Realism.....? Where's it gone?

[Brucie 0]

Our club has had an incredibly turbulent decade - we have played in three divisions, had two relegations, a play off final, three promotions, countless players (more awful than decent) and 6 (?) managers. We also very nearly went out of business. Without wishing to harp on - what Lambert achieved was incredible and it will not be seen at this club (or probably in his career) again. However, we were really sailing on the crest of a wave and it was to not last forever - whoever was in charge... This season would always be tricky.

A number of these "lower league players" are now full internationals, we also have a few who are Under 21 Internationals. We have signed players with proven Premiership experience but have also still recruited players with great potential such as Butterfield. We have even been out and signed full internationals. Could we have imagined that 3 years ago?

Someone stated on here that Turner is one of the worst singings in recent history - Really?! Do you really think that? He has been here for a month or so, yes he has been awful in the two games he has played in the EPL but give the guy a chance and dont be so quick to hang him out to dry. Would it be fair for a player to come to this club and ask to leave after a month? No.... Would it be fair for you to start a new job and be out on your arse in a month? No.... things take time.

I guess what I am getting at is for the first time in a long time we have some stability, we are not a club who will throw money at names and sack a manager without giving him time - what if we sack Hughton tomorrow? Where does that leave us? Like it or not he will be backed by our board and they will give him time - even if we do go down this year we would be able to keep hold of a majority of our squad and make more of a sustained effort to become a midtable Premiership club - Look at West Brom, they were a yo yo club for a long while before establishing themselves.

Our squad is stronger than last years and I believe Hughton was and still is the right choice. We have seen a huge shift in the footballing philosophy of our Manager which was needed. Hughton is building a more solid side and with the exception of Fulham and Liverpool we have looked solid. It will be difficult this season but make a choice, back the manager and support the team or stay away from FCR.

Lets not forget that with that little bit of luck that has been missing we''d be sat mid table.

[morty 0]

Great post.Prepare to have it rubbished by the usual quarter wits.

[Brucie 0]

I ensured they would stay away by writing more than 12 words.....

[morty 0]

[quote user="Brucie"]I ensured they would stay away by writing more than 12 words.....[/quote]Ah, cunning.[:D]

[6088m canary 0]

Indeed a good OP.  I would also add that this season''s league is far tougher than last seasons one.  There were some absolutely dreadful sides last season.  Wolves and Blackburn meant that basically there was one relegation spot to play for!!!However, whilst we are talking about realistic and unrealistic thinking...... if we finished 12th last season, and have "improved" our squad, then it''s not beyond ridiculous for our fans, board and management to be aiming on finishing higher.  Tougher league yes, but we should be aiming top ten.  Note that i said aim for , not necessarily achieve!

[Rolf Harris 31]

We''re West Brom a few years ago too good for the champ and good enough to just stay up in the prem, but consistency is the issue. Our players ain''t consistent, that''s why Lambert kept changing the starting 11 and also because with each opposition plays differently in this league, so a different tactical approach is needed each game to beat or contain the opponent. We''d usually base are formation around a certain way we played and slightly changed it when needed or when we played a certain opposition or a different player came into the team.  We have lost that tactical approach to our game and competition, as everyone say Hughton is old fashioned.  We could win playing Hughtons style if our players were consistent, but the best approach would/should be a mixture of Lamberts style and Hughtons, as this would make it more comfortable for Huhgton managing the team and for the players who are playing in the team (the starting 11). May be out of this we will get an attacking and also a well organised defensive team..       

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

To hell in a handcart?

[......and Smith must score. 1,359]

[quote user="morty"]Great post.Prepare to have it rubbished by the usual quarter wits.[/quote]Being a bit generous there Morty ?......[:D]

[lake district canary 0]

Good appraisal Brucie, good to see realism is still out there.  Realistic and positive at the same time.[Y]

[mrs miggins 0]

what i don''t get is how the moaners who predict us to go down after the 6 games we''ve played say that the ''positive'' or ''happy clappers'' aren''t realistic. personally, i think thats mad.

 

I think surely you have to give the new manager time. Yes, we''ve had a bad start, but if you look at other new managers that have come in, e.g lambert, he''s been bood at villa as well as rodgers coming in for some heavy stick for not winning before us, can i remind people they finished 8th last year and personally expect the same. I predicted that we would finish 12th last season (and won £80), i expect to be 14th by the end this time round.

[morty 0]

[quote user="......and Smith must score."][quote user="morty"]Great post.Prepare to have it rubbished by the usual quarter wits.[/quote]Being a bit generous there Morty ?......[:D][/quote]They may be whingeing bell-ends, but they are Norwich City fans after all.[;)]

[Green shorts 0]

Agree Brucie, im sick of all the team bashers, we have been through some really bad times in the last few years and some really good times, trouble is the expectation has gone up with each good spell, im happy if we retain EPL status this year and with the squad we have, we can do it......if we get behind the team otherwise we will send the club into turmoil again!

[ricardo 7,397]

I''ve wrestled with reality for 35 years Doctor, and I''m happy to state I finally won out over it

(Mary Chase 1887-1973) [;)]

[City 2nd 191]

Brucie wrote:

back the manager and support the team or stay away from FCR.

I take it you mean Fortress Carrow Road! Some fortress - Norwich 2 Liverpool 5 - or did you miss that?

[Timmah 0]

A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?

[morty 0]

[quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="6088m canary"]Indeed a good OP.  I would also add that this season''s league is far tougher than last seasons one.  There were some absolutely dreadful sides last season.  Wolves and Blackburn meant that basically there was one relegation spot to play for!!!
However, whilst we are talking about realistic and unrealistic thinking...... if we finished 12th last season, and have "improved" our squad, then it''s not beyond ridiculous for our fans, board and management to be aiming on finishing higher.  Tougher league yes, but we should be aiming top ten.  Note that i said aim for , not necessarily achieve!
[/quote]

 

Not so, in my opinion. There is no evidence to support this.

Easy to say with hindsight. The poorest three sides are always the ones who get relegated. I bet at the end of the season you will be making a similar comment.

[Timmah 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.

[/quote]

I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business".

I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Timmah"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.

[/quote]

I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business".

I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.[/quote]You''d have to ask the fag packet accountants, I don''t have all the facts.But I think if we hadn''t got out of league one at the first attempt, we would have been in ploppy strasse.

[Timmah 0]

So even if that WAS the case, we were a full season from the alleged abyss. That being said, Delia and M-Dubz have always seemed to stump up when and where required. I''d be more inclined to think they''d have dug a bit deeper than let us go to the wall.

Like you said though Mortimer, I''m sure the abacus bashers will tell me!!!!

[Highland Canary 76]

I agree with the OP that we have a better chance of establishing ourselves as a yo-yo club wheb we go down rather than spending several seasons struggling in the Championship, which happened post-2005.

[ROBFLECK 132]

Good OP, Brucie, it makes a lot of sense...but I was the one bashing Turner as I really don''t rate him...not just after the few games he played for us, but after the games I saw him play in the past. But yes , you''re right that we must give him time and wait and see what happens. I am against sacking CH, he hasn''t had enough time at the helm. Now that would be a bad decision! I wouldn''t have signed Turner...but I''m not the one making the decisions, nor am I a football manager. It''s just my opinion. I still love the club, but I think we really needed to boost the squad even more in the summer... Some great potential, but lacking a bit in quality imo...A s I said this is just my opinion.

[Indy 3,315]

A good OP, but again both sides try to make out that they are the BESTEST FANS and if you can''t support NCFC stay away! then  it''s down to the negative supporters who are to blame if we get relegated!

 

Let''s not take another decent thread back into a them agains us slanging match please.

 

I will add my two pennies, this is a tougher league than last year, as Southampton, Reading and West Ham have better structure and sounder finances then the three who went down last year. You can argue that any of the bottom 12 sides are on par and it will be three out of 12 who will go down, but there are no clear cut poor teams this year.

 

I think people need to remember this is just a message board, this isn''t a team forum but a supporters opinion and chat forum.

 

I haven''t noticed at the away game I went to nor the home games any real booing or getting on any of the players bcaks. I was dissapionted with the crowd chanting for Wes and then chanting hallelujah, not called for not did Wes make any difference when he did come on! Let the manager manage, but that''s the problem with the FM generation, jus tbecause they can take NCFC to Europe they believe it should be done in practice!

 

I really like the OP''s points, we have come a long way but that should not stop us wanting that little bit more.

 

Finishing 17th would be a bigger achievment than 12th last year, given the league, the turmoil and the start we have had.

[PurpleCanary 5,580]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]

We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.


[/quote] I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business". I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.[/quote]

You''d have to ask the fag packet accountants, I don''t have all the facts.

But I think if we hadn''t got out of league one at the first attempt, we would have been in ploppy strasse.
[/quote]

 

Don''t have all the facts, Morty? Since when has that stopped you or anyone else on this message-board...[:P][;)][:D]

Anyway, speaking on behalf of the now-unionised Society of Norwich City Fag Packet Accountants[8-|] I have to tell you that since you obviously haven''t been paying attention[|-)] for the last 15 times our members[:@] have answered this question we are now going to charge for our previously free services.

And, based on Norwich City''s ticket pricing structure, we are offering four increasingly expensive levels of service - a very basic C, for a response that doesn''t even pretend to answer the question; the de luxe Premium B, for a response that throws the question right back at you; the de luxe Super-Premium A, for a response that raises more (and more expensive) questions than answers; and the eye-wateringly dear Zirconium A+,  for a genuinely helpful reply.

[morty 0]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.

[/quote] I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business". I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.[/quote]You''d have to ask the fag packet accountants, I don''t have all the facts.But I think if we hadn''t got out of league one at the first attempt, we would have been in ploppy strasse.[/quote]

 

Don''t have all the facts, Morty? Since when has that stopped you or anyone else on this message-board...[:P][;)][:D]Anyway, speaking on behalf of the now-unionised Society of Norwich City Fag Packet Accountants[8-|] I have to tell you that since you obviously haven''t been paying attention[|-)] for the last 15 times our members[:@] have answered this question we are now going to charge for our previously free services. And, based on Norwich City''s ticket pricing structure, we are offering four increasingly expensive levels of service - a very basic C, for a response that doesn''t even pretend to answer the question; the de luxe Premium B, for a response that throws the question right back at you; the de luxe Super-Premium A, for a response that raises more (and more expensive) questions than answers; and the eye-wateringly dear Zirconium A+,  for a genuinely helpful reply.

[/quote]Whenever you lot start going on (and on and on and on) I just zone out and mainly skip read.Sorry.[;)]

[nutty nigel 7,606]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]

We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.


[/quote] I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business". I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.[/quote]

You''d have to ask the fag packet accountants, I don''t have all the facts.

But I think if we hadn''t got out of league one at the first attempt, we would have been in ploppy strasse.
[/quote]

 

Don''t have all the facts, Morty? Since when has that stopped you or anyone else on this message-board...[:P][;)][:D]

Anyway, speaking on behalf of the now-unionised Society of Norwich City Fag Packet Accountants[8-|] I have to tell you that since you obviously haven''t been paying attention[|-)] for the last 15 times our members[:@] have answered this question we are now going to charge for our previously free services.

And, based on Norwich City''s ticket pricing structure, we are offering four increasingly expensive levels of service - a very basic C, for a response that doesn''t even pretend to answer the question; the de luxe Premium B, for a response that throws the question right back at you; the de luxe Super-Premium A, for a response that raises more (and more expensive) questions than answers; and the eye-wateringly dear Zirconium A+,  for a genuinely helpful reply.

[/quote]

 

Are all the FPAs offering the full range Purple[:^)]

 

 

[Brucie 0]

[quote user="Indy"]

we have come a long way but that should not stop us wanting that little bit more.

 

Finishing 17th would be a bigger achievment than 12th last year, given the league, the turmoil and the start we have had.

[/quote]

Indy, I completely agree with this, please dont take my comments to mean that I think we have come as far as we ever will - i just think these things take time and stability is what we need. Like you said, finishing 17th will be a huge achievement - we are no longer an unknown quantity and we will no longer face teams who will be under estimating us following last seasons'' exploits. I firmly believe that we have what it takes to stay up this season (by whatever margin!) and that we will be well on our way to establishing ourselves as a Premier League club following anoother 3 or 4 quality additions in January / New Year.

We just need the ball to start dropping the right way and things may improve...

[PurpleCanary 5,580]

[quote user="nutty nigel"][quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Timmah"]A minor point, but, when exactly did we nearly go out of business?[/quote]

We were days away from administration, about 3 years ago now I think.


[/quote] I''ve seen this bandied around, I''m still wondering how that equates to us "nearly going out of business". I''d be as bold as to suggest we were closer in 1995, just after our best ever season and Euro adventure. The last 10 years have been roller coaster enough, we don''t need to exaggerate the drops.[/quote]

You''d have to ask the fag packet accountants, I don''t have all the facts.

But I think if we hadn''t got out of league one at the first attempt, we would have been in ploppy strasse.
[/quote]

 

Don''t have all the facts, Morty? Since when has that stopped you or anyone else on this message-board...[:P][;)][:D]

Anyway, speaking on behalf of the now-unionised Society of Norwich City Fag Packet Accountants[8-|] I have to tell you that since you obviously haven''t been paying attention[|-)] for the last 15 times our members[:@] have answered this question we are now going to charge for our previously free services.

And, based on Norwich City''s ticket pricing structure, we are offering four increasingly expensive levels of service - a very basic C, for a response that doesn''t even pretend to answer the question; the de luxe Premium B, for a response that throws the question right back at you; the de luxe Super-Premium A, for a response that raises more (and more expensive) questions than answers; and the eye-wateringly dear Zirconium A+,  for a genuinely helpful reply.

[/quote]

 

Are all the FPAs offering the full range Purple[:^)]

 

 

[/quote]

 

As it''s you, nutty, for old time''s sake, I will provide you with a de luxe Super-Premium Category A level reply for free! No matter which FPA member you get (we are operating a first taxi off the rank system) I can guarantee you 100 per cent dissatisfaction.[;)]