alysha

Funnily enough, I also have it on good authority that this seasons away kit is not green. My source - David McNally :P

[quote user="Eric Pickles Pie Supplier"][quote user="alysha"] [quote user="paul moy"]We should pay the money he wants to keep him as long as it''s reasonable. Short-term penny-pinching is crazy bearing in mind Premiership income and IMO has already cost us Lambert.[/quote] According to Holt''s agent, the club did agree to Holt''s requests, this whole situation is about more than that now though. [/quote]   That''s OK as far as it goes, Al, but I''m not sure whether we should be taking at face value any of Holt''s agent''s pronouncements these days. [/quote] I''d agree with that, but the basis of our speculation is going to be on what we are told, not to mention the fact that him actually admitting that the club did in fact agree to Holt''s request doesn''t particularly do anything to raise sympathy for Holt, in fact it could be argued it does the opposite.

[quote user="paul moy"]We should pay the money he wants to keep him as long as it''s reasonable. Short-term penny-pinching is crazy bearing in mind Premiership income and IMO has already cost us Lambert.[/quote] According to Holt''s agent, the club did agree to Holt''s requests, this whole situation is about more than that now though.

[quote user="Simon Lappin King Of Spain"]I genuinely think that one of the reason''s was Lambert. There were those rumours that Holt and PL had a falling out a few weeks before the end of the season. Since PL has left, as you have mentioned, it has all gone quiet. Maybe the "extra year" was a bit of a cover up. PL has also said he "had his reasons" for leaving and it was not to do with finances etc. Now Hoooooootun has arrived maybe he''s ready to discuss his future once more.. Just a thought as you never know....[/quote] I''d like that to be the case but instead of remaining quiet after PL left, he did the opposite. Whilst we were still dealing with the news that Lambert had left, Holt tweeted just to remind everyone that he still wanted to leave the club, he then retweeted lots of tweets saying ''Holt for Villa'' etc. I honestly hope this can be resolved, but I''m not holding my breath.

[quote user="Across_The_Pond_Yellow"]Steer as sub? Rudd has recovered now, he played 1/2 the testimonial. Steers just a little young.[/quote] Rudd had recovered before the end of the season but Steer remained on the bench. Steer also played the first half of the testimonial which consisted of our current team, Rudd played the 2nd half in which appeared a little less competitive due to non ncfc subs etc. I''m not saying that this means that Steer will be a sub next season but I''m not sure that Rudd would just come straight back in; not to mention the fact that Steer had been sent away on loan to gain experience, it would be good to see Rudd get the same opportunity to play some regular first team football.

[quote user="Across_The_Pond_Yellow"]Steer as sub? Rudd has recovered now, he played 1/2 the testimonial. Steers just a little young.[/quote] Rudd had recovered before the end of the season but Steer remained on the bench. Steer also played the first half of the testimonial which consisted of our current team, Rudd played the 2nd half in which appeared a little less competitive due to non ncfc subs etc. I''m not saying that this means that Steer will be a sub next season but I''m not sure that Rudd would just come straight back in; not to mention the fact that Steer had been sent away on loan to gain experience, it would be good to see Rudd get the same opportunity to play some regular first team football.

The club already agreed to Holt''s request when Lambert was here, around the time of Drury''s testimonial. Hopefully Holt may have had a change of heart and realised the grass isn''t always greener, especially as the club has agreed to what he wanted in the first place. On the other hand, I reckon someone may have had a quiet word in his ear that his actions on Twitter isn''t doing him any favours and also shows him in a bad light to prospective clubs. What interests me is that as Holt has rejected the contract he wanted from the club in favour of still wanting to leave, if no club meets our valuation and we refuse to sell, would we then retract that contract offer if we knew Holt was only here because we didn''t sell or would Holt be allowed to sign it anyway?

[quote user="Indy"] A bit like the Lambert situation here, it''s about time the club and the player sorted this rubbish out!   Simple really Hughton wants Holt to stay, Holt wants to stay and MacNally needs to agree a package with Holts agent!   If Holt wants away then fine cash in a let him go, no point on losing out on money for a player who will disrupt an important season for Norwich.   But one way or another please sort this out this week, stay or go but be done with this week before all the players return, also fed up with reading and seeing us linked to Lambert, he''s moved on and I hope he and Villa have a poor season and get relegated. [/quote] I keep seeing people writing this, but his agent said that around the time of Drury''s testimonial the club agreed to Holt''s request but by that time the "damage had been done".

[quote user="Blurboy1980"]Is there any way of actually kinda knowing or is it all Pot Luck? Or how do they make the draw. I know a computer does it I believe but do they put things into consideration like rivalries or like for Instance Lambert going to Villa? stuff like that[/quote] Questionnaires are sent out to each clubs & they look at local rivalries + policing etc. to try to do it so the teams do not play at home on the same weekend. External influences may be a factor too - e.g V Festival is one the same weekend as the opening games and is located in Chelmsford which is close to Colchester. This may mean that Colchester are put away for their first game, leaving 1p5wich at home and therefore us away. Alternatively they may decide to put 1p5wich away as well as Colchester to free up police resources, I don''t know.

Russell Martin with Howson as vice captain

Call me naive but I don''t believe Ruddy would want to leave. He has said that before he joined Norwich, he was so fed up with not being settled at one particular club that he considered giving it all up; whereas now he is enjoying his football here, has a settled wife and kids and is not far away from his home town and family either, life couldn''t be better.

[quote user="Jim Smith"] Very interesting article that and for me also interesting what has prompted iwan to come out with some of these comments at this particular time. He says he''s spoken with Lee Payne. If that is the case and he has then come out and made these comments could this be part of a PR offensive designed to facilitate a compromise being found? IF (and its a big if) he really is not after big money and its all about a few comments he has been offended by and a third year then this ought to be salvageable. I have praised McNally a lot in recent weeks and in general think he has done a great job for us but this may be a case where he has to tone down his hard line approach and do what needs to be done to try and broker. If we genuinely can''t give him what he wants or he is being an a**e then so be it lets get rid. We don;t want an unhappy and very influential player causing problems in the dressing room at the start of the season. If, however, this is all about egos and McNally has made some offensive comments in meetings then he needs to be the bigger man and apologise. [/quote] I''m sure his agent said that the club did in fact accept Holt''s contract request but by that time "the damage had been done". Can anyone clarify this, as I''m sure that was said, but I''ve seen so many posts saying we should just give Holt what he wants etc. which doesn''t recognise the fact that the club has already tried this.

I agree. I believe that the longer this goes on, the less likely they are to leave; that''s what I''m hoping anyway. It would be hugely beneficial for us to keep Culverhouse at the club and a massive loss for Lambert and Villa.

I thought that everything we have heard from within Bowkett in the last week derived from one interview after Hughton''s press conference?

Holt handed in a transfer request, the next day McNally tweeted that the club had a policy in which they dealt with out of contract players first, then players with an optional year at the end of their contracts and lastly players who want to negotiate whilst they still have time to run on their present contract. At the time of Holt''s transfer request, according to McNally we were still in the first phase which would imply that if Holt did want to talk about his contract, he would have to wait. We then heard from Holt''s agent who said that when they requested another year McNally said Holt was too old, and that when Holt handed in his transfer request McNally said that he wouldn''t lose sleep over it. The significant part of all this for me though which many people fail to mention so correct me if I''m wrong, but I''m sure Holt''s agent said that McNally did actually get back to them to offer the contract that Holt and his agent had requested but by that time the "damage had been done". So possibly if this is the case, the whole ''it''s not all about the money'' argument comes from the fact that it wasn''t the inital rejection of the improved contract which makes Holt want to leave tghe club but maybe McNally''s attitude? This would then tie in with how Holt was actually offered his contract in the end once other players had been dealt with, but by that time the "damage had been done".

This is where Culverhouse''s input will be invaluable, if there is anyone who knows where we need to strenthen it''s him. I believe he also played a role in identifying targets for Lambert so may already have a few players in mind to suggest, assuming Hughton respects his opinion of course.

[quote user="CaptnCanary"]Why do people keep saying this? I thought it was made pretty clear that we ended up offering Holt the deal he wanted and he turned it down saying its too late and he still wants to leave.[/quote] This.

[quote user="pidge"]Very interested to see if they stay on. would be a massive boost to the team. Just a thought but would they not have been on a similar one year rolling contract with lambert? in which case might they just let their contracts run out in a month or so then run to the midlands? Hoping not[/quote] A 1 year rolling contract is not the same as a 1 year contract. A rolling contract does not run down, each new day they have 1 year left.

[quote user=".takecare."]Any one else think he looked disheartened? Uncomfortable and seemed to dwell on answers when asked about norwich. Didnt seem like he felt very confident. His reply on holt seemed to ring a bell that he might be back in for some of our boys....[/quote] Yeah I thought the same, I would have expected him to appear enthusiastic about his new job at Villa but if anything he seemed more emotive when reflecting on his time with us; that may be our bias though? He seemed to swerve the question on Cully which may hint at good news down our end, but I also got the impression that a few of our players are in his plans. I may be far from the truth though. We shall see.

"remember this is all happening because he wants to STAY LONGER." Correct me if I''m wrong, but didn''t Holt''s agent say that McNally actually offer the 3rd year in the end, but by that time it was too late? If that was the case then I''m not sure why Holt thought he had priority over an additonal year when the club were still negotiating with the out of contract players? I think Holt obviously did want to stay longer, but it appears now that regardless of an extra year or not, he is eager to leave.

I''m not condoning those that are sending Holt abuse, but it''s hardly surprising considering how he is fuelling the situation with his tweets, especially given the timing of Lambert''s departure. To be honest, I also find those people who are begging him to stay a bit cringy, he''s starting to make our club a laughing stock. If he stays, he stays. If he goes, he goes.

From our good friend Charlie Wyett around 2-3 hours ago - "Culverhouse is wanted by Lambert but he is currently still employed by Norwich"

No, I still believe he deserved to picked on merit. Do I still feel as bitter that he wasn''t? Rather childish of me but no.

Cardiff City''s media manager - "The club will NOT get involved in speculative lines in every instance but at this moment no approach has been made to CardiffCity for Malky"

Take what journos say with a pinch of salt