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Jacko

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Posts posted by Jacko

  1. Posted

    There is no chance of this team making the playoffs.

    The first issue we have is that we have a deficit of 8 points to make up on Sheffield Wednesday and we''ve only got 27 points to play for. Realistically we would need to win at least 7 or 8 of those matches to stand any chance.

    Given that we''ve won once away from home since about October I think it''s almost bordering on dilusional to think this team is capable of form like that. The fact we''ve also got to play Brighton, Leeds, Reading and Huddersfield - 4 of the top 6 just makes the task even more unlikely. Particularly as we''re yet to register a win all season against a top 6 team.

    The other problem we''ve got is its not even like we''re chasing just one team now. Both Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday will have to slip up horribly to allow us through into the playoffs. Even Preston are better placed than us and would probably finishing above us. They''ve got a kinder run in and they play us at Deepdale.

    The priority now has to be being patient. Getting the right structure in place and appointing the right people into the right roles, including a manager who''ll work within that framework.

  2. Posted

    I thought in real time it was a clear and obvious red card. Having seen the club highlights on YouTube I still think it''s a clear and obvious red card.

    It''s not a malicious tackle. Djiks tries to step over the ball and protect it. But the execution is awful and in trying to protect the ball he effectively stamps downwards on his opponents shin. It''s a very dangerous and reckless challenge which could have caused serious damage.

    Alan Irvine thought it was a red card. I also thought Pritchard''s reaction was an indicator. He was right on the spot and knew Djiks was in trouble straight away. Our local journalists also think it was a clear red card with zero chance of success on appeal.

  3. Posted

    It''s now abundantly clear that AN is going to be here for the rest of the season and at least the start of next season, unless we slip into a relegation battle this season, which isn''t going to happen.

    Delia and Michael clearly feel a strong affinity towards him and it''s almost a parental style relationship between them. They brought him down from Scotland at 33 years old and he''s almost like a son to them, particularly as they don''t have children of their own and the football club has been an enormous part of their lives for the last 20 years.

    For those reasons, Rowett will be waiting a very long time to have stab at managing Norwich. Whether you think that decision is right or wrong is another debate altogether.

  4. Posted

    Once Olsson was in the final of his contract in the summer he held all of the cards. The reality is his new 18 contract probably contained a release clause of around £5 million.

    That was all the club could do in the circumstances. Prior to that contact we had a stark choice - either lose him for a nominal fee in January or for nothing in the summer. They''ve done the best they could in the circumstances.

    However, you can question how it ever got to this stage. Did we try to agree a new contract in the Premier league in 2015? Was AN consistently leaving him on the bench last season in the PL for a person who wasn''t actually a left back also a factor in him not signing a new deal at that time?

  5. Posted

    Expanding on some of the things Morty has said.

    Sometimes I think people make statements without knowing the full facts and often statements see generally largely ill-informed. I see that one poster has used Turner getting a new contract as one of his grounds to criticise AN.

    Turner''s extension was actually triggered when we won promotion in 2015. Therefore it was negotiated and agreed before AN was even at the club.

  9. Posted

    Leeds in the League Cup was the point of no return for me.

    Totally different selection to Brighton but the team showed exactly the same deficiencies and themes- inability to defend set plays, lack of fitness and not being able to manage a game (against 10 men) when leading.

    That showed to me the problem was with the coaching staff and the management rather than individual players themselves.

    The fact that we''re still here in late December watching the same car crash repeatedly is just sad and embarrassing for everyone connected with this club.

  10. Posted

    It''s important to remember that''s the amount of time Lakey thinks the board will give Neil. He hasn''t said that''s how much time he thinks Neil should get. I think that''s an important distinction here.

    For what it''s worth I think Lakey is right. Neil has already said the board have told him to carry on and other indications from journalists there at the ground suggest he''ll get the Brentford game to save his job.

    I personally don''t think even our board could ignore yet another defeat in New Years Eve and the axe would simply have to fall then.

    In reality, of course, Neil is already a dead man walking. The crowd have totally turned to the extent that he''s now only ever one bad performance from things becoming totally mutinous. Something which he could only cure with an unbelievable sequence of results from here.

  11. Posted

    We won''t go down, largely because Blackburn, Wigan and Rotherham are so crap we will only need about 15 more points from here to survive at most. Even on our current run we will just about muster that.

    However, the fact we are even talking about that as being as possibility after being top in late September is an absolute disgrace. We need to get rid of AN, appoint a new manager with experience and effectively allow them to rebuild the squad in the hope they can challenge next season.

    I''ll get ridiculed for saying it but given the lack of know how and experience in the boardroom, for me the outstanding candidate would be Roy Hodgson. He''s performed excellently with clubs of our stature before and would offer a wealth of experience we desperately need.

    OK, he''s a short term option but management at Norwich City invariably is. Lambert lasted 3 years, Hughton 2 years, Adams 8 months and Neil has currently been in charge for around 2 years.

    Ironically the board have such a good relationship with him they could probably make this happen but they won''t.

  16. Posted

    It is concerning that we''ve spent £24 million on 3 players who didn''t start today and only 1 of them got on at all. Someone has got some explaining to do about how that has happened.

    However, I would rather focus on the positives today given how difficult things have been recently. The team delivered a very disciplined and solid performance tonight. That was in many ways far more reassuring and satisfying than the 5-0 stroll against Brentford.

    Long may it continue!

  20. Posted

    I must say I''ve only ever heard of pre contracts being officially signed when a player moves overseas. However, unofficially I am sure players are sounded out by clubs ''off the record'' many months before their contract expires. That was pretty much what Derby did with Lee Croft back in 2009.

  21. Posted

    Even allowing for the fact QPR were down to 10 men, I thought they were absolutely dreadful. Their only real threat was from long throws, which are all the more dangerous due to Loftus Road being a relatively small pitch.

    It just confirmed that we lost to a very poor side a fortnight ago. The only consolation I took from the game was that Wolves also came unstuck trying to defend the long throw so we aren''t alone in that regard.

  23. Posted

    I have no issue with playing Brady at right back per se. I think of the best games he''s ever had in a Norwich shirt was against Man City at the Etihad as a right wing back. So he can do it.

    However, I would prefer to see him on the left wing. Whilst Jarvis is out he is the only person we''ve got who can really do a proper job there. Hoolahan, Pritchard and Naismith can do a turn out there but we look really unbalanced as a result.

    I take Morty''s point about the defence generally doing OK against Derby. Although playing devil''s advocate how much of that was down to them having to holding midfielders in front of them all afternoon? A luxury no other Norwich defence has had so far this season apart from Ipswich away.

  25. Posted

    Can''t agree with that Highland.

    There was spell in 2012 where I think Ruddy played his best football and was excellent. He was comfortably a Premier League standard goalkeeper and was frequently making England squads.

    Unfortunately, I don''t think he''s been the same goalkeeper since his injury against Everton at Goodison. His performances have been very mixed since then.
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