LAMBERT - BOXING CLEVER

[Capt_Canary 0]

I am a little surprised to see such negativity about our signings so far. Are we really to start doubting a manager who has re-built a completely new team and taken us from League One mediocrity to the Premiership in two seasons?Lambert really is the ''Special One'' and I of full belief we will stay up next season. Under Worthington we nearly stayed up and that was signing complete rubbish like Helveg (past it and on a last pay day), Simon Charlton and waiting half a season for him to realise we desperately need a striker, cue Dean Ashton''s arrival which transformed our season. Blackpool nearly stayed up and that was relying on people like DJ Campbell, Charlie Adam, David Vaughan, who had been written off prior to the season as not being deemed Premiership standard.Lambert has excellent tactical awareness and backs that up with a positive, winning mentality. He will attack, attack, attack until the game has been won. Man management is up there with anyone. Has anyone ever heard a bad word said against him by a player? Look at the end of season dinner and he was even building up players like Matt Gill and praising his influence on team, even though he was a non-starter in our promotion campaign. He has left the club and yet Lambert has been nothing short of praise of him.Lambert has reacted quickly and already we have landed Morrison and Vaughan, arguably two of the Championship''s best strikers. Morrison has certain Dean Ashton characteristics and is good in the air. He will certainly sharpen up Holt''s game and make sure he is firing on all cylinders. People like Bobby Zamora came up from the lower leagues via Bristol & Brighton so there is no reason Morrison cannot perform to that level. There will have been reasons why Lambert choose not to go for Danny Graham (who has looked great this season). Maybe it was due to him only really coming on this season and he is 25 years old. Maybe his desire or work ethos is not to Lambert''s standards. He requires more than simply ability.We would all love to get carried away with big names coming to Norwich but lets take a reality check. We got relegated and were signing players like Carl Cort, Antoine Siberski, Arturo Lupoli, all massive names and they offered us nothing! People like John Hartson when he came to Norwich was a massive signing and big name but never have had the effect or desire in a Norwich shirt, wearing the yellow and green like some of our gems from the lower leagues.Lambert is trying to sign proven and tested Championship players, ones with desire, ones with hunger and people like Morrison, Snodgrass are two of the best in the league. If we go down at first attempt then we will possibly have one of the best and most stable Championship sides around and maybe we will be a yo-yo team like West Brom who proves it can be done.In Lambert we trust......

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I like the PL ''give the group a hand'' mantra and his humble approach to the Prem which is used to fire up his players while taking pressure off them.

Already, it seems to me the way Norwich have hit the ground running - new contracts for the management and coaching staff - players identified and coming in early has made observers sit up and take notice.

Note the ages of these players too and their apparent athleticism.

I suspect we have yet to see a really big signing and have a sneaking suspicion the real money will go on a centre half and possibly goalkeeper; the latter in terms of salary.

Good thoughtful OP. How great it is to see NCFC so positively managed and led. These are halycon days.

[Norfolk Mustard 106]

Well said Capt Canary!

 

In the mad world of today, I am enjoying watching my favourite team at last being led by people who look like they know what they’re doing!

 

Ever since they arrived (McNally, Lambert & Co) I have admired the professional, well thought out approach they have brought to developing this club. Sensible decisions, prudent management, respect, humility, ambition, determination, persistence. I could go on - the list is endless!

 

It’s just great to have such genuine hope isn’t it? Not wishful thinking like so many times before, but proper faith in what can happen here in the future. It’s a two-way thing – and this board and management team know it.

 

Some really excellent players already recruited; the ones PL has watched personally (given his busy match schedule with the Norwich first team how the heck did he do that I wonder?) and probably more good ‘uns to come.

 

These are good times – let’s enjoy it while it’s here!

 

[Graham Humphrey 13]

Excellent post.These are really exciting times to be supporting Norwich City, seeing us spend good money on players we genuinely want and without wasting any time, with no sign of it stopping any time soon either.  And signing the right type of player, too (anyone criticising the players we are signing for not being ''big names'' are missing the point).  Seriously, who would have thought it possible two years ago?  The best young manager in the country guiding us to successive promotions and a board who know what they are doing and not scared to back their manager.I would suggest to those who aren''t happy - ENJOY IT because one day, this will all pass, and you''ll look back on it and regret that you didn''t enjoy a truly incredible period for the club as much as you should have done.

[super dave 0]

Well said Capt CanaryIt''s nice to read a sensible post on here for a change

[Mr.Carrow 394]

Good thread, these are halcyon days and at last the little ol`norwich mentality which has dogged the club for years is being kicked into touch. There are threads on here moaning about us poaching a 24 year-old (ie: we get the best years of his career...) with very decent stats from a top Champs club on a free from under the noses of other Prem clubs. Words fail me.....

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Totally Agree. The doubters are only a handfull though and they probably would moan about Alex Ferguson too

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Norfolk Mustard"]

Well said Capt Canary!

 

In the mad world of today, I am enjoying watching my favourite team at last being led by people who look like they know what they’re doing!

 

Ever since they arrived (McNally, Lambert & Co) I have admired the professional, well thought out approach they have brought to developing this club. Sensible decisions, prudent management, respect, humility, ambition, determination, persistence. I could go on - the list is endless!

 

It’s just great to have such genuine hope isn’t it? Not wishful thinking like so many times before, but proper faith in what can happen here in the future. It’s a two-way thing – and this board and management team know it.

 

Some really excellent players already recruited; the ones PL has watched personally (given his busy match schedule with the Norwich first team how the heck did he do that I wonder?) and probably more good ‘uns to come.

 

These are good times – let’s enjoy it while it’s here!

 

[/quote]

 

Absolutely right. Agree with every word.

[Jez 0]

People would moan if we bought big names because they''d ruin the team spirit and be paid to much salary.  People just like to moan, especially on the internet.I totally agree with the OP and the others who''ve said that this is an exciting time to support the club.  I remember when we didn''t make any signings til late in the summer but now if I haven''t checked newsnow for a few hours I keep expecting to have missed a transfer, or at least a bid.  If the Bennett and Johnson rumours come to fuition then we''ll have signed 4 players that should definitely be fighting for first team places by mid June.  Throw in a couple of defenders and we''ve got the makings of a team that should have as good a shot as anyone at staying up.

[UEA Canary 0]

has there been much negativity about our transfer activity thus far?! all i''ve seen is mostly positive comments about our approach, of course at every club there''ll be some that just want to moan at everything and are never happy, but i''d say 95% of the fans are delighted with the way our squads shaping up for next season as well as with the names we are being linked with currently.

[ABC (A Basingstoke Canary) 26]

Brilliant post Capt_Canary

 

You summed up PL perfectly:

"Man management is up there with anyone. Has anyone ever heard a bad word said against him by a player? Look at the end of season dinner and he was even building up players like Matt Gill and praising his influence on team, even though he was a non-starter in our promotion campaign. He has left the club and yet Lambert has been nothing short of praise of him."

I think the best way that I can describe PL''s man management skills is that he treats the players as if they are his own family - and like most proud family heads, will never have a bad thing to say about any member of the family (no matter how bad any individual plays). That''s why they will move mountains for him - he shows that he really cares about them as individuals.

[Wembley_Canary 0]

Has their been that much negativity though? I have seen a few crazy comments about how uninspiring our signings have been but for the most part everyone seems happy with how Lambert is going about his business and his policy of buying young hungry talent from outside the Prem. Fans who haven''t learned to trust Lambert''s judgment by now probably never will.

[Yellowfuture 71]

The there will always be someone raising the critical flag, most of them then qualify what they say cos unless they have been living on the moon for the last few years they must be insane to even suggest critisism of what we are doing! We are still in celebratory mode and long may it continue, I am truly privelaged to be a City fan at the moment. Enjoy it!

[Bill 1,788]

I think one of the big mistakes some fans seem to be making is that the club is making up stuff on the hoof. This has been pretty much a continous process since the summer of 2009. The players recently signed were identified and targetted way back. Check back to when we signed the chief scout from Rangers and see what his remit was.

Anyone still daft enough to still be bleating about ''big names'' have clearly not been seeing what has been going on at the club. To use a corny expression the squad has been geared up to produce a well oiled machine (not in the Delia sense of well oiled I might add. Players who we dismissed were sceptical of have been ''knocked into shape'' until they fit the pattern and have came in and done an excellent job.

i don''t doubt this will happen this season and pre season. Some will fall by the wayside and thankfully the Lambert/the club is ruthless enough to move them on quickly. For many it''s been a long while since we had a team where there is not an obvious ''boo boy''. A team or squad where you wondered why a certain player was still with the club. I''m sure, as raised in other threads there will be departures this summer. It''s a very high standard that will be required. players like McNamee, Tudor-Jones and Johnson were brought into a League 1 set up. Russel Martin has stepped up - it will be curious to see how many Lambert thinks can.

As to what we will achieve I am reminded of the Not''m Forest team who came up from the old second division into the first and won the title, going on to win the European Cup. I am not expecting that now, the gulf is fa far wider, but I am fairly certain that we will surprise quite a few, not least some of the ''moaners'' on here.

The players coming look to be fast and competitive. something I''m sure will be the watchword for the team.They''ll go into ''lock down'' in Germany where the Lambert way of doing things will be practised and drtummed into them so expect them to hit the ground running right from the start of the season. It will be a squad of players wanting to succeed with a manager and coaching squad more than able to make that success happen.

The idea that we should assemble a squad of eager players the add a sprinkling of big names brought together after a couple of months, then have a week or so at Colney and a couple of decent friendlies to then challenge in probably the top league in the world is ludicrous.

As many have said these are great times to be a City fan. So lets have Man U, at home,. on the opening Saturday, at 3pm ... and start where Barcelona left off !