the only one who looks at our team selection each week goes ??????????????????

Surely we couldn't be contemplating Quigley alone up front against a Wrexham? With Tshimanga glued to the bench?

Wouldn't the Coalville game have been the time to try something completely different with our forward players, instead of wasting selection on a player we send out to develop his trade with the Gladiators two days later?

I thought I'd say this after a win, rather than waiting for the sword of defeat to descend and turn my foresight into hindsight.

Interesting window for Newcastle.
With money to spend a couple of additional quality players and they will be challenging for the title.

LAST TIME OUT



MANAGER

Carlos Corberán Vallet (born 7 April 1983) is a Spanish football coach who is currently head coach of EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion.

Previously the head coach of Doxa and Ermis in the Cypriot First Division, Corberán was first team assistant coach and manager of the under-23s side at Leeds United.[1][2] He then managed in his own right at Huddersfield Town and Olympiacos.

ONE TO WATCH

Solomon Brandon Michael Clarke Thomas-Asante (born 29 December 1998) is a British professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion.

Thomas-Asante began his career with Milton Keynes Dons, where he made his professional debut aged in 2016 aged 17. After spells on loan with Sutton United and Oxford City, he left Milton Keynes in 2019, spending a short spell at Ebbsfleet United before signing for Salford City. While at Salford, he won his first trophy, the 2019–20 EFL Trophy.

Albion took a punt on this lad, think he cost around £500,000 if that, we will spend the next month looking for the next Graham Burke

Famous folks from West Bromwich

Phil Lynott and Robert Plant apparently saw the light of day in the town, as did K K Downing from Judas Priest

https://www.wba.co.uk/

https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=11941

Hibs apparently moving for Burnley's Kevin Long, an experienced CB who is out of contract next summer. Porto leaving and Long (or AN Other) coming in?

https://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/article/pr...celtic-h-1

This is gonna be a tough challenge for Hibs with Celtic rated as definite favourites to carry on with their winning sequence of matches. However, that has to end sometime v opponents who are in a decent "vein" of form. Here's hoping the guys can extend their encouraging form v Livingston to register some kinda positive result. C'mon Hibs!

GGTTH

Fixtures over the New Year weekend.

Gamball:
Norwich - Watford

Others:
Wolves - Man Utd
Bournemouth - Crystal Palace
Blackpool - Sunderland
Huddersfield - Luton
Birmingham - Middlesbrough
Stoke - Preston
Swansea - Burnley
Wigan - Hull
QPR - Sheff Utd

THE MATCH

THURSDAY 29TH DECEMBER KO 7:45PM

v

LAST MATCH



After 3 straight draws we got back to winning way with victory at Fleetwood. We got off to a bad start as Rooney fired in from 20 yards as they worked the ball across the 18 yard box. We were level when Byers turned in a mishit shot by Johnson. Fleetwood the hit the bar and Dawson made a point blank save in the space of a few seconds while Mighten had a shot saved. Onto the second half and a bit of a scrappy game was lightened up in the 73rd minute when Johnson controlled on the edge of the and almost in slow motion fired past there keeper. Late on there scorer Rooney was sent off for two yellow cards.

THE MATCH



Next up and Port Vale make the trip to Hillsborough. Vale are having a decent season and currently lie in 9th place just 3 points off the playoffs. If they can mount a challenge to the top 6 is the question for Vale fans. There leading scorer is Harrison with 7. They are currently managed by Darrell Clarke who took over in 2021. Another team we have a losing record against although we did win at there place earlier in the season.

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 13
VALE 14
DRAWS 4

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                      

VALE              -                                   

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

SCOTT OLDHAM
Stephen Wade and Alex Gray
Fourth Official : Neil Hair

THE TEAM

Dawson
Palmer McGuiness James
Mighten Bannan Byers FDB Johnson
Windass Smith

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

2-1 Smith

ATTENDANCE

26578

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

26

BML LEAGUE

Stateside 15
Imre 15
Wash 12
Owlskev 12
Maddix 9
SCO 7
Peiowl 6

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Huddersfield v Rotherham
Blackpool v Sheff Utd
Portsmouth v Ipswich
Plymouth v Wycombe
Sutton v Gillingham

DAAHH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE

WEREHAM




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Dean Smith has been sacked as Norwich City head coach after a run of just three wins in 13 Championship matches.

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare and first-team coach Liam Bramley have also left Carrow Road.

Steve Weaver and Allan Russell have taken caretaker charge of the team.

"As the club continues to work towards its on-field objectives this season, the board believe that it is the right time to make this transition," Norwich said in a statement.

"The club will now work to identify and appoint a new head coach that is able to deliver both the level of performances required to challenge at the top end of the league whilst implementing a consistent style of play."

Smith publicly questioned the attitude of some fans after the home defeat by Blackburn on 17 December and said playing away was better for his side.

"I think a lot of them have been waiting for this period to happen, or wanting it to - I don't know," he told BBC Radio Norfolk at the time.

Monday's 2-1 defeat at Luton was a third defeat in four.

Canaries sporting director Stuart Webber added: "This was a tough decision, but one that we felt was necessary to give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League this season.

"With just under half of the season remaining and three consecutive home games on the horizon we now have a real opportunity to build some forward and positive momentum, both on and off the pitch."

Listen to BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage podcast
The Canaries had been top of the table on 1 October but are now fifth and 12 points off the top two.

Smith was appointed as Daniel Farke's successor in November 2021 but was unable to save them from relegation back to the Championship last season.

Farke won the second-tier title twice during his four and a half years at the helm, but on each occasion they only lasted a single campaign in the Premier League.

Smith began his managerial career at Walsall before moving on to Brentford and then Aston Villa.

He guided Villa to promotion from the Championship in 2019 and they reached the Carabao Cup final the following year.

The former defender was sacked following five successive Premier League defeats at the start of the 2021-22 season, only to take the Norwich job eight days later.


Norwich City haven't clicked all season and ultimately that's why fans demanded change.

Even during their nine-game unbeaten run in September and October, the football on offer wasn't convincing. Fans were still scratching their heads as to exactly what Dean Smith's style was.

As Sheffield United and Burnley started to pull away at the top of the division, questions were piling up as to when things might click - with a squad who have won this league before.

The World Cup break bought Smith time - a month to get his squad fired up - but there wasn't much fire on the resumption.

Defeat by Blackburn at Carrow Road was the beginning of the end as fans couldn't take it any more.

Instead of fans leaving early, it was boos during and after the game - they wanted change now.

Had Smith won convincingly at Luton, that might have been enough to buy another couple of home games to prove what he was capable of… but we all know how that went.

Ultimately, it was the failure to convince the fans his football was up to scratch that led to his departure.

Amazing what a few hundred million and a manager who has a plan and a vision can do.
Big club long overdue a push for the top.
The big 6 are now the big 7

It's time to "chill" and enjoy Xmas in the best way that we can esp during these challenging times. Have a good one!! ENJOY!!