I know a few Colchester fans, and I had always liked the club, the good family reputation that goes with the club and the town of Colchester too. This week, however, my attitude towards the club has changed somewhat.
Whilst I can understand them feeling aggrieved at the loss of Paul Lambert to Norwich at the start of the season, the pathetic statement emanating from the Colchester board have shown them to be very small minded. Comments that they would rather see empty seats than sell them to Norwich fans, banning people from Norfolk from buying tickets for the match, taking back tickets from those who had already bought them and a series of other puerile actions and comments do nothing for their reputation.
A Colchester fan was sat near me in the Norwich home terracing for the first day of the season 7-1 Colchester win. He suffered no hassle, was not ejected fromthe ground, and Norwich fans showed a degree of maturity sadly missing from Colchester in recent days.
I love the way that Colchester justified their actions by stating that they had sold all their tickets to Colchester fans so that was one of the reasons they would not sell them to Norwich fans. Of course they ignore the fact that several hudnred seats today in the home terracing will have had Suffolk, Essex and London based Norwich fans sat in them.
So to the game. Five nil to Norwich and Norwich missed a penalty too. Norwich's silence on the way that Colchester behaved this week was the right decision. Let the football do the talking, and it did.
A team with a small club mentality is likely to remain a small club. That's a shame as the decent Colchester fans I know deserve better.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Friday, 8 January 2010
Sell Carrow Road and suffer a slow lingering death
Norwich are, according to the EDP, considering a plan to sell Carrow Road and lease it back, in order to clear the clubs debts. In my view, this is utter folly and is like many PFI projects that happen around the country these days, in other words, a short term solution that costs far more money in the long run.
On Wednesday Radio Five have a piece about Stockport and their imminent demise. Stockport, according to their supporters trust, have no one willing to buy the club because their only asset, their ground, is not owned by them any more. The advice from Stockport is that no club should ever consider selling their ground as a sensible option. It is a short term fix but costs the club much more in the long run.
Should the City board follow this route then they ought perhaps to look at other clubs in England that have done this and name more than one where it has proved to be successful ?
On Wednesday Radio Five have a piece about Stockport and their imminent demise. Stockport, according to their supporters trust, have no one willing to buy the club because their only asset, their ground, is not owned by them any more. The advice from Stockport is that no club should ever consider selling their ground as a sensible option. It is a short term fix but costs the club much more in the long run.
Should the City board follow this route then they ought perhaps to look at other clubs in England that have done this and name more than one where it has proved to be successful ?
Friday, 1 January 2010
Grow up Walsall
Walsall have made them seem like a small club with a small ground and a small mentality in the last few days.
The referee decided on 28th December to call off the Walsall vs Norwich game because he felt that with part of the pitch frozen solid, whilst the rest of the pitch was softr, this would cause a problem for players and could lead to injury.
Despite this obvious concern, Walsall maintain that it was Norwich manager Paul lambert who called the game off, and small minded Walsall stewards, unable to take responsibility for their own clubs inability to defrost or protect their pitch, told Norwich fans who had travelled to the game that it was the Paul Lambert who called the game off. Pathetic.
Everyone knows it is the referees decision. If Walsall had laid down some matting or some form of protection to that frozen corner of the pitch overnight, the game could have gone ahead. Don't criticise Norwich for your own clubs failings. Small clb, small minds. Grown up Walsall.
The referee decided on 28th December to call off the Walsall vs Norwich game because he felt that with part of the pitch frozen solid, whilst the rest of the pitch was softr, this would cause a problem for players and could lead to injury.
Despite this obvious concern, Walsall maintain that it was Norwich manager Paul lambert who called the game off, and small minded Walsall stewards, unable to take responsibility for their own clubs inability to defrost or protect their pitch, told Norwich fans who had travelled to the game that it was the Paul Lambert who called the game off. Pathetic.
Everyone knows it is the referees decision. If Walsall had laid down some matting or some form of protection to that frozen corner of the pitch overnight, the game could have gone ahead. Don't criticise Norwich for your own clubs failings. Small clb, small minds. Grown up Walsall.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Questions over tactics
Whilst the first half yesterday against Oldham was a delight, with Norwich dominant and Oldham not even having a shot on target, it was disappointing to see Lambert fail to reorganise in any logical way following Oldham's change of tactics.
It was clear that Oldham had the best of the last half an hour of the game, and but for two great saves from Fraser Forster, the result would have been very different. Yet, Lambert brought on a winger up front and succeeded only in confusing the team and we looked totally disjointed.
A good win yes, but as I wrote before after the Leeds game, for me there remain questions about Lambert's decision making.
It was clear that Oldham had the best of the last half an hour of the game, and but for two great saves from Fraser Forster, the result would have been very different. Yet, Lambert brought on a winger up front and succeeded only in confusing the team and we looked totally disjointed.
A good win yes, but as I wrote before after the Leeds game, for me there remain questions about Lambert's decision making.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Bloody useless ITV coverage
Reflecting on ITV and their coverage of the FA Cup game today versus Paulton Rovers, yet again it makes you realise how good the BBC and Sky are.
All the pre-match coverage was about Paulton. They didn't even do a run down of the Norwich team. The pathetic commentary (how many times did the idiot commentator mention that Norwich lost 7-1 on the opening day, that Lambert had been the Colchester manager, 10 days later he was Norwich manager ?), and only at 6-0 up did they actually start giving Norwich credit.
As for the game, didn't the last four goals show that when we started shooting, we scored. Why do we have this obsession sometimes with trying to walk the ball in to the back of the net ?
Overall, well done. Now if someone could train Darrel Russell to control a ball first time, we could be dangerous !
All the pre-match coverage was about Paulton. They didn't even do a run down of the Norwich team. The pathetic commentary (how many times did the idiot commentator mention that Norwich lost 7-1 on the opening day, that Lambert had been the Colchester manager, 10 days later he was Norwich manager ?), and only at 6-0 up did they actually start giving Norwich credit.
As for the game, didn't the last four goals show that when we started shooting, we scored. Why do we have this obsession sometimes with trying to walk the ball in to the back of the net ?
Overall, well done. Now if someone could train Darrel Russell to control a ball first time, we could be dangerous !
Monday, 19 October 2009
Vs Leeds United - First questions about the manager
Let's not blame the keeper for the loss today at Leeds. For me there were the first real question marks over Paul Lambert's decision making.
With 75 minutes gone, Darryl Russell should have been sent off. After already being on a yellow card stupidly gained for a pointless lunge, Russell spent the last 15 minutes carrying a passenger in midfield who could not make a challenge because he knew the next foul he did would be punished with a red card. What was the result of this ? A total lack of bite in the midfield and 15 minutes of hanging on which led to the Leeds goal.
The Sky commentators were raving about the Leeds sub ignoring the fact that in effect Norwich were playing with 10 men.
What did Lambert do ? Stood their with his collar up whilst three midfielders sat on the bench until the dying seconds.
I know the keeper will take the blame, but Lambert needs put his hands up and accept he got it wrong.
P.S. And let's also not get carried away. Leeds United are far from being a great side. If only every Norwich player except Holt didn't need at least two touches before shooting, the game would have been well won before the 92nd minute.
PPS. And less than 20,000 fans at Elland Road. A pathetic attendance. I wonder how many glory hunters will turn up if they go up ?
With 75 minutes gone, Darryl Russell should have been sent off. After already being on a yellow card stupidly gained for a pointless lunge, Russell spent the last 15 minutes carrying a passenger in midfield who could not make a challenge because he knew the next foul he did would be punished with a red card. What was the result of this ? A total lack of bite in the midfield and 15 minutes of hanging on which led to the Leeds goal.
The Sky commentators were raving about the Leeds sub ignoring the fact that in effect Norwich were playing with 10 men.
What did Lambert do ? Stood their with his collar up whilst three midfielders sat on the bench until the dying seconds.
I know the keeper will take the blame, but Lambert needs put his hands up and accept he got it wrong.
P.S. And let's also not get carried away. Leeds United are far from being a great side. If only every Norwich player except Holt didn't need at least two touches before shooting, the game would have been well won before the 92nd minute.
PPS. And less than 20,000 fans at Elland Road. A pathetic attendance. I wonder how many glory hunters will turn up if they go up ?
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Returning to the fold
It is pleasant to see the Norwich revival in recent weeks including not just youth team players coming through our own academy, but also include those players who were, just a few weeks ago, being shown the door and encouragees to leave.
Gary Docherty, Wes Hoolahan and Darryl Russell have all played outstandingly well in the last few games and their experience will be vital to making out younger players better players in the future.
As for yesterday's match, the result was never in doubt for me. Even when they equalised, the crown stayed buoyant and nobody seemed to think that we still would not go on and win. I told people before hand we'd win every home game from this point of the season by at least two goals, and I will stick by that. There is a real momentum at Carrow Road at the moment, and long may it continue.
Gary Docherty, Wes Hoolahan and Darryl Russell have all played outstandingly well in the last few games and their experience will be vital to making out younger players better players in the future.
As for yesterday's match, the result was never in doubt for me. Even when they equalised, the crown stayed buoyant and nobody seemed to think that we still would not go on and win. I told people before hand we'd win every home game from this point of the season by at least two goals, and I will stick by that. There is a real momentum at Carrow Road at the moment, and long may it continue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
