Bradwell canary 112 Posted February 17, 2019 Correct me if I wrong, but isn’t DF contact with us due to run out at the end of the season? It would be a huge relief to see him commit for another three years. Far more important than any players contracts. Got to hope that Webber is working on it.If not some PL may be knocking on his door. Lamberts head was turned, don’t want to see that repeated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bradwell canary 112 Posted February 17, 2019 It seems to me that judging by the Leeds and yesterday games they are. certainly one of the best pure footballing teams for many years wearing our colours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BaltimoreBird 127 Posted February 17, 2019 Yes. Yes they are. As to Farke's contract. It'll get sorted and nothing to lose sleep over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwindonCanary 457 Posted February 17, 2019 They are playing the best football, but not all the time - couldn't pass in the Derby and carried it on against Preston, but luckily got their passing game back against Bolton. I'm hoping it continues against Bristol City. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 17, 2019 I think it was down to the players selected against Bolton that we delivered that performance rather than luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 17, 2019 But in answer to the OPs question I’d say yes, the best this season also the best I’ve seen City play for at least 20 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,062 Posted February 17, 2019 I would also say yes. Not many teams play the way we do in the Championship, and some of the football we play is absolutely stunning. This is the best football I've ever seen us play. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted February 17, 2019 This dovetails nicely with a thread I was thinking about starting yesterday (but will put on here, and no I am not jumping the gun, but just putting the question out there) How do people think the style of football we are currently playing, would fare against Prem teams? Would we be more than 'competitive' or would it actually gain us enough points to safely discard relegation worries? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 17, 2019 I think our style of play would work but we’d have to learn to defend set pieces 😯 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted February 17, 2019 Is our football this season, better than Wolves from last season? I think so Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
splendidrush 720 Posted February 17, 2019 In terms of the Premiership, a, I think we're a bit small, physically and b, I'll worry about it when it happens. 😎 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kick it off 2,062 Posted February 17, 2019 In the Prem I think Tettey would need replacing (or you sign a CB and move Godfrey into the Tettey role) and Stiepermann replacing with a carbon copy with a bit more technical ability. I think our style is very Prem friendly to be honest and don't think we would struggle. MOTD would be tugging themselves senseless over Farkeball like they did with Swansealona a few years back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duncan Edwards 2,424 Posted February 17, 2019 Get. It. Fooooorrrrwaaaaaaarrrd. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,902 Posted February 17, 2019 35 minutes ago, Duncan Edwards said: Get. It. Fooooorrrrwaaaaaaarrrd. 🎵 We don't need no tippy tappy, We don't need no ball control... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ron obvious 1,711 Posted February 17, 2019 I think the power & athleticism prevalent in Premiership teams could cause us problems. To play our style of football we'd need to Take Back Control 😉. But I'd love to see us give it a go the way we're playing now. I also think Daniel could find a way to keep us up with our current squad (plus maybe one or two shrewd additions) after a shaky start. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westcoastcanary 173 Posted February 18, 2019 What on earth does "the best quality football" mean? If it means playing football that has supporters and neutrals, and even sometimes opponents, purring, then we play some of the best quality football in this season's Championship. But that could be said of Wenger's Arsenal in the EPL through most of the long period of playing beautiful football but not winning anything. And it has been said of at least two of our rivals this year, Leeds and Sheffield Utd. Maybe it means the football that will see us crowned Champions? Well, we don't yet know; time will tell. Crabby thinks our football is "better" than the football Wolves played last year. What's the proof of the pudding Crabby? If the answer lies in the league table at the end of the season, to match Wolves's total of 99 points we'd need to win all but one of our remaining matches; we've already conceded more goals than Wolves did in the whole of last season, and we'd have to almost double our GD to match their +43. We are playing good but far from flawless football. Where it takes us, we must wait and see. And even if Ipswich have what Town fans consider would constitute "the last laugh", of being able to look forward to two derby games next season, the "quality" of our football this season will not have been diminished. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted February 18, 2019 It's a general point westcoast, but again you know that............ Too many variables to compare the actual results, and outcomes (wins/goals conceded etc) hence why I will not say that just because our football is, imo, better than Wolves from last year, would automatically mean that we will go up as Champions (if at all) I certainly would not say it is flawless, but watching Wolves last year was a footballing pleasure. Watching us this year , is a footballing pleasure. See what I mean? Of course you do. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Hockey's Beard 606 Posted February 18, 2019 7 hours ago, nutty nigel said: 🎵 We don't need no tippy tappy, We don't need no ball control... No clever tactics from the Classroom, Hey, Cloggers, Leave our kids alone. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 18, 2019 For me, one of my earliest footballing memories is watching bits of the'74 world cup on TV and my Dad raving about the Dutch side, probably one of the best sides of all time. I've watched football ever since then and I still feel the same way. Modern players have better technique and fitness due to the coaching regime that they're in from an early age, put those Dutch players through the same and they would still be up there with the very best. My Dad would talk about the Hungarian side from the early 50s who came to England and dished out a footballing lesson, from clips on cinema newsreels apparently he thought they were equally good. So I would say, yes this City side are playing the best football in the Division and indeed the best I can remember City play for at least 20 years. But that's no guarantee of success in football. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 6,385 Posted February 18, 2019 30 minutes ago, It's Character Forming said: For me, one of my earliest footballing memories is watching bits of the'74 world cup on TV and my Dad raving about the Dutch side, probably one of the best sides of all time. I've watched football ever since then and I still feel the same way. Modern players have better technique and fitness due to the coaching regime that they're in from an early age, put those Dutch players through the same and they would still be up there with the very best. My Dad would talk about the Hungarian side from the early 50s who came to England and dished out a footballing lesson, from clips on cinema newsreels apparently he thought they were equally good. So I would say, yes this City side are playing the best football in the Division and indeed the best I can remember City play for at least 20 years. But that's no guarantee of success in football. Tbis is starting to look, in possession, like the 1985-86 squad, that finished seven points clear of second place and was just too good for many of the other teams. I remember seeing us late in the season beat Sheffield United, who were in contention for promotion, 5-2 at Bramall Lane, getting Porterfield the sack on the Monday. Phelan, Williams, Barham and Mendham in midfield, all of whom could pass the ball, and Drinkell as the Pukki to score goals. But it also had, playing every League game, Woods in goal, and Bruce and Watson in central defence. Three players who would be considered for any all-time Best-of eleven. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BroadstairsR 2,273 Posted February 18, 2019 19 hours ago, Bradwell canary said: It seems to me that judging by the Leeds and yesterday games they are. certainly one of the best pure footballing teams for many years wearing our colours. Let's turn the OP's original question on it's head. Ok we have a few weak points, but is there any other team in the league that we would want to swap squad, system and manager wit? It's a NO from me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,680 Posted February 18, 2019 I think the OP is asking a valid question as the trend in football is for a fast paced passing game with a press on opposing teams. And from what I have seen, we seem to be the best at it. Of course WCC, is right but in terms of an assumption that people want to see a passing game then it has to be us. If promotion is the only end product that makes you the best then we will have to wait and see. I was impressed with Pep's interview at the weekend when asked about Newport's pitch. He was trying to say that we can only now play this type of football because our pitches are much better than they were. Carrow Road has always had one of the better surfaces but other clubs have caught up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 18, 2019 That’s a good point, you used to see some right battlefields but now the general standard is very high. i still remember Cody Macdonald getting the winner in the mud at Walsall in an evening game, happy days 😀 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sonyc 6,145 Posted February 18, 2019 6 hours ago, PurpleCanary said: Tbis is starting to look, in possession, like the 1985-86 squad, that finished seven points clear of second place and was just too good for many of the other teams. I remember seeing us late in the season beat Sheffield United, who were in contention for promotion, 5-2 at Bramall Lane, getting Porterfield the sack on the Monday. Phelan, Williams, Barham and Mendham in midfield, all of whom could pass the ball, and Drinkell as the Pukki to score goals. But it also had, playing every League game, Woods in goal, and Bruce and Watson in central defence. Three players who would be considered for any all-time Best-of eleven. I loved that team too.... Drinkell especially ( one of my favourite forwards I've watched,) but Watson & Bruce would play the offside trap like absolute demons.... so in tune were they with each other. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted February 18, 2019 I think Drinkell is perhaps, one of the most under rated/mentioned, CFs we have had in the last 50 years. Did a tremendous amount of work, scored a great ratio of goals. Probably Pukki is the nearest type (of style) of CF that reminds me of him, since then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westcoastcanary 173 Posted February 18, 2019 There's a delightful irony to the comments provoked by my earlier post. In football, "best" is inextricably linked to winning titles. Just ask Wenger, whose post-Invincibles Arsenal teams played beautiful football but never won anything apart from the FA Cup (note how, in keeping with that concept of best, pointing out that Arsenal won the FA Cup several times counts as nothing more than damning with faint praise). The point about the Hungarians of the early 50s, the Dutch side of '74, the Ajax side that invented total football, Guardiola's Barca sides, the Spanish national team of a year or two back, was not just that they played lovely football but that they also won things, things that mattered like European Championships, World Cups and their leagues year after year. Broadstairs asks whether anybody would swap our team, style of play or manager for any others? Like the rest of you my answer is No! keelansgrandad asks whether anyone in the league better exemplifies the current trend towards "a fast paced passing game with a press on opposing teams"? And like the rest of you my answer is No! So where's the irony? It lies in the fact that the vast majority of those eulogising our football this season are totally committed to the inextricable link between "best" and winning things that matter. If at the end of the season we haven't won the Championship, or haven't won automatic promotion, or haven't won the play-offs, how many of you will truly be finding solace in being able to say "we played the best football in the league"? And here's the irony. One of the few who will genuinely not be searching for solace of any kind, will be me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sonyc 6,145 Posted February 18, 2019 55 minutes ago, Crabbycanary3 said: I think Drinkell is perhaps, one of the most under rated/mentioned, CFs we have had in the last 50 years. Did a tremendous amount of work, scored a great ratio of goals. Probably Pukki is the nearest type (of style) of CF that reminds me of him, since then. Some similarities yes Crabby but Drinkell could produce a bullet of a header and had a fierce shot on him. Pukki on the other hand finds those sharp / quick shots, hit often very early. He is the more natural striker for me. Yet I loved Drinkell (as presumably does The Great Drinkell!) especially alongside Wayne Biggins. That year we knocked in goals for fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) This thread reminds me of a comment about “being a Norwich City fan” from a long time ago and I’ve no idea where it came from... “When you were a kid, playing against yourself at subbuteo, did you find the team you wanted to win, normally would be the one that would lose?” The idea being that meant you had the right temperament to follow City 😯... As for some of those great teams in history, the Dutch lost the World Cup final to the West Germans. When I think about it ( which is extremely rare, I had no connection with Holland except for loving the football they were playing at a very impressionable age) I still feel a bit sad about that. if we fail to get promoted this season, obviously how I feel will depend on how it pans out, and I will still look back with pleasure on some of the amazing football we’ve played. But I expect I would still feel absolutely gutted about it in 30 or 40 years time 🤪😯. So, no pressure lads ? Edited February 18, 2019 by It's Character Forming typo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 18, 2019 Oh, the Hungarians lost too, no prizes for guessing who they lost to... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,204 Posted February 18, 2019 PS if anyone else has ever heard that Subbuteo comment, it would be great to know ! It could just be something that was said to me down the pub when I moved to Norwich around 1990 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites