Just home from the match...

[Yelverton Yella 0]

Having just got home from the match (stayed with my Norwich supporting mate who lives in Coventry!) I''ve been catching up on the message board and newspaper comments about yesterday''s performance.Firstly, I have seldom enjoyed a match so much despite losing 2-0.  Alright, some of you will say that I have no ambition, am easily satisfied and should only care about the result.... At the end of the season it is true that, to coin a phrase, it is ''points that mean prizes'' but for the first League game after the wholesale changes engineered by GR I thought there was a huge amount to be excited by!Cov fans pre-match were certain they were going to walk all over us- my mate ordered a cab from his Coventry address to the ground and the despatcher said cheerfully,'' You''ll enjoy today, we''re bound to win!''We turned up at the Ricoh with no idea of what to expect and very quickly revelled in the fact that for the first time for what seems like ages, we were playing football the ''Norwich Way''. Crisp passing, lots of movement, sharp in the tackle, not hoofing it out of defence and, frankly, playing Cov off the park despite the ref''s best endeavours to even it up..We worried, rightly as it turned out, that failure to convert superiority into goals would prove costly despite Coventry''s attacks being rare and impotent.A worrying moment when it seemed a red card was inevitable and then grateful to go into half time at 0-0 with 11 players on the pitch.Then, almost immediately after half-time, what looked from a pitch length away, a very soft penalty and the feeling that the ref perhaps reflected over half-time that he maybe should have sent off Stefanovic and thought he''d make amends to Cov.The rest of the game was perhaps predictable with Cov wasting time at every opportunity and disrupting our rhythm and a good penalty shout for us waved away. Fate decreed that McKenzie had to score against us from a ball that seemed to roll along the top of the crossbar. In truth, a rather limp ending to the game after OJ''s failure to convert a 1 on 1.Discussion in the bars of Cov. last night acknowledged that ''the best team lost'' and most were glad to have played us at the beginning of the season because they think we have the basis of a very good team .In some ways of course it was all so predictable. Everyone acknowledges that we need a good, big, striker- not to hoof the ball to but to get on the end of crosses, dead ball moves and to hold the ball up to play in the smaller men and, if we had that man yesterday I am certain we would have won. Do I blame GR / Delia or whoever for not having the guy in place yet? No. On yesterday''s showing I am so glad we didn''t go for Eastwood or Morrison and I wouldn''t want Howard either. I''d rather wait a couple more weeks if necessary and get the right ''missing link''- Iverson would be my choice to fit in with the style of football we played yesterday.In summary, despite the result, there were a lot of positives. The defence looked better than it has for a long time and, despite the criticism on here, Shackell surprised me by being a better than adequate stand in  at LB. Croft and Fozzy worry me with the ''headless chicken'' syndrome making an appearance again and I think Bell and Russell will stake their claims for these places.Hoolahan will be superb- a genuinely exciting creative player- and, for a vertically challenged guy, not afraid to go in with his head and put his foot in when tackling back. OK, he only has one foot but I''ll live with that for all the rest he brings!Lupoli looks good and will improve as he hones his fitness and will probably win the battle with Curo to play alongside the new ''big man'' although Curo will have an important role in the squad.I was obviously at a different match from some of the reporters- even Chris Coleman admitted that Norwich were unlucky.To finish on a sour note. Some of the posts on here have disgusted me. I am neither for nor against the Board- I support the football team and have done for almost (God help me!) 50 years. I don''t understand those who, despite all the evidence, believe that money buys instant success and that the only players worth watching are those who cost millions. All I know is that, whether from choice or necessity, (and I am surprised if it''s the latter,he hasn''t commented on it!) GR is building a team that I will enjoy watching and, what''s more, with the forthcoming additions, I strongly believe will be successful in this League.Please, let''s all leave aside the divisions and poisonous comments and get on with supporting our team!OTBC

[jetstream 0]

Interesting post - thanks for the review.

[Beauseant 0]

Top post,but it will cut little ice with the professional malcontents that haunt this forum.However,for those of us who actually want to see City do well,rather than have our preconceptions about the Board and St Peter of Cullum proven correct at all costs,it made a refreshing change.Thank you.

[Bury Yellow 2]

Agreed a top post. I was there too and agree with all your points.

Just to stick my finger in your ointment re potential comments by Roeder about the board backing him or not, I think it is a common clause in a contract that he cannot criticise his employees.

As for your comment Beauseant, you have your opinion others may disagree but that doesn''t mean me or others with a different view of the board are professional malcontents. We all want the best for NCFC and different opinions make the world go round.

Hopefully happy days are just around the corner!

[O.T.B.C 0]

Good post. I think everybody who went seems to have the same opinion, I really can''t wait for next week, hopefully the sun is shining, the new striker is brought in and we have a nice big result.

[canary cherub 1]

Interesting report YY, many thanks.  I was wondering about the Stefanovic issue - summariser on Radio 5 agreed with you, a bit lucky to stay on.

But why make a comment about "professional malcontents" and then say let''s stop being poisonous and divisive?  You just did the very thing you were objecting to!  It was unnecessary and totally out of place in the context of your report.  Takes two to tango you know.

 

[Yelverton Yella 0]

Not guilty m''lud! It wasn''t in my original post.....

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="Yelverton Yella"]Not guilty m''lud! It wasn''t in my original post.....
[/quote]

Fair enough you didn''t use those words, that was Bury Yellow''s summation of what you had said.  The point still stands however.  You threw in something about being disgusted at people who have issues with the board over funding.  It was entirely gratuitous and out of place in what purported to be a match report.

 

[Alan_Grey 0]

[quote user="Fat Strawberry"]It was entirely gratuitous and out of place in what purported to be a match report.[/quote]Haha you cheeky swine, how dare you tell people what to put in their own posts?

[Yelverton Yella 0]

FS, just to clarify as there seems to be some misunderstanding, I am not ''disgusted at people who have issues over funding''. I too have issues over funding and would love to give GR a war chest to go out and buy exactly the players he wants to bring into the club although I think a successful team is built with more than just money. In what is still supposed to be a free country, everybody is entitled to their opinion on the funding issue.The people I AM disgusted with are those who ;a) Criticise players before they have had a chance to prove themselves or otherwise in competitive matches or knock them on the basis of radio or press reports without seeing for themselves.b) Judge the worth of players purely by their price tag (I think GR has got some fantastic bargains by playing the ''Bosman'' / release clause game).c) Conduct vendettas against players who are doing their best for the team (if they''re not good enough, it''s the Manager''s job to sort it).d) Reduce every argument to ''black'' or ''white'' and resort to personally attacking anybody with the opposing view.e) Seem to want the team to fail to prove their point...As I said, or at least meant to say, I am neither for nor against the Board at the moment. If they and GR can produce a successful team playing football the ''Norwich Way'' on a shoestring then I will applaud them. If, on the other hand, we have another season like the last couple then I too would be looking for a change. Finally, I wasn''t particularly posting a match report, just a few thoughts that occurred to me 24 hours on from the match- Sorry, I didn''t realise that I was not allowed to comment if I posted a match report!OTBC

[canary cherub 1]

YY you are allowed to say absolutely anything you like within the code of conduct, as is any other poster including those you are disgusted with.

 

[Chrisr 0]

[quote user="Canaries in Bed"]

Good post. I think everybody who went seems to have the same opinion, I really can''t wait for next week, hopefully the sun is shining, the new striker is brought in and we have a nice big result.

[/quote]Sir, I subscribe to all of the above comments apart from one. I simply cannot believe a person of your undoubted intelligence, forsight and desire to see us do well would even contemplate the notion that the sun will shine next Saturday. New strikers yes, a big result certainly, the sun shining. Do me lemon..........

[O.T.B.C 0]

[quote user="Chrisr"][quote user="Canaries in Bed"]

Good post. I think everybody who went seems to have the same opinion, I really can''t wait for next week, hopefully the sun is shining, the new striker is brought in and we have a nice big result.

[/quote]

Sir, I subscribe to all of the above comments apart from one. I simply cannot believe a person of your undoubted intelligence, forsight and desire to see us do well would even contemplate the notion that the sun will shine next Saturday. New strikers yes, a big result certainly, the sun shining. Do me lemon..........
[/quote]

Lol, come on its traditional for the sun to shine on our 1st game. Nothing better in the world. ok there is, but you catch my drift.

And as for intelligence from me, its a very rare thing, normally between bouts of Family Guy, as Peter Griffin makes me look like a scientist.

[lucky green trainers 0]

[quote user="Yelverton Yella"]FS, just to clarify as there seems to be some misunderstanding, I am not ''disgusted at people who have issues over funding''. I too have issues over funding and would love to give GR a war chest to go out and buy exactly the players he wants to bring into the club although I think a successful team is built with more than just money. In what is still supposed to be a free country, everybody is entitled to their opinion on the funding issue.The people I AM disgusted with are those who ;a) Criticise players before they have had a chance to prove themselves or otherwise in competitive matches or knock them on the basis of radio or press reports without seeing for themselves.b) Judge the worth of players purely by their price tag (I think GR has got some fantastic bargains by playing the ''Bosman'' / release clause game).c) Conduct vendettas against players who are doing their best for the team (if they''re not good enough, it''s the Manager''s job to sort it).d) Reduce every argument to ''black'' or ''white'' and resort to personally attacking anybody with the opposing view.e) Seem to want the team to fail to prove their point...As I said, or at least meant to say, I am neither for nor against the Board at the moment. If they and GR can produce a successful team playing football the ''Norwich Way'' on a shoestring then I will applaud them. If, on the other hand, we have another season like the last couple then I too would be looking for a change. Finally, I wasn''t particularly posting a match report, just a few thoughts that occurred to me 24 hours on from the match- Sorry, I didn''t realise that I was not allowed to comment if I posted a match report!OTBC[/quote]i''m glad you saw fit to clarify your earlier statement YY, which now makes reasonable reading -  because having agreed with much of what you said, your final comments seemed to sour the post for me...it seems clear roedy has wheeled and dealed well on a ''meagre'' budget and we all await a decent striker now to complete his jigsaw?<>this side has potential to achieve, but thats all presently, only time will tell...but given it is a squad built on a shoestring, its only natural for people to doubt their worth and potential, fearing they will fail to deliver...surely not even the most optimistic fan should realistically believe we have assembled a ''top-6'' side...yet???the most credible, sensible and proven way to acheive success is to spend money on quality players, whether through purchases or loans (ipswich are rumoured to be loaned nugent for a season at a cost of £2m loan fee)...this route is time honoured and entirely rational.,/ so by deduction and this reasoning - its obvious the NCFC board have failed to back roedy sufficiently with the funds needed to assemble a side with a credible chance of promotion...thats not to say they don''t have a chance, and i agree with you, its too early to reasonably know, but in the circumstances many will question and doubt the team...no-one should be beyond scrutiny<>> 

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="Fat Strawberry"]

YY you are allowed to say absolutely anything you like within the code of conduct, as is any other poster including those you are disgusted with.

[/quote]

You too are allowed to say wahtever you want Fat Strawberry but it might be helpful if you properly digested who said what before responding to it. First you incorrectly accused Yelverton Yellow of referring to malcontents, then when he pointed out he did not, you then incorrectly attributed that responsibility to Bury Yellow''s summation.Bury Yellow was simply responding to the "malcontent" comment made by Beauseant, who is your real target. Now attack!  

[Bury Yellow 2]

Allow me to clear this up. It was not YY that mentioned malcontents etc., it was Beauseant a couple posts down from the original.

I have a mac and i cannot highlight quotes without it looking messy!

[Yelverton Yella 0]

Lucky, I understand where you are coming from and agree with much of what you say. It''s just that unlike the market in almost any other ''commodity'', you can spend obscene amounts of money on individual players and still end up with a ''substandard product'' with no guarantees.Perhaps the better analogy would be to view the team and its performance as the ''product'' and the individual players and facilitators (coaches, managers etc) as components. An individual component may be relatively inexpensive but, if it fits perfectly into the matrix, it has the ability to move the finished product into a premium position.Looking at the way in which GR has been going about his business, I just have the feeling (and hope!) that he has actually chosen to purchase/loan relatively inexpensive components which will fit together well and be turned into the finished, premium, product with the addition of one expensive final part!!Let''s hope it''s the Rolls Royce and not the Tata which comes off the production line....

[lucky green trainers 0]

[quote user="Yelverton Yella"]Lucky, I understand where you are coming from and agree with much of what you say. It''s just that unlike the market in almost any other ''commodity'', you can spend obscene amounts of money on individual players and still end up with a ''substandard product'' with no guarantees.Perhaps the better analogy would be to view the team and its performance as the ''product'' and the individual players and facilitators (coaches, managers etc) as components. An individual component may be relatively inexpensive but, if it fits perfectly into the matrix, it has the ability to move the finished product into a premium position.Looking at the way in which GR has been going about his business, I just have the feeling (and hope!) that he has actually chosen to purchase/loan relatively inexpensive components which will fit together well and be turned into the finished, premium, product with the addition of one expensive final part!!Let''s hope it''s the Rolls Royce and not the Tata which comes off the production line....

[/quote]fair enough YY - for me, roedy stated he wanted 6/7 prem/champs ''inbetweenies'' cos that implies a squad with genuine prem ambition./. roedy wants to be successful, is clearly ambitious,  and has high standards to suit'''''' this bodes well for NCFC in my view.,/however, given his budget - its understandable that he''s probably short of his original pre-season aim- at the mo.  but  i also think some of his signings at least have the potential to develop this season into ''inbetweenies'' - he''s got some good boys in/,.and if they realise their potential, then sure - we will have an exciting season.,/ by the same token, if roedy had a budget of £20m, he may well have chosen different targets!!!

 

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Bury Yellow"]Allow me to clear this up. It was not YY that mentioned malcontents etc., it was Beauseant a couple posts down from the original. I have a mac and i cannot highlight quotes without it looking messy![/quote]

 

It appears that my comment has both been incorrectly attributed to YY and slightly misinterpreted.My intention was not to denigrate those who have different opinions to me,or ,indeed,those who want to argue rationally.My intended targets were the likes of Wiz and Cluckcaster who seem to actually derive pleasure from the fact that the team they purport to support lost yesterday,simply because it suits their anti Board,anti Roeder campaign.For the record,I am a big Roeder fan,but neutral on the Board issue.However,having a lot of first hand experience of how Mr Cullum operates,I do not subscribe to his image as the club''s saviour.I hope that clarifies matters.

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="Beauseant"]

[quote user="Bury Yellow"]Allow me to clear this up. It was not YY that mentioned malcontents etc., it was Beauseant a couple posts down from the original. I have a mac and i cannot highlight quotes without it looking messy![/quote]

 

It appears that my comment has both been incorrectly attributed to YY and slightly misinterpreted.My intention was not to denigrate those who have different opinions to me,or ,indeed,those who want to argue rationally.My intended targets were the likes of Wiz and Cluckcaster who seem to actually derive pleasure from the fact that the team they purport to support lost yesterday,simply because it suits their anti Board,anti Roeder campaign.For the record,I am a big Roeder fan,but neutral on the Board issue.However,having a lot of first hand experience of how Mr Cullum operates,I do not subscribe to his image as the club''s saviour.I hope that clarifies matters.

[/quote]

On the contrary, Beauseant, I think that you have just opened a can of worms that many will be wondering just what''s behind the Peter Cullum reference.

[Bury Yellow 2]

Fair comment Beauseant. I too am aware of how PC operates, I also have some idea of how the board operates.

Of course it is just opinions. I happen to think PC is just what this club needs. If he wants it, he will get it.

Meanwhile i just hope the board has learnt from it''s many many mistakes and that at the very least somemone tapes up Doomcasters mouth!