If?

[John Boubepo 0]

It would seem we are in a relatively poor league, Birmingham in 1st place have lost 8 games Derby, in 2nd place have lost 9 games, Sunderland in 3rd have lost 11. Meanwhile Man U and Chelsea have both lost only 3, Scunthorpe leading Div 1 have lost only 5, which over all makes our ranking of 17th look all the more disappointing.

So with this in mind, would we have been higher or lower than 17th if Nigel Worthington had still been in charge, I''m not trying to swing this one way or another, personally I''m happy to treat them both with the contempt they deserve but I''d be interested opening this question up for honest debate 

[ZLF 335]

Maybe maybe not;  but this season was lost the moment it started - for me what Worthy had lost was the ability to turn around the decline the club was facing;  with Grant in and the way he looks like he will rejuvenate the squad I have a little optimisim for next season;   with worthy still in charge I would not have.

Would we have seen Martin this season with Worthy?   On past record probably not - if for no other reason alone the change is on for the better 

[lucky green trainers 0]

i think under worthy we''d be the same or worse than where we are now.  the players at least look like they want for play for grant, which is more than they did for a long time under worthy.

[ricky knight 0]

I think this is the hardest league, everyone can beat everyone else at anytime, in the premier the top four every year is pretty predictable.

Would we better if Worthy stayed certainly could not have been much worse, thats for sure, although his time was up, i still have not seen anything from Grant to make me think he can set us alight.

As for Martin, i think circumstance decided his run in the team, rather than an inspired management decision. imo I think in the same situation Worthy would have had to do the same..

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Ricky Knight, we are in total agreement!

I think the fact that this league is so open makes it a strong league. Why is it a weak league just because all the teams are capable of beating eachother? The teams are stronger than they were in the old second division pre-premiership days.

How many times have we said and heard said that on our day with everyone fit we are as good as anyone. I believe it''s true too. But, over a gruelling 46 game season, because there is so little between the teams, it stands to reason that the bigger stronger squads will  rise to the top.

I think Grant has recognised this. Worthy was more prone to gamble with a small squad because he had got away with it when we won this division before. Between him and the Board they obviously decided gamble that it would work again.

We would probably be in much the same position if Worthy had stayed but with little hope for the future. Changes are being made at quite a brisk pace under Grant and we can expect more in the summer. That''s why I really don''t understand why fans are crying enough now and yet didn''t last season.

As for Chris Martin, yes I do think he would have got the same chance under Worthy. I remember reading an article when Worthington first took over praising him for attending a youth match and saying how Hamilton wouldn''t have been there. Football really does seem to go round in circles!

 

[hogesar 10,761]

[quote user="ricky knight"]

I think this is the hardest league, everyone can beat everyone else at anytime, in the premier the top four every year is pretty predictable.

Would we better if Worthy stayed certainly could not have been much worse, thats for sure, although his time was up, i still have not seen anything from Grant to make me think he can set us alight.

As for Martin, i think circumstance decided his run in the team, rather than an inspired management decision. imo I think in the same situation Worthy would have had to do the same..

[/quote]

worthy would have gone for McVeigh, or more likely Thorne - he''d always play his own signing above anyone else, going by previous..

[Canary Pirate 0]

Its worth pointing out that Sunderland lost most of their games before Roy Keane arrived and they are my tip to finish top. Worthy and PG probably have different styles of management but with the same results.....inconsistency and injuries. I do not expect any major improvement next season and see mid table as the best we can expect for the forseeable future.

[RichardKerry 0]

IF, we are going to discuss IF..... what do you think would have happened had Worthy gone sooner??

IF... he had gone, say Xmas 2005 would we be in the playoffs now ????

I don''t think Martin would have got his chance under Worthy, & the other young lads would be rotting in the reserves rather than being on loan.

[ZLF 335]

Nutty - the reason I think it is a weak and not strong league is because we are in 17th on merit but none of the teams at the top are streets ahead of us and none have yet to really impress me like Reading did last season.

It is truly competitive in a way that the major leagues in the world have lost - and that is only good news.    

 

[FUEL ROX 0]

if we had rooney and crouch upfront we would be in the premier league

the word IF should never be used when supporting a football team especially norwich city

 

[jjohnny 0]

If earnshaw was fit would we have seen martin,when earnshaw is fit who will play alongside him martin or brown,grant got lucky with earnshaw being injured,martin would not have got in otherwise,if worthy was still here we would not be any lower in the league than we are now,remind me who have we beat recently QPR,luton and barnsley where are they in the league?

[nutty nigel 7,902]

ZLF

I do see where you are coming from and I take your point about Reading last year. One exceptional team doesn''t make a strong league though. Sheffield United were in the auto places for the whole season too and I didn''t think they were exceptional. Leeds United were in the Play off Final and look where they are now.

I think another reason the division is stronger than last year  is because there aren''t any "whipping boys". Last season after 36 games we were 12th with 46 points and a huge 17 points above the relegation places. This time we have 44 from 36, are 17th and only 8 points clear of  the bottom 3. 

However, whether it is weak or strong can only be a matter of opinion but where we agree is that a competetive league is good news. I also agree that by this stage in the season clubs are pretty much where they deserve to be.

I think we would love this league if Grant could get us to be challenging in and around the top 6. I think the least we should aim for is the play offs still being alive beyond Easter. Seasons over in February is not nearly good enough in this league whatever it''s strength.

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[IF]

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don''t deal in lies, Or being hated, don''t give way to hating, And yet don''t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master, If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you''ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ''em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds'' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that''s in it, And--which is more--you''ll be a Man, my son! --Rudyard Kipling

[:S]

OTBC

 

[Alex Harvey-Jones 0]

This league is very poor and there are no outstanding teams. We all saw that Derby were nothing special on tuesday evening and Birmingham haven''t been consistent. This is typified by the results this weekend which were surprising - Hull beating Preston, Leeds beating Luton, Southend beating the Scum etc. Everyone seems capable of beating each other more or less!