Rudolph Hucker

I agree, Wes is the notable absentee.

1p5wich will be so obsessed with Maddison that they pay too little attention to another threat. Leitner will strike twice.

I wonder if Ed the Binner will be there this time? You know, she played the fiddle with her creditors and Fell out of love with the old tax man Marcus kissed her on the neck then took her by the hand Said, "Baby, I just want to prance" With my pretty little Orwell Girl You''re my pretty little Orwell Girl

I can''t agree with that, Ricardo. Premier League money is a double edged sword.

During recent years I have personally only enjoyed one of our seasons in the EPL and that was when Lambert had a go with the squad who got us there. Other than that it was a case of less games on various days with sometimes only one home game in a month and losses most weeks. It was also unknown players on big wages coming in who you seldom felt that ''journey'' or connection with. Or overpaying entitled established EPL players who were subsequently hard to shift. Compare that to the thrill of League 1 with a blend of home grown and hungry lower league players improving individually and exceeding the sum of their parts and especially the fabulous Championship promotion rides. Because the best part of the Premier League is getting there. Remaining there is a dirge even for established sides like Stoke and relegation seasons are slow car crashes. But right now, and despite the poor home form, the connection to Club, players and supporters is back where it should be. The thrill of seeing Jamal Lewis establishing himself is tenfold any excitement of having Naismith in the Club. The pleasure in seeing unknown German''s polish up is fascinating. We also have a manager who you just want to see succeed rather than some of the type who never became part of the furniture. Norwich City is beginning to feel fresh again. Reading comments from Webber reassures me that certain owners have again put the decisions in the hands of a professional. The players are on sensible rewards and justifying them (too many average players on too much money) and we see youth coming through. The likelihood of play-offs this season is remote because we score too few goals but the enjoyment and interest is back and, as only a handful of sides can win anything the enjoyment and interest is surely the most important thing. Next season in the Championship will be even better, especially if we can keep most of this squad together. But for the rest of the season I just hope to see Leitner and Maddison operate together because if something special were to happen they hold the key.

I think this is a massive gesture by 1p5wich seeing as how they have many fewer supporters than us.

People in cars complaining about people in cars, the irony.

The best season was our relegation under Hughton''s negative hoofball - I gave up my season ticket after that. The worst season was the Championship under Lambert - there was NOTHING to complain about.

Shooting themselves in the foot....... How often has our Board supported a manager for too long before sacking him so late it attracted derision? It might be noble but the perceived wisdom is to replace early. Aside from the Lambert years how often has our Board failed to get transfer business done in the Summer thus going into the season a key player light (striker or CH)? As a result of the above how much has our Board squandered on January panic buys who no longer want to be here come the end of the season? In terms of wasting money how many of those panic buys were pretty much a net loss having made no difference? What difference would it have made to have invested 30 million of panic buy cash into new capacity? I refuse to believe we could not achieve regular attendances of 32k with over 36k for certain games. That brings a bigger profile and increased revenue, especially as the building could have raised additional funds through non-matchday use. As I have often said, I have only really ever known NCFC to succeed when they have brought in a maverick, someone who they fear to agree with but allow to lead and conversely NCFC is at its worst when the owner(s) try to call the shots. Here we are: too prudent to fail, too prudent to succeed.

I''ll take 0 - 1 at half-time.

Our players forced them to talk about us and show their lack of knowledge about them. They were even forced to reassess the motm. Our performance was a small taste of how football used to be when it appealed to supporters outside of the big six. And even the supporters of those sides must have felt nostalgic. Apart from two small sections of England the whole country were Canaries tonight.

Just feeling very proud. The margins were very small. It could have easily gone either way - especially with Klose''s late header. The side has fight and spirit. We looked overawed first half but came out fighting second half as confidence grew. Their goal spurred us on to have a go and we looked so much better on the front foot. Jamal Lewis tore it up and was my motm. Oliveira hit the target - the goalkeeper guessed right -that was all. We showed up impressively on national tv whereas Chelsea looked like overpaid, petulant cheats. Oh! And as for the video ref decision I think they looked at the incident from the same angle as the ref and backed him because it looked like a dive from there - the other angle in slow motion showed a different picture but the game had moved on. The booking should be rescinded. The ref also took the decision because of a previous dive so Chelsea put him in a circumspect mindset. Good honest and strong ref.

Despite your fair self-assessment LDC it is interesting that others find comparison between you and Wiz. I don''t think that''s altogether negative.

Thinking of next season - and the planning has already started - only Pritchard is a player sold or loaned who I would like to have started the season with. If any of the others were starting it would look stale and to that end there are more who can be released yet including Wes who deserves an honourable exit after a testimonial game (an Ireland XI would be great). If I was to be optimistic I would hope the Club is taking a long term view and building a fresh squad.

I don''t understand the ''not ready'' argument. If they are not ready then they are already not good enough. You don''t know if young players are ready until you play them and sometimes desperation forces young players to be given the chance ie Craig Bellamy.

Old Dave from Lowestoft would be having a field day at the moment what with the fire sales and scaling down of a squad by a Board settling down for a long spell in the Chumps. How I miss his doom-mongering. Farke would have gone from absolute messiah to football pygmy and Delia would have been the subject of unrelenting spleen venting. All of that would strangely have made the whole business easier to take.

Sounds like a Virgin Atlantic trolley dolly.

Good luck to an honest player. The Golden Banjo award is now back up for grabs.

How much has Naismith cost us? I''d say: a Murphy and half a Pritchard.

Just shared a train home with a bunch of Leeds fans and (collective noun) a dimwit of 1p5wich Muppets - the wannabes cock-knee type from Colchester. Wished the dirty Leeds lot well for this one game. God, how the scenery improves after Needham Market.

My January plan this year and in preceding years would be to not be relying on a January plan. This time we need a striker. Last time we needed a defender. Catastrophically, it has usually been a case of paying well over the odds with no gain, just expensive players who appear to lose motivation once the promise of a good end of season outcome vaporises. One of the things I loved most about the Lambert era was how early business was done in the summer. If you don''t have your squad balanced and in place before the summer window ends you are invariably in trouble whoever you are. We should buy no-one in January, we should use the resources we have. This might mean changing the style or playing the youth but the only resolution Norwich City should make in January is to get next season''s business done in the summer and the planning for that should already be underway. I hope and pray Naismith leaves and anyone else who we are forced to sell is because the offer is simply irresistible.

Football is truly the epitome of redemption. How about a run of good results rather than throwing your knickers at one half of football borne out of mediocrity and desperation.

If the Club wants to raise revenue then they should freeze ST prices; introduce a new concession up to 30 years old for the hard pressed Millennials and pay for it by removing the OAP concession so the retired pay full price. Why? While the rest of society have had years of austerity the elderly have carried on with the kind of triple lock increases everyone else can only dream of. The current batch of females got their pension at 60 instead of the new 66 and 67 qualifying ages and they pay no NI and very little tax except for council tax on homes they could downsize from having bought them for 3.5 - 4k in the 1960/70''s. As it is, a sizeable number sit in the City Stand lounges with no concessions which proves they can well afford it.

So it''s Lakey vs Nutty Nigel in the 2017 Forelock Final ''tug off.'' Lakey is a relative newcomer but has boyish passion on his side whereas the experienced Nigel has years of seeing off pretenders vying for his crown. It is going to be close but my money is on Nigel to edge it in the ''Obsequious'' category and thus win on a narrow points decision. May the best Yes-man win!

Is that the ''Snakepit?''