LeJuge

To be honest I don''t really see what he offers either, he is really struggling in this division.Everybody seems to claim that he has some sort of role to play, yet cannot specifically state what that role is. I get it, he plays deeper than Grant Holt.So what is he supposed to do whilst sitting deeper than Grant Holt? If he is playing a support role to a main striker then I would expect him to be able to play a through ball or some decent link up play.The truth is that a great striker is setting up goals when he isn''t scoring them; Chris Martin is neither scoring them or creating them, 4 goals and 2 assists in 25 games. It is almost as if he is permitted to miss all of his chances because "he has a different role", the truth is that he has really hit a slump and is not sticking the ball in the net. Sorry guys but anybody in the final third of the pitch should be expected to achieve more than that, irrespective of their role or tactics. The guy clearly has potential, but he is better off being our third striker for now, we need a new one if possible. I find it amusing that anybody who doesn''t think Martin is playing well is automatically assumed to have zero knowledge about football, purely on the basis that Lambert picks him so he must be world class. If Lambert was given £1m to spend tomorrow we would see a new striker at the club, I have no doubts about that whatsoever.He isn''t creating, he isn''t holding a ball or retaining possession, his passing hasn''t been great, and his strongest asset - finishing ability - is also alluding him. He can''t really tackle either. That pretty much ticks off any secret role which he may have, if he has a job to do then he isn''t doing it very well. I rate him, but he is in terrible form.

[quote user="Michael Starr"]To be fair to him, he did come over to the Cardiff kids and spend time signing autographs before the game. He was the only Cardiff player to do that. He''s an ass, but that was a nice gesture.[/quote]I actually think that he is quite a good bloke, the type of fella who would buy you a pint or two in the pub. Eight pints later he would probably chin somebody for calling him a midget or something, but nobody spends £1m of their own money setting up a school and academy in Africa if they aren''t down to earth.More footballers should be investing their money into communities, I could quite easily argue that the greedy wankers in the England team are much worse people. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Wayne Rooney - there has never been a suggestion that Bellars is all about the money, its always been about the football and his inability to get on with people in the long term.If Bellamy wants to take a golf club to any of the aforementioned players then that''s not a problem to me, preferably Ashley Cole if I have to choose one.

[quote user="Jin"]I would NOT sell R Martin for £2m as someone mentioned before. Who the hell would be good enough to replace him at this stage for that price. I''m sure he''s happy here tbh though and wants to stick with PL who he''s worked with before and trusts him. [/quote]Talk about a major misquote, at no stage did I say that I would be happy for the club to sell Russell Martin for £2m, you construed that one. I said that he is probably a £2m player, by no stretch of the imagination does that mean that I would agree to his sale. Realistically, that is probably his value; that doesn''t have to make us a selling club.So don''t get your knickers in a twist.

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/02/article-1280778558474-0A9D1558000005DC-536523_636x478.jpg

How about Phil Mulryne? He could have done a shift on that right side in his day.

Can we make it a squad? You have to have Tomas Brolin and Micky Quinn!Kevin Pressman back up goaly.

I like either David Fox or Andrew Crofts in that role, but personally I would like to see Korey Smith getting a bit more game time. I think my preferred four in the middle is (not including Lansbury, as he looks to be going home):             CroftsSmith                  Lappin          HoolohanI''m not sure why, we just look to have a lot of balance with that line up. Obviously Lansbury has to be in the side if he stay, and I am hopeful of Surman at some stage surpassing Lappin in the pecking order, but for some reason I just like having Korey Smith on the pitch. Crofts also played his best football at the base of the diamond. I like the idea of having two in every position, with Fox and Croft challenging for that deep role, so:                            Crofts/FoxSmith/Lansbury                       Lappin/Surman                          Hoolohan/??        If Lansbury doesn''t stay, I think that we need another player for that right side.We don''t need a second attacking mid, as if Hoolohan isn''t fit we play 4-4-2 anyway. Do we even have a natural right winger at the club? If we can buy a player who can play right mid and centre mid, then we are sorted really. I think that is what we need to be honest.

His Wikipedia entry currently states: Keith P. Stroud[1] (born 12 August 1969[2]) is an English football referee, who officiates in the Coca-Cola Football League. He comes from Gillingham, Dorset.[3] and should have given a penalty to norwich today (15th January)Lol. I haven''t rated him, I wasn''t at the game. But after that kid who sent Grant Holt off for nothing, I don''t think I would have been able to give any ref less than 2/5.

[quote user="Gingerpele"]Were not in a recession.......Everyone still has money. And ticket prices aren''t ''far too high'' Earlier in the season, someone posted up averages from all the championship clubs, and although we were high up, we weren''t the highest! Its quite simple, if its too much for you don''t go. The club are trying to make enough money, to pay of debt and to give Lambert money to spend on new players, charging £15 for a 2nd vs 3rd game in the championship, wouldn''t help that .. (even £25... 25 x 26,500 = £662, 500......... £33 x 20,000= £660,000... So even at 20,000, which is less that will be sold, the club will be making only a little bit less, but add the extra 4,000 on top of that (there will be at least 24,000) Thats another £132,000.... Oh look more expensive prices, even if 1/2000 less people, makes more money!)[/quote]Everyone still has money? You don''t sit in the House of Lords do you by any chance? What a moronic and thoughtless thing to say.We may not be in a recession, but we are still in the early stages of recovery. What that effectively means is that tens of billions of pounds have been sliced off of our GDP and very little of that has come back. There are currently 1.1 million more unemployed people than there were in early 2008, most who do work are going without pay rises despite mammoth fuel and food inflation over the past two years, anybody with half a brain and a mortgage is worried about potential interest rate rises. Around 8% of the labour force (2.5m) have no work at all, and that figure does not include the children of that 8% who rely on there parents income. That figure is expected to rise to 3m by the end of this year, you had better cross your fingers and hope that you are not one of the next 500,000; chances are that a few people on this board will be.Irrespective of whether or not I agree with the price rises, I happen to agree with them, I would encourage you to approach such subjects with more sensitivity. Maybe you have not experienced redundancy, or do not have a mortgage to worry about, or kids to keep in news shoes. Norwich is a service economy, it just so happens that the service sector is the one which is NOT growing and could in fact fall further; the economic situation has the potential to cause real problems in Norfolk over the next couple of years, do you have any idea what goes on in your county? Do you know how many local businesses will fail if RAF Marham goes? I am lucky enough to have reached a level of financial security which would effectively mean that I would never have to work again, I am not even 30 yet. But I will never stick my head up my backside so far that I can make sweeping statements about the financial situation of others, when you have to make 25% of your own workforce redundant the situation becomes very real. I cross my fingers for you, that you are not one of the ones to go this year. That said, it might bring you down to earth a little.

[quote user="pete"]Commons reported lets see if he plays for DCFC today![/quote]Do we really need Commons? Great player but, ultimately, he is a left winger isn''t he?We already have Lappin, Surman and McNamee who can play there. What was the point in spending £1.2m on Surman if he isn''t intended to become first choice?That said, I believe that Commons is better than Surman. It would make more sense to me if we bought a right winger, unless Commons can play there?

I must add that neither was I critical of him last season, my worry is that he wouldn''t be able to cut it in The Championship. Personally I couldn''t believe the criticism of him last season, people have short memories; we only have to look at who preceeded him - Jon Otsemober and Jurgen Colin, now they really were League One players. Russell Martin is our new Steady Eddy, I see a lot of similarities in fact. Hardly ever caught out defensively, can get forward, good passer of the ball. Now Martin has added goals too, somehow. Martin is our first good right back since Edworthy, before that we had Nedergaard. Traditionally we have always had good right backs, its good to have another one after 4 and a half years without.

[quote user="Nexus_Canary"][quote user="LeJuge"]It is unbelievable how much Russell Martin has improved, what a great buy, and credit to the coaching team.Six months ago I was saying that he was a league one player, he has proved me - and most - entirely wrong. To the point that Blackburn would be getting a bargain at £750k, with age on his side and the performances that he is putting in I would want £2m for Russell Martin now.He should be in line for a contract extension to 2014, it expires in summer 2012 at current. If he has put Bellars in his pocket, then I would say that he is in the top 2 or 3 best right backs outside of the Premier League - not many other players have managed that this season by most accounts.[/quote]Again, ( maybe its something to do with Martin''s ) start of the season a few of us were getting really anoyed becasuse Martin was getting flack.He had a pretty bad first game (this season) but pulled his act together and was really getting in good tackles and defending his line.People still gave him sh*t.Now hes attacking and after he was rated (on paper) as our best player people have suddently started saying how classy he is.R.Martin has been spot on all season and I find it shocking that people say how he''s progressed and credit the coaching staff etc etc.He has upped his game but hes always been a bloody good player.I rate Martin as our best asset right now, yes ahed of Wes and Holt in regards to transfer fee demands.[/quote]Well what else do you want me to say? Other than that he has proved me wrong? Because I could have lied and said that I had spotted his talent from the off; six months ago was pre-season, my doubts were that he would struggle to make the step up, nothing to do with this season. He has proved me wrong, hands up to that, but I was certainly not alone in my doubts about him. He had, after all, failed to impress at Peterborough in this division, albeit in a poor side. At no stage have I criticised him this season, he has been excellent all season, perhaps only rivalled in consistency by Crofts and Drury when he is fit. You could perhaps add Ruddy to that list now, he is also one which should be getting a lot more credit than he does, he reminds me of Robert Green in fact.

It is unbelievable how much Russell Martin has improved, what a great buy, and credit to the coaching team.Six months ago I was saying that he was a league one player, he has proved me - and most - entirely wrong. To the point that Blackburn would be getting a bargain at £750k, with age on his side and the performances that he is putting in I would want £2m for Russell Martin now.He should be in line for a contract extension to 2014, it expires in summer 2012 at current. If he has put Bellars in his pocket, then I would say that he is in the top 2 or 3 best right backs outside of the Premier League - not many other players have managed that this season by most accounts.

Well I suppose you can''t be playing for both teams on the pitch. He was only ever going to try and score and win today.What did he play like? Does he still look class or does he look to be in decline? The reason that I ask is that should we get promoted rather than Cardiff, I would happily see him return here for a year.If he is still any good that is.

Bad move, he should have agreed to stay until the end of the season only.And then moved on to pastures new. He is better than that, nothing wrong with the stature of the club but everything wrong with the direction that they are heading in.That said, if he can keep them up and turn them into a mid-table team again he is only going to further add to his fine reputation.

I had to miss my second home game in a row today, having not missed any for three years. Sucks, but that''s the only way that I will finally shake off this damn flu. I am off on holiday next month, so will be a generally poor show for me this year - and you thought that your season ticket worked out pricey!Just wondered what kind of reception Bellamy get? And how did he take it? Answers on a postcard please.

[quote user="Bury Yellow"]So LaJuge I take it that your view is that you read The Guardian and The Independent because they reflect an accurate view of politics and life. If this so, why not reflect on that. Perhaps their general view is not agreed by the greater unwashed. Their circulation figures are pathetic and as far as The Guardian is concerned, survives on BBC and Local Authority adverts for vacancies of dubious quality. I thank you[/quote]To be honest I just believe that the typical Guardian and Independent reader has the intelligient to possess an opinion on politics and life; I have equal respect for the equivalent centre right papers.The Sun readers vote for whoever Rupert Murdoch decides he wants to run the country; News Corp have the power to swing elections. I suggest learning about Rupert Murdoch, he chooses which politician HE wants leading the country, and subsequently that is the stance that his editorial team takes.It''s not my fault that readers of The Sun are clever enough to suss out that they pay their own good money to be fed propaganda on a daily basis. The idea of The Sun, a working class/lower class newspaper, supporting The Conservatives in the last general election was frankly laughable.At least The Independant and The Guardian can be identified as left leaning newspapers, The Sun''s is officially ''Populist'' which effectively means that they switch in accordance to which candidate wears the best suit, or has the best haircut. In other words, a paper for morons. The Sun and similar such newspapers, such as The Star and The News of The World, are giant adverts. They are the lifeblood of Max Clifford and Simon Cowell, make the careers of simpletons such as Jade Goody and that divvy scouse coke head whose name eludes me, and if you want to be one of the ill-informed sheep who buys into all that crap then so be it.I prefer reading about economics, arts, current affairs, international news, policy, financial markets. Let''s just agree to be very different, I am happy with that if you are.

Y[quote user="DOGGER"]But i don''t read the Sun to make me more intelligent, i read it because it entertains me for 5 mins No harm done. [/quote]Yeah Yeah, we all know that you just like page 3 ;)

[quote user="DOGGER"]Now i''ve not read the story but i presume West Ham may have Lambert in their sights - sounds like this would be true to me, so why not buy the Sun exactly?   [/quote]Because the average IQ of a Sun reader is probably about 60, and it is owned by Rupert Murdoch.How many more reason do you need? Unless your IQ is 60 and you don''t know who Murdoch is. I firmly believe that reading The Sun will make you a less knowledgeable individual.

[quote user="Jakesacanary"]Dont buy the Sun it has been and always will be full of s**t..... Buy your local paper E D P or Evening News and no i dont work for em......[/quote]So don''t buy a national paper which is full of s**t, buy one of two local papers which are also full of s**t? Why not a broadsheet such as The Guardian or The Independant?I

[quote user="Captain Holts Derby Day HatTrick"]In fairness Lambert has signed Oli Johnson, Simeon Jackson, Michael Rose, Steven Smith and Aaron Wilbraham, and not one of them has convinced me yet that they can make it (All be it, Smith and Oli haven''t had an opportunity really), and yes, I know Rose wasn''t signed permanently[/quote]What a stupid post.So Steven Smith hasn''t had an opportunity after 7 games, and Oli Johnson hasn''t had the opportunity after 19 games, but it is fine for you to cast judgement over Aaron Wilbraham after 2 games?And where to start with Simeon Jackson, clearly such a crap signing :/  I mean, his 4 goals in 13 starts have only won us 3 points at home to Middlesbrough, potentially 3 points away to Bristol City, and sealed the three points against Swansea.Michael Rose was a loan signing, brought in because at the time we didn''t have ANY fit left backs, doesn''t play for us yet, so is 100% irrelevant. What have we really lost if they don''t make it? Football is a team game, it is some peoples jobs to not "make it"; there isn''t room for everybody in the squad to "make it", if everybody in your team makes it then you are effectively Portsmouth.Even those who don''t get game time are doing a good job in putting pressure on the regulars to perform. If Wilbraham sits on the bench for every single game, serving the sole purpose of coming on to give Grant Holt a rest or starting when Holt gets one of his bi-annual suspensions, and grabs two or three goals, then he will be worth the money.If Steven Smith is simply there, playing football, coming into the team when Drury and now Tierney are not fit, then he is there for a purpose. If Cody McDonald comes back in pre-season and looks a new player, and scores goals for Norwich City, then Oli Johnson would have served his purpose - which is to make up the numbers whilst Cody was gone. Then you loan out Oli Johnson, to see if he can be the next Cody McDonald.I am not prepared to right off ANY of the players that you mention. The only bad signing that Paul Lambert has made is Micheal Rose, and he didn''t even really make that one, he rejected the opportunity to keep him on the books. If you are going to support the 11 men on the field, then support the men off the field, because without them we wouldn''t be third in the league.

Yesterday I told people that Marc Tierney is friends with Grant Holt, whilst attempting to justify his transfer.Hopefully the two people who effectively stated that I don''t know anything will give me a little more respect when I have something to say on an issue.Welcome to Norwich Marc, top player - and I should know, but you will never know why ;-)

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"][quote user="LeJuge"][quote user="blahblahblah"]And incidentally, isn''t it really easy to offend football fans these days ?  I thought we were a bit less brittle than that, bu hey ho...[/quote]Spot on. This is the same mentality which has effectively made it a no contact sport.F*ck the ball, get into ''em. Tierney is a winner, a hard man, just like Grant Holt is, and just like Lambert was as a player. I would have 11 of them if I could.[/quote] Are you Sam Allardyce by any chance? [/quote]I can''t see the issue with Sam Allardyce, his approach is the ONLY one which would work with clubs like Blackburn and Bolton. Neither of those clubs will achieve a top half finish without playing ugly football, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of rough and tumble.Are you Arsene Wenger by any chance? Give me a Kevin Davies over a 21st century pansy any day, that''s a real footballer for you. What an f''in legend.

[quote user="Gareth"][quote user="LeJuge"][quote user="blahblahblah"]And incidentally, isn''t it really easy to offend football fans these days ?  I thought we were a bit less brittle than that, bu hey ho...[/quote]Spot on. This is the same mentality which has effectively made it a no contact sport.F*ck the ball, get into ''em. Tierney is a winner, a hard man, just like Grant Holt is, and just like Lambert was as a player. I would have 11 of them if I could.[/quote]I''d rather have some skill and ability in my team, not 11 kick the sh*t of the opposistion players[/quote]It''s interesting that you would assume that Tierney has no skill or ability, perhaps you could provide some examples of other Paul Lambert signings with no skill or ability? You may be interested to know that Paul Lambert signed Tierney for Colchester off of the back of him winning the 2007/2008 fans player of the year award and the the 2007/2008 players player of the year award at Shrewsbury. Of course, only somebody with next to no knowledge of football would state that Tierney has no footballing ability; either you haven''t seen him play more than once or twice or you can''t judge a player. Which is it? Because I have seen him about a dozen times and the lad is easily Championship quality.

[quote user="blahblahblah"]And incidentally, isn''t it really easy to offend football fans these days ?  I thought we were a bit less brittle than that, bu hey ho...[/quote]Spot on. This is the same mentality which has effectively made it a no contact sport.F*ck the ball, get into ''em. Tierney is a winner, a hard man, just like Grant Holt is, and just like Lambert was as a player. I would have 11 of them if I could.