Loyalty to under performing players finally takes it's toll

[silver fox 0]

Irrespective of the other results and despite some valiant performances from the likes of Huckerby, McKenzie, Ashton, Safri, and Shackell, it was the same old under performers who played their usual game today.  Once Safri was taken off and Holt came on in midfield the floodgates opened.  Fleming as usual was nowhere to be seen and as for Francis and Bentley I think their thoughts were elsewhere.  Nigel sees something in Fleming and Holt that I don''t think I will ever see.  Charlton was the man to bring on, but as usual Worthy took the wrong option.

We are down, but we can bounce straight back and Worthy needs to start his clearout by adding the names of Fleming, Holt, Svenson, and let Bentley go back to Arsenal.

[starman 0]

couldnt agree more mate.certain players certainly were elswhere shall we say.worthy certainly sees a better player than most of us do in holt and i think he will keep him for the championship.defence needs a serious sort outbut if we can hang on to all our strikers we will be more than capable of turning most teams in that league over.im sure we will lose greeno and francis the latter having never really given everything to the yellow and green,greeno will be missed but he has no choice if his england career is to continue,just hope we get good price for them both.

[Clint 221]

Spot on mate! Although already losing when Safri went off, we were the better team & very unlucky to be losing. Safri was vital in stopping Diop, who tore our midfield of Holt & Francis to shreds in the home match earlier in the season, & seemed to be doing a pretty good job, plus he can actually pass a ball & shoot (2 traits Holt is severley lacking in).

Fleming is useless, well out of his depth & Worthy''s loyalty to him is rediculous. We''ve let in over 80 goals this season & Fleming is the only player to be involved in all of them. We''ve just let in 6 to a pretty poor team, & I think Fleming may have been at fault for at least 4 of them, which says it all (was at the match so haven''t had the benefit of replays).

As you''ve quite rightly said, Worthy''s loyalty to these players has cost us dear & as I''ve said in another post, I really don''t want to see them in a city shirt again.

As for Francis, he''s erratic. Not up for a fight, totally anonymous today, I''d take 3 mill & run. Likes to score, doesn''t like to get stuck in, maybe if he was playing in midfield with Viera, he could get away with it but not with Holt.

Bentley is a very good player, you forget he''s only 19 & has looked far more creative this season than Jonson, Mullers, McVeigh (limited opportunites, harshly, given Jonson''s appalling form for much of the season) Stuart, etc. I''d definately take him on loan for another season, a few KFC''s & he might win a few more challenges!

[deano deano deano 0]

spot on silver fox! all season long we have had the same people who were not up to the standard required, but have still been picked ahead of better replacements. i was really disapointed today in the team because we were absolutly rubbish! saving our worst performace when we needed it to be our best.

francis should never had been given second place in the player of the season. He seems to think this gives him the right to do totaly nothing all game, but still come out looking good though certain peoples eyes. there are rumours that he might go to charlton, well gives us 1.5m and you can gladly have him.

We will and can do the job next year! but everybody knows that it could have been very different had these changes been made. SHAME!

Luton, Hull here we come.

a very upset, disapointed and let down Norwich City fan. And always will be a norwich city fan though thick and thin.

[BedsCanary 0]

Svennson did alright when he came on. He showed more passion than most of the other players on the pitch.

Utterly appalled at Francis'' contribution. The man should never be allowed to wear a yellow shirt again.

Fleming was abysmal but then so was Drury. As for Gary Holt well, I don''t think I need to say anything about Gary Holt.

On the bright side: Darren Huckerby- what a pro. The man was desperate for us to win and you could feel his frustration. He was in floods of tears at the end. The man''s a legend

[whoareyou? 0]

i also agree that Charlton or Jonson should have come on for Safri........Holt doesnt even look fit enough for the Prem now..not something i thought i would ever say

[Bird Table 0]

The players should issue a public apology to the thousands of fans who were there yesterday. What more could we have done for them as supporters? The atmosphere was the best I''d heard since the play-off final and this was in the smallest ground in the Premiership. What player emerged with any credit yesterday? None. With safety in our own hands, to go and lose 6-0 is a joke.

I''m still backing Worthy for next season, but the good end of season run only served to save him from some tough questions. Why were Safri, Helveg and Shackell overlooked for most of the season? Why did he persist with players who clearly weren''t working such as Jonson, Holt and Doherty? And the biggest question, why didn''t he sort the defence out in the summer?

Anyway, rant over!

[ZLF 274]

[quote]Irrespective of the other results and despite some valiant performances from the likes of Huckerby, McKenzie, Ashton, Safri, and Shackell, it was the same old under performers who played their usual g...[/quote]

You ar entirely right Silver Fox and someting I have been agreeing with you on all season - however even as I type this I have three city fans stating that it was the failure of the NEW signings that cost us our place in the prem.

However what city have to do is not look back on the season (reviewing where we could have picked up those extra 2 points is too painful) but to try and assess what sort of squad we need for next season.

Holt could remain - at Champs level he should be OK but he has to become nothing more than a squad player and 4th choice midfielder.  If Francis leaves as expected then we need to sign a quality replacement who is prepared to put themselves about  - Chaplow would have been perfect.  If we can buy another replacement then Holt can be released.

In defence we need to be looking to the future.  I would love a charlie/Shacks centre pairing but feel he is too old.  Either we give doc and shackell a season or we sign a new centre back.  Flem HAS to go in my books as his performances this season confirm he is now past his best and will not be up to the prem if we get promoted next season and we should keep charlie as the back up. 

Either Eddy or Helveg goes, and as Eddy is out of contract I would replace him with some younger talent -again building for the future.

Midfield also needs strengthening more for depth of cover than starting players - with Hux (who should be up front) Safri and Jonson we have a core but there is a Damo replacement to be found most urgently along with some central midfield back up (mainly for Safris suspensions).  A second wide left and wide right player are also needed.  

I wouldnt make ANY changes to the front line unless someone comes in for Ashton with a £6m+ bid - that woul be impossible for us to turn down - and that includes keeping Sven.  I would like to see more of Jarvis and Crow though to see if they can do anything for us in the coming years.

In summary I do not want wholesale changes to the squad - it has to be a controlled cull plannning for the future.  If possible I do not want to lose any more that 3 from yesterdays starting 11 and feel that the likes of Doc and Jonson should be given their chances next season

But more than anything Worthy has to learn how to combat a team with a 5 man midfield, improve his tactics and pick a team based on merit rather than personal favouritism.

A tense close season awaits where we hopefully lose only a couple of this squad and get in younger talents for the future. 

 

OTBC

[FatMan Fat 0]

It''s interesting that several of the posters on this thread attack posters from the "Worthington Out" camp

By their own admissions many of our team are not good enough, or are not comitted enough.

So, who signed them, coaches them and picks them?

Mr Worthington!

Now be truthfull - does Worthington inspire you when you see and hear him? I wouldn''t get out of the trenches after one of his one paced statements that completely lack passion, and very often the truth.

[JC 0]

[quote]Svennson did alright when he came on. He showed more passion than most of the other players on the pitch. Utterly appalled at Francis'' contribution. The man should never be allowed to wear a yellow s...[/quote]

In Drury''s defence, he was totally exposed. Coleman was clever, knew Huckerby is totally absent defensively, and targeted the area in front Of Drury, thats why he was dealing with up to four players at times during the first half!