The team to win the title

[stan the man 0]

There has been alot said by fans and comentators about Hendersons contribution to the team. The lad is a striker! He doesn''t take on players, he crosses a good ball (one in ten). It''s time to start Brennan on the left and Mcveigh on the right. The four second half goals at Derby can''t be wrong. this is my first choice team

1. Green
2. Drury
3. Fleming
4. MacKay
5. Edworthy
6. Brennan
7. Francis
8. Holt
9. McVeigh
10. Huckerby
11. Mckenzie

Subs. Svensson, Mulryne, Shackell, Rivers, Crichton.

May this team go forth and conquer. Let 2004 be the year we leave the scum to ROT!!!!!!!!! in the Nationwide League.

[Disco Dale 0]

I like the cut of your gib Stan the Man. That team selection would be my dream team too. Lets''s see if Worthy agrees. OTBC

[butch p 0]

i agree except i''d play svensson as a target man rather than leon

[silver fox 0]

It is nice to have a team for 2004 but where are Henderson,Jarvis and Roberts? You are obviously confident to leave out one of our top scorers and 2 of our most promising youngsters. I am surprised you have not included Easton. As Worthy usually favours a striker to hold the ball up front, I guess this would have to be McKenzie in your line up.

[Canny Canary 0]

Sorry, can''t agree with a team that has no place for Mulryne''s play making / vision.

[Stephen Frys Evil Twin 0]

Easton?! Sell him, he adds nothing to the team! Mulryne is probably the 4th player on the teamsheet if i was the boss! My dream team would be:

Green
Drury
Mackay
Fleming
Edworthy
Brennan
Mulryne
Holt
McVeigh
Huckerby
McKenzie

Subs: Crichton, Shackell, Francis, Henderson, Svensson (perhaps Jarvis)

I wouldn''t play Svensson as he encourages the team to just lump it forward, and he isn''t superb in the air anyway. If we leave him out it encourages the team to keep the ball on the ground and play the passing, flowing, attacking football that we appear to have mastered this season. With good pace and movement upfront, Mulryne will be able to let his creative play thrive. Holt will be there for that extra stability and solidity in the midfield. The back four is tried and tested this season, only conceding 21 goals this season, so its a case of "if it''s not broke, don''t fix it".

[YankeeCanary 0]

Just to build on the point by Canny Canary ( and please bear in mind that this dated reference comes from an old timer ), does anyone remember the great playmaking ability of that other Irishman Jimmy Hill all those years ago. Similar size and skill as Mulryne. I thought I''d seen one post where someone was saying that Mulryne in midfield is tending too hang back too much...so put him up front playing just short of your two front target men. Then let the wing or wider midfield plays flow into the two target men or Mulryne, whoever has freed themselves up best. We might see some real clever plays and pressure applied down the middle then. We are now richer in terms of midfielders and strikers and Nigel can really start demanding a lot of running from both of those areas...with replacements on hand for when batteries run low. Again, sorry for the dated input but I still have vivid memories of Hill playing that wonderful role with Terry Bly and Terry Allcock.

[butch p 0]

Easton - I didn''t know he was a footballer for norwich, i thought he played in our shirt and just passed to the other team, if he could get the ball.

Hoepfully he''ll be off as soon as possible

[stan the man 0]

I can see your point about Mulryne, but i think he is to inconsistent to have a regular spot in the team. Having said that you could also say that Francis is also inconsistent. What Worthy would have to do, is to pick horses for courses!. Just to add to what someone else said. Easton would not even make my reserve side. City have gotten rid of alot of wasters over the last 12 months i.e Libra, Russell, Llewellyn and more. Maybe it''s time to add Easton to the list. City are now at a different skill level i.e King Huckerby, Drury, Svensson and even Mckenzie is at a level well above the likes of Easton and co. OTBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tacklebury 0]

Maybe the idea of having Francis in there is to provide sufficient competition for both Mulryne and Holt, with the aim of forcing them to play at the top of their game or face being dropped. If one of them isn''t performing, we can bring a perfectly competent replacement, as opposed to Easton, who I''m sure would fit in nicely at a lower league club.

[hook norton canary 0]

its all well and good saying o id pick this team, but the fact of the matter is how many games throughout the whole season is someone important injured or suspended. thats why worthy is such an amazing manager because he''s got all these great players that can step in and do a job for us. thats why were all arguing about who to play.

by the way, why do you all hate easton. i know i dont watch norwich play that much but i was at derby and when he was warming up everyone bood him???????????

[Tacklebury 0]

I can''t explain the booing specifically, but from my own point of view Easton never has been and never will be good enough to add anything to the team. He doesn''t work hard enough and doesn''t have the natural ability to make a telling change to a game. He made 3 good crosses in the home game of the playoffs against Wolves, but that''s about the only real time he''s shown any sort of quality. And, like Rivers, the occasional good game isn''t enough at this level - we need all 11 players on the pitch on top of their game if we''re gonna get promoted.

[stan the man 0]

Hello Norton Canary.
I can tell by your sentence "why do you all hate Easton?" that you haven''t seen him play in a while. His vision of where his team mates are, in non-existent, he constantly passes to the opposition, basically he would be a good second division player. I don''t know why Worthy didn''t exchange him as part of the deal for Mckenzie. Oh thats right he didn''t want to jeopardise the deal. I don''t make a hibit of slagging players off, but when they are so terrible enough is enough!!!!!!!!!!!! The wages could be better spent. OTBC

[Svensson is Great 0]

why do sum people think we should play fancies he is too similar to holt he battles but cant pass the ball to save his life and holt is a better at batteling and passing than francies. the only thing francies has over holt is that he carrys more of a goal theart and we alredy have that from midfield with litle mac. and for me u cant drop murlyne he is one of the best footballers we have at the club

[beelsie 0]

There have on these threads been many good points made, but just as I am an old timer and find effort and pluck and stamina would always play an important in any team to get my backing.
Will some of you enlighten me about the qualities of Mulryne. I have seen him a few times and his distribution is reasonable but only when he is given time and space to play by the opposition.
For me he does not earn the space to play in ''cos he just does''nt work hard enough for it. We still lack that bite in mid-field and I say Mulryne does not fill that bill for me.
Roberts has been criticised for getting in the way in our penalty area. I say that for other than the occasional 10 or fifteen minutes to kill time he is a past force for the City. I think he, in Saturdays case was so dissapointed with the efforts of our defence, that allowed so much space for Everton forwards, that he tried to intervene, all-be-it in a clumsy way.
This effort did cost us , but it was the inability of the defence to close down quickly enough that caused the problems. No! Mulryne is not the man to be the mid-field general, capable of dominating that engine room. Though we are doing well we need to be much keener and faster in that area to be a real force. What do you lot think?
Regards, Beelsie

[Canary Mark 0]

I have to agree that it needs to be horses for courses and also there is absolutely no chance that we will be able to play the same 11 faces week in and week out. With regards to the strikers, I don''t think they need to be rotated or the like. We just need to play the two who are on form. If that is McKenzie and Hucks then great, if that is Hucks and Svennson then so be it. A striker plays on confidence and also plays well when there is competition. I also can''t see any reason why we shouldn''t chuck Roberts in every so often. His experience and hold up play may be an important factor in a particular game. (Though tell him not to tackle in his own box!!!). He scored a good ''valid'' goal at Everton and linked well with Hucks v Cardiff.

Midfield is a different area. I would have to say that Mulryne would be in my team but like Ian Crook, you can see the games that are made for a play maker and the ones that are not. If its not working then Francis can soon come on and vice versa. Remember Walsall away? Mulryne on at half time and we run out winners. Remember Derby at home? 1-0 down, 10 men on the field. Mulryne sets up the first and scores the winner. Other times Mulryne has no time on the ball at all and then its time to change it. He is also the dead ball specialist as well. Leave him out at our peril. When the team plays well, its usually because Mulryne is playing well.

The defence again will pick itself I am sure. So my first choice 11 at the moment?....

Robert Green
Adam Drury
Craig Fleming
Malky McKay
Mark Edworthy
Jim Brennan
Gary Holt
Phil Mulryne
Paul McVeigh
Darren Huckerby
Leon McKenzie

Subs. Crighton, Svennson, Rivers, Francis