Last 2 games - Total Let Down!

[I am a Banana 0]

On the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the Leicester Fa Cup match lambert came out and said that todays game was priority - which I disagreed with at the time, but even more so now.

We had the chance to reach the semi or even final of the FA Cup but instead was more interested in todays game. So much for 1 game at a time! Why should we play a strong team vs Burnley and West Brom yet when we play Leicester why did we play a team that had very little balance - Wingers in a diamond or Fox and Hooly in a flat 4-4-2. It just didn''t work.

Games like Man Utd are like Jake Humphrey said "It''s days like today that the result isn''t important. Man U are at Carrow Road, & for a team of our size that''s special. NCFC fans-savour it" We shouldn''t expect anything against the top teams. When we play the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves we should be getting points. We aren''t ''Big'' like some on here think we are. Were doing very well, very well indeed but we not big like Everton, Villa, Newcastle etc (We could match these after being in the prem long enough and winning trophies!)...Alot of teams have come up from the championship and done very well in their 1st season, but in the 2nd season flopped!

After 2 defeats in 8 days we are no longer in the FA Cup which we had a chance in, and would probably have finished 8/9/10th in the league.

After todays defeat we will still probably finish 8/9/10th. So why didn''t we go for it last week?!?!

 

Lambert messed up - big time! Thats the first time I think i''ve said that!

[Gingerpele 0]

That is the most pathetic thing i''ve ever read. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I don''t like saying this, but look where we were two years ago. For goodness sake.

[drurys testamonials V 15 0]

Agreed [Y]

[I am a Banana 0]

We should be aiming higher each year we move up a league. Yeah 2 years ago blah.....blah...blah.....Why do people always fall back on that yet still claim to always look forward??

Prem survival is as good as certain this year and playing leicester full strength would not have hurt! Today we never expected anything, and anything we did get would have been a bonus!

[The Great Drinkell 50]

May be you don''t read you''re own posts at times then Ginger what has  the last two years ago got to do with the post? it''s tottaly irrelevant.

What Nana is saying is we sacrificed the FA cup run for today and we lost both. If we had taken the Leicester game seriously we could of still been in the cup. In all probability we were going to lose to a team who are pushing for the title. If this weeks game had been against Wigan, Swansea or say QPR then sacrificing the Cup would have been  more understandable but by losing last week we actually gained nothing today.

Wouldn''t you have loved to have been a Cardiff fan at Wembley today?

[K Lo 229]

It doesn''t work like that. it''s not a discretised operation. You can''t exchange one win here for one win there. You win some, you lose some. Norwich came very close to getting something at Man U but who''s to say we wouldn''t have got a draw against Leicester at home, with Ruddy & Holt, then had to have played a mid-week away game for th replay where we got a red card or a big injury. You just don''t don''t know. it''s all very well looking at the positive side of a "what if" situation but there''s nothing written anywhere that says it would have been better if Norwich had gone all out against Leicester.Lambert and the rest of them are far more qualified at taking the club forwards than I and probably every poster on this board, so I''ll leave it to them.

[Gingerpele 0]

LAST WEEK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TODAY.

They are bloody professional footballers, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday to recover and prepare. Lambert knew full well, last weekend was not going to affect today in any way shape or form, in fact losing probably was going to have a bigger effect than playing the same team as today and going all out last week.

We have a young squad/team, even the ''oldies'' like Holt and Hoolahan, do you really think they need a week to recover? Of course not, we weren''t ''weakened'' last week, because we do not have a strongest team. We played Steer in goal, he needs games, we played Martin, Drury, Ward and Barnett in defence, thats not a weak defence, they have all played Premiership football (well) this season, we played Fox, Bennett, Hoolahan and Pilks, again all played well this season, and our joint top scorer, and one of our best performers in recent weeks up top. It wasn''t a weak side, it was a slightly different side. Lambert changes the team in the league, he changes the tactics in the league.

Lambert is very very clever with what he says to the media, he doesn''t tell the full truth, he doesn''t need to. And I don''t remember him saying he was focusing on next week, he''s always said the league is more important, and brushed the defeat aside by reaffirming that, I think he was probably very disappointed.

Where we were two years ago, has everything to do with this. Lambert wants to focus on league position, if thats more important than the FA Cup (and it is, an away game at Chelsea, probably equals us going out, as much as I know we could give them a good game, I think they will be in the final with Spurs, neither of those sides are going to take any risks in the Cup now, they need it). If you feel let down, perhaps you should consider going to support Man City, I personally have not felt let down once by Lambert since he has joined, and while he''s not a God and doesn''t get everything right, I think its disgraceful that you can feel ''let down'' because he thinks the Premiership is more important than the Cup.

[lake district canary 0]

We very nearly drew today.  If we had it would have been a valuable point in this season.  If Holt had played last Saturday and got injured - who would have scored today?    We''re all disappointed about last week, but surely we can move on.   Today was a great performance from the team.  we should value that and take that into next week, another important game.   

 

 

You and I  might think we are safe, but PL is the manager and has the responsibility on his shoulders. We should accept that he is putting the interest of the club first by protecting key players for league matches.    The cup games will occur again next season.  With an even stronger squad next year, we should be even better for a cup run - or two.   

 

 

[The Gruffalo 0]

100% correct Banana and Jake Humphey [Y]Rob Butler is a total brain dead moron and he would fit in more posting on this forum rather than having any input on Radio Norfolk.

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]we played Fox, Bennett, Hoolahan and Pilks, again all played well this season, .[/quote]

But they have never played toether in a 4-4-2. maybe in a 4-5-1 but them 4 in midfield... who was going to get stuck in? None of them! Which is why Lambert got it wrong.

[Gingerpele 0]

[quote user="The Great Drinkell"]

May be you don''t read you''re own posts at times then Ginger what has  the last two years ago got to do with the post? it''s tottaly irrelevant.

What Nana is saying is we sacrificed the FA cup run for today and we lost both. If we had taken the Leicester game seriously we could of still been in the cup. In all probability we were going to lose to a team who are pushing for the title. If this weeks game had been against Wigan, Swansea or say QPR then sacrificing the Cup would have been  more understandable but by losing last week we actually gained nothing today.

Wouldn''t you have loved to have been a Cardiff fan at Wembley today?

[/quote]

Please please please explain how a game 8 days ago had an effect today? We didn''t sacrifice last week for today, thats complete rubbish, Lambert brushed off a disappointing defeat by saying the league is more important, he knows full well were pretty much safe. He wanted to give a couple of players who hadn''t played as much a game in the cup, against weaker opposition and it backfired, he got it wrong. That was one game, today was a completely unrelated game, that has nothing to do with last week. We all know that Lambert doesn''t let his players dwell on defeat, so even that wouldn''t have had an effect on the players mentality.

And we played very very well today, last week we were unlucky to lose to be honest, Leicester were poor, and our shooting was off. It wasn''t a thrown game, we didn''t sacrifice anything, it just wasn''t our day. For goodness sake, did you watch the game? Did you see how many chances we had? Some of the players weren''t quite at 100% performance wise, do you think they wanted that, knowing that the next game is Man.U? If anything, it was the players who are the let down, why didn''t Morison put more effort in and get himself a place in the team today? Why didn''t Jackson get on the ball as much? Why did Hoolahan keep shooting even though he wasn''t getting them on target, and at least twice could have put Vaughan through on goal?

I give up, I personally think its very silly you think last week was a thrown game, or sacrificed for today. I don''t even think Lambert said anything like that, just, as usual, moved away from a defeat by looking towards the next game.

And also, I would have loved a cup run, and was disappointed we lost. But I wasn''t disappointed today, we played very well, I am just annoyed Man.U ground out a win again, and people feel ''let down'' by Lambert, quite frankly I don''t know how you can call yourself a Norwich supporter and feel that way.

[The Great Drinkell 50]

[quote user="lake district canary"]

We very nearly drew today.  If we had it would have been a valuable point in this season.  If Holt had played last Saturday and got injured - who would have scored today?    We''re all disappointed about last week, but surely we can move on.   Today was a great performance from the team.  we should value that and take that into next week, another important game.   

 

 

You and I  might think we are safe, but PL is the manager and has the responsibility on his shoulders. We should accept that he is putting the interest of the club first by protecting key players for league matches.    The cup games will occur again next season.  With an even stronger squad next year, we should be even better for a cup run - or two.   

 

 

[/quote]

What a silly comment what if Holt had got injured today - then what for the rest of the season?

[Gingerpele 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]we played Fox, Bennett, Hoolahan and Pilks, again all played well this season, .[/quote]

But they have never played toether in a 4-4-2. maybe in a 4-5-1 but them 4 in midfield... who was going to get stuck in? None of them! Which is why Lambert got it wrong.

[/quote]

Yes because at Swansea, we played that really tough midfield of Bennett, Fox, Surman and Pilks.

Oh and those diamonds with Fox, Pilks, Surman and Hoolahan. Just feel of players getting stuck in.

[Gingerpele 0]

And we didn''t have a chance in the FA Cup.

They players weren''t up for it (You really, really think Lambert told them to go out there and put no effort in? Please tell me you think that, then I can just totally ignore you).

Chelsea are really going to push for the FA Cup now, Drogba is back, scored, Lampard scored, Mata is still playing well. They are all buy out of the Champions League, have a tough battle with Arsenal for 4th spot, and I think AVBs job is going to rely on the teams performance in the FA Cup as much as getting that 4th spot.

[Gingerpele 0]

I could understand if your just a bit disappointed we got knocked out of the cup, with a few players not really putting the effort in. And then getting 1 point snatched away from us today.

But to say Lambert messed up big time, and its a total let down, is way way way over the top. Lambert did not mess up big time, and where we were two years ago does matter, he has not messed up big time once, and the only way he can mess up big time, is if he gets us easily relegated next season.

In the past 3 years, we have probably spent less than all the other Prem teams bar Swansea, we probably had more players who have played in League One (or lower) in the past 3 years than Leicester last week, in fact they probably had nearly as much premiership experience in their squad.

And as I said, we didn''t sacrifice last week for this week, we didn''t play a week team. Players like Fox, Pilks and Moro weren''t at the races. Hoolahan kept missing shots, Wilbraham had a great chance, Vaughan had two pretty good chances, and was so close to turning in the rebound from Wilbraham''s shot. We had a couple of decent corners, one cleared off the line, we had a penalty shout. We didn''t give up last week, we just didn''t play that well, it happen. It happened against Sunderland, in fact we were terrible against Sunderland, easily the worst performance under Lambert, last week we weren''t great, not by a long shot, but it wasn''t Lambert''s fault (completely) and it wasn''t giving up, or sacrificing the game. Why on earth do you think we needed to ''sacrifice'' last week for a game 8 days later? Losing a game is going to have more of an effect on the players than putting in 100% without having to play for another 8 days...

[The Gruffalo 0]

[quote user="The Great Drinkell"][quote user="lake district canary"]

We very nearly drew today.  If we had it would have been a valuable point in this season.  If Holt had played last Saturday and got injured - who would have scored today?    We''re all disappointed about last week, but surely we can move on.   Today was a great performance from the team.  we should value that and take that into next week, another important game.   

 

 

You and I  might think we are safe, but PL is the manager and has the responsibility on his shoulders. We should accept that he is putting the interest of the club first by protecting key players for league matches.    The cup games will occur again next season.  With an even stronger squad next year, we should be even better for a cup run - or two.   

 

 

[/quote]

What a silly comment what if Holt had got injured today - then what for the rest of the season?

[/quote]Oh god forbid. We would have to play the crowds new darling and Lambert''s master stroke of a signing Wilbraham for the rest of the season, seeing as that Morison guys is so awful and not interested in playing for NCFC.

[mel0 0]

"I am a Banana" - shut up you silly boy.

[Gingerpele 0]

Holt was rested for the cup game, because he''d played 415 mins of the previous 450 (5 games). We played Morison, joint top scorer, and Jackson who had been playing well.

Rested Surman, who probably had more game time than Holt in the previous 5/6/7 games, deserved a rest. And your darling Bennett got to play.

Fox starts very frequently.

And Hoolahan plays often.

The ''weak'' midfield excuse doesn''t work, because it was actually the first game I can remember Fox actually winning the ball, Hoolahan chases just as much (and almost as effectivly) as Surman, and Bennett played a very solid game defensively.

We played the 2nd strongest back four available (and Naughton, at least publicly had only been announced he was allowed to play a couple of days before the game, Lambert probably already planned his team at that point, or just wanted to give Naughton a rest) and Steer in goal, who had a fine game against WBA.

As I stated, we had plenty of chances (and a few good ones), I don''t think Steer actually made a save did he? So two goals, a shot against the bar, and a couple of dangerous corners is all Leicester mustered.

They didn''t dominate possession, we were sloppy, with the ball, and in front of goal. When we were behind, we had plenty of chances to get back into the game, and they probably didn''t want a replay, so gave up a few mins towards the end, so to speak.

The game last week wasn''t sacrificed, like today wasn''t a poor performance in any shape or form. Last week wasn''t a good performance, it was fairly lacklustre, Lambert got some decisions wrong obviously, but he didn''t let us down, or get anything major wrong.

As much as I would have loved to have gotten to the final, and as optimistic as I am, we probably would have lost to Chelsea in the next round (presuming they beat Brum). 8/9th place is worth more money, to the club (and potentially to the players in bonus'') than a replay at Leicester, and/or getting knocked out at Stamford bridge. Lambert is in charge of the team, he is having a fantastic season, he wants to focus on the league, he doesn''t want pointless replays away from home.

[Gingerpele 0]

What a fantastic counter argument you have there Banana... Oh wait....

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]we played Fox, Bennett, Hoolahan and Pilks, again all played well this season, .[/quote]

But they have never played toether in a 4-4-2. maybe in a 4-5-1 but them 4 in midfield... who was going to get stuck in? None of them! Which is why Lambert got it wrong.

[/quote]

If you say so, it must be right. Arrogance personified. Perhaps you would enlighten everyone by detailing exactly what your football qualifications are. We know what the Manager''s are so perhaps you can dexplain why you know better.

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]

On the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the Leicester Fa Cup match lambert came out and said that todays game was priority - which I disagreed with at the time, but even more so now.

We had the chance to reach the semi or even final of the FA Cup but instead was more interested in todays game. So much for 1 game at a time! Why should we play a strong team vs Burnley and West Brom yet when we play Leicester why did we play a team that had very little balance - Wingers in a diamond or Fox and Hooly in a flat 4-4-2. It just didn''t work.

Games like Man Utd are like Jake Humphrey said "It''s days like today that the result isn''t important. Man U are at Carrow Road, & for a team of our size that''s special. NCFC fans-savour it" We shouldn''t expect anything against the top teams. When we play the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves we should be getting points. We aren''t ''Big'' like some on here think we are. Were doing very well, very well indeed but we not big like Everton, Villa, Newcastle etc (We could match these after being in the prem long enough and winning trophies!)...Alot of teams have come up from the championship and done very well in their 1st season, but in the 2nd season flopped!

After 2 defeats in 8 days we are no longer in the FA Cup which we had a chance in, and would probably have finished 8/9/10th in the league.

After todays defeat we will still probably finish 8/9/10th. So why didn''t we go for it last week?!?!

 

Lambert messed up - big time! Thats the first time I think i''ve said that!

[/quote]

Are you for real or merely on a wind up?

[Syteanric 1]

nearly 200 teams entered this seasons FA cup with the first qualifying round taking place in August Banana.of those 200 teams only 1 is going to win the thing..Dam you Bradford Parak Avenue, Cirencester town and Swindon Supermarine for not "Going for it!" best chance of silverware in years!

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]

On the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the Leicester Fa Cup match lambert came out and said that todays game was priority - which I disagreed with at the time, but even more so now.

We had the chance to reach the semi or even final of the FA Cup but instead was more interested in todays game. So much for 1 game at a time! Why should we play a strong team vs Burnley and West Brom yet when we play Leicester why did we play a team that had very little balance - Wingers in a diamond or Fox and Hooly in a flat 4-4-2. It just didn''t work.

Games like Man Utd are like Jake Humphrey said "It''s days like today that the result isn''t important. Man U are at Carrow Road, & for a team of our size that''s special. NCFC fans-savour it" We shouldn''t expect anything against the top teams. When we play the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves we should be getting points. We aren''t ''Big'' like some on here think we are. Were doing very well, very well indeed but we not big like Everton, Villa, Newcastle etc (We could match these after being in the prem long enough and winning trophies!)...Alot of teams have come up from the championship and done very well in their 1st season, but in the 2nd season flopped!

After 2 defeats in 8 days we are no longer in the FA Cup which we had a chance in, and would probably have finished 8/9/10th in the league.

After todays defeat we will still probably finish 8/9/10th. So why didn''t we go for it last week?!?!

 

Lambert messed up - big time! Thats the first time I think i''ve said that!

[/quote]

Go and shove your head in a bucket, for someone who claims to support the same team as I do you come out with a great big load of Bull, non of us are happy to lose a match wether it be Leicester or manure but we did, if we went into europe which is where you obviously think we should be trying for how would we cope simple, look at Stoke and Birmingham, I am a firm believer in learning to trott befor you Gallop, Europa league is min of 50 games, Lets just be content to staying in the premier league for a couple of seasons first.  

[Shyster 0]

If the same eleven who were up for it both mentally & physically that started against Man Utd had been fielded against Leicester we would''ve romped into the QF''s - no ifs or buts - the argument of players being rested is a futile one.It was a chance of achieving something the club has never achieved before and potential European qualification squandered.It was Lambert''s first major mistake - end of debate. 

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="pete_norw"][quote user="I am a Banana"]

On the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the Leicester Fa Cup match lambert came out and said that todays game was priority - which I disagreed with at the time, but even more so now.

We had the chance to reach the semi or even final of the FA Cup but instead was more interested in todays game. So much for 1 game at a time! Why should we play a strong team vs Burnley and West Brom yet when we play Leicester why did we play a team that had very little balance - Wingers in a diamond or Fox and Hooly in a flat 4-4-2. It just didn''t work.

Games like Man Utd are like Jake Humphrey said "It''s days like today that the result isn''t important. Man U are at Carrow Road, & for a team of our size that''s special. NCFC fans-savour it" We shouldn''t expect anything against the top teams. When we play the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves we should be getting points. We aren''t ''Big'' like some on here think we are. Were doing very well, very well indeed but we not big like Everton, Villa, Newcastle etc (We could match these after being in the prem long enough and winning trophies!)...Alot of teams have come up from the championship and done very well in their 1st season, but in the 2nd season flopped!

After 2 defeats in 8 days we are no longer in the FA Cup which we had a chance in, and would probably have finished 8/9/10th in the league.

After todays defeat we will still probably finish 8/9/10th. So why didn''t we go for it last week?!?!

 

Lambert messed up - big time! Thats the first time I think i''ve said that!

[/quote]

Go and shove your head in a bucket, for someone who claims to support the same team as I do you come out with a great big load of Bull, non of us are happy to lose a match wether it be Leicester or manure but we did, if we went into europe which is where you obviously think we should be trying for how would we cope simple, look at Stoke and Birmingham, I am a firm believer in learning to trott befor you Gallop, Europa league is min of 50 games, Lets just be content to staying in the premier league for a couple of seasons first.  

[/quote]

I''m looking at Stoke & Birmingham and seeing a side that will likely finish above us and the other pressing for promotion back to the Premier.You''re getting very adept at adding throwaway remarks to any given debate.Go and have a lie down.

[Gingerpele 0]

Not end of debate at all Shyster, that fact you''ve even said that makes you seem very arrogant, and to be honest don''t know why i''m replying to you, you obviously have no consideration for any view point other than your own, but....

For a start, Lambert doesn''t have a set X1 in mind, he chops and changes. 4 First team players were rested, thats the kind of game you rest players. It was 4 players, we had enough talent on the pitch to win that game easily. The players weren''t up for it, the fans weren''t up for it (and its not because of the performance, the fans were out sung by Leicester fans from the off). We had plenty of chances to score goals, it wasn''t our day.

If you think that was a major mistake, Lambert giving only four players a rest, KS having to make a couple of decent stops (Steer, did he make any?), penalty shout, multiple Hoolahan efforts from range, Vaughan coming close on more than one occasion, ball cleared off the line....

We would probably have lost to Chelsea, we didn''t beat them at home, when they were in very poor form (and now picking up, Drogba back and scoring immediately, Torres finally being dropped), we didn''t beat them away from home, despite having great chances and being the better team before Ruddy''s sending off. We haven''t beating Man.U on two occasions, despite deserving the lead, we were rubbish against Man.C and Spurs, and Arsenal out played us. We don''t have enough about us yet, unfortunately to beat the bigger teams. It wasn''t a great chance at doing what you suggest. Ok it was a chance, and I was really up for that, and was disappointed we lost, but it wasn''t because of the team selection, it was because the players were poor. Like they were poor against Sunderland, do you think Lambert made a major mistake in that game as well?

[nutty nigel 7,598]

[quote user="Shyster"]If the same eleven who were up for it both mentally & physically that started against Man Utd had been fielded against Leicester we would''ve romped into the QF''s - no ifs or buts - the argument of players being rested is a futile one.

It was a chance of achieving something the club has never achieved before and potential European qualification squandered.

It was Lambert''s first major mistake - end of debate. 
[/quote]

 

I agree with your first two points Shyster. And as this was probably our best chance of winning the FA Cup for 20 years I''m wondering if I''ll ever see us win it. If we go another 20 years I will be in my "7&6 was she worth it" 76th year and probably too much of a miserable old git to enjoy it.

 

I''m also not afraid of European qualification. Just a couple of years ago the cry was about lack of ambition. Now it seems many of the "ambitious" have lost their ambition. Last season at this time we werfe seeing posts about not wanting to be promoted to the Premier League because it was too early!

 

But it''s a big call to say all this was the managers first major mistake. He needed to rest Holt. Circumstances have made it neccessary for Holty to play a lot of football over the last month. Probably more than was ideal. I have little doubt that we''d have won that cup game with Holt. He is more valuable to us than just his own performance on the pitch. It may not have been a mistake to rest him.

 

 

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]Not end of debate at all Shyster, that fact you''ve even said that makes you seem very arrogant, and to be honest don''t know why i''m replying to you, you obviously have no consideration for any view point other than your own, but....

For a start, Lambert doesn''t have a set X1 in mind, he chops and changes. 4 First team players were rested, thats the kind of game you rest players. It was 4 players, we had enough talent on the pitch to win that game easily. The players weren''t up for it, the fans weren''t up for it (and its not because of the performance, the fans were out sung by Leicester fans from the off). We had plenty of chances to score goals, it wasn''t our day.

If you think that was a major mistake, Lambert giving only four players a rest, KS having to make a couple of decent stops (Steer, did he make any?), penalty shout, multiple Hoolahan efforts from range, Vaughan coming close on more than one occasion, ball cleared off the line....

We would probably have lost to Chelsea, we didn''t beat them at home, when they were in very poor form (and now picking up, Drogba back and scoring immediately, Torres finally being dropped), we didn''t beat them away from home, despite having great chances and being the better team before Ruddy''s sending off. We haven''t beating Man.U on two occasions, despite deserving the lead, we were rubbish against Man.C and Spurs, and Arsenal out played us. We don''t have enough about us yet, unfortunately to beat the bigger teams. It wasn''t a great chance at doing what you suggest. Ok it was a chance, and I was really up for that, and was disappointed we lost, but it wasn''t because of the team selection, it was because the players were poor. Like they were poor against Sunderland, do you think Lambert made a major mistake in that game as well?[/quote]

You''re right - I don''t know why you''re bothering to reply to me if you''re seriously trying to tell me that today''s professional footballer needs seven days to recuperate!? Is your mum a bit of a MILF?

[. 0]

Best chance of winning the FA Cup for 20 years my arse....... We didn''t enter it until the 3rd Round and got knocked out in the 5th.... hardly a run of successful results.Just more bilge from our illustrious toilet cleaner.

[Gingerpele 0]

For goodness sake Shyster... Did I say you don''t know what your talking about?

And I don''t think at all that players need seven days to recuperate, in fact i''ve said the opposite, seven full days between the two games, mean''t the resting players wasn''t about the next game.

But Holt had played 415 out of the last 450 minuets, Surman and Naughton possibly more. Morison hadn''t played too much and deserved the game time, he didn''t use it well. The midfield probably wasn''t the best midfield to start with, but I don''t think Lambert chose it with the intent of losing. Pilkington was rubbish, Fox was not as his usual standard, and Bennett was trying to cover every inch of the pitch at least ten times. Hoolahan was trying to do everything himself. The players that were rested, were probably rested because Lambert thought they deserved the day off and the replacements could do the job.

And I have no idea what my Mums got to do with this, but personally I don''t think so, she''s my Mum, just because Freud fancied his Mum doesn''t mean everyone does... You''d have to let me know your taste in women, maybe I could set up a date for you? Although not too sure my step-dad would be all that happy....