Ernie

[quote user="Felixfan"] Why would you spend an alleged club record fee and not play him, all other things being equal. [/quote] I''m sure Lambert see''s him as a first choice CB, just wondering as and when he would slot him in and who he would partner with him.

If for arguement sake Ward, Barnet, Whitbread, Alaya are all fit for Stoke will he put Bennet straight in or on the bench?  I think Lamberts perfered partnership at present is Whitbread and Alaya, Bennet is clearly one for the future but who does he displace? Ward is a good CB as well and in some people''s opinions a starter.  Barnet however will probably be moved on in the summer I feel, great in the air but prone to mistakes on a more regular basis than most and not very good distrubution, although he''s quite good at getting into goalscoring positions, just not so great at taking them and this is in no way a dig at the player just feel he''s probably 5th choice.

[quote user="Bryangunnshairline"]No one can ever guess lamberts team selections and I don''t have a problem with the team he selected apart from maybe Holt could have been on the bench as the game was crying out for a player like him to come on at one all and if that would have happened we probably Would have won. But that aside the team he put out let everyone down. Next point I agree that if we are sat on 35 points at this point of the season we should go for it. All this established prem stuff is rubbish there are probably only 6 est clubs now the rest are in danger of dropping down a league. If we stay in the league five years and are sat on the same point this time of the season will we go for a cup? My only criticism of Lambert over all this is him going on about how the man u game is more important than the f.a cup game the day before the leicester game. What sort of message does that send? It tells me Lambert has never really taken the cup seriously and probably never will. That guts me because I firmly believed we had a chance and it was our best chance in years to get to wembley. What Lambert has done has been outstanding but if he won us an fa cup and got us European football he would without doubt become our greatest ever manager. All the game is about is money and finishing "as High as possible" the board and management don''t care about the cups and half our fans don''t. Only a few of us still dream of it but because there is not much cash in it then it probably won''t happen. Look forward to trying to push for a "top ten finish" year after year. Lastly because the cup is no longer being taken seriously I''ve decided I''m no longer gonna buy a ticket for a cup game again . Of course if we get to a semi finals I will be there but like a said its not being taken seriously so that won''t happen. The dream of seeing city at wembley is over for now for me. I''m trying, struggling but have no choice in dreaming of finishing a league place higher than the previous season like the rest of you so we get that extra million pound I dreamed of . Money, money ,money.... greed , greed, greed. It won''t be long I''m sure I will fall out of love with this greedy game and I''m sure I''m not alone.....[/quote] Couldnt agree more, I dont think you will see the sort of crowds we have had in future cup games and as you say I dont think I''ll bother going again let alone taking half the family with me.  But what the hell all those extra millions for finishing a place or two higher I have to say is dam exciting, far more than say a trip to Wembly.

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Orford65"]Why is the game against the mighty MU considered so important and the FA cup-tie considered less so?[/quote] Many reasons, but here''s a few: 1) League points are at stake, and even a single point against Man Utd is another point closer to safety 2) Morale - A win would be a huge boost for our players, particularly with a relatively rough run-in, and again, even a point would do far more for our team spirit and general morale would, than getting a win against a Championship side in a cup game. 3) Putting a weak team out against Man Utd sends a very negative message to the other clubs in the league, and when you consider that Blackburn have managed to take 3 points off them, it shows that a good performance on the day can get the points, whereas putting dross out removes that chance. 4) Man Utd have a EL fixture in midweek, and even if they rest a few first team players, they''re still likely to field a strong team meaning potential injuries ahead of our game and also a couple of ''big'' players being rested against us, which again gives us a better chance to take the points if we play our best XI 5) Any performance like the one against Leicester is going to upset paying fans, but it''s one thing to assign lower importance to a game, but another thing entirely to run scared of the big boys and deliberately play a weak team against them. I could go on but I''m sure you get the point. The cup holds romance and a potential trip to Wembley, the league holds our future and potential success as a club going forwards, and I''m also sure that getting a good result against Man Utd will do more for the team than beating Leicester would have... [/quote] 1) We are are safe, even if we didnt pick up a single point from here on in we still in all probabilty would not get relegated and getting anything from Man U would be considered a bonus but not expected. 2) Getting into the last 8, 1 game away from Wembly beating a team in league lower to us wouldn''t be considered as a moral booster? Playing Man U on the back of a win as opposed to losing would of course be better, in what possible way? 3) Never was suggested we would field a weaken team against Man U I think the poster is only commenting on possible injuries etc. 4) See point 3 5) Again see point 3 Please see point one, we are not going to get relegated we sent out the completely wrong message (right one if your Leicester) with the team selection and attitude towards the Cup which I suspect filtered down to the players hence the lack of do or die attitude from the team and in my humble opinion what''s with idea that we couldn''t possibly play our strongest side in both games (please see point 1), because after all they were only 8 days apart.

When Leicester saw our team sheet how much more motivation do you think they needed?  With no Ruddy, Holt, Surman or Naugton it sent out the completely wrong message, yes the team we put out should have been good enough to win but in the position we were in we really didnt need to gamble and the arguement about staying in this league just doesnt hold any water in my opinion as anybody who thinks we could still get relegated with 35 points on the board and over a 3rd of the season still to go.....................

[quote user="Alex "]''Not as good a club'' as Man Utd is certainly not my interpretation of the point that Cluck made - it was yours as you typed in your initial response, so i will not be reaching for the reading specs just yet, Ruddygore - perhaps it was just poorly worded on your part. I think his reference is to those bad losers who do not see the bigger picture of supporting our home city club, and perhaps, if they can''t handle the odd poor performance amongst the usual superb and highly committed performances then they''re best looking elsewhere (Barcelona? Though don''t they lose on occasions?). Personally, to me anyway, football''s not just about winning the Champions League every season - which is what would happen if we never had a bad day at the office eh?. Cluck and myself (and i would hope yourself) posted on here when the prawn sandwich brigade weren''t out in force and are obviously now delighted with what Paul Lambert is doing for our club, and equally in my opinion, our fine city these days. For the record, my first home match as a lad in the 80''s was a defeat - didn''t stop me supporting my home city club - i would hope that also to be the case with the casuals who turned up yesterday thinking because they paid their money (customers or supporters i ask?) they were guaranteed the other team wouldn''t play better than us on the day. Funny old game...[/quote]   Did you even go?

[quote user="lake district canary"] [quote user="Phyxius"]Last time I checked this wasn''t a totalitarian regime where negative thoughts were censored. There is a point to be made that some posts may be over the top. But yesterday''s game was very winnable. This was not Manchester City away. This was a no show against a very average team.[/quote]   Actually this was not an "average" team.  Leicester have some very good players and have been a bit inconsistent this season.  They plainly played above themselves because they were playing a premiership team.     We needed to be on top of our game to beat them.  We weren''t so we got beaten.  That''s football.   Disappointing though it may be, these things happen in the cup.          The vitriol some people have shown is based on the fact that they "expected" to win.   I even heard one of the players afterwards say "we expected to win".     If you expect something to happen and it doesn''t you are going to be doubly disappointed.      The success PL has had with us so far has been on the grounds that you don''t "expect" anything.   You treat each game on its merits and do your best to win, as I am sure the players did their best.      There are no easy matches and this one proved so.      The team selection was similar to earlier in the season when Holt and Surman weren''t featuring that much - a team that did ok, so it should have been good enough to win yesterday.  The fact that it didn''t is disappointing, but much of the vitriol afterwards is misplaced.         [/quote] Yet another poster still missing the point, if we had played Holt, Ruddy, Surman and Naughton and still lost then no one would be having this argument. Clearly it wasn''t seen to be as important to the club as it was to the fans. They got it wrong end of.

[quote user="The Great Drinkell"] Absolutely not..[:@] Yestrerday was a bigger game than United next Sunday (for us) we had a chance to do something special to this club. If we had been playing Wigan in mid week I would understand the team selection but as we have no game for 8 days ! no one will convince me the team selection was right yesterday. Although nobody can complain about the progress the managment team have made to this club. They also have to be big enough and admit they got it wrong.  There is a simple step that I will be taking in future and that is not buying any tickets for cup games. I was at MK Dons and understood at that stage of the season the reason for playing a weakened team but in the position we are now I say we should have started the strongest team . [/quote] Agreed, still miffed, no need to rest Holt or Ruddy should have also played Naughton, Surman the result against Man Utd win lose or draw will have no real bearing on our season and how many more years will it be before we getting a better chance of progressing further in the cup, as we are never going to win the league are we?  If you''ve never been to Wembly (Milk Cup) or the Millenium Stadium (play off final) then you will never understand it.  As to buying tickets for cup games in the future I''m not so sure I''ll bother.

[quote user="baldyboy"]Cant believe the drama queens of supporters we have sometimes! ok we lost today and yes I am disappointed, I paid £25 to watch that but for Gods sake what an overreaction to a Cup defeat!!!! Leicester played well and raised their game against a team from a higher division!! we are EIGHTH in the Prem ffs and people are moaning about this defeat? If we beat United next sunday, and i believe it can happen, do you think there fans will go crazy and be suicidal? NO!!! wake up people please, we are in a great place and enjoy it while we can!!!! we have been spoiled and people are now starting to be greedy!!!! If you want success each week put your red and white scarves on next week!!!! [/quote] You my friend are completely missing the point, no one on this forum would be moaning if we had played our strongest team but had been beaten by the better side on the day.  We didnt go for it, we could have been in the quarter finals, we are already safe from relegation (or as good as) Man u is 8 days away win or lose it''s not the be all or end all of our season. Its not an over reaction to Lambert as he''s the best manager we have had in many a year but for the first time since he''s been here I am honestly disappointed in him.  If that was the last game of the season and a must win to stay up could you truthfully say he would have played that team selection and allow certain players to get away with less than giving 100% to the cause?  No I dont think so.

[quote user="Ernie"][quote user="lake district canary"] To managers like PL and Alex Ferguson, it''s always about the next game.    The priority is the league.  The next game is MU.   That has been PL''s thinking since last Saturday.   It must be, otherwise he would have played his strongest team today.     I am sure he is being honest when he says he put out a team to win today, but plainly, success this season is based on the premier league.  PL''s and NCFC''s credentials this season will stand on how well we do in the Prem.     If we finish 8th instead of 9th, actually that is quite a big deal.               Yes, we would all like to have won today, but actually at the end of the season, this result will have been forgotten in the euphoria of a successful season in the prem league.   Then it''s preparation for next season and trying to do even better - with a stronger squad again next season, we may do even better in the cup too.   Roll on next Sunday...................   You are sooooo wrong on so many levels I dont even know where to begin     In fact why do you even follow football?       [/quote][/quote]

[quote user="lake district canary"] To managers like PL and Alex Ferguson, it''s always about the next game.    The priority is the league.  The next game is MU.   That has been PL''s thinking since last Saturday.   It must be, otherwise he would have played his strongest team today.     I am sure he is being honest when he says he put out a team to win today, but plainly, success this season is based on the premier league.  PL''s and NCFC''s credentials this season will stand on how well we do in the Prem.     If we finish 8th instead of 9th, actually that is quite a big deal.         Yes, we would all like to have won today, but actually at the end of the season, this result will have been forgotten in the euphoria of a successful season in the prem league.   Then it''s preparation for next season and trying to do even better - with a stronger squad again next season, we may do even better in the cup too.   Roll on next Sunday...................   You are sooooo wrong on so many levels I dont even know where to begin       [/quote]

Before the game I was talking to some Leicester fans convinced we would play our best team possible and if we lost then so be it.  I took my father, brother, his wife, my nephew and nice to this game and must say I am so fed up at our performance and team selection.  In fact I''m so miffed I cant be botherd otherwise I''d be on here all night.........

[quote user="NWC"]I''m seeing a lot of posts about who we want to face in the next round, and how many we will win by on saturday. Now archant have started talking about our impending victory earning us an extra million for the coffers. Then there''s that whole ticket allocation thing. Is this the kind of game that bites us on the ass?? PL has already said he is concentrating on the manyoo game. [/quote] I''m sure Lambert and the players wont be taking anything for granted and thats the most important thing.  Fans will always get a bit carried away which in a lot of respects is understandable under the current circumstances.

Personally I would like to see our strongest side play, that includes Holt and Ruddy although I appreciate Steer has done no wrong.  If we do play a weaken side and lose you will never hear the end of it and rightly so with relegation all but put to bed and real chance to go all the way.  Cant wait for tomorrow, taking my nephew, niece, father, brother and his wife!

[quote user="Jim Smith"] I really can''t believe some of the stuff I am reading about this game on here and I also sincerely hope that Lambo is bluffing when he talks about Man United being the priority. This is a home 5th round FA Cup tie against championship opposition. We are not going to go down. This is our best chance of doing something in this competition for donkeys years. We are two wins away from Wembley and quite possibly three wins from a place in Europe and people want to rest players and chop and change the team. Having seen how well the midfield has functioned in the last 2 games I simply can''t understand why people want to see Crofts and Johnson brought back into the side when it is abundantly clear that with those two playing together our midfield is pedestrian and we can''t keep possession. I expect with them being a champ side Lambo will play the diamond. I also expect Wes will come in, probably for Bennett if he has a knock.  Mozza might get a start as there is nothing between the front 3 at present and obviously there will need to be a change at the back as Naughton can''t play but other than that for me we have to play our full strength side and really go for it in the Cup now. If lambo does anything else on Saturday then i will be disappointed. [/quote] Totally agree.

I was surprised these players and others coming back from injury or lack of games didn''t get a run out against a strong Liverpool reserves side.  Surely as has happened in the past 90 minutes actual playing in time is better than just training?  And yes I appreciate some players need to be eased back and not risk a reacurance of their injury but at the same time you cant wrap them in cotton wool can you?  Vaughan and Ward for example played 60 mins for the res 2 weeks ago and haven''t been seen since and lets not forget Barnet whose been MIA for weeks.

No teeth, beer bellies, lots of tats and thats just the women.  Nice beach mind.

[quote user="nutty nigel"] ... Plents of guest houses, the pleasure beach is fun, it''s got a tower and is popular for stag weekends. However, it''s a bit cold this time of year.   Anything else[:^)]   [/quote]

[quote user="nutty nigel"] We''ll see I guess Ernie.   As for me, I can only "say what I see" and that is a very committed player who is excellent in the air and dangerous to the opposition from set pieces. Unfortunately he makes costly mistakes, some through poor decision making, and these have been punished by Premier League forwards.     [/quote] Agreed, in fact all of our back four have been guilty of making silly mistakes that have cost us goals, which is why I wonder if he might have fallen out of favour, it would seem, so much with Lambert, or am I making 2 + 2 = 5?

Jackson played very well, offers us a different dimension with his pace and as said before forces teams to defend deeper giving our midfield more time and space to play/pick out a killer pass. Enough said.

[quote user="nutty nigel"] I would hope that this leaves Barnett in the first team squad ready to play when called upon. Otherwise we are wasting a large wage. Unless I''ve missed something. What has Barnett done to be excluded? He was first choice from those available when Whitbread and Ayala were injured before. [/quote] Well Lambert has played Martin ahead of Barnet who hasnt even had a run out for the reserves, make of it what you will.

[quote user="Gingerpele"]Oh yeah that one, was amazed that he missed that, same with Surman in the first half. But still we won 2-0 and thats the most important thing.[/quote] But that was the thing from the Bolton game, they were 2 bad misses, which happens, yet I was always confident even with losing our 2 CB''s that we would win the game comfortably and we did!

[quote user="Gingerpele"]The Holt chance you mention being the one when he was offside and shifted it across to Pilkington (who was also offside, but that one was given)? Or was there another one I missed?[/quote] No the one sliding in on the back post he put over the bar from a few yards out, but no ones perfect even Holt!

I like to look up rather than down and as proved by yesterdays result even when we have been beat we bounce back, under Lambert Norwich are now made of sterner stuff.  I do hope that he does stay on at least another year to see what he could achieve next season with having some money to spend in the summer.  I love the way we seem to have stopped buying players just to bolister the squad, Lambert only bring in players that he feels are better than what we''ve got or have the potential to be.

I understand where your coming from and it can be a bit frustrating as we could/should have easily scored 4 goals (Surmans and Holts chances stick out) however I would also say that in a number of games this season we have been very clinical in front of goal and converted the only clear cut chances we have had.  All teams miss chances even the big boys. I''m personally really looking forward to seeing Vaughan back as he has the potential to be an excellent striker if he can stay injury free.