It really doesnt matter that we dont have much premiership experience and here's why....

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

Firstly I think our squad as it is at the moment is as good as the average lower half premiership side in my opinion and I think the signings (espeically Bennett and De Laet) enhance the quality of an already very capable squad. Of course we dont know how any of the new guys will do but then again there is always a risk when acquiring new players.If you look at our signings the last time we got promoted (and for one stupid stupid game at Craven Cottage we would have stayed up) we signed a lot of ''risky'' players. Risky because only Graham Stewart, Doc, Simon Charlton and D. Bentley on loan had premiership experience. Dean Ashton, Bentley and Safri were arguably our best signings that close season and only one of  those 3 (Bentley) had premiership experience and you have to remember that he was a young loan player and didnt exactly have buckets of premiership experience (cant actually remember if Safri had played there before?).The likes of Matias Jonson (I still shudder when I think about him playing here..), Helveg and Graham Stewart were arguably no better than what we already had..Hucks was the only player in our squad when we won the title (not including the new signings that year) with premiership experience I believe- where as this time we haf Ruddy, Whitbread, Drury, Surman, Barnett and Ward with any premiership experience-(correct me if I''m wrong).- again not including the 4 signings.So actually you can argue that although individually our players (before the signings this pre-season) dont have much premiership experience actually overall we have a lot more experience throughout a greater number of players as opposed to just Hucks (before the preseason in 04/05) who was the only player with premiership experience.Whats more I think our signings this year have been lots better than the washed up, looking for one last big pay day players that we signed last time - Jonson, Helveg being 2 examples.If you include J.V and Ritchie De Laet as 2 more players with premiership experience then the list just grows...We almost stayed up last time with a far worse squad (in my opinion) so I''m full of confidence that we can stay up this time!OTBC!

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

Plus of course Paul Lambert is a far better manager compared to Worthy.

[jed exodous 0]

When i''ve mentioned experience, i''m looking for players who have played more than just a handful of games in the prem. Players like Whitbred, De Laet, Vaughan, ok, yes they have actually appeared in a team, but by experience, i''d rather see players who have played 100 or so games or more maybe. Yeah they''re not always cheap, but theres more than enough players available.

Only time will tell, i hope i''m wrong, but i think we could be in for a very tough season. Arguably, you could say our fitness won us promotion last season. So many late goals won us, what, around 15-20 points or so. I cant see that our level of fitness will give us as much as last season, we''re gonna need more mentally this season.

[KeelansGlove 0]

I would be interested in your suggestions of players with the level of premiership expericnce you mentioned that were not either over the hill or recently relegated showing that they couldnt cut it.

[Bill 1,788]

But how will non Premier League players know how to play Premier League football.

You wait till the first game. Wigan will kick off and Norwich''s players will be expecting Wigan to pass to one of their players who might pas it to another or hit it forward.

Just the same with corners and goal kicks. Tthe Norwich players will be expecting a Wigan player to kick the ball into play towards the goal or upfield for the latter .. and will be caught out. Have you seen how Premier League players take throw ins, how the ball is usually in FRONT of them when they are running with it. We are in for a big shock.

Players should not be allowed to play in any Premier League game (for any club) unless they have played in the Premier League before, with lots of games so they are experienced.

Personally it''s the fans I''m worried about. Many at Carrow Road have never seen Premier League football so we need more Premier League fans. Perhaps the club could bring in some of the old regulars to replace the kids and happy clappies who will struggle.

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

FAO City1st:

You exactly what I was getting at....

I think I prefer your anti scummer rants ;)

[Bill 1,788]

The joke was aimed at the endless '' experienced Premier players'' bleats from the ragbag of kids, happy clappies, and plastic fans who seem to imagine that Premier League football is some different game.

It is not. The players may or may not be of better quality, the management and coaching may or may not be of better quality ... and that''s about it.

To claim otherwise is as ridiculous as to put up an argument that the fans need experienced Premier league fans to help them cope with watching Premier League games.

ps do keep up CT

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

Although I kind of agree with you City1st there are significant differences to the way football is played in the Premier League to the style in the Championship, and it will take players not use to this style a while to adapt.The style in the Premier League is increasingly becoming more like a European style, especially like the football played in the Bundesliga. The possession style still isn''t as apparent as in Spain or Italy, but it is becoming an increasing trend (although there are obvious exceptions with Stoke). Even teams like Bolton and Blackburn are moving towards keeping the ball for longer and reducing the amount of long-blind balls being played. Our defenders will have to learn to not just hoof the ball up field when under pressure as much as a Premier League opposition will just collect it again and build up another attack rather than just boot it back as many Championship teams will do. Also extra discipline will be needed when holding the off-side line, last season Norwich played with a very high line but with cleverer strikers as opposition any poor positioning will be punished. It is the same game being played, but it is being played in a different style. I don''t come to this opinion having just watch MOTD or listening to Sky Sports hyperbole - I went to see about 35 Premier League games last year and noticed this change in style even from last year in the Prem.   Lambert talked about not wanting to bring in players who will take 15 or so games to adapt to the English style of football, but I wonder if he underestimates how long it will also take League 1/Championship players to adapt to the Premier League. A few guys in and around the team who have played there before would certainly be useful; although I don''t think they are worth breaking the bank for.

[Boyo 0]

Despite the fact there might be a lot of players out there who could be brought with Premiership experience only a small percentage would be worth having and that small percentage would probably go to more established Premiership clubs.  The other players with Premiership experience which we could have a realistic chance of getting and affording are either players who have been relegated or players from lower half teams who can''t get into the side and do we really want them?  No is the only answer to that question.

 

Lambert is doing it the right way and why wouldn''t we trust him in who he is buying?

[a1canary 0]

I''ve been thinking about exactly this issue but not been able to pin down my thoughts on it yet. But i definitely agree with C1st''s sentiments (and the OPs i think) on all this ''Premier League is a whole new ball game'' type of nonsense. No it isn''t. It''s 11 blokes on a pitch trying to kick a ball in a net. Lambert believes (rightly) that if he can get 11 players to work for him how he wants them to, it doesn''t really matter if they''re 11 monkeys! (Allthough that''s obviously taking the analogy to the extreme, before anyone clever wants to pipe up!).

This is what PL has learnt in Germany, it''s the principles and the ethic that has got the Germans the reputation, recognition (and rewards) that they have, even though their players have never been the most talented out there man for man. Team for team however, they are always competitive, even when there has been a big gap between the talents of their players and say the south americans, such as at 2002 WC. 

I also agree that in the Prem at least, ''experienced'' tends to mean expensive, old, overpaid and, not especially motivated!

ILWT.

[Jez 0]

[quote user="City1st"]But how will non Premier League players know how to play Premier League football.

You wait till the first game. Wigan will kick off and Norwich''s players will be expecting Wigan to pass to one of their players who might pas it to another or hit it forward.

Just the same with corners and goal kicks. Tthe Norwich players will be expecting a Wigan player to kick the ball into play towards the goal or upfield for the latter .. and will be caught out. Have you seen how Premier League players take throw ins, how the ball is usually in FRONT of them when they are running with it. We are in for a big shock.

Players should not be allowed to play in any Premier League game (for any club) unless they have played in the Premier League before, with lots of games so they are experienced.

Personally it''s the fans I''m worried about. Many at Carrow Road have never seen Premier League football so we need more Premier League fans. Perhaps the club could bring in some of the old regulars to replace the kids and happy clappies who will struggle.[/quote]City1st, winning here!