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Canary Poirot

Who should we fear next season - if anyone????

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Okay - a lot of fans have been trying to remind everyone that next season will be tough - very tough indeed. And yes we should take that attitude, or else the players will start thinking all they have to do is turn up, and the next thing we''re losing 1-0 at home to Bradford of all teams (at least Robbie Blake doesn''t play for them anymore, unfortunantely he now plays for Leeds)!

So who should we fear?

Well Wolves put together a great run at the end of last season, and have money to spend. They could compete this year. Dark horses in my mind. I''d still love it if we sunk them home and away, and they finished 7th!

Ipswich have lost the heart and soul of their team - which to be fair was a fine team. They''ll still be dangerous - but no touch on us. A derby double for our boys would be soooo much fun - and very achievable. I think they could miss the play-offs.

Palace. They''ve still got A ''touch him in the box and he''s down'' J (or AJ) on the books - and have bought some good players. I expect them to be top 6 minimum - particularly given Dowie is still on board there. Expect us to lose once again at Selhurst Park! (I hate that ground - who else was there for the 5-1 stuffing when Lombardo managed them? Yes depressing!)

Southampton. They''ve lost so many key unreplaceable players. I think they''ll push for a top 6 place - but no more. It would take a miracle - and some amazing wheeling dealing by Harry to get them in contention now. We would have stuffed them out of sight at the Dell last season if Crouch hadn''t played.

Derby. Dark horses. The season we went up they were shocking! We anihalted them 4-0 on Boxing Day at Pride Park - a superb second half! Even Greeno showed why he was a hero that season with some unbelievable saves in the first half!  But Burley turned them around last season. Now that he''s gone - I think they won''t be the same force. But they will be up there.

Preston. Complete dark horses. Unknown quantity. I think at deepdale they will be a very tough competitor - but at Fortress Carrow Road a different propesition completely.

Reading. A competent competitor. But play off challenger only. I don''t think they''ve really progressed much over the last couple of seasons. When I saw us destroy them in the first 5 mins at the Madjeski Stadium in 2002 summed them up to me and they''re still at that level for me.

Hull. Too new at this level to make a significant impact. Might do pull a few surprises though.

The rest: Coventry - still skint. Mid table at best. Cardiff - skint - mid table. Leeds - possible challenges - some quality players bought - play offs best hopes. Leicester - bad eggs shown door - some good players - play offs best hopes. Stoke - Darel Russell (example) - surely mid table is the best they can do!

Can''t think of anyone else with any quality who might create a sustained challenge for the title. I''m of to put £200 on us to win the title. I really think we have the best chance. Wolves are our best challenger.

 

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There is really no team to fear at FCR. I would hope we could last the season with no more than 2 or 3 defeats at home - which is the sort of record to be looking at to achieve automatic promotion. The problems start when you''re playing away - then any team can give you a good test if they have a vociferous backing from their crowd. A lot depends on how Nigel prepares the team whoever we''re playing. If he sends them out to play a high tempo, attacking, neat passing game, then we can sieze the initiative in matches. On the other hand start with a defensive mind set and hold on to what you have, and all manner of problems can ensue. So at this stage I really can''t name any specific team for City to be wary of, but after ten matches or so we should have a good idea.

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i would say the biggest danger is ourselves, we have a great
chance to go right back up and I would say are the strongest
team in the league. the danger is that were a big scalp for
others, we''ve got to have the right attitude and not think
we''ve just got to turn up.

you would hope that would be obvious, but it''s our big danger

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A pretty concise and detailed analysis Monsieur Poirot, and I pretty much agree with you too!

Palace are going to be the biggest threat, imo, they''ve not lost players on the scale that Southampton have, or other so-called "big clubs" before them, ie West Ham, Leeds, etc, and they do still have U-Boat Johnson, who has already shown he can score at this level, and not even just with penalties...

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Knowing City, it ain''t the "big" teams you gotta watch out for, it''s those "Crewe away" type fixtures.

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How about Sheffield United?

Always there or there abouts, and have bought pretty well this summer (See below). They are this seasons dark horses for me. Not good enough for the title, but may surprise a few people.

In
Neil Shipperley Crystal Palace
Gary Mulligan Wolverhampton Wanderers
Kyle Nix Aston Villa
Craig Short Blackburn Rovers
Danny Webber Watford
Paul Ifill Millwall
Lilian Nalis Out of Contract

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I dont think any team (or anybody in general) will want to go to Luton! Mike Newell has them fired up and ready and Kennilworth Rd is one of the more ''old school'' grounds, so our pretty boys should watch out for the likes of Kevin Nicholls. Hard.As.Nails.

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its been said before, if we have the right attitude then it shouldnt matter who we are playing as we have the quality. The teams to challenge us will mainly be palace i think. others will do well like soton, wolves and leeds. but ourselves and palace have managed to keep our star players/player and built on that as wel

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As the guy mentioned above Sheffield Utd are going to be a threat. They already had a squad that was a play off contender and have added more quality in the likes of Ifill and Webber. Their squad still has Jagielka and Tonge but what they have missed over the last couple of seasons is a striker who can score 20 goals a season. They have in Webber and Shipperley (remember him with Connolly at Wimbledon?) not one but two strikers now capable of scoring 20 goals a season. Add to those 2 the skill and pace of Ifill and they could well challenge for automatic promotion. In a way they could well be like us a couple of seasons ago when before Hux, Crouch and Harper arrived we were a team that was challenging for play offs, then the additon of those 3 players turned us into title challengers and eventual winners. Shipperley, Webber and Ifill could have the same affect on Sheff utd. Potentially a big threat.

Do''nt forget Leeds. Last season was a transition period for the club, players and fans alike. Now acclimatised to the rigours of division one and with a decent striker force in Healy, Hulse (6 goals in 13 appearances for them at the end of last season) and that swine Blake (20 goals for Burnley) they have a potent stiker force. Plus the fact that Bakke is now fit and raring to go they too are a big threat to add to the likes of Wolves and Palace.

I can see as many as 5 or 6 teams competing for the TWO automatic promotion places. It is going to be IMO the hardest division one for many seasons, certainly harder than when we won the title. Any person who spouts talk along the lines "were going to walk this league" should be shot down immediately. Talk of this nature should not be tolerated, as a guy mentioned above barring a major injury crisis the biggest threat to NCFC''s chances of gaining promotion is a complacent, over confident attitude amongst the fans and players.

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I definitly agree with Jimbo regarding Leeds. For a club/manager always moaning about being bancrupt / selling off all their better players, they still manage to buy, and give wages to players, that other teams could only wish to give.

Elland Road could be a tricky place to go, especially with a strikerforce of Hulse, Healy and Blake

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Fear and respect every team, play as if our lives depend upon the outcome, if we''re winning keep the pressure on.  Every game will be an Everest to climb, and on an Everest, we can not afford complacency or disrespect as it''s quick fall to the bottom.

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The team we should fear the most?  Ourselves!  Only we have the power to cock up next season. Teams like Wolves and Leeds will be bloody good but it''ll be our own lapses in concentration that might be our downfall.  Skill and tactics wise we have no one to fear

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[quote]Fear and respect every team, play as if our lives depend upon the outcome, if we''re winning keep the pressure on. Every game will be an Everest to climb, and on an Everest, we can not afford complace...[/quote]

Well said, Beelsie - I could almost hear twenty five thousand City fans belting out On The Ball City as I read it.

Do all of that, and we will be fine.

Become complacent, as a team or as fans, and we could be in for a shock, but........... There''s a difference between complacency and fear.

FEAR NO ONE!!!

Work like you don''t need the money, love like you''ve never been hurt, dance like no-one is watching.....

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Thanks evil monkey! I like your addendum about the Welshman the follow-on is "caught in the lights and pulling his trousers up" And DD, I think you put it well it, we do''nt have any one to fear if we do like I said, But I can still see Monkey''s welshman!!

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I could not agree more with the sentiments expressed by beelsie and Evil Monkey. These are exactly the right approaches we need throughout the organisation. With respect to the comments by DD, I could be nudged into thinking we may have the requisite skills required ( we will see ) but tactics is another matter. This has been our weakness, despite the fact that the club has improved over the past few seasons compared to the several prior seasons.

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