Well, can we do it?

[First Wizard 0]

Survive that is!.

Although beating Manure was unreal, and very enjoyable, will City carry this success on, or as City are prone to do from time to time, revert to this seasons normal form against Palace, and mess it all up?.

I just don''t know, my balls show nothing, my sixth sense gives nothing away, far too much emotion involved you see.

Without doubt, this game must be the biggest game City have had to play for ages. So much hinges on it.

Win it, and our rivals would panic, I''m sure of that. Lose, well, don''t even go there!.

Just like the United match and although it goes against the grain, I have to support Worthy for this game. To do anything else at this time, would be conduct unbecoming of a City supporter.

But as to predicting the result?, that''s another matter, I''ve already lost too much sleep over it already!.  

Any ideas posters?.

[Gentleman Jim 0]

Whether we can is not in question Wiz, because mathematically it''s quite possible.

The problem is of course will they rise to the occasion and do the business now we have the chance ?

Time will tell, everything crossed eh ?

 

[Peter 0]

Pessimist by nature and now no need to change the outlook of a lifetime, however an away win Saturday there will be an ever growing chink, but until a win for City is gained, no point in losing sleep, start to think positively only after a win on Saturday. 

[KidCanary 0]

I havent posted on this board for a good few months, certain people on here I think get carried away and have a lot of trouble keeping things inperspective.  I feel for the majority of this season we have greatly underperformed, although we have not been helped by injuries. 

Despite our form I always felt along with many others that the key to our survival were to be the games versus palace and southampton.  In my mind I thought if we got something from United then that sets us up very nicely confidence wise, when approaching these matches.

I personally think we will stay up, we can take enough points off of palace and southampton that it will be in our own hands and I feel West Brom have to hard a run in to maintain their form of late.

[TwoSheds 0]

I think if we manage to beat Palarse then we will have a great chance of clinching the safety spot. Villa will beat Southampton at the weekend & WB are not playing.The loss of Greening for 3 matches will be a big blow to WB Failure to beat Palarse & we are doomed.Either way come 4.45 sat evening we will still be bottom of the league UNLESS we stick about 15 past Palarse

[ZLF 274]

''Can'' is such a poor question as the answer is always YES until the available points make it impossible.

Are our chances better following Sat?  Yes far better, if the same team and tactics are applied to each coming game with equal mesure of desire.  However the odds remain very much stacked against us and realistically it will mean a return to almost promotion form run in to achive - as such its unlikely.

But we can only take it one game at a time, deal with it as a game of two halfs, treat every game as a cup final, give 110% effort (fans and players) and hope for a slice of luck... and we will be prem league next year.

Complacency killed the cat - just ask Manure..

OTBC  

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Saturday will of course be the key.  If we can get a result at Selhurst Park I will believe that the greatEST escape is on.  However, at this moment I don''t think it''ll happen.  The game against United was great but I''m just worried it was a flash in the pan.  We need to keep the tempo up and produce those kind of performances between now and the end of the season if we''re going to have any chance

[aubrey rooney 0]

Interesting you should ask Wiz,I''ve been saying we''ll survive all season and even last week when we were eight points adrift and my work mates were giving me sh*t I would only concede that things were ''starting to look difficult'' Meanwhile the general consensus on here has been less than encouraging, posts calling for Worthy''s head, or why he sold Malky, the merits of (or lack of) Helveg, Holt, Eddie, Doherty etc etc. Suddenly we win a game and were the best team outside the Nou Camp !!!!! C''mon guys, this is what it''s all about, a battle ''til the last game, we were never out of it and I for one won''t be resigned to any fate until the sums don''t add up.

[We need a Manager 0]

Dowie is going to have Palace really pumped up for this one as they also see it as their last chance , we need to match them in every position and for 90 minutes. Its going to be a totally different game from Saturday probably played at a furious pace and it really is to close to call , Palaces pretty good home form against our abysmal away form offset by their mauling last weekend compared to our best moment of the season so far. After a cup QF Thursday and a FA cup semi final at the weekend i feel Newcastle will be there for the taking mid-week ,so 3 points against Palace would put us in with a shout we could not of dreamed of a week ago. Lets grab the chance with both hands.

[beelsie 0]

Yes! we can do it. But as many of us have said over this season it is how the players get stuck in, to limit the opposition, and as I have said many times; win the midfield battle in mid field, not in the penalty area.  As young Mc Kenzie said after the game, the result was totally about hard work and determination.

I believe that Worthy has been consistant in his efforts to drum those ideals into whatever team he has picked. Sadly, it has been down to their poor responses to his requests. He is aware of what they are capable of, and it is their lack lustre efforts that has placed our club in the state that it is now in. They are aware of what is required of them, as we all were pleased to witness against Man UTD.

Worthy has IMHO made some odd decisions during some games, regarding substitutions.  I am sure however those choices have been made using the information that he has gleaned from the players efforts on the training ground. l can never blame the manager for the players hitherto poor showing during past games, considering what they were prepared to deliver for us on Saturday. 

For me on Saturday, I was almost as proud of their efforts, as I was when witnessing the game that we won when playing Bayern Munich under Mike Walker. 

Worthy and staff must have been doing something right with the players during these past 6 months. I have often criticised the coaching staff for what we have been witnessing on the field.  Now there are no excuses for the team to return to their effortless exibitions of defensive ineptitude.  As I see it, it''s in their hands, and good luck to them. OTBC!!!!

[mat gore 0]

Anything is possible.

My head says no though.  I expect West Brom to beat Blackburn + Portsmouth at home.  Even if they pick up nothing from all 4 other games (and sadly I can see them getting something) that gives us a target of 35 points and that assumes Palace + Soton don''t do better than 34 as well.  A side with 4 wins (+ 0 away from home) in 32 needing 4 from 6 and realistically 2 of those wins need to be away at Palace + Soton.

I shall be over the moon if we do it but I''ve long since resigned myself to relegation.  Whats important to me now is that we go down fighting and maybe just maybe.................. 

[KidCanary 0]

[quote]''Can'' is such a poor question as the answer is always YES until the available points make it impossible. Are our chances better following Sat? Yes far better, if the same team and tactics are applie...[/quote]

@Zipper I''ve been meaning to ask you mate, what is your opinion of Leon now?

Not saying hes the finished article, still needs to work on his close control, but I think a fair assermation would be that theres light at the end of his tunnel with a bit of hard work?  I personally thought this to be the case but I know we dont necessarily see eye to eye on this, just wandered if your position on this may have changed?

[Northern Canary 0]

If we continue to play like we did on Sat we probably will do it. but if not then we wont

[Angus Nisbet 0]

The Man Utd result was excellent and Worthy deserves a lot of credit in my opinion for the change he made at half time.

Our injury situation has been pretty poor and I think this point was proved on Saturday. I''m still unsure as to why we got Graham Stuart in January, and his first half performance had me screaming at the telly (no chance of a ticket obviously!) We had 2 free kicks on the edge of the box and he plays them short. Nice.

Worthy saw this and bought Bentley on - the boy is quality and we''ve missed him big-time. His free kick from Shrek''s foul was on the money and Ashton did what he does. Simple.

Saffri and Helveg came in and played well and Shackell continues to grow.

Add to this the fact that Matty S and Jonsson came on at the end and we''ve got Charlie, The Doc and Eddy warming the bench and everyone''s fit.

It might be too late but I feel that things seem to be going our way and that Worthy is picking the right team now (because the players are all fit). If we do go down, let''s at least go down fighting and playing good footy.

[NavMan 0]

I am afraid that I have to agree with matt gore - there is just too much for us to do coupled with us expecting all the other teams to just capitulate which I just cant see happening.  Still think that this Saturday''s game is the make or break of our season though and will give us all that lingering hope of survival if we can win with a brilliant atmosphere at home to Newcastle the following week.  Unfortunately Palace is one of our bogey grounds and I believe a point will not be good enough with a win a must.  Like a lot of Canary fans although I have resigned myself to relegation a good few games ago I still hope we can pull off the unexpected but my heart says we cant.

[Ruddy Good 0]

All of me said no before the Manure game but now i still think even with some tough games coming up we still might just do it.

Come on you yella''s!!!!!!!!!

[..xx..WoRtHy_In..xx.. 0]

okay, it aint likley, but i think tht we could pull through if we keep our hopes up and play evry match like we did on saturday. and if we do go down, it won''t be the end of the world.

[sheded 0]

Alright , we came up against  a  faltering Manure side  [ happens to the best of teams  ]   but Worthy  seems to have , finally ,  got a winning formulae !    lets stick with the plan  eh   I have  to say I`m a little cynical  about Bentley  suddenly  getting his finger out ,  but if it helps  to  keep us up,  what the hell ! 

So the answer is  ... why not ?   ...  

[ZLF 274]

[quote]@Zipper I''ve been meaning to ask you mate, what is your opinion of Leon now? Not saying hes the finished article, still needs to work on his close control, but I think a fair assermation would be tha...[/quote]

My view on Leons performance was in the players ratings thread but I will recap it here - Leon had a good game and his energy as usual put their defence onthe back foot. On several occasions he worked good situations and his strength means he gets the better of his man on many occassions.  He took his goal very well and deserved a 7 IMO.

Unfortunately his lack of quality was still evident on a couple of occasions when his effort gave us hope only for him to fluff the final ball - without that final bit of quality I am not sure we can survive with him.  However he does continue to improve and his understanding with Ashton alone is worth much.    

Dont get me wrong - I like Leon enormously and was one of the few who supported his signing in Dec 03 when the majority of this board though he was a signing which sold the club short.  He is a superb squad player in the prem, a fantastic sub if needed, I am still not convinced that his touch or distribution are quite what the club needs in the prem.  His heart, energy and passion have never been doubted and put most players to shame. 

Overall I would still start with either Ashton up front alone and a 4-2-3-1 formation or have Hux partner him.  However he is not the same concern he was - 4 goals in the last 9 games does help;  an away goal would help enormously though....

OTBC

[Ken Aries 0]

Can we survive? NO!!

[blacko 0]

A lot depends on how much confidence they take from the Man U win. Look at Wolves when they were at the bottom, I know they were already relegated, but they went on a fantastic run.So it is possible. A side at the bottom is not necessarily a bad side, sometimes it is just that they are not playing to their optimum. We have had loads of injuries and arguably not quite the right team selection, but we do have some positives to call on. The performance of Shackell, the developing partnership of Ashton and Mckenzie. Leon finding his scoring touch, Bentley is back. The first clean sheet for ages, beating Man U, Palaces recent form...............................  There is hope