wooster

After tonight''s success I think Valencia will win away at Granada (13/8) - though I''ve been wrong much more often than not this season.Good luck Chellicity and everyone else.

We''re going to the cinema and then Pizza Express tonight so I thought I''d try an Italian game for a change.Juventus to draw with Napoli (11/5).For the Norwich bet, I going with Mark Lawrenson''s prediction of 2-0 (11/1).Good luck everyone.

I think we could compete but we need to work harder than other teams to do so.Without knocking anyone our purchases have not been successful (RVW, Hooper, Becchio, Grabban, Lafferty, Fer ....) yet there are relatively cheap but capable players out there.It''s obvious buying in the summer is better than the January window.  Not only do we have the advantage of the new players over the whole season but it is likely that we''ll in a better position to then attract players in the January window. In terms of wages I think we''ll always struggle until we become an established PL team, if indeed we do,

Those first eight games were: home - Palace, Stoke, Bournemouth & Leicesteraway - Sunderland, Southampton, Liverpool & West Ham.I think they look relatively benign relative to those that followed like, amongst others:home - Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool & Spursaway - Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd & Spurs

All done  & well done!

couple of great saves by Sczesny

[quote user="Vanwink"]Wooster "If I have concerns about football and its supporters it is the easy escalation into tribalism that then encourages or increases the likelihood of xenophobia in a wider community context. The more one-eyed one''s support for the local team the greater the propensity to adopt that approach outside football matters" In the UK that''s an issue that''s been dealt with very well IMO and things have proved immensely over the years, no so in places like Italy and Turkey however.[/quote]Vanwink,I agree that there are more immediate concerns elsewhere - but if you had sat in front of the Norwich fans my son did at Watford you might think otherwise.  I''m sorry to say I only heard about the comments afterwards (racist and homophobic) so I couldn''t address the offenders, though I doubt that any intervention would have made a difference.That said I think Norwich fans are, generally, better than most.

Of course I was speaking for myself rather than trying to represent a wider constituency.If I have concerns about football and its supporters it is the easy escalation into tribalism that then encourages or increases the likelihood of xenophobia in a wider community context.  The more one-eyed one''s support for the local team the greater the propensity to adopt that approach outside football matters.

[quote user="Vanwink"]Wooster "It''s not comfortable but it is fun and it isn''t about value for money in my book" Do wealthy people find it fun whereas it''s more life and death for the less well off who invest all their spare cash into buying a ticket? Might a person on the minimum wage have to consider value for money?[/quote]Vanwink,I think that''s a fair question and I''m lucky enough to not have to suffer privations to watch Norwich, though that hasn''t always been the case, particularly when I was a teenager in the ''70s.I cannot comment on your minimum wage question but admit that when I was on the dole in the 1980s I didn''t go, nor could I afford to go,  to Norwich games (home or away).But anger still worries me - extreme disappointment is one thing, anger is another.  But then I never understand why, when we score a goal, some fans immediately taunt opposition fans instead of enjoying the moment.  

Kanadyan,Is your name linked to Monty Python''s travel agent sketch?http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz2LaJOVAiA

Surely as a Norwich supporter, fan or customer one knows how capable Norwich are of turning a 3-1 lead (well into the second half) into a 5-4 defeat.Every time our ''ball-playing central defenders'' bring the ball out my heart in my mouth, it''s always a case of when and not if.The pleasure of following Norwich in away games this season has been the unexpected and the occasional frustrations (West Ham, Man City) and the very disappointing no -shows (Southampton, Watford, Spurs & Bournemouth) offset entirely by magnificent wins at Sunderland and Man Utd, a well-earned point (Liverpool) and losses at Chelsea and Newcastle (when both could have turned out differently).  Then there''s the inexplicable (Stoke) as well.It''s not comfortable but it is fun and it isn''t about value for money in my book but then I know how lucky I am to be able to afford to make these games.

We''ve had the supporter vs fan discussion recently.  As I understand it:(a) a supporter is a diehard, stalwart, yeoman etc who hates Ipswich and never leaves games early;(b) a fan is an enthusiast who can leave games when they like (my definition admittedly).I guess a customer is one who wants value for money, has a short payback period and, if disappointed wants to blame someone.

I think that''s an interesting point Nutty.I found the level of anger after the Liverpool game surprising, disappointment would have been understandable but why anger?Presumably it''s because folk had invested hard-earned cash into tickets, season tickets etc and felt they hadn''t got their money''s worth.  That is much more akin to a customer than a supporter.

Good luck everyone and especially Cosmic Twin & JF.This week''s outlier is:Southampton to draw with West Ham (5/2)More likely (though the odds suggest otherwise) is:Naismith to score (13/5)

From the BBC "Gossip" column (my underline):Stoke have called off a club record move for Porto''s French midfielder Giannelli Imbula, 23, and turned down a £10m offer from abroad for their 28-year-old Senegal striker Mame Diouf.(Sunday Telegraph)

Sad to see the overall bet fall short, but glad to see Bournemouth come good.One had to be a visionary to see that bet, just saying ............

Bournemouth 2-1 up

Seems to have gone quiet on this potential transfer or loan.Has anyone heard anything?

When you say "an Italian expert" I assume you''re referring to ....... Tom Cavendish?

Portsmouth vs Bournemouth - away win (currently at 5/4)Good luck everyone

Earlier in the month there were several press reports about Norwich enquiring about Steve Mandanda.So perhaps AN had considered addressing the position.  I guess we''re not the most attractive prospect, being relatively unknown and close to the wrong end of the PL.

My apologies if you did post this originally - seems possible to me despite SJS''s denunciation.

well you can but hope ....

All seems obvious to me - it''s as part of the transfer of Sébastien Haller from FC Utrecht

If one looks through the press coverage it looks like we''re interested in:Defence: Yohan Benalouane (Leicester) - loanMidfield: Oscar Hiljemark (Palermo) - buyAttack: Miame Biram Diouf (Stoke) -loan  and perhaps still hoping for a change of heart from Sebastien Haller (Utrecht) - buy.Clearly can''t be more than one loan and a Benalouane loan move to Norwich is being widely reported.It''s gone quiet on Hiljemark and there''s no apparent move from Haller, who may have blotted his copybook with AN anyway.