, over here, its about body strength and being physically fit and strong. Someone has said that you used to make footballers out of athletes, now they turn footballers into athletes, and I agree with that. Any feedback?[/quote]The knee injury certainly has been problematic. I was out for four years and have started playing again. However it''s broken down two or three times since and causes a lot of discomfort in everyday life. Playing Saturday and Sunday league football isn''t the easiest either and hasn''t helped! I''ve since had a broken neck (knee to the back of the head) fractured jaw/eye socket, broken ribs, ligament damage to other knee and broken fingers! Shouting doesn''t benefit most but it does for some. It depends what is being said and how often a coach shouts. Personally it never helped me but I know other players do react positively to it.A word on the side with critique was always much better as it helped you understand and focus on improving the parts that you were getting wrong (for me that was coming out for crosses... I was rubbish!)On the athletes front, at a lot of American colleges, there is a lot of cross over in the training of sprinters and American footballers... both benefit as the footballers are strong and get good times on the track and the athletics training makes them faster which in turn improves their performance on the pitch.   

quite a lot of clubs will give you a trial if you contact them... Especially lower league ones. Daggers, Barnet etc... My bro played for Bristol Rovers reserves in the same team as Josh Low and Gary Penrice. My brothers strike partner was Bobby Zamora! I was at Fulham for a little while but wasn''t good enough. Palace had me on trial and I was often watched by their GK coach. In fact he was watching when I rutured my cruciate ligaments in my knee.... ''nee'' -dless to say... he dropped his interest! 

Blackpool didn''t get rid of him! he left because he wanted to move on! Fox has the making of a very good champ player and someone who has the potential to be one of our best players. Honestly I am really pleased with this signing... I still want money spent on a striker and a few others but Fox.... well... i''m very very happy he''s a canary now.

[quote user="wessex_exile"]Selling a player we got on a Bosman and who struggled to establish himself in the first team? Don''t know why you think that makes our chairman look like an a*? Just means we''ve got even more of your money.[/quote]If I were you though, in all honesty I would be pretty peeved at selling Fox. Fox didn''t play in your team as you pretty much bypassed the midfield. Everyone knows Boothroyd plays ''attractive longball''... If i were you, I would have been hoping Ward put Fox back in and got Colchester playing football again... maybe I am wrong, but I always had the U''s down as a traditionally a passing side?

[quote user="Ncfc"]Same old people bigging up terrible signings just like every summer ,about time somebody reliased we got promoted not relegated .We need some Championship standard players not more run of the mill League 1 , they are not even stand out League 1 .[/quote]Championship standard? Pray do tell me who you would go for. We''re wasting our time signing these lower league players aren''t we... I mean... Holt... he was league two! If you''d seen Fox play/knew a good player when you spotted one then you wouldn''t be typing the dribble you just did a moment ago. 

My cyber-based friends, I can assure you this is an excellent signing - Up there with signing Ward. Fox is direct competition for Lappin who, did ''grrreat'' (to quote Lambert) last season but didn''t really have too much competition for that place on the left hand side of midfield last term. 

My friend is a Daggers fan and this is what he emailed me about Taiwo (if indeed it is him who we have signed today)"Taiwo was awesome, and I think he''s still only 20ish isn''t he? I saw him score probably the best goal I''ve ever seen at Victoria Road the year before last in the Carling Cup game against Championship side Reading.  "I would have thought it would be a good move for you if he can adapt to playing regularly at a higher level. He went to Cardiff I think but I haven''t heard anything about him since he left."

Is it bad of already hoping that if Taiwo gets sent off for us, a paper goes with the headline.  "Twit Taiwo"... sorry.  :) 

Sadly there is nothing that can be done in the current climate. If the boy wants to go elsewhere it''s up to him.If he''d stayed at City, he''d stand more chance of making it as a pro imo. Hundreds of players go to top clubs and fall out of the game... many you''d expect would find a club, but alas they don''t. NCFC have a very good record of bringing through their own... as do that lot down the road.

[quote user="First Wizard"][quote user="The Chirp"][quote user="morty"][quote user="kiwiNCFC"]Yeh saw this! This is awful if were true![/quote]He wouldn''t be telling the press about it if it wasn''t true!!Quite scarey nonetheless![/quote]I spoke to this so called terrible man a couple of weeks ago and I can tell you that Gunn was not hoping for League One consolidation. This might be a shock to some of you but just because McNally says it in the press it doesn''t mean he''s telling the truth. It might have been his opinion that Gunn was leading Norwich no further than  L1 consolidation but that was NEVER Gunn''s aim. Re £££ I would say spending £500K on a striker who scored 30 goals this season was not blowing your money. Brighton plus one other offered Holt more money to join them - It was Gunn who took the time to make sure Holt signed for us not elsewhere.It didn''t work out for Gunn as a manager which is very disappointing to him and most of us (I say most as there are some pathetic people on here who are well out of line about Gunn and Delia) but he''s a genuine honest guy who has served Norwich and Norfolk as a whole very well.  [/quote]So you''re calling McNally a liar then, can you afford it?[/quote]haha - Very good Wiz!

[quote user="morty"][quote user="kiwiNCFC"]Yeh saw this! This is awful if were true![/quote]He wouldn''t be telling the press about it if it wasn''t true!!Quite scarey nonetheless![/quote]I spoke to this so called terrible man a couple of weeks ago and I can tell you that Gunn was not hoping for League One consolidation. This might be a shock to some of you but just because McNally says it in the press it doesn''t mean he''s telling the truth. It might have been his opinion that Gunn was leading Norwich no further than  L1 consolidation but that was NEVER Gunn''s aim. Re £££ I would say spending £500K on a striker who scored 30 goals this season was not blowing your money. Brighton plus one other offered Holt more money to join them - It was Gunn who took the time to make sure Holt signed for us not elsewhere.It didn''t work out for Gunn as a manager which is very disappointing to him and most of us (I say most as there are some pathetic people on here who are well out of line about Gunn and Delia) but he''s a genuine honest guy who has served Norwich and Norfolk as a whole very well. 

From what I hear he has an attitude the size of latitude. However, if he can replicate his scoring form from Newcastle ressies to the Championship i''d happily take him. Would rather we signed someone full time though.

Weird that there isn''t a quote on this from anyone from Norwich... Normally there is. It''s a good idea sending them both out at different times but I am not sure if it would work... I mean it applies that a team would take Rudd mid season and put him in goal... What about the first choice keeper? The only way that would work was if Rudd replaced Steer at whatever club... Not sure if this is guess work or not.

You''re right... Beckford has nothing to do with any potential deal at all... the only thing that might have had a link between the two was if they had the same agent... I don''t know if they have (doubt they do). Also I would imagine that Lambert has already spoken to say two or three players who''ll be signing in the summer... ones who are out of contract...

Name the last twenty goalkeepers to make an official first team appearance for Norwich City. (that''s inc loans, sub keepers making apps etc... it would go back to Graham Benstead I would imagine).

first and foremost it''s the end of the current season... 99% of all that is said in the papers, on websites etc is from agents trying to up the % and journalists struggling to find something to write about. I am not convinced Leeds will have bucket loads of money and in anycase... Leeds will have to sign at least 3 or 4 new players to get to our level anyway. Frazer is likely to come here but if he doesn''t, there are some very good keepers out there who would love to play for Norwich City.

It pains me to say it but they have one hell of a player on their hands... If I was a betting man and liked a cheeky bet, I would put money on him playing for England before the next Euro finals. I just hope he is sold to a club that looks after him and gets the most out of him... He is a hell of a talent and has the makings to be a world class player. I reckon a lot of clubs will be watching him in the UEFA u-17s in Liechtenstein this week and next when he plays for england and it would not surprise me if Barca, Man U Real or Man C come calling.

I''ve watch Zak a number of times when he was at Millwall and he was always there standout player. He oozed confidence when he was on the ball, wasn''t rushed and had good positioning. The injury he had was a nasty one and as any player will tell you, if you miss pre season, you spend the whole time playing catch up... He has the summer and the pre season to get fit... As long as that happens I think they''ll be a number of people on here with a new favourite player in Zakory.

[quote user="Duffman"]Just goes to show you that love really was in the air last night. Delia and MWJ got a huge cheer when introduced by Chris Goreham and the biggest cheer of the night came when Delia was asked to relive that ''famous'' moment again. Can we agree that everyone now loves each other again and we get back to the way things used to be ?? OTBC[/quote]Did she do it? I was stuck in Londinion so couldn''t be there *chokes and cries hard into keyboard*