I suppose the Us dropped Jamie for away games.

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

That''s how he got 25 goals last season.

Even Colchester have more balls than us.

Grant, you are an embarrasment.

OTBC

 

[Dions Sax 0]

And I thought he didn''t want us to be viewed as little Norwich...

[ca 1]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

 

Grant, you are an embarrasment.

[/quote]

 

So are you!!

[Camuldonum 0]

I prefer the word "rested" myself.  Our forward line Bus Pass quotient (Teddy) was rested tonight (a managerial decision I assume) but to keep the average age up so was our goalkeeper and replaced by our Bus Pass goalkeeper (who is 38 and very nearly retired by a recurring back problem although a very fine player to whom the club owe a great deal, not least our promotion to whatever "heights" the Championship is supposed to be).

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="cityangel"][quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

 

Grant, you are an embarrasment.

[/quote]

So are you!!

[/quote]

Getting a little testy in recent weeks aren''t you Angel?

What''s up? Pressure getting to you? I wonder why?

OTBC

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="camuldonum"]

I prefer the word "rested" myself.  Our forward line Bus Pass quotient (Teddy) was rested tonight (a managerial decision I assume) but to keep the average age up so was our goalkeeper and replaced by our Bus Pass goalkeeper (who is 38 and very nearly retired by a recurring back problem although a very fine player to whom the club owe a great deal, not least our promotion to whatever "heights" the Championship is supposed to be).

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

Your reprimand is fully accepted Camuldonum.

My apologies.

OTBC

 

[macdougalls perm 0]

[quote user="camuldonum"]

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

Well said, I thought exactly this when I read this post.

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

.Even Colchester have more balls than us.[/quote]

Bly, Colchester are doing better than us this season and were better than us last season (3-0 at layer road anyone?)

Stop thinking that norwich have a right to be higher than teams that you consider little teams because we aint.

I do agree that Cureton should have started.

[ZLF 274]

Hi camuldonum

I have been disappointed by curetons displays for us since he came here - probably because I expected more.   He does not link well with Brown,  seemingly unable to read where the flick on is likely to go and usuallystanding too distant to benefit anyway.  His movement has been poor and rarely has he made himself available for a pass.  He spurned 4 fantastic chances at the weekend yet was completely anonymous for the other 89 mins.  Comparing him to earnshaw (both diminutive goal scorers) I had expected Cureton to be the better and more committed footballer - yet he is proving less committed and with few signs of matching Earnies low standard ability on the ball.  

How were his appearances for Colchester?  His strike rate speaks for itself but I would like your views on his playing attitude, partnership with iwelumo (who I dont rate),  link up play with the team.  When he wasnt scoring was he worth his place in the team? 

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"][quote user="camuldonum"]

I prefer the word "rested" myself.  Our forward line Bus Pass quotient (Teddy) was rested tonight (a managerial decision I assume) but to keep the average age up so was our goalkeeper and replaced by our Bus Pass goalkeeper (who is 38 and very nearly retired by a recurring back problem although a very fine player to whom the club owe a great deal, not least our promotion to whatever "heights" the Championship is supposed to be).

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

Your reprimand is fully accepted Camuldonum.

My apologies.

OTBC

 

[/quote]

 

And happily accepted.  You are forgiven!

[allways travelling 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Hi camuldonum

I have been disappointed by curetons displays for us since he came here - probably because I expected more.   He does not link well with Brown,  seemingly unable to read where the flick on is likely to go and usuallystanding too distant to benefit anyway.  His movement has been poor and rarely has he made himself available for a pass.  He spurned 4 fantastic chances at the weekend yet was completely anonymous for the other 89 mins.  Comparing him to earnshaw (both diminutive goal scorers) I had expected Cureton to be the better and more committed footballer - yet he is proving less committed and with few signs of matching Earnies low standard ability on the ball.  

How were his appearances for Colchester?  His strike rate speaks for itself but I would like your views on his playing attitude, partnership with iwelumo (who I dont rate),  link up play with the team.  When he wasnt scoring was he worth his place in the team? 

[/quote]How can you seriously judge jamie cureton when the lad is seriousley starved of any service i will say it again to everyone on here give him the service and he will deliver.The problem is peter grant and his tactics the sooner he goes the better the worst football i have seen norwich play is under him he thinks he is bigger than our club and its fans.I would say the strongest thing about norwich at the moment is our forwards the likes of hux croft cureton 25 goals last year chris martin dave the striker even chris brown would be seen in a better light given better tactics.But know mr grant seems to think fit to defend defend defend with the weaker part of our team the defence which for the last two years has leaked goals for fun.Someone please tell me why the whole of the close season every man woman child new we had to  strengthen our centre backs everyone exept grant.He was to busy buying forwards and midfielders only for him now to not get the best out of our strengths which is the attacking side of our game i think he is an absolute basket case no wonder safri did not get on with him.He will get us relegated.

[Graham Humphrey 13]

[quote user="C.T"]Bly, Colchester are doing better than us this season[/quote]

They''ve got the same number of points as us...

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Hi camuldonum

I have been disappointed by curetons displays for us since he came here - probably because I expected more.   He does not link well with Brown,  seemingly unable to read where the flick on is likely to go and usuallystanding too distant to benefit anyway.  His movement has been poor and rarely has he made himself available for a pass.  He spurned 4 fantastic chances at the weekend yet was completely anonymous for the other 89 mins.  Comparing him to earnshaw (both diminutive goal scorers) I had expected Cureton to be the better and more committed footballer - yet he is proving less committed and with few signs of matching Earnies low standard ability on the ball.  

How were his appearances for Colchester?  His strike rate speaks for itself but I would like your views on his playing attitude, partnership with iwelumo (who I dont rate),  link up play with the team.  When he wasnt scoring was he worth his place in the team? 

[/quote]

 

Well, I''m always a bit reluctant to comment on other people''s teams and I have not seen you play this season either so you must bear that in mind.  I rate Cureton as a player and I am sorry we lost him to you.  I think he is still a smart goal-getter, a poacher if you like, but (like Earnshaw????) he needs someone to feed off.  He is not going to beat five players and then slam the ball into the net.  He needs someone to provide the ball for him and then, if he''s on form, he will convert a half chance.

Although I agree that Iwelumo is not the greatest thing since sliced bread they formed a partnership which worked.  Without that partnership I doubt Jamie would have scored more than a dozen or so.  It was also a "known" partnership which distracted and scared the life out of many defenders.  There were games when he didn''t play particularly well and was even "anonymous" but it was still worth keeping him in for the scare factor.  He''s not the hardest worker in the chase back stakes (was Earnshaw, again) but at their best they were very good finishers and you need one or more of those.

It seems to me that Norwich have got to try and create another partnership between *whoever* and Cureton if you are going to get the benefit of him.  I don''t know your team well enough to suggest who that partner should be but left marooned on his own he won''t find the back of the net half as much as expected (an opinion).  Also he needs ball at knee or feet height, not up in the air.

Personally I think Norwich have a reasonable squad.   But it seems to me - and I''d say this of any club in the same situation and it''s not specifically aimed at Norwich - that your problem at the moment seems to be that the Manager hasn''t yet sorted his tactics.  You are not playing a settled side, it''s chopping and changing all the time (sometimes unavoidable through injuries, of course) but unless you take a chance at some time or another for a run of games you are not going to find someone to partner Cureton (or anyone else). 

I must say I am baffled by one up front as I can''t see that working against any side in this League.  I''m equally baffled by late substitutions.  I have always understood that the perceived wisdom is to put on striking subs at about 70m or thereabouts which often causes probs for the defence having to reorganise against two different players and I think you always have a chance of a goal with that but so late seems pointless to me.  I think at some time your Manager has got to bite the bullet with this and stick to starting strikers (Dave and Cureton if you like or whoever you all think they should be) and persist with it even if you are losing games.  Better to lose them now and try to put it right than leave it late on in the season, I would say.  I think your players are unsettled at the moment because the team itself is not settled and that inevitably leads of lack of confidence. 

Colchester have the opposite problem to you.  We''ve got a defence and midfield who think they should be camped in the opposition penalty area or go on long wing runs and so we are vulnerable to the break and we''ve got to sort that.  I am sure we will and I hope that when Balogh is match fit again he and Baldwin will provide much more solidity at the back.  We''ve scored lots of goals but we''ve let lots in!

If you look at our teams we probably have actually less sheer talent than your lot overall but from the early games we are playing with a confidence (even when we go behind) which Norwich do not at the moment seem to have.  Also after just a few games - and really it is very early - there seems to be a "partnership" developing between Sheringham and Lisbie and also between Elokobi (hands off, Celtic!) and both Sheringham/Lisbie.  But you can only get this if they are playing together at least most of the time.

I think your Manager has to be brave and quite possibly this is about the time to start being that.  I also feel - and this is just a stupid guess on my part - that lack of confidence is meaning that you are treating at least some teams with far more respect than they deserve.  Charlton are clearly a good side but their defence isn''t that wonderful and someone will turn them over at some stage this season. 

I do honestly feel you have to get a settled side.  Who that is is obviously up to the Manager and form but Cureton won''t get goals stuck on the bench and if that''s what you bought him for (can''t think of any other reason) then he must surely play and somehow you must find someone to feed him the ball.  I think your Manager needs to sort his tactics out and then stick with them for at least a reasonable number of games.  We all know that a team having a torrid time can suddenly "click" but they won''t if they don''t play enough together in the same formation.  It''s not directed at Norwich - we are all armchair Managers at heart - but viewed from afar I think that is the priority.  I think putting people on so late (unless it''s a youngster when you''re 4-0 up) smacks of: "What the hell do I do now?"

We snatched a point at Southampton with an own goal the other night but you don''t get own goals unless you are pressuring the opposition defence.  I honestly think you''ve got the people but one up front will never do that - might have worked with George Best in those days but that style of football has long gone.

I don''t know which players he should "settle" with but I think he''s got to give this a go at some stage (injuries permitting).  Players can only work for each other if they are pretty familiar with the way the "other" one plays and what he prefers.  To get anything like that going you have to get a fairly settled team.  It could be that Cureton has gone off the boil but it equally could be that he''s fairly baffled at sitting on the bench and not having a chance to build up the sort of partnership he had at Layer Road and which I think is essential to his game. 

I honestly think your chap has got to start being brave even at the risk of losing games because otherwise things could easily just drift along.  A classic example at Colchester at this early stage is Lisbie: everyone came on our boards telling us what a heap of manure he was (Charlton''s worst forward ever, etc etc) but he''s got a point to prove and at this stage he''s proved a menace inside the box (thanks to other people) but he can only prove that point if he''s given the games in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lucky green trainers 0]

[quote user="camuldonum"][quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Hi camuldonum

I have been disappointed by curetons displays for us since he came here - probably because I expected more.   He does not link well with Brown,  seemingly unable to read where the flick on is likely to go and usuallystanding too distant to benefit anyway.  His movement has been poor and rarely has he made himself available for a pass.  He spurned 4 fantastic chances at the weekend yet was completely anonymous for the other 89 mins.  Comparing him to earnshaw (both diminutive goal scorers) I had expected Cureton to be the better and more committed footballer - yet he is proving less committed and with few signs of matching Earnies low standard ability on the ball.  

How were his appearances for Colchester?  His strike rate speaks for itself but I would like your views on his playing attitude, partnership with iwelumo (who I dont rate),  link up play with the team.  When he wasnt scoring was he worth his place in the team? 

[/quote]

 

Well, I''m always a bit reluctant to comment on other people''s teams and I have not seen you play this season either so you must bear that in mind.  I rate Cureton as a player and I am sorry we lost him to you.  I think he is still a smart goal-getter, a poacher if you like, but (like Earnshaw????) he needs someone to feed off.  He is not going to beat five players and then slam the ball into the net.  He needs someone to provide the ball for him and then, if he''s on form, he will convert a half chance.

Although I agree that Iwelumo is not the greatest thing since sliced bread they formed a partnership which worked.  Without that partnership I doubt Jamie would have scored more than a dozen or so.  It was also a "known" partnership which distracted and scared the life out of many defenders.  There were games when he didn''t play particularly well and was even "anonymous" but it was still worth keeping him in for the scare factor.  He''s not the hardest worker in the chase back stakes (was Earnshaw, again) but at their best they were very good finishers and you need one or more of those.

It seems to me that Norwich have got to try and create another partnership between *whoever* and Cureton if you are going to get the benefit of him.  I don''t know your team well enough to suggest who that partner should be but left marooned on his own he won''t find the back of the net half as much as expected (an opinion).  Also he needs ball at knee or feet height, not up in the air.

Personally I think Norwich have a reasonable squad.   But it seems to me - and I''d say this of any club in the same situation and it''s not specifically aimed at Norwich - that your problem at the moment seems to be that the Manager hasn''t yet sorted his tactics.  You are not playing a settled side, it''s chopping and changing all the time (sometimes unavoidable through injuries, of course) but unless you take a chance at some time or another for a run of games you are not going to find someone to partner Cureton (or anyone else). 

I must say I am baffled by one up front as I can''t see that working against any side in this League.  I''m equally baffled by late substitutions.  I have always understood that the perceived wisdom is to put on striking subs at about 70m or thereabouts which often causes probs for the defence having to reorganise against two different players and I think you always have a chance of a goal with that but so late seems pointless to me.  I think at some time your Manager has got to bite the bullet with this and stick to starting strikers (Dave and Cureton if you like or whoever you all think they should be) and persist with it even if you are losing games.  Better to lose them now and try to put it right than leave it late on in the season, I would say.  I think your players are unsettled at the moment because the team itself is not settled and that inevitably leads of lack of confidence. 

Colchester have the opposite problem to you.  We''ve got a defence and midfield who think they should be camped in the opposition penalty area or go on long wing runs and so we are vulnerable to the break and we''ve got to sort that.  I am sure we will and I hope that when Balogh is match fit again he and Baldwin will provide much more solidity at the back.  We''ve scored lots of goals but we''ve let lots in!

If you look at our teams we probably have actually less sheer talent than your lot overall but from the early games we are playing with a confidence (even when we go behind) which Norwich do not at the moment seem to have.  Also after just a few games - and really it is very early - there seems to be a "partnership" developing between Sheringham and Lisbie and also between Elokobi (hands off, Celtic!) and both Sheringham/Lisbie.  But you can only get this if they are playing together at least most of the time.

I think your Manager has to be brave and quite possibly this is about the time to start being that.  I also feel - and this is just a stupid guess on my part - that lack of confidence is meaning that you are treating at least some teams with far more respect than they deserve.  Charlton are clearly a good side but their defence isn''t that wonderful and someone will turn them over at some stage this season. 

I do honestly feel you have to get a settled side.  Who that is is obviously up to the Manager and form but Cureton won''t get goals stuck on the bench and if that''s what you bought him for (can''t think of any other reason) then he must surely play and somehow you must find someone to feed him the ball.  I think your Manager needs to sort his tactics out and then stick with them for at least a reasonable number of games.  We all know that a team having a torrid time can suddenly "click" but they won''t if they don''t play enough together in the same formation.  It''s not directed at Norwich - we are all armchair Managers at heart - but viewed from afar I think that is the priority.  I think putting people on so late (unless it''s a youngster when you''re 4-0 up) smacks of: "What the hell do I do now?"

We snatched a point at Southampton with an own goal the other night but you don''t get own goals unless you are pressuring the opposition defence.  I honestly think you''ve got the people but one up front will never do that - might have worked with George Best in those days but that style of football has long gone.

I don''t know which players he should "settle" with but I think he''s got to give this a go at some stage (injuries permitting).  Players can only work for each other if they are pretty familiar with the way the "other" one plays and what he prefers.  To get anything like that going you have to get a fairly settled team.  It could be that Cureton has gone off the boil but it equally could be that he''s fairly baffled at sitting on the bench and not having a chance to build up the sort of partnership he had at Layer Road and which I think is essential to his game. 

I honestly think your chap has got to start being brave even at the risk of losing games because otherwise things could easily just drift along.  A classic example at Colchester at this early stage is Lisbie: everyone came on our boards telling us what a heap of manure he was (Charlton''s worst forward ever, etc etc) but he''s got a point to prove and at this stage he''s proved a menace inside the box (thanks to other people) but he can only prove that point if he''s given the games in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[/quote]i think that''s fair comment and common sense.  curo is starved of service, no doubt.  every cross hux put over the weekend was high and aimed for brown, who failed to get near ''em.  drury hits and hopes, usually high and towards the far post.  chadwick??? can''t remember him putting a cross over.  semmy - now semmy was put in by chadders, got to the byeline, and actually tried (yes actually tried)  to pick his man out, which is rare for a NCFC  player - his low cross was deliberately pulled back for an onrunning cureton, who was outside the opposite post with his shot.  he held his head and looked upwards, knowing that a man of his calibre should have scored.  i don''t know what browns reaction would have been!anyway - cureton has played in many leagues/teams and for loads managers - he knows whats what and where he needs to be to score, and coppell rated him as a natural finisher - thats good enough for me.  if he is lacking service, its because his runs are not being picked up or he not being played in - curo should realise its nothing personal, what service did we ever give to earnie??? at NCFC, he wil learn he has to feed off the scraps, mistakes from opposition players, or loose balls pinging around a crowded 6 yard box.i''m afraid brown is not cutting the mustard.  he doesn''t dominate defenders - he wins less headers than iwan did.  his touch is mostly poor, how many times does the ball get caught in his feet?  he can link up - but by holding the ball up and passing back - how many times does he play a ball forward that puts either curo or a winger/midfielder away??? i can''t remember once.   his heading is poor - his attempts on goal- despite leaping well and powering the ball well by turning his neck and putting his forehead into it are universally misdirected.  his flick ons seem to be to the invisible man, or indeed curo actually needs to possess telepathic powers to know where the ball is going.  in sumary - brown can''t score,  and doesn''t know how to set up chances for others.  with another years physical maturity, he could be a future force, but he is a dalliance and a luxury that city can ill afford, unless we all want the thrill of a relegation battle again this year.  grant said recently, brown does alot of the spadework that players like jamie appreciate.  i think what jamie would appreciate, is brown receiving the ball on the edge of the box, turning and outmuscling the defender and putting him in with a well weighted ball that jamie latches onto and in the blink of an eye scores.  a sort of hesky/owen link up.i''d like to know what cureton really thinks about brown - cos what i hear from grant and then see with my own eyes don''t stack up.  there''s a faint whiff of BS in the air - lets hope grant sees sense before it becomes a stench.

 

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="cityangel"][quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

 

Grant, you are an embarrasment.

[/quote]

 

So are you!!

[/quote]

I don''t normally leap to Bly''s defence Angel,and  he doesn''t need me to defend him, but I think he has valid point .............and one I''m slowly starting to agree with.

Sorry.

[missing in action? 0]

dont suppose you went to charlton,cureton would have done F.A therethey had 4 defenders who were 6ft at least, 2 being about 6ft 4,and they were very dirty,we didnt have enough in midfield to get the ball up into their boxand brown tried hard but didnt get the headers, so really, he was right to drop cureton

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="Graham Humphrey"]

[quote user="C.T"]Bly, Colchester are doing better than us this season[/quote]

They''ve got the same number of points as us...

[/quote]

Yea I saw on the beeb site as soo as id posted this. However they''ve gone to places like Sheff United and drawn where as we''ll probably get beaten

[hogesar 9,673]

[quote user="camuldonum"]

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

 

Try being a NORWICH supporter. ''even'' doesn''t come into the question. Alot of posters enjoy "im returning my season ticket" "Rubbish" "awful" "managers rubbish" "board''s fault"

Cheery lot isn''t it?

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

Well, did Colchester drop Jamie for away games?

[:S]

OTBC

 

[ZLF 274]

Cheers Calodonum - appreciate your time on this one.

I agree the key is getting a true partner for Cureton to bring the best out of him, he doesnt click with brown.  The style of football will remain an issue as we do like a long ''pass'' nowadays.

I have long mentioned the team ethic and agree colchester exceed in making the team better than the sum parts while city appear to be doing the reverse when it was that very team unity trhat helped carry us to the championship so recently  - I was hoping we would see more of that this season but not enough of it has come through. 

Not sure I agree with the lone striker thing - Derby used steve howard that way last season,  but the way we are using it is a problem so unless we add some supportive pace from midfield we have to return to 442.

It seems that our style of play is not good for Jamie - so dropping him may be a common thing unless we learn to pass AND he hits it off quickly with either hux or dave...

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

Well, did Colchester drop Jamie for away games?

[:S]

OTBC

 

[/quote]

 

I don''t recall it, no.  He missed a few through "knocks" I seem to remember but once that partnership was up and running the Manager went with it whenever he could.  What we do miss at the moment is Brown at the back - hopefully we''ll solve this, possibly with Balogh.

Another poster has mentioned Jamie against tall defences - well, we met those last year as well, the usual claggers included, and that''s why I said in my original reply that if Jamie  is going to get goals for you he needs  the ball to no more than chest high or feet because he''s not tall enough to deal effectively with stuff in the air. So I think you have to find a player who can do that for him.  He can turn big defenders but the delivery has to be in the right place first.

 

 

 

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="buddhaboy"]dont suppose you went to charlton,
cureton would have done F.A there
they had 4 defenders who were 6ft at least, 2 being about 6ft 4,
and they were very dirty,
we didnt have enough in midfield to get the ball up into their box
and brown tried hard but didnt get the headers,
so really, he was right to drop cureton

[/quote]

Well Jamie played against big defences for Colchester last season - they are not a new invention and he''s quite capable of turning big defenders.  As I tried to say in my lengthy bit it seems to me that if you are to get real benefit from him you need to devise a strategy where he gets balls that he can control first time. Or a partner who can devise runs with him.  Leaving aside big defenders, it''s no good pumping balls in the air to him - he''s not tall enough to have much chance with those.

I would not drop him because of the size of the opposition defence as long as there was a provider who knows how to get the ball to him as he wants.  That''s the crucial thing, to me, if you are to benefit from him.  If you don''t do that I fear it is a waste of money.  The (then) Manager of the U''s worked it out fairly quickly and you can call it luck or you can call it judgment but it worked.

I think your Manager called him a fox in the box and at his best he is that (in my opinion).  However, he ain''t a giraffe.

[Graham Humphrey 13]

[quote user="C.T"][quote user="Graham Humphrey"]

[quote user="C.T"]Bly, Colchester are doing better than us this season[/quote]

They''ve got the same number of points as us...

[/quote]

Yea I saw on the beeb site as soo as id posted this. However they''ve gone to places like Sheff United and drawn where as we''ll probably get beaten

[/quote]

Can''t really argue with that.

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="hogesar"][quote user="camuldonum"]

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

 

Try being a NORWICH supporter. ''even'' doesn''t come into the question. Alot of posters enjoy "im returning my season ticket" "Rubbish" "awful" "managers rubbish" "board''s fault"

Cheery lot isn''t it?

[/quote]

I can sort of see what I think the "Norwich problem" is.  It''s just my take, of course, but you''ve tasted the big time and I guess once you have done that and played Old Trafford and the like you want it again.  I think it''s too early in the season to be calling for heads (personally) but just viewed from afar (and with scant knowledge of your players apart from Cureton, Dion and Hucks, who I respect tremendously) I think your greatest need is to get a settled starting squad.

But if you read other boards you''ve got Preston in despair (and allegedly with dressing room probs which is never good), Sheffield Wednesday too traumatised to post much, Charlton moaning about their defence and so on.....so you are not alone.

Personally, I do think people should get behind their team although I know the frustrations as well as anyone.  However, I do think Norwich have a great fan base and are very lucky in that respect but I don''t think you can rely on that to automatically take them back up.  For year after year I thought we would make it to the Championship and we never did until................

In a way I''m lucky because I think it fair to say we don''t have your aspirations at this stage.  For us, with 70  years in lower leagues, it is a matter of consolidation, survival even.  Our concern at the moment is to avoid the so called "second season syndrome" and stay in the Championship so that''s an aim which is probably less stressful (although if we are bottom of the table by March come back to me on this).

On a personal note I am very much concerned that whoever is promoted to the Premier League this season will have to find very considerable sums of money to stay there.   Where this is going to come from for some clubs is not entirely clear to me but as a precaution  I am endeavouring to convince the owner of an oil company in Novosibirsk that his maternal grandmother was born at Great Horkesley.  It''s proving tough.

On a similarly lighter note I think it worth repeating a post on a U''s board last season when it looked, for a while, as if we might make the play offs.

"Christ," said an anguished poster.  "Does everyone realise that if were to get into the Premier League we''d have to ground share with Ipswich............"

Being a football fan is, indeed, very tough.

I think at the end of the day the true fans will still be there regardless of whatever happens although possibly mightily &*^^%£ off of course. 

Of course, the annoying thing is that once the whistle goes we can''t do anything about it at all except go on message boards afterwards.

I''ve been watching football for well over half a century and seen the game change out of recognition in that time and not always for the best.  It''s too early to despair boys and girls - honest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Cheers Calodonum - appreciate your time on this one.

I agree the key is getting a true partner for Cureton to bring the best out of him, he doesnt click with brown.  The style of football will remain an issue as we do like a long ''pass'' nowadays.

I have long mentioned the team ethic and agree colchester exceed in making the team better than the sum parts while city appear to be doing the reverse when it was that very team unity trhat helped carry us to the championship so recently  - I was hoping we would see more of that this season but not enough of it has come through. 

Not sure I agree with the lone striker thing - Derby used steve howard that way last season,  but the way we are using it is a problem so unless we add some supportive pace from midfield we have to return to 442

It seems that our style of play is not good for Jamie - so dropping him may be a common thing unless we learn to pass AND he hits it off quickly with either hux or dave...

 

[/quote]

Well, if you don''t find a partner for him I don''t think he will be able to do much for you.  If you can, I think he probably will.  He''s a finisher not a "maker" (my opinion).

I think team ethic is tremendously important and, at the moment I would agree, is making us slightly better than the sum of our parts.

It''s a funny thing.  When we signed Sheringham all and sundry came on our boards saying how he would "destroy" our team - star status and all that.  The Big I Am.  Undoubtedly he is on the biggest money of the squad by far.

I''ve got one or two friends inside Layer Road and in fact the opposite has happened so far.  He''s a dressing room inspiration, has spent hours with the youngsters, both pre-season and currently and (alledgedly) is sometimes giving the half time talks or contributing to them!  And, if true, why not?

And by chance we are also reasonably close to his preferred golf courses...........

Our Manager is also pretty much untried but at the moment I like his style.  Against Burnley John White got skinned and we were 2-0 down in a short spell.  He''s only a youngster and he just didn''t have the experience but it will likely come and so he found himself substituted in the 28th minute before it became 3-0.  Thereafter we were back in the game and although we lost we were certainly contenders.  I thought that a brave decision.

My main worry is Elokobi in the January transfer season.  We know he is being watched by people (and not just Celtic).  He''s a left back from Cameroon built like a brick outhouse who actually thinks he is a forward and, at the moment, a "pinpoint" crosser of the ball. 

If he could only remember to get back as well...........

And hopefully his agent has not negotiated one of "those" contracts!

Long hard season ahead.  Away to Blackpool us.  That won''t be easy but hopefully we will go at them and see what happens.

 

 

 

[macdougalls perm 0]

[quote user="camuldonum"][quote user="hogesar"][quote user="camuldonum"]

I love my club with it''s ramshackle players/ground and so I naturally take offence at the phrase "Even Colchester".

Is it possible you could find it within yourself to drop the "even" bit?

[/quote]

 

Try being a NORWICH supporter. ''even'' doesn''t come into the question. Alot of posters enjoy "im returning my season ticket" "Rubbish" "awful" "managers rubbish" "board''s fault"

Cheery lot isn''t it?

[/quote]

I can sort of see what I think the "Norwich problem" is.  It''s just my take, of course, but you''ve tasted the big time and I guess once you have done that and played Old Trafford and the like you want it again.  I think it''s too early in the season to be calling for heads (personally) but just viewed from afar (and with scant knowledge of your players apart from Cureton, Dion and Hucks, who I respect tremendously) I think your greatest need is to get a settled starting squad.

But if you read other boards you''ve got Preston in despair (and allegedly with dressing room probs which is never good), Sheffield Wednesday too traumatised to post much, Charlton moaning about their defence and so on.....so you are not alone.

Personally, I do think people should get behind their team although I know the frustrations as well as anyone.  However, I do think Norwich have a great fan base and are very lucky in that respect but I don''t think you can rely on that to automatically take them back up.  For year after year I thought we would make it to the Championship and we never did until................

In a way I''m lucky because I think it fair to say we don''t have your aspirations at this stage.  For us, with 70  years in lower leagues, it is a matter of consolidation, survival even.  Our concern at the moment is to avoid the so called "second season syndrome" and stay in the Championship so that''s an aim which is probably less stressful (although if we are bottom of the table by March come back to me on this).

On a personal note I am very much concerned that whoever is promoted to the Premier League this season will have to find very considerable sums of money to stay there.   Where this is going to come from for some clubs is not entirely clear to me but as a precaution  I am endeavouring to convince the owner of an oil company in Novosibirsk that his maternal grandmother was born at Great Horkesley.  It''s proving tough.

On a similarly lighter note I think it worth repeating a post on a U''s board last season when it looked, for a while, as if we might make the play offs.

"Christ," said an anguished poster.  "Does everyone realise that if were to get into the Premier League we''d have to ground share with Ipswich............"

Being a football fan is, indeed, very tough.

I think at the end of the day the true fans will still be there regardless of whatever happens although possibly mightily &*^^%£ off of course. 

Of course, the annoying thing is that once the whistle goes we can''t do anything about it at all except go on message boards afterwards.

I''ve been watching football for well over half a century and seen the game change out of recognition in that time and not always for the best.  It''s too early to despair boys and girls - honest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[/quote]

Thanks for that, very interesting!