Keckers

The 1-7 game was only that important in hindsight. The drama could not have been seen on that day in the way you describe. I remember the conversation I had with Len, the old boy who sits two rows in front of us and saying that at least we''d win more games in league one. No-one knew on that day how important it would end up being. I''m glad I stayed and stuck it out but it was not pleasant. The feeling was that the club had been decimated and we were watching the decline and death of a family member. Not enjoyable in any way and to suggest otherwise would suggest that the feelings we have about Norwich and match days are vastly different. Match days though... There was excitement galore under Lambert, but always belief. Hadn''t really had that since the early 90s or the 2001-2004 period. Apart from that, hope shattered by repetitive experiences of the team coming up short. Pride at being there. The passion and indescribable feeling of seeing the yellow and green emerge onto the pitch. That has never changed. I''m excited again about what might happen. I''m excited by the potential of the youth. Match days this season (I hope) will feel like those halcyon days under Lambert / Walker / Worthy / Stringer / Brown.

Ricky comes across as a top lad and I, for one, was disappointed that we bought him and then didn''t play to his strengths. The lad is quality but you''ve got to play to his strengths. I think Neil will do that and I would love to see him have a damn good season. The critics will always find a reason to criticise but I think Ricky will prove his worth this season. If anyone on here goes, can they post updates about this (RvW) and the game tonight as I''m away this week so cannot get to Carrow Rd? Cheers. Can''t believe I''m missing pre-season for a week in Munich. Need to sort my priorities out!

I''d rather we develop our own youngsters. Buy in quality experience if needed but not loan youngsters when we have our own knocking on the door and not enough spaces for them.

Thanks for the info Ray

Match reports from Ricardo, updates from people with genuine info to share (like Ray), frequently interesting debate (if you edit out the posts that degenerate into schoolyard name-calling) and an often ignored sense of community from the vast majority of posters (like sharing links, updating us about info on various social media, generally being a useful hub of info).

Nobody said the same as, merely like. From the same stable. The same background or grounding. Rather than pan the guys before they even have a single training session or any news comes out of contracts renewed / new signings / players moving on, maybe look to the positives of experience and philosophy. If you are going to call JR a failed manager, all you do is show your lack of knowledge. And there is no reason why the Mike Walker of 22 years ago couldn''t be a success now. It''s largely man-management. That''s where Lambert excelled.

[quote user="KeiranShikari"]I''d take a backroom staff of Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler and Robert Mugabe if it won us games. Lets judge this after you know, we''ve played some games.[/quote] ^^^^ THIS

I''m with Nutty on this. Have said from the start that this feels like Stringer to me rather than any others. Of course, everyone is allowed an opinion, but just merely having one doesn''t make you automatically right.

[quote user="T"]This message board just proves the studies that those with the least knowledge and awareness are the most critical. Its a football message board for punters with absolutely no professional experience, training and qualifications. Those who have actually have some experience and awareness realise they are absolutely in no position to criticise those that have far more capability. Unfortunately the majority have neither the knowledge or awareness to realise their lack of ability to assess the situation. Knowledge and awareness teaches you humility. Sadly there is very little on here as this message board tonight demonstrates. No doubt I will get more abuse from some but I live in hope that there are some who will reflect that they don''t have sufficient skills and success in their life to ever run a football club and therefore are not in a position to criticise those that do. This message board has a culture of unconscious incompetence.[/quote] ^^^ This

I agree with Crabby and Jenkins. Good bloke, passionate, can change things, made that shower look like a team again in an impossible situation. I''d have that any day over people who don''t give a damn about us. Hoping for a technical director who will silence the doubters to the Neil a chance.

I''m happy. He a someone who has shown potential at Youth level, knows the club and the fans expectations, has shown he can set a team up well, particularly when he has a chance to develop his own team, and actually gives a damn. I didn''t want any of the others as I didn''t want someone else who wasn''t passionate about my club. Adams is, in addition to the qualities shown. This is nothing like Gunn, and the trolls on here comparing it to then have shown their lack of knowledge by doing so. I despair of some City fans at times. The guy has not had any chance to build or shape a squad yet. Those 5 games would never have counted. Give him a chance. If it looks bad early on, then the board should act quickly, but give the guy a chance for goodnes sake. All the best Neil. There''s at least one fan that wants you to do well (along with most of the real life City fans I talk to day to day).

Wow. Not a Hughton fan myself but, wow. Players and managers come and go. The club is who we support surely?

I too love my club. My love affair began as a four year old with my first home game. Martin Peters, Kevin Reeve, Justin Fashanu, Kevin Keelan... Great days and great team. My take is simple. If the players give their all when they cross that line then I cannot ask any more of them. I am proud of them. If the manager is building and there is progress, however we may choose to measure that progress, then I am happy. I am happy with our league position. I would live better and do feel it probably could be better, but it could be worse also. I am happy, for now, that Hughton is making some progress in those games I feel we should compete in. I am not happy with the manner of some of our away defeats although the Liverpool game is an odd one. We played ok in large chunks but the players let themselves down at key times. I am concerned that Hughton is not a manager that inspires his players to go on to greater heights and that he actually enables poor performances with his man-management skills. Overall I am not convinced of progress but am open to sensible arguments that it is there. I am concerned that our players are not playing for their place in the way that they have had to before. I feel this more than anything else is our problem - complacency leading to a drop in confidence. I can only put this complacency at the feet of the manager. I like Hughton. He is a nice guy. But I am getting tired of the platitudes. I want to see passion. I want to see leadership. I want to see it from Hughton but I am not expecting it. On balance we probably need a change but a planned change with a replacement lined up and ready to go with the smoothest of transitions. The last thing we need is instability. Better to keep Hughton than that.

Agree with him or not, that''s a bit out of order mate. Personally, as a daily reader and non-poster, I enjoy a lot of his comments and think this board would lose something if he was to leave. The same can be said of a few others. One love. NCFC.

Meaning our home record in 2013 obviously...

Given that we are largely still a team made up of over performing championship players, I''m also more than happy with this record and it is a credit to those players that they have achieved this. Regarding today, had the refereeing been of an acceptable standard early on, Nzonzi would have been off and we''d have had a penalty and been leading (probably). I suspect we wouldn''t have heard from so many folk with a negative view if the result had been reversed. For me, I didn''t expect anything out of today. They''re too physical and they get away with it. Our team just don''t have the same experience of cheating at this level to compete.

I never said I was happy about us missing out numerous times as a result but surely the anger should be pointed at the fans of the clubs that created and perpetuated the problem in the first place? It could be argued that the FA imposing the ban initially was an attempt to mitigate the subsequent actions taken by UEFA (not successfully in hindsight). I completely understand the frustration of missing out because of someone else, but I''m not sure your analogy was warranted. As a fan, I was equally affected by the ban, so I''m not sure why you''ve tried to assume some sort of moral high ground there. The facts are the facts and I was responding to your claim that a specific person was responsible when it was legions of so called fans and their persistently poor behaviour both domestically and internationally that led to the ban. Apologies to the OP. I did not mean to derail the topic.

Without wanting to open up a massive debate, The FA imposed the initial ban but it was always certain that UEFA would also impose a ban and it was this ban (not the FAs ban) that lasted for years. Regarding the OP''s question, not sure how I would define a big club but in this day and age it must be a combination of wealth and worldwide support. I would put us low to mid 20s on the list but longevity in the EPL will only lift us up that list.

First time poster, long time reader.   Survive   Finish 14th