Play Off Chances Gone

[ruthers1 0]

Our final window of opportunity slams shut.

It''s all about building for next season now folks.

Expecting a big clearout in the Summer followed by lots more non inspiring but no doubt hard working ''honest'' players coming in to complete the 360 degree AN transformation.

At least the season ticket prices are being frozen.

Booooooooo!!

[mrs miggins 0]

I know it must be hard being a binder, you haven''t signed anyone and will fall away down the table, but at least you kept Mings eh

[Branston Pickle 4,169]

What about the loan market? We can sign just anyone we missed out on in about a weeks time, with less pressure on things (eg Noone in particular); imo little has changed, we still have all our best players.

[mrs miggins 0]

My auto correct is running riots today, it doesn''t recognise a binner, a bit like when some respond to you and Newton.

[Tetteys Jig 853]

So who did Watford, Brentford and Wolves sign today?

The way I see it is that yes we''ve cocked up autos but that was done before Alex Neil. We still have a great shot at playoffs and if Bassong can stay fit and motivated I think we could go on and win them.

[Branston Pickle 4,169]

There is an issue of how the Olsson thing plays out - it needs a bit of media work by the PR team, but I''m sure all will be ok. When all is said and done in this window we have swapped Bassong for Jos (probably a plus), Andreu for Lafferty (have to wait and see), and have kept all our best players with the option of bringing in loans in a week - that isn''t too bad really.

[Newton 0]

Branston did you not notice, we did not splash the cash in the transfer window - what makes you think we have cash to spend in the loan market ?

AN is quoted as saying that players will have to leave to make way for new signings - it did not happen

Have you considered the reason why we kept all our players is that other than Olsson - no other club wanted them

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]So who did Watford, Brentford and Wolves sign today?

The way I see it is that yes we''ve cocked up autos but that was done before Alex Neil. We still have a great shot at playoffs and if Bassong can stay fit and motivated I think we could go on and win them.[/quote]

Couldn''t have put it better myself, Jimmy.The Jan transfer window is an artificially gerrymandered farce. We could well do without it, and thank God it''s over.

[Tetteys Jig 853]

For what it''s worth Reggie, I thought we did well out of it. If we can get a decent left mid on loan in the loan window we''ve done fantastic.

I''m actually glad the Dorrans deal didn''t come off once I heard Olsson was involved. Dorrans is a very handy player but he''s not the answer at left mid. We have Vadis return imminent and soon the centre mid berths will be full up again.

Once £5m started being quoted for that Noone from Cardiff, I was glad we did a runner from that as well. 1 goal and 1 assist all season, we might as well put Josh in the side, he''s done more than that in a "disappointing" season.

Our best signing of the window without doubt is Bassong. You only have to look at Saturdays game to see how much he transforms our defence when he is on form. Even with Whittaker at right back, we looked more solid.

I do believe now if we can keep the key players fit we will be comfortably in the playoffs come May. It''s just a shame we''re so far behind second as I think we''d have made a good run at it if we''d narrowed the gap to like 5 points or something. I guess if we can somehow beat Derby, Scum and Boro at home then we''ll likely be back in the mix.

Blackpool next where we need to go for the jugular, no messing around. I''d go with the following:

Ruddy, Martin, Cuellar, Bassong, Olsson, Redmond, Howson, Tettey, Johnson (LM), Hooper, Jerome

Bench of: Rudd, Whittaker, Turner, Garrido, Andreu, Wes, Grabban

[Lessingham Canary 108]

We are in a better position than a week ago, IMO, Bassong is back in the fold. Elliot Bennett is back in the fold, wow that''s like 2 new players (I thought Benno did well on Saturday at Birmingham) Laffs has gone on loan, but was so far down the pecking order not an issue, and we have signed a new guy who is the top scorer in the league he was playing in (yes SPL, but can only beat what is in front of you) so I would say play offs still very much on, especially when I look at what the teams around us did in the window.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

The biggest fear I had was that we would be losing some of our best players. I''m pleased we didn''t.

We have easily enough to be in the top six, it''s a much more exciting way to go up.

With games against Wolves and Watford coming up we will soon get a better picture of our prospects.

The players are enjoying working and training with AN, onwards and upwards.

[Indy 3,499]

While we have Hooper, Jerome, Tettey, Olsson to name a few and three points behind the 6th place side....with Bassong back as CB why are you so certain?

We don''t need big money spending, just need Neil to get the players motivated and playing and we will make top 6.

The doubt is Neil and his management as they are very green at this level.

[rondy 7]

X

Edited April 7, 2024 by rondy

[Alex Moss 2,167]

[quote user="Newton"]Have you considered the reason why we kept all our players is that other than Olsson - no other club wanted them[/quote]

And have you considered that our club may well have worked very very hard to fend off any interest in our best players, or that some of the players themselves rejected leaving for other clubs because they are committed to the NCFC cause? No, I didn''t think so.

[Tetteys Jig 853]

It''s well documented that Burnley want Johnson and Martin, WBA were sniffing around Jerome and Crystal Palace have looked at Ruddy and Hooper. Even Sunderland in summer tried for Tettey, I remember thinking he was a gonner.

If we can get the balance right now, we have the best side in the league. It''s now up to the players to muck in and prove it. As i''ve said countless times, Matt Jarvis would complete it for me.

[ricardo 8,109]

[quote user="Mr Jenkins"]The biggest fear I had was that we would be losing some of our best players. I''m pleased we didn''t.

We have easily enough to be in the top six, it''s a much more exciting way to go up.

With games against Wolves and Watford coming up we will soon get a better picture of our prospects.

The players are enjoying working and training with AN, onwards and upwards.[/quote]

^^^^^This

[ZLF 342]

Can only echo others - we have kept the key personnel and now have them for the rest of the season.   We have lost no more ground points wise on our rivals yesterday,  who are also mainly unchanged (Derby the main exception). so its a million miles away from doom and gloom  chicken lickens. 

 

 

And if we really want Dorrans (or Noone or Jarvis etc) we can still sign players on loan to strengthen us,  as Lambert did in his two promotion seasons.  I will be amazed if we didnt make a move here in the coming weeks

[ruthers1 0]

Well I just don''t get you lot.

For Christ sake - Is this why we are where we are? - ie we just accept anything that our club throws at us.

I hate the term ''happy clappers'' but I can see why it''s one of the most overused terms on this board, apart from the word ''binner'' (or binder lol) when someone dares to question a happy clappy ''little old Norwich'' point of view.

We should be making a statement of intent at this point of the season not releasing a goal scoring international that we''ve never played in the correct position and replacing them with a

French midfielder from Hamilton Mediocre-als.

And as for us only having to catch up a few points on the top six, which planet are some of you living on and which team do you think is going to allow us to overtake them?!!!

Bournemouth, Derby and Boro have already flown, Brentford, don''t even go there, leaving Watford and the Filth down the road. Not only would we need to better their form over the most critical part of the season but we would also have to beat them in either of the forthcoming six-pointers to have any chance whatsoever.

It''s just not going to happen with our current crop of players.

If the last 28 games have taught us anything it''s that we''re not good enough consistently enough. Then there''s the little matter of the hunger, desire and team spirit being seriously lacking.

And before anyone says it, it''s not a whiff of bin - it''s a dose of bloody reality.

[Buh 0]

I''ll tell you what''s wrong mate, they are cowards. No fight in them.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Automatic is probably gone now, to get second slot we can probably only drop a dozen more points. As for play offs it is still very much game on. If we fail to get 6th slot then with the players and finance at our disposal it is almost as bad a season as the relegation one. Too much mismanagement at all levels and very poor signings for a year and a half have taken their toll on the club. We have made some good signings but they are very much in the minority underlined by Lafferty being given his cards less than 6 months since arriving. This disastrous transfer policy cannot just be down to the managers either