The wolf

[KoromaCrab 0]

Wolfswinkel probably would have scored too; many of his Sporting goals were quite good penalties

[lowlyfendweller 0]

Agreed, I think everyone had you tubed him loads by that point and knew he took a mean pen. On reflection that''s about it.

[hogesar 10,935]

His inability was more than evidenced in his season with us.

It was only reinforced further at Etienne.

Why people expected anything different at Betis is beyond me

[Herman 11,178]

Eternal optimism. Years of supporting City does it to us.

[hogesar 10,935]

I kind of get it Herman but normally as Norwich fans we cling on to some kind of positive first to Base the eternal optimism on. Not really possible with rvw.

[KoromaCrab 0]

the basis was probably the youtube videos so perhaps we should blame youtube

[lowlyfendweller 0]

On reflection pens was all he could do on the you tube vids anyway. I blame him, you tube and most of all myself.

[Prince of Darkness 0]

The wolf for the second game on the bounce didn''t make the bench for betis.

A turkey more than a wolf unfortunately

[Katie Borkins 1]

A turkey is at least useful over Christmas.

[Prince of Darkness 0]

[quote user="Bor"]A turkey is at least useful over Christmas.[/quote]

He wasn''t during the Xmas he played for us!

[Katie Borkins 1]

That was Snoddy''s fault.

[havemyhowsonit 0]

Is he actually still being paid to play football.

Seriously there''s hope for us all

[wcorkcanary 4,839]

Alartz, i think you''l find that at the moment he''s being paid not to play football.

[PurpleCanary 6,459]

At least this has provided a reminder of the idiocies that people in football come out with. Sometimes it is just lies and other times, as in this case, blatant nonsense (back in September) from a player who has had a stellar career and might be thought to know what he was talking about:"He''s is the typical Dutch striker, a very complete player. He is going to score a lot of goals and he''s going to be happy he came here."If Rafael van der Vaart really thinks van Wolfswinkel is a complete player I would like to have several cases of whatever he has been drinking.

[Syteanric 1]

we''ll release him at the end of the season and he''ll sign for someone like Scunthorpe on a free or Something..I bet he doesn''t score 20 more goals in his career.

[Prince of Darkness 0]

The wolf gets a start tonight in the copa del rey!

[Katie Borkins 1]

Come on Ricky, I believe in you.

[TIL 1010 5,300]

Real Betis 1-0 up and RVW was taken off in the 78th minute and before anybody asks no he obviously didn''t.

[Prince of Darkness 0]

But did he get a shot on target that would be progress

[Katie Borkins 1]

I hear he set the goal up with a sharp run and through ball to the goalscorer.

[Tumbleweed 106]

He has to have assumed the mantle from Darren Beckford and Dean Coney of worst City striker ever. Or at least in my memory of the last 40 years. Even people like Ollie Johnson and Ulf Ottoson looked better.

[Feedthewolf 5,918]

[quote user="Tumbleweed"]He has to have assumed the mantle from Darren Beckford and Dean Coney of worst City striker ever. Or at least in my memory of the last 40 years. Even people like Ollie Johnson and Ulf Ottoson looked better.[/quote]Haha I forgot about Oli Johnson! I so wanted him to do well, he looked so, so happy to be here.But then you would be if two years previously you were playing for Nostell Miners Welfare.

[lake district canary 4,875]

[quote user="Tumbleweed"]He has to have assumed the mantle from Darren Beckford and Dean Coney of worst City striker ever. Or at least in my memory of the last 40 years. Even people like Ollie Johnson and Ulf Ottoson looked better.[/quote]

The move he made to Norwich could have destroyed his career - but it hasn''t.   Too much of a step up in every way into a pressure cooker of a league in a new country club with a manager that wasn''t geared up to play the kind of football he would need, with players who were not disciplined enough or managed strongly enough to play to his strengths. A bad do all round, but at east he is still in there fighting.  I do not believe he is a bad player, but that his confidence will have taken a severe denting and it will take a lot to get him back to where he was in that regard.   But he could still prove himself in the long term.  I hope he does, as his character we saw at Norwich suggested nothing other than a likeable, whole hearted player - and for that at least, he should have our best wishes.  

[TIL 1010 5,300]

[quote user="lake district canary"]

The move he made to Norwich could have destroyed his career - but it hasn''t.   Too much of a step up in every way into a pressure cooker of a league in a new country club with a manager that wasn''t geared up to play the kind of football he would need, with players who were not disciplined enough or managed strongly enough to play to his strengths. A bad do all round, but at east he is still in there fighting.  I do not believe he is a bad player, but that his confidence will have taken a severe denting and it will take a lot to get him back to where he was in that regard.   But he could still prove himself in the long term.  I hope he does, as his character we saw at Norwich suggested nothing other than a likeable, whole hearted player - and for that at least, he should have our best wishes.  [/quote]Lakey i really am struggling to agree with one single word of that. The move has destroyed his career and no he won''t prove himself in the long term. The '' pressure cooker '' of a season in the Championship had him shipped out on loan and whatever are you on about saying we had players who were not disciplined ?

[Grant Holts Moustache 113]

2 1/2 years of not being very good in 3 different countries suggests its more than a confidence issue and that actually he''s isn''t very good. Saw a stat the other day that said Ricky had 9 shots on target in his first season with us. He was so out of his depth. History will look upon him as an Ali Dia type character who somehow became a Premier League player. Ricky must have a brilliant agent as somehow he is still on a tour of Europe''s top leagues picking up a wage pretending to be a decent footballer.

I look forward to years of lists proclaiming him as one of the worst signings in Premier League history. Is it possible he is the worst?

[lake district canary 4,875]

[quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="lake district canary"]

The move he made to Norwich could have destroyed his career - but it hasn''t.   Too much of a step up in every way into a pressure cooker of a league in a new country club with a manager that wasn''t geared up to play the kind of football he would need, with players who were not disciplined enough or managed strongly enough to play to his strengths. A bad do all round, but at east he is still in there fighting.  I do not believe he is a bad player, but that his confidence will have taken a severe denting and it will take a lot to get him back to where he was in that regard.   But he could still prove himself in the long term.  I hope he does, as his character we saw at Norwich suggested nothing other than a likeable, whole hearted player - and for that at least, he should have our best wishes.  [/quote]Lakey i really am struggling to agree with one single word of that. The move has destroyed his career and no he won''t prove himself in the long term. The '' pressure cooker '' of a season in the Championship had him shipped out on loan and whatever are you on about saying we had players who were not disciplined ?[/quote]

I thought - and I suspect quite a few others - thought Chris Martin''s career had stalled - but he has proved himself in the end.  It happens with players - confidence is such a key area for any player, especially a striker.  The players under Hughton were allowed to get away with things that wouldn''t happen under Neil.  Snodgrass''s antics that season for one thing, with the iterminably frustrating performances of either poor or selfish play, with the occasional spark of excellence (not enough to warrant his dominance of the play).Please don''t say I am contradicting myself with Hughton,  because amongst my support for him, there were criticisms - one of which was his reliance on the players to sort things out on the pitch for him - which they were unable to do.

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="lake district canary"]The players under Hughton were allowed to get away with things that wouldn''t happen under Neil.  Snodgrass''s antics that season for one thing......[/quote]You make no sense Lakey. You continually knock Snoddy who was very successful in his time here and yet you find all manner of excuses for RVW who was a total failure. You blame his abysmal performances on everyone else including the manager, the system and even his team-mates, everyone except the player himself.There''s a good chance Snoddy will be back playing in the Prem again next season, there''s zero chance Ricky. I think that says it all..........

[lake district canary 4,875]

[quote user="lappinitup"][quote user="lake district canary"]The players under Hughton were allowed to get away with things that wouldn''t happen under Neil.  Snodgrass''s antics that season for one thing......[/quote]You make no sense Lakey. You continually knock Snoddy who was very successful in his time here and yet you find all manner of excuses for RVW who was a total failure. You blame his abysmal performances on everyone else including the manager, the system and even his team-mates, everyone except the player himself.There''s a good chance Snoddy will be back playing in the Prem again next season, there''s zero chance Ricky. I think that says it all..........[/quote]

That Snoddy was "very successful" at Norwich I think is open to question.  I dislike players who show too much frustration at either their own performances, or anyone else''s.  Snoddy always looked as if the world was against him everytime something didn''t go his way - that is a selfish or childish state of mind and one that I don''t like seeing in Norwich players.  For me, the players should be encouraging to each other, always stay positive, however bad things get so as not to let the opposition think we are weak mentally.   Strength comes in many forms - in a football team it is the strength of unity that will see success - which AN managed to achieve on his arrival last season.   Snoddy didn''t cut it for me in helping that department the previous season and as much as I supported Hughton, he couldn''t do it either. The times I saw RVW, he always tried hard and I never saw him get visibly very frustrated, even though he had plenty of reason to be - he never showed it in any petulant way.  Whatever his difficulties at Norwich were, it undoubtedly set him back in his career and I am still hoping he will prove himself again somewhere.

[hogesar 10,935]

So, in a nutshell:

1) If you''re a good player, who''s scored and assisted in goals throughout the season, BUT cares enough to voice his opinion to team-mates on the pitch or get annoyed when he isn''t performing = bad player in lakeys eyes

2) If you''re a terrible player, who''s provided nothing all season and looked about as capable as Jamie Cureton legless, BUT doesn''t care about the club or his own performances because he''s the highest paid player and he''s got a long contract to run = legend in lakeys eyes.

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Snoddy always looked as if the world was against him everytime something didn''t go his way.....The times I saw RVW, he always tried hard and I never saw him get visibly very frustrated.....[/quote]You''ve nailed it with those two lines Lakey.Snoddy showed heart, desire, frustration, tenacity, the will to win and was highly competitive. Ricky showed none of those things, he just skated round the park like Bambi on ice........