Is this the best Norwich City side ever?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

And in Grant Holt we have one of our greatest ever talismen.

[Lord Horn 0]

[quote user="kick it off"]I was only 7 during the 1993 season, but I was there and have a vivid memory of being in the stand watching Gossy notch up the equaliser to knock out the mighty Bayern Munich. That team had some fantastic players. Ruel Fox, Gossy, Crook, Culverhouse, Dave Philips, Mark Robins'' one good season, Efan Ekoku, Chrissy Sutton. We had some not so great ones too though - Rob Newman, Lee Power, But I doubt I will see a better team in my lifetime. The current team is great, and play lovely football - it''s great to see us doing so well. Yes football is different now, but we were still little old norwich back then, with a team made of other people''s rejects and reserve players and what that side achieved was sensational. Yes we''ve achieved a lot, but we won''t replicate beating Bayern, or a trip to the San Siro where we only lost 1-0, despite having half our starting XI suspended or injured. No comparison for me - the heroes of the early 90s win all day long.[/quote]

I wouldn''t disagree with that.  The only comparison I would make between the two teams is that the spirit we have in the team now is very similar to the attitude we had then - something that was alarmingly missing in the years in between.

[Kolin Kob 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]Its not easy to compare past and present teams because of the difference in football nowadays. But you would have to say this can''t be the best side ever, as they haven''t really done anything other than win promotion and get some great results in the premiership.

But is a ''budget'' team under a young manager placed 9th in the premiership after 21 games as big an achievement as 3rd in 93? Or the Milk cup winning side?[/quote]I agree, very difficult to compare.That said, Lambert has to go down as our best ever manager. Only Dave Stringer could come close.While Lambert and Walker are very similar managers and have the same incredible ability as coaches to get performances out of players which nobody else could, Lambert has started entirely from scratch, whereas Walker had the groundwork all done for him by Dave Stringer. Walker had great skills as a tactician and a motivator, but Lambert has more than that - he''s the full package.I can only think of 3 notable signings that Mike Walker made for Norwich in his first spell at the club''s helm. Can anyone else think of any more than that? A challenge for you!I can already think of 15 players that Lambert has signed who will already go down as Norwich legends regardless of what happens in the rest of their career.Dave Stringer was an incredible coach and spotter of talent, but I think Lambert has to go down as a better manager than him, simply because the modern top-flight game is so clearly a more difficult territory to navigate without bottomless pockets.

[Kolin Kob 0]

Let''s try a crude player V player comparison:Gunn v Ruddy:I think Ruddy WILL be a better goalkeeper than Gunn was. Gunn was a legend, but I think he would have been found out more regularly at the top level by some of the players in the Premiership today. Ruddy winsCulverhouse v Martin:Difficult to say, really. But for sheer versatility, Martin would probably have to pip Culverhouse to the post. Martin winsPolston v Whitbread:I think Whitbread is a safer presence on the whole.Butterworth v Ayala:Too early to say really, but I think Ayala will be a better player than Butterworth, certainly in terms of natural ability. Amazing to think he''s only 20, really.Bowen v Tierney:I think Bowen had a bit more to his game than Tierney has. Goals for one. Bowen wins.R Fox v Pilkington:Ruel has to win this one hands down. No disrespect to AP, but Ruel Fox was pure class.Crook v D Fox:No question. CrookGoss v Hoolahan:Hoolahan has more ability, and he also almost matches Goss for his knack for scoring / making match-changing goals.Phillips/Ekoku v Surman:Too early to say, but I would say Phillips and Ekoku would both keep Surman out of the side.Sutton v Holt:Holt is a talisman, but Sutton was sheer class for us. Sutton.Robins v Morison:The way he''s playing at the moment, Morison.I think the key thing to note though, is that if you were to take Crook, Fox and Sutton out of Mike Walker''s Norwich side, they would have struggled (and did, I guess). If any 3 players were taken out of Lambert''s Norwich, you''d still fancy the team to do alright.

[. 0]

Only if you''ve still got acne.We''ve had some great teams going back 50 years or so... and league tables don''t always equal what is a ''great side'' to watch.

[ZLF 274]

Gunn v Ruddy:

Culverhouse v Martin:

Polston v Whitbread:

Butterworth v Ayala:

Bowen v Tierney:

R Fox v Pilkington:

Crook v D Fox:

Goss v Hoolahan:

Phillips v Surman:

Sutton v Holt:

Robins v Morison:

Of that pick I would go with the 93 side in every position bar Goss, with Wes winning out.

Of those that may be for me only Ayala, Pilkington and Ruddy may break in over time.

Including the team from the 70s my team would be

Keelan

Cully Polly Butters Bowen

Fox Crook Peters Phillips

Sutton MacDougall

Managed by PL.

Now that is class - width pace vision teamwork (well all bar supermac) and pace - what more could a team want...

[The Iron Lady 0]

The rich may get richer, but did my friend Norman not tell us that we shouldn''t complain but we should get on our bikes?It has always been difficult at the top, but there is plenty of room for all of us to compete no matter how difficult.

[nutty nigel 7,557]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Gunn v Ruddy: Culverhouse v Martin: Polston v Whitbread: Butterworth v Ayala: Bowen v Tierney: R Fox v Pilkington: Crook v D Fox: Goss v Hoolahan: Phillips v Surman: Sutton v Holt: Robins v Morison: Of that pick I would go with the 93 side in every position bar Goss, with Wes winning out. Of those that may be for me only Ayala, Pilkington and Ruddy may break in over time. Including the team from the 70s my team would be Keelan Cully Polly Butters Bowen Fox Crook Peters Phillips Sutton MacDougall Managed by PL. Now that is class - width pace vision teamwork (well all bar supermac) and pace - what more could a team want...[/quote]

 

It''s all opinions Zip and I often agree with yours. This wouldn''t neccessarily be my team and we have had so many good players over the years that I change my mind every time I try doing this. But I''m surprised that Linighan doesn''t make your team. He''s the first centr back for me everytime. I liked the late eighties team the best. I doubt we will ever get that close to winning the double again. I just wish we''d had Sutton in that side just as i wish we had Linighan and Townsend in the 90s side.

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Gunn v Ruddy: Culverhouse v Martin: Polston v Whitbread: Butterworth v Ayala: Bowen v Tierney: R Fox v Pilkington: Crook v D Fox: Goss v Hoolahan: Phillips v Surman: Sutton v Holt: Robins v Morison: Of that pick I would go with the 93 side in every position bar Goss, with Wes winning out. Of those that may be for me only Ayala, Pilkington and Ruddy may break in over time. Including the team from the 70s my team would be Keelan Cully Polly Butters Bowen Fox Crook Peters Phillips Sutton MacDougall Managed by PL. Now that is class - width pace vision teamwork (well all bar supermac) and pace - what more could a team want...[/quote]

 

It''s all opinions Zip and I often agree with yours. This wouldn''t neccessarily be my team and we have had so many good players over the years that I change my mind every time I try doing this. But I''m surprised that Linighan doesn''t make your team. He''s the first centr back for me everytime. I liked the late eighties team the best. I doubt we will ever get that close to winning the double again. I just wish we''d had Sutton in that side just as i wish we had Linighan and Townsend in the 90s side.

 

[/quote]

 

Good call.

 

I reckon we could do with a Lineghan and a Townsend in today''s side! With 2 additions like them wecould be challenging for Europa qualification.

 

OTBC

[ZLF 274]

Good call on both of those;  would probably still want peters ahead of townsend (chippy first choice by a mile for me) and can accept linighan as an option too...

[Beauseant 0]

I can''t believe no one''s mentioned Kevin Reeves. He and Sutton up front would have it all and he''d be more of a team player than Super Ted.

[ZLF 274]

He was Beauseant - Kolin started building a team from current and 93 squad - I was throwing in the 75 one one the basis it was one of the few that secured a top half of the table finish;   I dont think he featured in that squad (not as a major player anyway!) 

 

Agree he is another way up there -  and better than that we currently have - along with Bellamy who I excluded for the same reasons...