So it’s back across the border to them there in Wales. Hopefully there’ll be no bricks through any coach windows, but Holt appears to have ignited that again. But anyway.
As pointed out over on Holtamania, a Swansea win puts them above us in the league. And that’s annoying. Mainly, because we will then – however temporarily- lose the ability to counter the sickly love-in for Swansea with a “Yeah but just look at the league table.” Continue reading
So Naughton’s not been allowed to stay out to play at Carra past May. It’s safe to say that’s a blow. But, nevertheless, he’s here until the end of the season so it’s not all bad.
It presumably means the money we had intended to put aside for the impressive full-back is now available to be spent elsewhere. On another full-back maybe? With Tierney struggling, Drury being Drury and De Laet being De Laet, we’re a tad thin on the ground. Continue reading
So it seems Super Chrissy Martin’s fallen off the selection board to a point where he’s available for other teams to select.
I’m sure your mate down the pub’s mother’s friend-from-work’s son’s best mate’s brother knows why that’s so, but it’s a weird one. When The Big Wilba is Continue reading
Hark at us flying along?!
Three points against Swansea, or more importantly no points for Swansea, and we’re in the top half of the table, best of the new boys and above Arsenal. Heck, it’s only October but still, we can be excused for enjoying the moment a little.
You never know we may never have to leave this division if the ‘Foreign Owners’ get their way. It’s fantasy at the minute, but money talks. Penniless clubs scraping a living have redundant vocal chords, sheepishly following where the money may lie.
Even if we were still up in the Premier League when said hypothetical decision was made, I would want no part of it. While none of us would relish the thought of a relegation battle, we would quickly yearn for that stomach-knotting excitement.
Vested interests from the owners, them who pay the bills lest we forget, and they no doubt think they have our interests at heart an’all. Or they’ll tell you that. This won’t or shouldn’t, go through at anytime in anyone’s future but the mere mention of it leaves a bit of a bad taste.
Anyway, if we’re still knocking about for it to cut us off from those beneath us we’ll have plenty of seats to go around. Or we’ll have tickets that are available for more than an hour before selling out anyway.
Then, when the ‘Foreign Owner’s’ rules come in we’ll all fall out of love with football and slide away from visiting Carrow Road to watch stale, dried out football. This sort of thing wouldn’t happen to us, mind. Unlucky and Norwich don’t go hand in hand.
Next week in Singapore, Vettel can finally win the Championship. Thankfully this puts an end to the ridiculous way in which drivers are having to answer the question “can anyone else still beat Vettel this season”? They all answer the same – “well, anything can happen, I won’t give up”.
Give it a rest.
The Championship’s been over since about the 4th race. I know they have to say all that garbage for the fans and sponsors etc, but it’s got to be pretty depressing knowing in your head it’s all over and having to say something else.
As good as the racing has been this season, I think I would have preferred the drama of the last few years in terms of last race Championship deciders. That’s what the sport is all about – fighting tooth and nail to win your life’s ambition at the least race of the season. I can still remember how I felt last year just before the start of the Abu Dhabi GP, my heart was literally racing and I was willing Alonso on more than ever before. Obviously we know how that finished, but I would go through it all again that’s for sure.
Having had to sit through the awful Norwich display against West Brom, I watched the race on a delayed run. It’s not often this happens, so it was quite an odd experience I must say. I was very, very impressed by Michael who I thought held Lewis off extremely well. Yes, he was naughty that one time when he moved twice, but he’s desperate to show he’s still got it and this season I think he has proved that he has. His car control on shot rear tyres was sublime and the defensive lines he was taking around all parts of the track were absolutely textbook. Not much I can say about Vettel really; I think I let my bias against him get in the way of me actually writing anything good about him. Stick him in a crap car and then we’ll see how good he is. Oh and chop off that bloody finger. And ban him from saying “that’s what I’m talking about”.
Button as usual showed he has tremendous capacity behind the wheel to think about what’s going on. You just knew when Lewis was fighting Michael that Jenson was just hanging back making sure he conserved his fuel and looking after his tyres. Not exactly exciting stuff, but necessary all the same. I’m starting to like Button more and more these days – he’s certainly a better driver now than when he won his Championship.
Lewis, as always, is ever the conundrum. An enigma. On his day, he is blindingly fast and fantastic to watch, but those days are ever rarer. At Monza he was like a gifted, sulky child. The guy says that nothing fazes him to the media, but he hung behind Michael for so long it was like he was trying to make a point to people watching that he doesn’t crash all the time. Quite a bizarre thing to do when you’re an F1 driver, but then I’m not convinced his head is in the game at all. He’s had a pretty awful last couple of seasons punctuated by the odd great race, but you’ll notice no one is talking about him in the same reverential tones they once were. Maybe he needs a Casey Stoner-esque break from the sport? Who knows.
Roll on next season.
I think we love players too easily, too quickly.
Pacheco is supposedly set to join the mighty Rayo Vallecano. Which, supposedly, is closer to Liverpool than Coventry. Cue cries of derision, “Lambert’s first big mistake” was even heard amongst the baying crowd.
Wait. What? His big mistake? Take a little step back and look at that. Pacheco destroyed Scunthorpe on a day when a stiff breeze would have beaten them 2-0. At least. Then he faded away to the bench, showing glimpses of brilliance without any real consistency.
Don’t get me wrong, he would be a brilliant investment. But would also risk stagnating other players we have actually bought. And may even stutter from bench to reserves in an already-top heavy squad.
Much the same as Lansbury would. Another who started in superb fashion in the Championship only to end up tapping on the door of the starting line-up. He failed to properly break through it, admittedly he drifted in and out and made an impact. But now, after we’ve strengthened in the midfield, he would be further back from the door.
Again, as an investment he would be a good signing. Add depth of course. But we’re a big (ish) squad already, he’s not content to sit on the bench at Arsenal, so why would he here?
Sitting on Arsenal’s bench is more appealing than our new Lotus seats.
There’s been a debate raging inside my head recently, probably due to the football season being only days away- or underway for those up thar’North. The first few Norwich opponents also probably helped.
If they were to face each other your money would be on Stoke, but if they were to lose to Wigan you wouldn’t be overtly surprised, such is the nature of the Premier League. But the force behind that competitiveness we see week-in week-out is inconsistency. Or, is this rather the opposite, the inconsistency bred from how competitive the sides are?
And now you see my conundrum.
If this was the Championship in question, my first thought would be to say the competitiveness is driving the inconsistency. But I couldn’t give you the reason behind such accusations. It is the same for the Premier League, I would lean toward the inconsistency breeding competitiveness for reasons I’m entirely unsure of.
I also believe it is harder to get into the top league of British football than it is to actually stay there, there are teams that avoid the drop by the skin of their teeth in the Premier League because there happens to be three teams worse than them that year. I do realise how absurd that sounds, and yes, I do understant the concept of a league table. But these teams then suffer the fate we did, a fall from a perceived ‘grace’ because the teams in the league below have built a squad that is better, and more importantly, used to winning and competing.
The line is greyer than ever between the top of the Championship and most of the Premier League. Looking at the Championship this year I don’t see the three that dropped as obvious contenders. Reading, Leicester, even Ipswich will be there or thereabouts. Blackpool could well fade and see Olly disappear to another team near the top of the Championship. A Forest, maybe, is McClaren struggles. Birmingham may struggle to even field a team or provide shirts. West Ham surely have the best chance of returning given their signings so far.
But looking at the bottom of the Prem you would fancy us to beat, or at least compete, with everyone up to 11th. And not through anything but the inconsistency of them all. Deep down, I know this is really due to how competitive and similar in quality the teams are, in their own way obviously.
I just refuse to admit it. The bottom half of the table is nothing more than growing degrees of mediocrity.
Which is why I would be very disappointed if we were to finish below the likes of Blackburn, Stoke, Wigan, Newcastle, Wolves and QPR.
But I’d still take 17th.
Oh Paul, you really don’t know us at all.
Rumour has it that England U21 international Kyle Naughton has been subject to a bid from McNally and co at every journo’s favourite time, that trusty-old eleventh-hour Continue reading
That just ain’t bright, is it now?
The Suffolk equivalent of the Pinkun, the Greenun launched this bright idea. As if the rubbish pun after rubbish pun wasn’t enough. Continue reading
Who’d have thought being born on this here island can be worth so much.
Nigh-on £40million was spent on two (that’s two) players, neither of whom can even drink alcohol in America. Neither of whom would cost a combined £10million if they had been born anywhere but here.
But, if you can afford it, why not.
Obviously Liverpool and Manyoo have paid for more than just their abilities now. Buying a 19/20 year-old is a long-term investment, especially if they’re obviously talented like messrs Jones and Henderson. But if you look at the players on the continent going for similar prices, the value for money certainly ain’t here. Continue reading
