lake district canary

Predicting this game should be quite easy.   Look at our last four league results  1-0, 1-1, 1-0, 0-0 I''ll go for 1-0, but would think any of the above are quite likely.

quote"The Pink''un Role Model" - I think some times people assume if you don''t wear a poppy you don''t give a s4it.Having said that imo JMcC has made a statement about this Irish BS which is a BS argument because many Irish volunteered for WW1 when they didn''t necessarily have to. Its just the same old thing.   People trying to make it compulsory for other people to do something through social pressure - regardless of what that person might really think.       Exacerbated by the media and blown out of proportion.    As has been said - our thoughts are our own - you might like to control what another person is thinking, but at the moment we can think for ourselves - even if the media would like it otherwise.

[quote user="BroadstairsR"] Team for Machester United.   This is the biggest home game of the season, made moreso about the remarkable way they played in order to retrieve the situation versus Villa. They were awsome, but a bit suspect at the back. This is the one situation where I feel it is not a question of stay as you are with a winning/successful side, so for me:  My, on a hiding for nothing, line-up is:- Ruddy, Garrido, Bassong, Turner, Whittaker. Fox, Johnson, Tettey Hoolihan, Howson Holt, Jackson. Drastic changes, I know, but this is the exceptional game of the season. Exceptional measures are called for. Tactics and effort alone won''t beat this lot. Inspiration might, you never know. Width from attacking full-backs btw.  The fact that I have picked a team of 12 demonstrates the difficulty of the task [:)]  Howson or Jacko perhaps. Are they susupect at the back? Can Rio outpace Jacko? Or will Jonny out-wit him. Now fellow tacticians ......... slaughter me.  (What no width?) Honestly, this is not a pish take, not much anyhow.  [/quote] I''m no tactician - but what I do know is that we have to play the same way match after match - whoever the opposition.   Play as we have learned to play over the last few weeks, keep the faith and stick to your guns.   No drastic team changes necessary imo, just belief in the way the manager is doing things and carry on.   1 -1,  0-0 or a 1 - 0 win in a tight game  would be just as acceptable - just as it has been in the last few weeks. 

The problem is that the wearing of a poppy is almost compulsory if you are in  the public eye.     This is institutionalised  toeing the line.   Credit to MacLean, whatever his reasons for not wearing one.    As with other things of this type - its what you think that matters, not what anyone else thinks.  Try telling that to the media though.............................

[quote user="Mister Chops"]What complete nonsense.  There is absolutely such a thing as freedom of speech.  You saw it yesterday when the EDL marched through Norwich, and a counter-protest was staged.  You saw it where James McClean chose not to wear a poppy.  You see it on this very website where the club''s owners and players are vilified and libelled on a daily basis.If you don''t feel comfortable saying you "don''t like gays", if you don''t feel comfortable saying "some English cities are less English than downtown Delhi", if you don''t feel able to say "I don''t like the Welsh" then IMO that''s more to do with the fact you fear you might be perceived as a racist homophobe and less to do with the fact you could say any of those things in public if you wanted to.[/quote] The freedom of speech I have now are restricted by other people''s views about what is acceptable.   That is not freedom of speech.  I can say what I like - but can be ostricised or even arrested if I say something in public that twenty year ago would not have been a problem.   That is not the same level of freedom of speech - it is less.    If what our parents grandparents fought is "freedom of speech" - well I don''t believe things are getting better on that front.    That''s all.   By the way, I''ve nothing against gays, or down town Delhi, but the Welsh.......................

If we keep playing like we are we will win the occasional away match, perhaps more.   A strong and mean  defence means that the chances we do create at the other end have more meaning.   That is why the misses hurt more.    If you''re losing 1 or 2 nil a missed chance is just another missed chance that mean we are going to lose a match.     Yesterday those missed chances meant more because they would have meant three points.   If people are disappointed at a 0-0 away from home - I despair.  There is always room for improvement, but it is the next best thing to an away win.  A clean sheet means you are not going to lose the match.  Away from home that is priceless.    I was more pleased about yesterday''s result than the 1-1 at AV.    I don''t think we attacked any better than the AV match, but we could still have won by scoring just one goal.  

[quote user="Yellow Wall"]You cannot fight for freedom and then deny an individual the freedom of choice of whether to wear a poppy or not, or not to say why they are wearing that poppy or not. That''s the freedom you are fighting for.[/quote] [Y]   Too much of modern day society is about conformimg to some norm.   That norm is usually media led.    This to me is almost as bad as communism and facism - at least these two extremes have a belief system behind them (not that I would ever susbscribe to either).  The media does not have at its heart the benefit of society or any worthwhile belief system.   It is led by the need to create money.  I feel I have less freedom now - to say what I want when I want - than I had twenty years ago.    I can''t make jokes or say something that  out of context could be taken badly.     I''m not allowed to dislike gays, I''m not allowed to say I don''t like the fact that some English cities are now less English than downtown Delhi or wherever.    I''m not allowed to say I dislike the Welsh - and that they dislike us.   These are just a few examples.   I''m not supposed to look at a woman and say I like the cut of her jib.   I''m apparently not even supposed to think it.    The unwritten restrictions  on people these days are getting ridiculous.  People can''t lose their temper  or make a slip of the tongue  any more without risking  losing their jobs.    We are turning into a repressed society - repressed by a power that tries to have control of people''s thoughts.   If the media can control your thoughts - ie making you want to - or agree to - do this or that at their bidding - whether it be wearing poppies or buying their paper or buying their TV channel or buying a product - or just buying into their point of view - it is them controlling us.    There is no such thing as freedom of speech - and rapidly there is becoming a state of no freedom of thought.   That is what is so dangerous for our society.    We will be led into wars - some say we have been - that we do nothing about.  We sit and watch while the fuel price goes through the  roof, electric/gas companies can raise prices out of all proportion - and can''t justify it - and nothing happens. We''re turning - or have turned - into a docile media watching society where the brainwashing has taken hold to the extent that we no longer react in a good way to things.    Even charitable giving is choreographed by TV and marketing companies.       We tend to give because  we feel pressurised or - more kindly - persuaded - by images and tv marathons.      I suppose my complaint is that the media runs everything in this country.    I guess I have to put up with it and I am sure someone will point out the benefits  of it,  but I think that we shouldn''t go along with things just because "society" tells us we should.   Because "society" is not something you can pin down.   As for poppies,  at best its a gesture at worst its a money making  exercise where   not enough money goes where it should.   Two minutes silence though - I agree that is a tangible thing and worthwhile.

Hughton has had a roller coaster of a ride over the first few competitive matches.     His problem - as everyone said was how do we improve the defence?   Rome wasn''t built in a day - and on a bad day we will still get goals scored against us, but on the whole things look better in that department.    So a tick for improved defence.    But the defence isn''t just the back four an goalkeeper.  Its the midfielders in front doing their bit too.   That has improved.   So improved midfield too.    For the attack we still have Grant Holt - who despite his critics gets in good goal scoring positions and gets chances to score.    Hoolahan - who I have criticized - is showing more and more maturity and focus to his play.     We are not the gung ho attacking team that some would like - but we are not the whipping boys some thought we would be either.   This is credit to Hughton and the players he has brought in and the intelligence that he has brought to the club.   We are playing balanced football - safer at the back, improved midfield cover and still making chances to score at the other end.   This was always going to be the way forward and is imo why Hughton was brought in - the development of the team based on solid foundations.  The technical stuff - crossing, set pieces etc - can be worked on and improved as the season goes on - but the foundations look to be more solid than they have for some time.   Those of you that want us to be more like we were last season, marauding on to get something out of the game are missing the point.   We are getting something out of games anyway - without the need for taking risks at the back.  We could easily have won today against Reading - we had the chances which on another day would have gone in.  But even so,  because the defence was solid we still come away with a point. It lends itself to the kind of  sense that we are going in to matches with the mentality of getting something out of them -each and every one of them - not just against the teams near the bottom.     This is close to the so called "winning mentality" that Lambert had - but just a little bit more controlled.   We had three sensational seasons with PL, but having got to the point we are at now, the kind of development that can be seen taking place is exactly right.   Yes, Holt could have scored today as could Snodgrass, but the point is that we are looking more solid as a team.  That to me is the best thing that could happen this season.   Holt and Snodgrass will score on other days - and if they don''t someone else will, whether it be someone new in January or Morison, Jackson or Kane.    A dodgy start - albeit with some signs of improvement - then a good run of results - more signs of improvement. The very good thing is to see that we can improve on what we are achieving now with the players we have - we are getting results without really playing as well as we could.   Now that is something to be positive about. 

City win 3-0 for me too.   Think this a  watershed for both clubs - in different ways of course.   Could be an interesting afternoon...........

[quote user="Davo"]This is going to be a tough game. Reading can score but we can''t, I strngly feel we''re going to have to get at least two goals to win this one. Davo [/quote] Funny I could have sworn we scored last week --- and the week before --- and the week before that against....who was it...oh yes! Arsenal, and we scored two against Liverpool.....................Spurs.................But I agree it will be a tough game.

[quote user="Mungo Bumpkin"]There''s that funny smell of wee again...[/quote] Yes, every time you post.

You  have to admit that its all part of life''s rich pattern.   You get a complete cross section of fans on here - and for me that is what is good.    From the total numpties like Mungo to the erudite and  knowledgeable intelligent posts of such as purple.  The extreme views of the "toys out of the pram" brigade are quite funny in a serious sort of way - its so predictable, but it is harmful too.    It sets a train of thought that alot will buy in to - and it needs the so called happy clappies to come out to redress the balance.   The truth is nearly always somewhere in the middle ground - its just that the noisy minority get noticed more.   I will always try to see a positive side - if there is one  - and will put that message out there if I can - mainly to see if I can get the reactionaries to think a little bit more about their position.    A pointless task, you might think, but I''m not a football expert, just a City fan who wants to see the best for our club - and one thing I do know is that negativity and abuse of players/managers etc will get us nowhere.   If Lord Lambert of Norwich - before he abdicated - taught us anything - it was how being  positive is a good way to go about things.  A pity more of that hasn''t rubbed off on to some of our fans.      Life for me is a learning process.   I fear that those that see things in black and white  have closed their minds to the possibilities and potential of new situations.  It is the easiest thing in the world to be negative - a bit more difficult, maybe to be positive - but for me,  I would far rather see the good in a situation than  the bad.    You''ve set me off on one A47,  but I think there''s room for all views on here - but if people spout extreme points of view - then they should expect the opposite response.  It is a good board imo -  except for mungo - but then nothing''s pefect..............................[:(]

[quote user="GenerationA47"]Ha, ha Canarygirl. 1. Why would anybody seriously refer to unicorns, Mungo''s City (home end) match ticket stubs, or 2nd season syndrome: http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/08/14/second-season-syndrome/ We are talking out of the 20 promoted teams since 2000 who survived year one in the Prem, 4 have dropped out after year two. So 4 out of 5 clubs survive their second season. Not exactly a very common syndrome. Whether they match their year one finishing position in year two is another question, which would be interesting to see the stats for but ui hen''t gawtem. 2. Although winning League 2 was not done against a backdrop of high quality in that division, it was still a great achievement for many reasons: Lambert inherited low team morale, some average players, and had no preparation with our club- CH at least had this summer and a chance to bring his own players in (without taking anything away from all the good things CH did with his opportunity). 3a. The reason why people hypothetically compare past managers with other past or current managers is because for all our sins we''re football fans, we find it interesting, diverting, amusing, not to say informative. It doesn''t mean we''re living in the past or are trying to undermine the present team, it means we care about our club and this is just one way of expressing it. 3b. It is very commendable and endearing that some fans become infected with the manager and players'' public statements of positive psychology, to the extent that those fans are always 100% focussed on the next game, the last one is behind them now, and we can beat any team on our day as at the end of the day it is 11 v. 11 men when they step out on the pitch. I simply beg their allowance that not all of us are so directly involved with the team dynamics or personally influential on its performance, and we reserve the right to noisily support them during the match and when in the presence of the Blue, Gold or White enemy, but afterwards to engage in balanced discussions including appropriate criticism and even on occasion comparative analysis of past teams and managers :-p 4. I have faith that CH is going to keep us up (just) in his first season and that would be almost as impressive as 12th under Lambert. This is because he will have got the players old and new playing more his way within the first quarter of a season, as well as learning to adapt ''his way'' to his players and increasingly the teams we are facing. 5. Er... 6. That''s it.[/quote] Wow, that''s some post.  On point 3b,  surely people can do both put the last game behind them and take each match as it comes and be able to compare with past matches/managers etc?     Also, I am a firm believer that the attitude of the crowd has a direct influence on the team.  We are not spectators at a match - we go to be emotionally involved with what we are seeing.     If we aren''t - and are just spectators - what is the point in going?  

[quote user="Mungo Bumpkin"]Meh..... He could have gone somewhere better than the Abbey surely![/quote] Nothing is ever good enough for you, eh, Mungo?

Home win for Bayern Munich against Eintract Frankfurt for me please, Inchy.  Good luck.

I haven''t read all of this and I think I may have commented on this earlier, but the ground expansion plan just doesn''t hold water.   There may be a case for adding a couple of thousand seats if possible, but new stand?  Not in these times.    If you build a new stand adding 5000 seats, you will end up with less demand for season tickets - whereas to make the new seats viable you would actually need more season ticket buyers - who would have to pay more for he privelege.    A question of supply and demand.    Its better to have a small waiting list for season ticket holders than a shortfall.   Its like money in the bank.   Its better to be in credit  than overdrawn.   The only games that would fill a 35000 ground would be extreme games - perhaps half a dozen games a season, if that.      The  average attendance would not be much more than it is now imo.     Hardly grounds for a new stand.   Yes we want to build our club up, but imo talk of a new stand is wishful thinking.   We should concentrate  our efforts on the pitch - if we evolve into a stronger club with players and wages up with the best in the country, then we will be higher up the table, be seen as an established premiership club and then - and only then should we build a new stand.    Also, I suspect that a new stand would be part of any investment  plan - if DS stands down because new money is coming in - then a new stand would be part of the deal - hence avoiding the need for new debt. 

[quote user="City1st"]I hope you don''t mind me saying nutty, but you do look a lot older in your new photo than I imagined     [/quote] I think its a tribute to Clive Dunn who passed away today - a class actor and good guy.   Nice one Nutty.

[quote user="Gingerpele"]I think some people take the word expect far to literally... If a player went out expecting, literally expecting to win, they wouldn''t bother trying because the win was guaranteed, and the manager would probably fine them or something...[/quote] But isn''t that what Man City do- expect to win - because they''ve spent all that money?    That appears to be their problem this season - the expectation.     

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Gingerpele"]LDC won''t be happy with Mr. Tabb. :P And I''d hope our players who are asked about the game expect us to win... Not really anything surprising here.[/quote]You shouldn''t encourage me GP,  I do think that "expectations" are at the heart of  a lot of Reading''s problems.    They saw us - as have other clubs - and said - well if Norwich can do it - so can we.   So they are already expecting to survive.   The beauty of the way we did things was that the winning mentality was built in from League 1 and the momentum of that carried us through to the end of last season.   So not all clubs will be able to recreate the same effect.  Reading and Southampton have shown their naivety in the way they have approached their first few games.  When we went up to the premiership we simply aimed to compete to the last minute with a very tight unit - we gave nothing away.    So they are not going to find it easy.  As others have said they may "expect" to win - and that could be their downfall.   [/quote]   As long as we dont expect to win either - its a winnable game for us so if we apply ourselves and perform to our capability we can win this game.   However its unlikely to be an easy romp  for us and if the performance is OK I wont be unhappy with a draw.   As for Tabb - what else can he say?  If they are to survive this season we are a must win game for them - all the pressure should be on them - we simply want to avoid a defeat and its no disaster if we dont... [/quote] Absolutely.  [Y]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]And if you don''t have expectations you can never be happy or disappointed. You''ll be indifferent because you were happy with the notion that anything can happen. [/quote] Far from it.   The unrealistic expectations of either ''we should win this'' or ''we''re going to lose this'' are putting false messages in a person''s head.  We simply don''t know what will happen in a game - my enjoyment from us scoring or winning a match is not less than someone who has the expectations of a particular result beforehand.  Nor is the disappointment at losing or playing badly.   The most disappointed I have been was the Villa match when I think the team showed lack of quality in finishing Villa off.     I was at the Liverpool match and thought we were slightly unlucky at times.  West Ham and Qpr we could have won, Newcastle was not fantastic but we competed.  Fulham was just one of those days.  Arsenal was a great day. Chelsea were simply better than us.  I find the atmosphere electric at Carrow Rd - perhaps more so because I don''t get to many games there - and the excitement and thrill when we score hasn''t diminished.  Away games are always good.    So I don''t go thinking we''re going to win or lose - I go for the occasion and the excitement of being at a match.   The result?   Will be whatever it will be - but I will still be ecstatic when we win and down for the rest of the weekend if we lose.     I loved it when PL was at the club - his stated intent was to go to every match to win it - that is how it should be - but "expecting" to win - whether its players or fans - puts a different complexion on that - it puts a false pressure on that no-one - player or fan - needs.  

[quote user="Gingerpele"]LDC won''t be happy with Mr. Tabb. :P And I''d hope our players who are asked about the game expect us to win... Not really anything surprising here.[/quote] You shouldn''t encourage me GP,  I do think that "expectations" are at the heart of  a lot of Reading''s problems.    They saw us - as have other clubs - and said - well if Norwich can do it - so can we.   So they are already expecting to survive.   The beauty of the way we did things was that the winning mentality was built in from League 1 and the momentum of that carried us through to the end of last season.   So not all clubs will be able to recreate the same effect.  Reading and Southampton have shown their naivety in the way they have approached their first few games.  When we went up to the premiership we simply aimed to compete to the last minute with a very tight unit - we gave nothing away.    So they are not going to find it easy. As others have said they may "expect" to win - and that could be their downfall.  

Since I started posting on here I have seen so many people talk up the top clubs and treat them as if they are up there on some pedestal, whereas I have always seen any opponent as a team to be beaten.  So many fans seem to have been in awe of Manure, Chelsea, Arsenal.   Yes they will beat us more than we will beat them.    I don''t hate anyone for having a point of view about the possible outcome of a match.    Its just that I prefer to go into a match with a view just to accept what happens without having any pre-judgement either way.   It may be an age thing.  I''m in my fifties and when I was younger I may have been more worrisome about possible match outcomes.  Certainly if promotion or relegation is imminent things can be more stressful.   But since Paul Lambert came to the club I have never had any qualms about our ability to compete.    It was a real education to me to see how he was able to maintain such a positive energy in the team.    I am quite positive by nature, I think, and have seen through my work with kids and getting them to perform - both in music (teaching) and in sports (I used to coach an under 11 team) that attitude is one of the most important things to get right - whatever field you are in.    I can''t prejudge a match before it happens - I just can''t.   What I react to on here is usually people who think we are going to be thrashed every time we come up against someone difficult or higher in the league - it doesn''t mean I think we are going to win.     As for your last sentence - "The one thing you can expect with football, is for the expected to not always happen."   - kind of backs me up.   What you expect is not always going to happen - so why expect it in the first place?  

[quote user="Gingerpele"]LDC, while I agree with you in general, there is a huge difference in the quality of those individuals making up the team of Ajax/Dortmund/(Barcelona, they count... They are just a lot better) and ours, At Carrow Road last season up until Man.Cs 3rd goal we were as good, and for large spells better than them. We could have taken the lead before them, and we probably should have made it 2-2, but we didn''t and a moment of brilliance from Aguero later were 3-1 down and we fell apart. Ajax and Dortmund, despite being more team based have a lot more quality in there team. Of course we can beat Man.C, anyone can beat anyone. We did have a go at them last season, it just didn''t work.[/quote] I did qualify my statement by saying '' "sometimes" come out on top''.    I accept that the top clubs are going to win a fair proportion of their games, but that sometimes a good team performance will give them problems.   We have already proved - as other teams have - that the top clubs can be beaten if they are not on top form.  The top clubs are not unbeatable and I think more people are beginning to realise it.    

In my experience there are usually tickets to be found if you cast your net far and wide........nothing ventured nothing gained [:)]

The chanting from the snakepit helps the noise in the main stand.   It is a big improvement on what it used to be.  Also the good natured chanting at each other is good.    Those that are trying to turn being in the snakepit into a  "badge of honour" are losing the plot.   There is too much setting fan against fan on this board.   We are all Norwich fans and it would be good if  we just accepted each other for that.   Save the vitriol for the away fans.............