This seasons progress . . . . .

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It seems that whilst people have suggested targets that will reflect the level of success the club has achieved the club remain upbeat about any possible outcome to the current predicament.

Some people have sighted this as a lack of ambition others shortsightedness.

However, there are other factors that suggest this club is infact making progress in the right direction towards a more stable future.

It isnt something that is happening only off the pitch either. The current run of form has been due to the team but may coincide with a couple of changes and the attitude of the board.

It has been said that the club does not need to sell players to keep the books balanced should we go down. To me this suggests that the club has done the sums and worked out their own saving scheme which would obviously include the parachute payments.

This was announced in January, obviously when the club was being looked at by other clubs for potential signings. Since then the performances can be seen to have improved.

Personally I would put this down to the arrival of Dean Ashton, someone who cost the club a large sum and therefore a risk. However, its his ability to provide the creative outlet upfront that has inspired the team to their current form.

They havent just started to win, I feel that they have started to believe that they are capable of premiership football.

Some people would suggest that this season has been a bit like a marathon for the team. There is a point where a mental and physical barrier is broken (called the "wall") where upon the body simply adapts and accepts the demands.

This is what I can see has happened to city of late. They have broken the barrier and really started to believe that they are capable of being a premiership force.

That has to be good. A club that really feels that it can compete at this level. And whether or not we go down may not be as important in installing that belief in the first place.

If that sort of attitude is carried with us to where-ever we end up it could be what determines our future.

If we remain in the Premiership we will need to start next season likewe have finnished this one. Should we go down we need to remain playing with the same belief and to the same standard to fight to regain our position in this league.

The players that stay will obviously carry the memories of beating Manchester United and Newcastle, should we play like that week-in-week out we would be a tough match for any club in this country.

I dont think any re-building is needed for next season, more extension work is how I like to think of it. We need a bigger squad, its as simple as that. Should we have had the squad we have out there now all fit at the same time previously our situation may have been slightly better.

Its not the fault of the players or the club. Its just a period the club will go through before having a deep and sound enough squad to cope with the rigours of top flight football.

As for the Europe chance. I for one would take it with open arms. It offers an additional incentive for players we try to sign. It would give us an edge in the sence that more players would know of Norwich and its ambitions.

For me this season can only be seen to be a success.

Worthington is a good manager. People have argued otherwise but at the end of the day there isnt a bottomless pot of money he has to sign new players. He has worked with what we have got.

Ashton has been improving, McKenzie has gone from strength to strength. Shackel is doing just that to top quality strikers. The list goes on of players that have proven they are up to this level of football.

Should the club manage to keep them we should be a force to be reckoned with next season which-ever division we will be in.

 

OTBC