Unlucky Fried Kitten 0 Posted November 30, 2006 I was pleased to see our old friends down the road lost again last night. Hopefully they will miss out on automatic promotion. I had a close look at the league table to see how yet another defeat affected their placing, and I was quite surprised to see that the team immediately above them (Sheffield Wed) in 15th place could probably still make the automatic promotion places with a good run. Wednesday have 27 points, we have 29 in 12th place, and Preston sitting pretty at the top have 38. Given the fact that any team can beat anybody else in this league, there is still a hell of a lot to be played for. It would take a very clever person to correctly forecast who will occupy those precious top two places in May, at this early juncture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gamera 0 Posted November 30, 2006 Its all well and good this anyone can go on a run business, but weve been anything but consistent this season. If were going on this magical run, we''ed better start picking up some pace. We can''t wait for january to get in these promotion pushing players, weve got to start going for it now. Starting with three points against sunderland. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,528 Posted November 30, 2006 Cracking post billy and you are right this league is wide open. The league is competetive and anyone is capable of beating anyone else.As the table stands now we have played the top four and got ten points from twelve. But then we have also played the bottom four and got five points out of twelve.It''s a league where Preston have just gone top nearly by default after dropping two home points to Coventry. It''s a league that''s crying out for someone to go on a run, take it by the scruff of the neck, and win it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cluck 0 Posted November 30, 2006 [quote user="Billy Bovine"]I was pleased to see our old friends down the road lost again last night. Hopefully they will miss out on automatic promotion. I had a close look at the league table to see how yet another defeat affected their placing, and I was quite surprised to see that the team immediately above them (Sheffield Wed) in 15th place could probably still make the automatic promotion places with a good run. Wednesday have 27 points, we have 29 in 12th place, and Preston sitting pretty at the top have 38. Given the fact that any team can beat anybody else in this league, there is still a hell of a lot to be played for. It would take a very clever person to correctly forecast who will occupy those precious top two places in May, at this early juncture.[/quote]I''m a very clever person Billy....and even I can''t predict who it will be..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
First Wizard 0 Posted November 30, 2006 Believe it or not, I still think we can do it, yes, top 2, although I still don''t like Grant!. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Syteanric 1 Posted November 30, 2006 that avatar of Croft u have Gamera looks so funny!he looks like he has just seen a ghost! lol!jas :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unlucky Fried Kitten 0 Posted November 30, 2006 [quote user="Gamera"]Its all well and good this anyone can go on a run business, but weve been anything but consistent this season. If were going on this magical run, we''ed better start picking up some pace. We can''t wait for january to get in these promotion pushing players, weve got to start going for it now. Starting with three points against sunderland.[/quote]I didn''t say anything about City going on a run. I mentioned the fact that Wednesday who are in 15th place could still achieve automatic promotion this season, as they are only 4 wins away from top spot. Thats right, there are still 15 teams competing for the top two positions! To me, this league is still anybody''s for the taking. Has there ever been a year that has been this close at this stage in the season before? There probably has, but I think usually there are a couple of teams pulling away from the pack by now. I do agree with you that now would be as good a time as any to start showing some consistent form, to stand any realistic chance of promotion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 274 Posted November 30, 2006 It is a wide open league and with a following wind any team within 12 points of top can get promoted this season. For all of those teams what is needed is some consistency - and city fall into that camp.We have progressed during Oct/Nov but as tahn and Hull have shown we can be brilliantly bad as well as highly competetive.As teh earnie interview alluded to we need to go on a run. Like last season when things started to go well we then lost 2/3 games - stay close to Jan and go on a run from there with a strengthened squad (we really cannot afford to lose anyone) makes anything possible.But more than anything we need the real norwich city to stand up - is it the one that loses timidly to Ipswich or the one that battles a victory against Cardiff? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hartsons Gut 0 Posted November 30, 2006 Have we not been on a good run something like 5 wins 3 draws and 2 defeats under grant, that aint bad and we have had numerous injuries. We will be in the top 6 at this rate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norfolkn Good 0 Posted November 30, 2006 4 players in and none out in January and we can make it - current squad = absolutely no way Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,528 Posted November 30, 2006 I guess it was quite close 2001/2 when we got to the playoffs. I don''t think Manchester City were in the top six at the end of November and they ended up winning the league comfortably. I think Burnley were top at this stage and we ended up pipping them for 6th place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Polley<IMG src="http:new.pinkun.comforumsimagesline.gif"><BR>Andy P.<BR> 0 Posted November 30, 2006 Absolutely!! It is now about ''Who Dares Wins!!'' Unlike several previous Championship seasons, there are no runaway leaders (yet). For Norwich, we obviously need to gain as many points as possible between now and January with the squad we have- there is no choice, then... it is as much as anything down to the ''DARE level'' of the boards of let''s say, twelve clubs who are still in reasonable distance from the two automatic promotion spots.This is why we need our Board to take a reasonable gamble on decent squad investment come January. Quality additions but via a mixture of permanent, short-term permanent and loans, to help achieve the decent run-in that we need through to April. We will also be relying on PG''s ''canny'' selection of new blood as well, of course....But hey guys, why not just go for it, there is currently not a reason in the World why Norwich cannot be a top two name come the end of the season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saint Canary 0 Posted November 30, 2006 [quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]But more than anything we need the real norwich city to stand up - is it the one that loses timidly to Ipswich or the one that battles a victory against Cardiff? [/quote]This is something I have been wondering for a while. What is the "real" Norwich City. Is it the side who that has taken 10 points from the 4 games played against the top 4 in this league or is it the spineless collection of players that laid down and rolled over against Coventry, Burnley etc. The answer to that is the answer to whether we can get promoted.One thing is clear to me though. There has never been a more important time to be in Premier League than it will be for next two seasons. With promotion to the Premiership now being the richest prize in sport and money set to be (reportedly) between £30m-£50m it''s just going to get harder and harder to compete with the bottom half clubs in that league, let alone mid-table and above. Now is not the time to be outside the window looking in. It''s time to see some ambition from the board because (despite sitting on their hands this summer and doing pretty much nothing but allow the club to fester) there is still a real possibility of promotion, and automatic promotion at that if we could get it together. Adding some quality and depth to our squad could propel us up the league. At the moment we are merely hanging on to others coat-tails. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ginja 26 Posted November 30, 2006 [quote user="Billy Bovine"]Wednesday who are in 15th place could still achieve automatic promotion this season, as they are only 4 wins away from top spot.[/quote]Yes but everyone above you has to lose four games consecutively, which is technically impossible. So I think it probably require a good run of at least double that to break into the top 2 and lets not forget these teams are mid-league for a reason, inconsistancy, hence why something like a 8 win stretch would be nothing short of a miracle. Oh of course after that you also have to keep winning.....not so close anymore are they. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Flew Over... 33 Posted December 1, 2006 [quote]It''s time to see some ambition from the board because (despite sitting on their hands this summer and doing pretty much nothing but allow the club to fester) there is still a real possibility of promotion, and automatic promotion at that if we could get it together. Adding some quality and depth to our squad could propel us up the league. At the moment we are merely hanging on to others coat-tails.[/quote]Unfortunately there are probably at least10 other chairmen and set of fans who are thinking exactly the same [:(]Anyone any idea how much NCFC is worth? I think West Ham went for £85 million.. As you say a prize of £30-50 million is a huge amount to win for as little as £10/15 million spent now on players. I''d be suprised if there weren''t a few takeovers of teams in the top 6 this season. Still money can''t buy the league on its own - I''d hate to see Norwich spend a fortune on players who would then all leave if we didn''t go up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gamera 0 Posted December 1, 2006 [quote user="jas the barclay king"]that avatar of Croft u have Gamera looks so funny!he looks like he has just seen a ghost! lol!jas :)[/quote]A while back we seemed to be the focus game for the bbc photographers in the chamionship each week. Each week Croft seemed to be pulling this ridiculous face, like he has a pack of wolves behind him and he''s running for his life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC 0 Posted December 1, 2006 I think you are spot on with the not losing anyone bit. However, losing Earnshaw and Huckerby would consign us to mid table.[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]It is a wide open league and with a following wind any team within 12 points of top can get promoted this season. For all of those teams what is needed is some consistency - and city fall into that camp.We have progressed during Oct/Nov but as tahn and Hull have shown we can be brilliantly bad as well as highly competetive.As teh earnie interview alluded to we need to go on a run. Like last season when things started to go well we then lost 2/3 games - stay close to Jan and go on a run from there with a strengthened squad (we really cannot afford to lose anyone) makes anything possible.But more than anything we need the real norwich city to stand up - is it the one that loses timidly to Ipswich or the one that battles a victory against Cardiff? [/quote] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salopian 1 Posted December 1, 2006 We are only four wins from top place - sadly not, four wins more than the current top place, and they will really be trying from now on.If Hux was just arriving and we had the team he came into, you would have to fancy our chances. Our inconsistency and midfielders in particular not turning up must question the likelihood of winning four more times than Preston for the rest of the season, in what 26 games?I desperately hope that we find a few good players in January who will improve both quality and consistency, but by that stage we shall probably at best have to win four more in less than 20 games. Given that the new players will take time to bed in, we could be looking at 4 more in 15 games. It''s a tall order.The heart says, "Yes we could", the brain says "very unlikely". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0 Posted December 1, 2006 I would like to think we could, but fear we are too short of quality in midfield and short of a big man up front.The midfield would be the killer for me, they go missing far too often to string together a good run of wins and get the confidence going. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unlucky Fried Kitten 0 Posted December 1, 2006 I don''t feel so optimistic about our promotion prospects, now that miserable git Doomcaster has spilled the beans about the gloomy financial situation at the club. Bah humbug! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,528 Posted December 1, 2006 Yes but I think most of the other clubs have gloomy financial situations too. Nothing has changed for me, I''m still optimistic. Another 3 points tomorrow would clear the doom and gloom for a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fonejacker 0 Posted December 1, 2006 As much as i love my club to bits, i hate to see all this talk of how much we will spend in january, and who we are going to get in, when realistically (and especially after the accounts business today), it will be case of struggling to keep hold of the proven players such as Hux and Earnie. The fact that we have been able to attract these players in the first place means that we must be at least slight viable to this calibre of player, but I can''t help but think that the board are setting us up for a fall. Or I could be wrong. Come on Naardge! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
