Dubai Mark

I am hoping we will now come off those two poor performances and get back in to winning again. BUT, if that doesnt happen and we get tonked or lose narrowly with another poor performance this weekend,then I feel the board will act. Its suicide if they dont, really is.......

Regardless of if and when, these designs look very average to say the least, and I hope the club didnt shell out big bucks for them.

Cant believe I just did that, say I wont respond or rant, then end up having a mini rant!

This is a great first post, and the type of post on which I would usually respond. BUT, right now I am actually feeling the lowest I have for a long time as a City supporter and will only rant and upset people, so best left alone. What I will say though, is that when I say I am feeling the lowest I have for a long time, I even include the Hamilton, Grant, Roeder, Gunn and the last few months of Hughton''s time with us. Why? Because not one of those Manager''s had the opportunity our current Manager has when compared to the resources of the other clubs in the league at the respective league at that time, even PL when we were in League One had less at his disposal. This right now is the biggest let down for a long long time, and I just don''t get why more people dont see it!

RVW was given just about enough opportunities in his correct position to show what he could do, and Lafferty clearly has not, so no way a comparison can be made.

Morty, I certainly understand what you are saying here, but I have traveled back from many away games, even a few since being an ex pat and that is a very expensive journey home, having seen dire performances and some tonkings. But, for me, the game has changed, I like many others watched the team in other times when we were all very happy about the place we were in then, no massive aspirations to be challenging for promotion and even a relegation battle was fun. However, the game has changed, and I have changed too, and these days I want to see the club I support achieve as much as possible, and that means playing at the highest level possible. If, that''s not possible, then fine.....as long as I am happy with them doing the best they can with the resources available to the club at the time........and that''s a problem right now as we see a very stable, well financed football club with a cracking squad...... muck things up royally.

Great subject this and I love some of the responses many that I identify with big time. Being an expat and not able to visit Carrow Road very often is for me the one big thing I really miss about the UK, other than the remaining members of my family of course. From that first match as a 10 year old in 1968 I have had the live football and Norwich City bug, and I try my best to work family trips back and even business around a match if at all possible. Those who have never been to live football regularly just don''t get it, that match day feeling when everything becomes part of the event.... even where you park your car, the walk down to the ground, the empty ground gradually filling up, the pie, crappy toilets, the seating position killing my knees, the teams warming up and then coming out ready to play....oh and then the match itself.......something you experience at that time, in that place with only those around you.....its special......and I MISS IT!!!

Yep I''m with MM on this one, when I make my trips back to the UK for the occasional match its the EPL I want to see, Norwich City playing a top team with top players. Its the only place to be, and is great if you accept that we will be tonked occasionally and have to fight to stay in it.....rather than lose to Reading twice and have to fight to get back in it.

I am thinking that Morty needs to be appointed our next Manager, so much sense coming through his keyboard! But seriously, if its a choice of Redmond or Hoolahan to start with a front two, then surely its a bit of a no brainer and Redmond starts. That said, for me, he would be one of the first names on the team sheet and I would make things work to accomodate him, a class act and the future. Wes comes in handy from the bench though and there will be occasions when he should start, but not at Bournemouth.

A top Championship Manager...something we could do with right now ironically, and Brighton fans should be pleased!

Thanks Highland, summed up in one sentence: "The inevitable outcome of appointing an individual to manage a first team, in a particularly challenging league, who simply has never undertaken any of the aspects of first team management." Not nice to have to say it, but it''s true....

Am I the only one who would like to see Lafferty played as a striker in this match? We know what Jerome and Grabban can do, but Lafferty has not had a run through the centre yet.

Its simple, we have a great squad who are being led by a honest manager, but one who simply is not getting the squad to perform anywhere near to their potential, even with a top coach alongside him. Solution = change the Manager to one who can! Then he can decide on what tactics to deploy......

Cantiaci Canary I agree with this fully, BUT....I am sure that with the appointment of Phelan the Board have made the change they feel was required and are unlikely to make another........even after the latest result, as they like most of us will right now be hoping it was a blip after some very decent performances. I would certainly have a lot of faith in Pulis, he performed an absolute miracle at Palace and whilst doing so showed he could also produce a different style of football. When he was a pundit over here a few times on the EPL he always impressed me big time, more than any other pundit I have seen......I would be breaking the bank for him, really would.

This has turned in to a good thread, and I agree Morty things have certainly been worse than this, much worse. my god I remember some very sad times. BUT, I really cannot recall a season, other than perhaps the one we were in the First Division with Lambert, when we have had such a big opportunity to do well when compared to the resources available to the other clubs......or, one where we have under performed so badly....and we have havnt we?

Yes I agree with CC and Ricardo on this, its about the current excellent squad under performing. I also suspect a couple of these so called flops to come in and have a good second half of the season, then they can be judged.

Other than my personal preference of Turner, that''s the side I expected.....what a brilliant bench, so many offensive options, no other squad in this league offers that!

Its clear that both of the Murphy''s have a great future and like all youngsters need handling correctly, hence there will be a reason why we now see Josh out of the picture. This is one area that I trust Neil Adams on, he has a lot of experience handling young players and will know when to play and when to rest them. All players mature a different rates, so its unfair to make comparisons with Redmond who was playing regular first team football at a very young age, and right now is some way ahead of Murphy. I look forward to when they are both regulars in the side, someting I expect to happen with at least one of the Murphy''s.....great prospects!

I see no reason why this cannot be achieved and will be surprised if we lose more than two more games all season, I''m serious........

The thing is, if set-up properly. right team and tactics chosen and they are motivated.... this squad is that good and most of the teams in this division shouldnt be able to live with us....and thank god (or should I say Mike Phelan) that''s now started to happen!

Why not.....I''m in!!!

Exactly, its not a large gap to close, and now we have Phelan clearly having a huge impact (although NA didnt want to give specific praise yesterday), then I will personally have no problem getting carried away. I am now back to expecting us to go up in an automatic place as that depth of squad really begins to show its worth!

If the choice is rather than automatic promotion, then absolutely not, as a consolation and chance to get back up, then of course.

Thanks Ricardo, one of those games today with almost zero coverage for an ex-pat, so reports like this from someone who was there are always really appreciated. The corner has been turned, so now let''s look forward to our sguad consistently playing to potential or very close to it for the rest of the season........and its the strength of our squad together with the club bringing in MP that gives me belief that we could still get automatic promotion OTBC

The last few games we have seen a very different approach to games, clearly influenced very heavily by the arrival of a top experienced coach. So, I really cannot see much change from the team starting eleven, and even if there are changes we will I feel see a very similar tactical approach for several more games to come, if not until the end of the season. The squad we have really shows its worth now, with the tighter more conservative and controlled first half, then changing in to a more enterprising approach early second half, by the introduction of real quality off the bench. Sure, if we go and get two or three first half goals in a match the approach for the second half may change, but so far so good, and as a result I now feel nice and confident for six seasonal points regardless of Reading''s management change.