R.Martin In PFA Team Of The Year

[Move Klose 303]

How ??????

[Move Klose 303]

Westwood

Francis

Martin

Keogh

Friend

Ritchie

Leadbitter

Sako

Pritchard

Murphy

Deeney

[Move Klose 303]

Westwood - Sheff W

Francis - Bournemouth

Martin - Norwich

Keogh - Derby

Friend - MBoro

Ritchie - Bournemouth

Leadbitter - MBoro

Sako - Wolves

Pritchard - Brentford

Murphy - Ip5hit

Deeney - Watford

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Surely not at centre back?!?!?!

Still, what do these PFs know.....

[JF 694]

Must have been decided before his powder puff effort to tackle his man as he crossed for their equaliser yesterday then.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Is it possible to make a retrospective change then?

One of our players is voted the best by his peers and yet the know it alls on here still can''t show any pride.

Well done Russell Martin!

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,035]

i know this is voted for by the players.....but this particular seasons team for this league looks pretty weak compared to previous years....maybe just a symptom of how ordinary this league is this year?

[Watling Eye 0]

i heard that Martin was in the PFA team and assumed it must be Chris Martin!!! How does RM make it?? Chris Martin is a better defender and i mean the one from Coldplay!!!

[Yellowbeagle 0]

[quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"]i know this is voted for by the players.....but this particular seasons team for this league looks pretty weak compared to previous years....maybe just a symptom of how ordinary this league is this year?[/quote]

Totally agree, that team would be relegated by Christmas in the prem.

[SwindonCanary 457]

Be fair to the guy, if this is chosen by his fellow players, those playing against him must have found him a difficult opponent,Well Done Russell Martin !

[westcoastcanary 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]Is it possible to make a retrospective change then?

One of our players is voted the best by his peers and yet the know it alls on here still can''t show any pride.

Well done Russell Martin![/quote]This^ Then there''s also Gordon Strachan''s opinion of  RM. Obviously he hasn''t a clue either (despite the fact that Scotland are actually making a good fist of  trying to qualify from a difficult Group).

[Move Klose 303]

Seems strange someone who has 14 goals from midfield goes unoticed.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Should he have been at CB then?

[thas a rummun 2]

A surprising inclusion, but well done Russ.Amazed Johnson isn''t there.

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,462]

I can see why.

Parma

[hogesar 10,763]

Well done Captain! Shame Johnno ain''t also in there but good to see one of our players being recognised.

[ViewfromtheJarrold 0]

What a strange decision this is?Equally strange is that the ''Championship Player of the Year'' Patrick Bamford does not make the team.  So he''s player of the year but is not in the best team........Hmmmmm

[Ray 111]

Repeated from the other RM thread.

Well, IMO (which proves me right to me but won’t to others) this thread has brought some of those who really lack any meaningful understanding of football, out in force.

I am not Norfolk born but have been here many a year, when I first came here I was warned about the ‘Normal for Norfolk’ syndrome and to be frank never really understood it, now I do!

Our captain has been voted by his peers, and managers of the Championship, to be included in the Team of the Year, yet all some so called Norwich supporters can do is slag him off on the eve of (possibly but let’s hope not) the play offs. I wonder how he feels when he reads their comments, when all he has done, has been recognised by his fellow professionals, plus of course all our previous managers as well as the Scotland Manager, as a damn good player.

If we fail to be promoted these ‘so called fans’ will no doubt blame RM, when they should take a look at the positivity he exudes and perhaps reach for the skies and emulate him.

People (some) on here talk about all sorts, tackles, passes, blocks, etc. etc. but when the vast majority of his peers and opposition managers put him in the team of the year, maybe, just maybe, they will think it may be time to re-evaluate their own understanding of the game and accept they know diddly squat when it comes to football and its nuances. Unfortunately that is probably unlikely and this post will receive a whole host of abuse, but then (and some others on here will understand) we walk amongst them.

Sadly, I suspect nothing will change and the NFN supporters will continue to attempt to drag us down to their level of a ‘cup half empty’.

I make no apologies for posting this on both RM threads.

[Hector Prune 0]

He was truly truly awful yesterday. A poor captain of all the players we could have had in this team we had this over rated fool.

[Ray 111]

Hector,

I refer you to my previous post.

Plus add, he is the players choice as captain, furthermore he is AN choice, but then what do they know? You may not agree or like it, but then you probably have no idea what he says and does off the pitch.

[GJP 79]

He did look a bit of a shambles yesterday but overall he''s had a pretty good season.

[pete 371]

This has to be some sort of sick joke. RM not even the best CB at City and his non challenge yesterday led to the equaliser. Ayala has proved to be better than RM.

[ruthers1 0]

You may not agree or like it, but then you probably have no idea what he says and does off the pitch.

And there we have it Ray, in that sentence you''ve just admitted the real reason you and so may others rate Russell Martin - it''s all about what he says and does OFF the pitch?!!

I don''t give a monkeys what he says and does off the bloody pitch - I want my players to do their talking ON the pitch!

Russell Martin is an average defender at best and a very poor captain. In the last two matches - the most important of the season when we wanted him to set an example, by stepping up to the plate, playing out of his skin and leading from the front not only has he been by far the worst player in a yellow shirt but he has been as meek as a mouse to boot!

Mind you I''m sure he''s been a model captain and professional OFF the pitch, ie around Colney, in his press interviews (talking a good game as usual!) and club commitments. I would guess this is the real reason he has gained the votes ie he''s a thoroughly nice and decent bloke who''s liked by everyone.

Personally I''d rather he was a real handful on the pitch, constantly in opposition faces, barking at his team mates when they need it and generally disliked by all. Someone in the mould of a John Terry if you like. I''m pretty sure we''d have a better defender and proper captain on our hands then.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

And there we have it Ruthers, those PFs must have voted for Martin because of what he does off the pitch. How do you suppose they know?

[lappinitup 629]

R.Martin, scapegoat of the year.....

[Ray 111]

Ruthers1

I have admitted nothing of the sort, I think you have taken one section of what I said in my two posts and have twisted my words to make your point.

So for clarification purposes, what I meant by what he says and does off the pitch is what he days and does with the team during training, in the dressing room and in the huddle. As you say, he is also very good in interviews and on camera, being a very articulate and thinking man.

However, I’m sure that the 500 plus other players in the Championship and 23 managers, have not collectively voted him into the team of the year based on his media abilities, if you believe they have then IMO that is doing them a disservice and is somewhat disrespectful. I suspect they voted on what they see, and play against, on the pitch and I for one respect the fact they probably know a bit about the game.

However, the main thrust of my post is that what exactly do ‘supporters’ believe they are achieving by posting negativity about a player before the upcoming crucial fixture(s), how does this help motivate the team? Please, can someone give me a rational and reasoned argument, because I’m happy to learn.

[ruthers1 0]

I am not Norfolk born but have been here many a year, when I first came here I was warned about the ‘Normal for Norfolk’ syndrome and to be frank never really understood it, now I do!

While you are on the subject of clarification Ray perhaps you could explain what the hell you mean by the above statement?

Apart from alienating everyone from this fine county (probably three quarters of the posters who use this site) with your slander are you seriously suggesting that all the Russell Martin critics are Norfolk born and bred?!!

Like you I''m not originally from these parts, but unlike you I still know a horses ar*e of a captain when I see one and am not prepared to say black is white just to make someone feel better about themselves prior to leading their team out in the play-offs.

[Donkey dangler 0]

Nicely spread across the teams....who shall we have from Norwich?

Who shall we have from team x, team y and team z.

[Ray 111]

ruthers1, if you don''t know what I meant, which I suspect you do based on the rest of your post, there is help here;

http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/normal_for_norfolk.htm

By the way, it was a Norfolk born and bred person who in a humorous statement of self-deprecation, originally introduced me to the phrase.

I see you are now deciding to speak for everyone from Norfolk, now that they could choose to be alienated about, but only they can determine if the are, not you or I, so I won''t take it upon myself to consider myself their spokesperson..

You don''t rate RM, your choice and of course your opinion proves you right to you and all who agree with you, not me and not his peers it seems.

I wouldn''t dare to suggest you should say black is white, in fact I would certainly support you in your stance not to, but sometimes if you have nothing positive to say it is best to say nothing. If you are not prepared to do this for the sake of the team, then that is your choice, but again many supporters could decide to be alienated by that.

I still am to read the rational argument to support the fact that publicly deriding our captain helps our promotion efforts.

Lastly, what I wrote is definitely not slander, although some may choose to consider it libel.

[hogesar 10,763]

So Ruthers, I suppose your rather strong views against RM are even more bizarre when you consider:

1) Lambert, his scouting team and coaching team at the time all disagreed with you.

2) Hughton & his coaching team disagreed with you.

3) Neil Adams & his coaching team disagreed with you.

4) Alex Neil & his coaching team disagrees with you.

5) Gordan Strachan & the Scotland coaching team disagrees with you.

And now for the biggy...

6) The entire Championship League, on average, disagrees with you.

Now. Maybe if only one of these six were the case, your incredibly critical view could still have a bit of credibility. But all these professionals in the game, who are paid to not only find, but to coach and play the best players available to win games, all seem to play RM!

It''s probably best you quieten down a bit..