So the end result is...

[Salopian 1]

laregely replacement - Tierney for Smith and Wilbraham the addition to the strikers.

We have Barnett on "permanent" of course, and we have lost Nelson, and his important goals.

It is all understandable - Nelson could walk away in the summer if he were still fourth in line, and we have apparently received a small amount of money and reduction in wages. The downside is, of course, that one of our three CBs, Whitbread, has an injury record, and it means that if he breaks down again and one of the other two is supended or injured.....

My take is that PL is probably did right in not being fleeced by Brighton or taking on second team Premiership strikers. In general, unless you have a billionaire behind you, January signings are generally poor value for what you have to pay (the other club has to find a replacement and knows that you are desperate.)

I think that our chances of automatic promotion are probably gone. I can''t see us performing week after week at top ability everywhere in the side and with goal-shy strikers. You only have to consider our form in recent weeks, apart from the Cardiff match.

Could we gain promotion via the play-offs?

I think that it will be a challenge to finish in the top six, with so many in a position to achieve this. If we do finish there, I quite fancy our chances. We have shown that we can turn it on against the top clubs.

We surprised many of us and of elsewhere by our efforts this season, and we are ahead of the seven-year plan. If we fail to gain promotion, and sign important players in the summer, we shall have one of the best squads we have had for some time, and be stronger candidates for promotion and life in the Premiership.

[TheGoogler 604]

Why are our chances of automatic promotion "probably gone"? We have gotten ourselves to second with this squad, we still have the loan window should we need it and, personally, I believe talented individuals will always be bettered by a well organised and well drilled team. We have that here and I firmly believe we''ll be in amongst them come the end of the season.

January 31st does not define how a team does in the league.

[Jim Smith 2,608]

I tend to agree although I am still somewhat frustrated that given the position we find ourselves in and the previous quotes from lambert and Bowkett we have not taken a little punt on some extra firepower but perhaps the main point to take out of this is that our chairman (who is probably not used to having 30,000 people hanging on his every word) needs to be a bit more cautious when speaking publically about transfer funds as its really those quotes which got people''s hopes up.

Bennett was clearly the player lambert wanted and it is therefore disppointing we could not get him. I just hope that Lambert has not been left frustrated by our lack of clout in the transfer market and any decision not to bid higher was mutually agreed rather than imposed on him. Unfortunately we were trying to sign a player from the one team in League 1 who not only did not need to sell financially but who also had a greater need to be seen not to be selling because they are right in the middle of trying to fill their new stadium for next season with season ticket holders.

We were a good side before yesterday and we remain one now and you are right that if we don''t go up, the squad next season still looks strong and with only a couple of quality additions ought to be capable of challenging at the right end of the table again. Ruddy looks stronger every game, we have 3 quality centre backs, 2 good full backs and a whole host of good midfielders. For me all we need is some genuine pace out wide and to find a more reliable goalscoring partner for Holt.

 

 

[CJ 1]

Tend to agree with above sentiments as its not only about squad but quality in depth which now Cardiff QPR and Forest have. It is long run in and with injury suspension etc we will struggle and loanees are always a risk.My real concern was if Lambert upset we did not bid higher suspect 1.2m would have done deal for Bennett.Only time will tell but realistically its a punt for play offs now and holding off teams like Leicester who have invested and may come with late run.

[William Darby 0]

WardBarnettWhitbreadAskou in an emergency

[Ginja 43]

Spot on Sal [Y]What we have achieved so far is fantastic and if

we can keep this up and make the play offs then I''d be very pleased,

certainly if it had been offered at the beginning of the season I would

have taken it. We have to be realistic though, there are lots of good

teams in this league, even the ones at the bottom have good players,

look at Sheffield and Crystal Palace for example. I think QPR are on a

roll and will take the title, as for second place though Cardiff,

Swansea, Forest, Leeds and even us are capable of getting it but even if

we do only get a play off spot I would also think us favourites to win.

[York Canary 29]

It''ll be harder still to get out of this league next season

[PurpleCanary 6,378]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]

I tend to agree although I am still somewhat frustrated that given the position we find ourselves in and the previous quotes from lambert and Bowkett we have not taken a little punt on some extra firepower but perhaps the main point to take out of this is that our chairman (who is probably not used to having 30,000 people hanging on his every word) needs to be a bit more cautious when speaking publically about transfer funds as its really those quotes which got people''s hopes up.

Bennett was clearly the player lambert wanted and it is therefore disppointing we could not get him. I just hope that Lambert has not been left frustrated by our lack of clout in the transfer market and any decision not to bid higher was mutually agreed rather than imposed on him. Unfortunately we were trying to sign a player from the one team in League 1 who not only did not need to sell financially but who also had a greater need to be seen not to be selling because they are right in the middle of trying to fill their new stadium for next season with season ticket holders.

We were a good side before yesterday and we remain one now and you are right that if we don''t go up, the squad next season still looks strong and with only a couple of quality additions ought to be capable of challenging at the right end of the table again. Ruddy looks stronger every game, we have 3 quality centre backs, 2 good full backs and a whole host of good midfielders. For me all we need is some genuine pace out wide and to find a more reliable goalscoring partner for Holt.

 

 

[/quote]

 

---

 

A good question, Jim, and I have no idea what the answer is. Although if it was imposed on Lambert it might have been for sound financial reasons. All managers ask for more and more and more. They are failing in their job if they don''t!

 

In this case I think you also have to bear in mind that the Brighton chairman is plainly a highly ambitious man, and a tough negotiator, as befits a sucessful poker player. He showed much more determination - including in public - to hang on to Bennett than some chairman would have done. Possibly - only possibly - we didn''t factor that in. If we thought he was going to fold we got that wrong.

 

[JKUIL 0]

[quote user="Jin"]It''ll be harder still to get out of this league next season[/quote]

 

I couldn''t agree more. To be honest, I am astonished that we have not brought in a proven striker at this pivotal stage of the season and literally with everything to play for. As the MD of Chelsea said on the radio this morning : "it''s not rocket science, strikers are brought into to score goals and defenders are brought in to stop goals from being scored".  Lambert has done extremely well for us but one of his flaws is seemingly not having and eye for a striker. He''s brought in Jackson and Wilbrahams and, let''s face it, they''re goal shy. He brought in Johnson and then farms him out to Yeovil. He sends Cody (a Gunn signing) off to the Gills where''s he''s scoring goals for fun (perhaps we should have kept him and saved our money on Jackson).  He''s brought in MacNamee, hardly plays him and then tries to replace him with another winger who is also unproven at Championship level, but fails probably because  it''s one of the few clubs out there right now who need or want to sell their star player. I wonder how MacNamee is feeling right now, not very happy is my guess. Going back to the quote, what the Chelsea MD didn''t mention is that defenders who can also score goals from set pieces are a bonus. Here we are finding goals to come by and what do we do ? Get rid of Nelson, a bloody good defender who can also score goals. Seems to me that there is just a little bit of a hint of "he''s a Gunn player", I''ve got enough cover so I''ll get rid of him. Watch out Holt ! No, of course he can''t move on Holt because he''s the only player who scores goals with any degree of regularity. Yes, I know that Lambert has done a great job for us and I have a high opinion of him so far but you judge managers over the medium term not the short term and for me a few cracks have started to appear starting with the Burnley fiasco when a simple " ..... and I would like to add that I am happy at Norwich and I''m going nowhere"  would have meant so much and finishing with the closing of the transfer window and no sign of a striker. The only thought I have is that maybe Lambert will bring a striker in on loan - I''ve got to believe that he and the Board realises that we have to go for it whilst the prize of the premiership is so obviously in our reach. Sadly, my view anyway is that whatever happens he''ll be off in the summer.

[blahblahblah 2]

If he''s that good, then Bennett can still come here on a loan with a view to buying.  It depends on how badly he throws his toys out of the pram.Man United, Man City, and Arsenal are the top 3 clubs in the league, and none of them have done business in this window.  I have seen no players join the top championship teams that are any better than the likes of Craig Bellamy for example, and we''ve already played his team twice and find ourselves in 2nd.This team, with a couple of loanees to help, can win promotion.

[Bury Yellow 2]

Oh dear Al, you really are in a glass half empty mood.

I can see where you are coming from but it''s not all quite like you would assume. The ''if he''s a Gunn signing I''ll get rid of him'' is an insult to the intelligence of a very intelligent man. The Holt situation doesn''t stack up either as Lambert wanted Holt at Colchester but couldn''t afford him.

Like you and Jim though, I hope Lambo hasn''t had his nose put out joint!!

[alysha 0]

[quote user="Al Catraz"]

[quote user="Jin"]It''ll be harder still to get out of this league next season[/quote]

 

I couldn''t agree more. To be honest, I am astonished that we have not brought in a proven striker at this pivotal stage of the season and literally with everything to play for. As the MD of Chelsea said on the radio this morning : "it''s not rocket science, strikers are brought into to score goals and defenders are brought in to stop goals from being scored".  Lambert has done extremely well for us but one of his flaws is seemingly not having and eye for a striker. He''s brought in Jackson and Wilbrahams and, let''s face it, they''re goal shy. He brought in Johnson and then farms him out to Yeovil. He sends Cody (a Gunn signing) off to the Gills where''s he''s scoring goals for fun (perhaps we should have kept him and saved our money on Jackson).  He''s brought in MacNamee, hardly plays him and then tries to replace him with another winger who is also unproven at Championship level, but fails probably because  it''s one of the few clubs out there right now who need or want to sell their star player. I wonder how MacNamee is feeling right now, not very happy is my guess. Going back to the quote, what the Chelsea MD didn''t mention is that defenders who can also score goals from set pieces are a bonus. Here we are finding goals to come by and what do we do ? Get rid of Nelson, a bloody good defender who can also score goals. Seems to me that there is just a little bit of a hint of "he''s a Gunn player", I''ve got enough cover so I''ll get rid of him. Watch out Holt ! No, of course he can''t move on Holt because he''s the only player who scores goals with any degree of regularity. Yes, I know that Lambert has done a great job for us and I have a high opinion of him so far but you judge managers over the medium term not the short term and for me a few cracks have started to appear starting with the Burnley fiasco when a simple " ..... and I would like to add that I am happy at Norwich and I''m going nowhere"  would have meant so much and finishing with the closing of the transfer window and no sign of a striker. The only thought I have is that maybe Lambert will bring a striker in on loan - I''ve got to believe that he and the Board realises that we have to go for it whilst the prize of the premiership is so obviously in our reach. Sadly, my view anyway is that whatever happens he''ll be off in the summer.

[/quote]

pretty much agree with most of that, surely we must be getting a loan striker in soon - the poisition we are in is too good to pass up, and we need strikers who can score to capitalise on it

[JKUIL 0]

[quote user="Bury Yellow"]Oh dear Al, you really are in a glass half empty mood.

I can see where you are coming from but it''s not all quite like you would assume. The ''if he''s a Gunn signing I''ll get rid of him'' is an insult to the intelligence of a very intelligent man. The Holt situation doesn''t stack up either as Lambert wanted Holt at Colchester but couldn''t afford him.

Like you and Jim though, I hope Lambo hasn''t had his nose put out joint!![/quote]

To be fair, I only said "just a little bit of a hint of "he''s a Gunn player", I''ve got enough cover so I''ll get rid of him." However, I think it''s true to say that many managers in football and elsewhere would prefer to have their own people. Then if they succeed it''s with their own recruits not those that they inherited or if they fail it''s down to them and not the players or staff they inherited i.e. like with Gunn. Although sometimes you inherit such high quality you have the sense to keep them i.e. Holt and Hoolahan and, probably, Martin.

[canaryfan68 0]

blah blah blah, how can you say that Man City have done no business? They have spent over £27 million on their striker from the German league. If that is doing no business, I''d hate to see them when they get serious ;)

That was the biggest spend til yesterdays Sky bonanza special.

[blahblahblah 2]

oops ! missed that one !  Ok then, Wenger & Fergie have done no business.  But what do they know ? ;)

[blahblahblah 2]

oh, and if the beeb are to be believed, Harry Redknapp didn''t bring anyone in in Jan either.

[canaryfan68 0]

Have to agree with most of what Al Catraz says....I feel some great points are made and I''d agree about PL''s transfer dealings with strikers.

Where he has made some superb signings in defence and midfield I am not convinced with his signatures up front. Oli is out on loan, Mcnamee doesn''t deliver and Jackson hasn''t shown much.

I feel though Nelson was as much a business decision rather than anything else. However it is a shame about being the only central defender able to score goals in the oppostions penalty box. (yes Barnett has got one but he gets into good enough positions to warrant a better return)

I hope we do something in the loan market but am not convinced.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,787]

[quote user="canaryfan68"]Have to agree with most of what Al Catraz says....I feel some great points are made and I''d agree about PL''s transfer dealings with strikers. Where he has made some superb signings in defence and midfield I am not convinced with his signatures up front. Oli is out on loan, Mcnamee doesn''t deliver and Jackson hasn''t shown much. I feel though Nelson was as much a business decision rather than anything else. However it is a shame about being the only central defender able to score goals in the oppostions penalty box. (yes Barnett has got one but he gets into good enough positions to warrant a better return) I hope we do something in the loan market but am not convinced.[/quote]

 

I think we need to bear in mind exactly what we are looking for. People keep describing a "proven" goal scorer. But facts tell us that anyone "proven" is attracting massive amounts of money (Bent, Torres) and that the rest of us scrap around looking for people that have a decent scoring record , but usually in a division or two lower than we currently play in. Jackson, Johnson and Wilbreham all fall into this, Cody too so what we are actually doing is buying what we can and hoping the PL can work him magic on them.

Last year we had two proven goalscorers, Chris Martin and Wes, that haven''t scored as many this year. We also had Oli who got a few very important goals.

Tough to find them guys, however much we want to ....