The ghost of Michael Theoklitis

[RustysRevenge 0]

So having been out of the country for 6 months now I decided to get my football fix. It won''t be the same as being at CR but I got a ticket for Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar on Saturday night. Had a look through both teams squads to see if there were any players I knew and noticed our infamously terrible ex-keeper is the no 1 for Brisbane. If Wellington don''t run up a cricket score in this one then I''ll know how bad the standard of the A League is.

Also noticed in what seems to be an attempt to distance himself from his time with us he''s legally changed his name to Michael Theo.

[lake district canary 4,548]

Theo''s UK experiment was a blip in a career that has seen him carry on doing well since he went back to Australia, winning awards and player of the season.   His main problem in the UK was to be in a team that froze on an opening day of the season and he was judged on that one match,  even though in the next two matches after the 1-7 and before Lambert arrived, we won 4-0 and drew 1-1, so he could not have been as much of a liability as maybe some have made out.   The 1-7 was a nightmare and he was at fault for some of the goals, but at least it didn''t destroy his career - better to have tried than not tried at all.

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

If you are referring to the games against Yeovil and then Exeter I think you''ll find Alnwick was in goal, certainly for the Yeovil game the Exeter game I was in corporate so had more than a few drinks before, stop making stuff up you just look silly

[daly 512]

Quite agree LDC.

What I remember of that day he had a lousy back pass that set the rot in and he got blamed whilst the defender was the one at fault, also remember reading he got the Player of the year award a while back in Australia

We''ve had worse players and a few are still are still on our books. At least he did not cost the millions we''ve wasted

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

Utter tosh, I remember him not being able to catch a ball and flapping about all over the place, who are these worse players still on our books?

[Hairy Canary 711]

He played one game for us and let in 7 goals - at least 4 of which he could have done better with. Not much more to say than that really is there.

[morty 0]

He did indeed only play one game for Norwich City.[URL=http://s869.photobucket.com/user/mortymccarthy/media/Untitled_zpssp0rnhju.jpg.html][IMG]http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab257/mortymccarthy/Untitled_zpssp0rnhju.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[hogesar 9,760]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Theo''s UK experiment was a blip in a career that has seen him carry on doing well since he went back to Australia, winning awards and player of the season.   His main problem in the UK was to be in a team that froze on an opening day of the season and he was judged on that one match,  even though in the next two matches after the 1-7 and before Lambert arrived, we won 4-0 and drew 1-1, so he could not have been as much of a liability as maybe some have made out.   The 1-7 was a nightmare and he was at fault for some of the goals, but at least it didn''t destroy his career - better to have tried than not tried at all.[/quote]

He was a terrible, terrible keeper in the ONE game he played for us. We done OK in the next two games because he was no where near the starting eleven.

[AJ 1,230]

Blimey Morty, his goalscoring record is a bit poor!

[morty 0]

[quote user="AJ"]Blimey Morty, his goalscoring record is a bit poor![/quote]Only just behind Ricky van Wolfie though [;)]

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="AJ"]Blimey Morty, his goalscoring record is a bit poor![/quote]

Only just behind Ricky van Wolfie though [;)]
[/quote]

 

Poor old Ricky, that goal he scored in the cup against Rotherham should make it two?

 

 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

I will always hold him accountable for 6 of the goals, so we we would have been good for a point!

[lake district canary 4,548]

[quote user="DDD In The Fine City"]If you are referring to the games against Yeovil and then Exeter I think you''ll find Alnwick was in goal, certainly for the Yeovil game the Exeter game I was in corporate so had more than a few drinks before, stop making stuff up you just look silly[/quote]

Not "making it up" DDD, just got it wrong.  I didn''t go to the two away games but had always thought - wrongly - he was in goal for those two matches too.

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

You didn''t go to the games? I''m shocked

[RustysRevenge 0]

I also remember something about him not turning up for the bus for an away game when he was going to be named on the bench. Think it may have been one of the cups?

[lake district canary 4,548]

[quote user="DDD In The Fine City"]You didn''t go to the games? I''m shocked[/quote]

[:)]   Yes, as you well know,  I only manage a few each season, but Yeovil and Exeter might as well have been in the Antartic in terms of me being able to get to them that first week of the season.  As far as the 1-7 (which I was at) the overiding atmosphere was ruined by Otesmobor''s back pass.  It was like the bubble of expectation and frail confidence  that the squad had built up in pre-season had suddenly burst  in one moment.  Up until then the atmosphere at CR was one of the best I can remember.  Once that goal had gone in - which wasn''t Theo''s fault imo - the rest was a disaster waiting to happen.  But it''s a bit like last Sunday.  People have said Ruddy could have done better, but if strikers have clean shots on goal, any goalkeeper can let six - or seven - in.  Life for a goalkeeper can be very cruel.  That Theo managed to carry on a successful career after that disaster - albeit in Austarlia - speaks highly of his mental strength.

[Yellow Wal 314]

To judge any sportsman on only one appearance is wrong.

Had that been the case Graham Gooch, after he bagged ''a pair'' in his first England Test match, would never have played again.

[Mr Angry 1,571]

I''ve mentioned this before, after returning to the A-League he broke the record for the longest playing time without conceding a goal. So he may have had a stinker in his only game for us but his record since then suggests that his performance in the 7-1 was very much the exception.

Apart from anything else, his performance meant the end of Gunn''s spectacularly poor managerial career so we have at least that to be grateful for.

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

Here I was clicking on this thread arrogantly thinking it was about me. [:$]Imagine my disgust when I click on it and find out it was actually about Michael Theoklitos.

In all seriousness, the reason for my name on this board as a homage to good ol'' Theo - apart from reference to my Australian heritage - is that I consider him to be the absolute tipping point, or even sliding doors moment for our club. In my opinion, his performance at Colchester signified rock bottom. From there, we fired Gunn, hired Lambert and the rest is history.I now wonder how our club would be today had we never signed him.As for Theo - while he''s not great, I don''t think he is awful. He''s pretty proven in the A League, where I have seen him perform quite well. However being a football ''keeper is a job like no other. There was no coming back after that fateful day at Colchester,Australian never really have done very well for Norwich have they? David Carney anyone?

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Theoklitos'' NCFC career wasn''t nearly as brief as many would have you believe.His NCFC career consisted of -1st Team - Appearances - x2Bench - x9Reserves - Appearances - x41st Team Appearances -29/09/2009 - Crystal Palace 0 - 1 Norwich City (Friendly)08/08/2009 - Norwich City 1 - 7 Colchester United (League One)1st Team Bench -11/08/09 - Exeter City - Away (League One)15/08/09 - Brentford - Away (League One)29/09/09 - Leyton Orient - Home (League One)*06/10/09 - Gillingham - Away (Johnstone''s Paint Trophy) 10/10/09 - Carlisle United - Away (League One)07/11/09 - Paulton Rovers - Away (FA Cup)14/11/09 - Tranmere Rovers - Home (League One)21/11/09 - Southampton - Away (League One)24/11/09 - Brighton - Home (League One)* Theoklitos was named on the bench for this match, but was AWOL after failing to turn up for the team bus.Reserves Appearances - 09/09/09 - Norwich City 5 - 0 Southend United23/09/09 - Norwich City 0 - 1 Watford*15/10/09 - Norwich City 7 - 0 Stevenage22/10/909 - Northampton Town 1 - 3 Norwich City* Theoklitos played only the first half in this game.Other than the 1-7, in the other 5 appearances Theo made for us, he conceded 2 goals.  It must be noted however that the goal scored by Watford in the reserve game was entirely his fault.  Theo attempted to dribble the ball round a Watford striker and after failing to do so and losing the ball in the process he brought down the Watford striker and conceded a penalty, which was subsequently scored.**One point to note is that Theo had undergone surgery on his hip prior to joining us and the 7-1 was only his second game in about 6 or 7 months.  The first being the friendly against Palace.  Perhaps this goes some way to explaining his role in the 7 goals conceded that day.  As has already been mentioned he has gone on to once again become one of the top goalkeepers most seasons in the Australian League. 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

That last point NBS, about Theo being short of games, if it is being used as a reason, highlights how bad Gunn was as a manager.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Not sure what happened with the date for the Palace friendly, which was 28/07/2009.

The Northampton Town reserve game was obviously 22/10/09.

[It's Character Forming 1,167]

That''s some handy background there NBS. I have to say it''s an "interesting" management decision to start the first game of the season with a keeper who hasn''t played a competitive game in 6-7 months and is a complete newcomer to English football. And if he then rather went to pieces after that initial goal, well, it wouldn''t be too surprising, would it ?

So I agree with the Ghost of Theo... that 1-7 defeat was the low point and sparked our revival. Since then, it has been a pretty good time to be a City fan,. I think if you''d asked me at 5pm that day, would I take 3 promotions and four seasons in the Prem (albeit with a relegation in there) from them going forward, I''d have bitten your hand off !

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Third time lucky hopefully with the dates for those reserve games -Southend 08/09/09, Watford 23/09/09, Stevenage 14/10/09, Northampton 21/10/09.  I''m blaming old age [:$] [:P]

Here''s a photograph of Theo in his last appearance in a Norwich Shirt (the away win for the reserves at Northampton on 21 October 2009) -

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 528]

Like against Colchester he seems to have gone missing again, or is it my windows 98 computer which is the problem?

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

He is very much there on firefox.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Here''s the link - http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/michael-theoklitos-of-norwich-city-in-action-during-the-news-photo/92195420