Lets be aving you!

No need to drop the Diamong & adopt a different formation purely by virtue of being in a different division. Nor will becoming more defensive be likely given Lambert''s approach to winning games. The next step will be to identify and get rid of the deadwood (Gill, OTJ, Hughes, etc etc) and use (most of) the Premier League bonanza on decent replacements who can challenge the current incumbents.

From the OP''s original list, I reckon Lappin, Martin will definitely stay at Carrow Road for the season, & Wilbraham probably as well. I''d add Daley and just possibly Drury to your list of those going, though.

Non sequiturs rool OK! Or are you just mad?

Yes, comes across as very serious and slightly retiring (certainly compared with a few other managers). Martin O''Neill but without the volubility. Gives the impression he doesn''t ever want to let his guard down.

Apparently named Man Utd Reserve Player of the Season last year: "Hot on the heels of Will Keane receiving the Young Player of the Year award, Ritchie de Laet has been named this season’s Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year at the annual United awards night. Nominated alongside teammates Oliver Gill and Magnus Eikrem by Reserve team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his assistant Warren Joyce, de Laet claimed the award after coming out on top in a poll of United fans on the club’s official website manutd.com and continued the run of defenders picking up the honour, following on from Richard Eckersley and last year’s winner James Chester – an interesting contrast with the recent domination of the Young Player of the Year gong by forward players. Other previous winners of the Reserve award include the decorated trio of Nicky Butt, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher."

Before Fergie, Man Utd used to be full of gifted individuals who could never really play as a team (and certainly not consistently enough to win a league). Cloughie''s teams were the polar opposite. Some very good players, but distinctly lacking in stars. Yet Derby and Forest somehow just about "stayed up" under him. Yes, the Premier League is different from the old Division One, but the management skills required are still paramount. There also seems to be a common misconception that the whole of the Premier League is vastly better than the Championship. It''s not. That''s why Blackpool finished 6th in the Champ, and are just about surviving in the Prem. West Brom and Newcastle are doing fine, and again lack star players (Carroll excepted, and he''s gone anyway). And our manager and coaching staff look every inch better than what''s at last season''s promotion trio. So I expect evolution not revolution with the close season signings, and certainly no major surgery. Just a few arrivals to strengthen the squad (to replace a few of those who have barely figured in the team this year). Provided that Lambert stays for the season (which I think he will), I fully expect us to survive next year, and likely surprise a few people along the way, including the OP, with a finish comfortably above the relegation area.

Lambert will probably (need to) sign about the same number of players as last close season, i.e. 6-8. I don''t think any of the current 11 are too weak for the Premier League (we have outperformed QPR in the second half of the season), but the squad needs a lot of strengthening, so as to rotate the team and give the regulars a break. After all, this season Holt has been dead on his feet, if not semi-injured, for several weeks, but we have simply been unable to rest him. My guess is that the following will be eased out: S. Smith, Askou, Gill, TJ, Hughes, Oli, MacDonald (and probably Macca). We need: 1. An experienced goalkeeper as back-up, with Rudd and Steer to go out on loan, Fraser Forster-style 2. A back-up right back (no-one currently to replace ''Pants'' Martin) 3. At least one midfielder (pref. Lansbury), preferably two 4. A winger 5. At least one striker, preferably two With good signings in those positions, the squad should stand up to the rigours of Premier League survival.

"I do not think he was directing it at you - but what he states is true!! I was around the station after the 1P5WICH game and heard a woman saying to a man - "I really enjoyed that" he then replied with "how many times you been away? they great hey?" - her response really angered me - "oh I do not go that often, I went to Charlton away last season and Ipswich this season, and I think it was the Scunthorpe one at home this season... 6-0 it was!" how she got tickets for Charlton and ipswich I will never know" Had exactly the same experience at Ipswich. Started chatting to the youngish lad next to me and it turned out that that was his first away game of the season.

Smugly, yes, I did. Corals offered me 9/4 on City finishing in top 6, 13/2 on finishing top 3, and 10/1 on finishing as top scorers, so I put some on all three. In mitigation, I seriously thought that Top 3 was a very long shot. But I had this nagging feeling that, despite many other Nowich fans not seeing it, Lambert really is the new Martin O''Neill, and maybe even better.

I was in the South Stand, but, being a kid at the time, don''t remember the goal, only the celebrations. Specifically, some bloke next to me actually gave me a massive bear hug ... I seem to remember that that game sent Crystal Palace down, and Palace had actually taken the lead.

"Jackson ... a bit expensive for a "reserve." A bit of a disappointment actually." Just 6 weeks later, this assessment now seems, frankly, laughable. Man of the match against 1p5wich and again today. Brilliant close control, electric pace, speed of thought, and the small matter of 8 goals in 6 games. Keep it up, clueless Jacko (& Lambo)!

"You see this, original poster whatever your name was. This. This guy. This is TEXTBOOK posting a prediction." CLASS!!

... if Horse isn''t fit? Jackson took them for Gillingham, and didn''t Ward take them for Coventry. Or how about another dinky effort from a returning Wessie?

"Phew, get-a-life." Hyphens wrongly used, twice in 4 words. Join Bly on the dunce''s step.

I see, so just because ''primary school'' doesn''t have a hyphen when used alone, it cannot take one in a noun-qualifying phrase (which is the grammatical term for my phrase). It''s clear that some readers on here think that ''parsing'' is what footballers do! Clue: it''s to do with analysis of grammar. Question: What is the difference between a ''solid silver fork'' and a ''solid-silver fork''. Plenty. Or between ''wrought iron railings'' and ''wrought-iron railings''. Ditto. Oh, and what''s the difference between a ''bright yellow canary'' and a ''bright-yellow canary''. BBB is definitely not the former (based on his answer), but maybe he''s the latter when he''s wearing his replica T-shirt ...

While we''re doling out lessons in English grammar, even my primary-school daughter knows that the noun ''bookies'' in your sentence should take an apostrophe. So, bookies'' views, not bookies views, to indicate possession ... just for the less able writer (singular) on here. Now, how about a proper English test, like spelling ''patronising'' or ''condescending''?

"Maybe you should all consider what to call him if he starts missing sitters....... " Jackson?

i.e.: GK Ruddy DR Martin DL Tierney DC Whitbread DC Ward MR Lansbury ML Surman MC Crofts MC Fox MC/FW Wessi ST Holt Subs: Rudd, Edwards, Lappin, Korey, Pacheco, Jackson, Vokes

From what I''ve read, Pacheco has played in Wes''s role just behind the striker(s), so I think he may well come on from the bench for a tiring Wes (and act as his back-up if Wes gets injured). I also think that no way will Lambert play Pacheco, Hoolahan and Surman in the same team (all three are likely to lack a bit of bite, and will leave too much for Crofts and Fox to cover). I think that Vokes is the more likely of the two new forwards to play from the start. Having said that, given the limited time he will have had with his new team mates, I suspect that he, too, will start on the bench. Jackson will start on the bench, too, as against Hull, and may come on if Scunthorpe start throwing defenders forward. Longer term, the player most in danger at the moment, I feel, is Surman, who was very poor at Hull. He may end up dropping out of the startng line-up if Vokes, Martin or Wilbraham come up with a good performance from the bench. MacNamee is unlikey to figure again. The big unanswered question in all this is Wilbraham, and whether he is fit. So I think The Googler has it right, but with Lappin in for Drury on the bench. After all, Lappin provides some width, as well as covering for left back.

Strikes me as dubious that the index seems to rate strikers and midfielders more highly than defenders, especially full backs. Can see only one full back in the 25 listed (the Norfolk Kafu).

Steve Grapes was born in Norwich (though not on Grapes Hill lol).

"when was he at norwich?" Wasn''t he John Bond era, same time as "Cozy" Powell? Good player.

"Would Middlesborough be appealing to Holt and its proximity to his home?" Wouldn''t have thought so as his home area is Cumbria, in the west, and Teesside is in the east. Anyway, hadn''t someone on here posted that his family had recently moved to Norfolk?

"How many ghouls do you see scored where the last defender can only help the ball into the net?" Martin Peters used to do that loads, ghosting past people. Maybe it''s all down to the current "team spirit".

Keelan Culverhouse Bowen Bruce Watson Crook Ruel Fox Suggett Peters (C) Ron Davies Sutton Subs: Woods Machin Stringer Townsend Reeves Macdougall Boyer