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great to see an ex-celtic man do well. hope it keeps up for lambo and the canaries

Thumbs up again Paul!

I’d like to think that my comment on one of your other pieces the other day may have influenced your choice in venturing to the match. However, I am not naive enough to believe you haven’t seen the build up by Cowling and his antics in the last couple of weeks.

I’m over the moon with the result and really couldn’t have asked for any better from the team who really have turned their season around since the arrival of Lambert – who seems to be created for a higher cause one day (preferably with Norwich).

Morning all. A rather disappointing result yesterday but having been at the game at least I have the consolation that we won't play many more teams as good as Norwich this season. From the South Stand (at the opposite end of the ground to the Norwich fans) we were wondering what our one idiot fan planned to do if he had been allowed to reach the 1900 Norwich fans. He'd obviously had too much of the falling down water before the game which clouded his judgement, although by the end most of the Colchester fans wished they were in the same state and I'm sure many of them were shortly after the game finished.

My only note of caution for Norwich fans would be if supposedly bigger clubs come sniffing around for Wes Hoolahan and to a lesser degree Grant Holt and Chris Martin. Everything creative from Norwich seemed to go through Hoolahan and I think without the 3 players mentioned Norwich would struggle.

I also think that rather than stealing our manager you have simply borrowed him temproarily and in my opinion he will show the same amount of loyalty to you when Tony Mowbray leaves Celtic and be on the first plane up to Glasgow.

But to end on a positive note, congratulations to Norwich for a well deserved victory. We were as poor as I have seen us this season and didn't deserve anything from the game. I just hope we'll be playing you again in the Championship next year.

"And for most of the afternoon the atmosphere was hardly malicious. It had an almost comic element to it, with Lambert cast as the bad guy. I saw one grown man respond to Lambert's appearance by dishing out a double thumbs-down."

Fantastic! I haven't seen anyone do that in real life since a particularly bad karaoke night on holiday in Greece several years ago.

Sir Geoff - agreed.
That really made me chuckle.

What did you think of the performance of Mike Dean yesterday Paul? The consensus from fans around me was that he had a shocker and it was no wonder he is not a Premier League ref any more. I thought he made a couple of strange decisions but that still doesn't account for us losing 5-0.
There is also talk that the compensation for Lambert could approach Β£1 million which Norwich don't have and it could be enough to put them into administration with the loss of 10 points. They could cover it by selling Hoolahan or Holt but as the tribunal isn't due until after the transfer window closes they won't have that option. It also appears that the business plan is based on Norwich being promoted this season to generate extra revenue and that they could be in financial trouble if they don't go up this year.

I can't see the compensation for Lambert approaching anywhere near Β£1 Million-it'll probably be about 10% of that amount and, in the end, more than Norwich think they should pay and less than Colchester think they should get.

Quite why the whole issue has dragged on for so long-which hasn't helped anyone-is a mystery. Clearly, Colchester think they are in the right, but, as has been the case before, these payments are usually written into contracts or based on salary. Lambert will have known the terms of his contract with Colchester better than anyone, he "jumped ship" with the confidence thyat goes with that and Norwich appointed him based on that confidence, which would have been backed by Lamberts advisors/agent/accountant etc. So Norwich clearly think there is no serious case to answer, and, given their financial plight, would not put themselves into a position where it might be compromised.

I am fairly confident that we will go up automatically, but, at the same time, am amused how many are now saying Leeds will "implode" because they lost their second, yes, second, game of the season yesterday. If thats imploding...!

Charlton are a worry, as are Huddersfield and Colchester. We need to keep winning, and, when we lose a game, as we will, come out of it straight away and get a winning run together again. That is the real sign of a good team, not always that they keep winning, but how they respond to a defeat.

As for Holt, Martin, Hoolahan leaving-maybe in the Summer, but it won't be this January. For the long term good of the club, we MUST get promoted this season (we will go into adminstration if we don't) and short term gain from selling players that, ultimately, could see us losing out njsut won;t happen. Like I said, things may change in the Summer, but we'll worry about that then. We worried about losing Marshall, Clingan and Croft last Summer, but don't miss any of them, and, of those three, only Clingan might expect to have a chance of getting in the current team.

As for Colchester, well, a lot of the spin, hype and perceived rivalry has come from their Chairman. We are not traditional rivals and it is not, take note Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, a local "derby" match. Hopefully the clubs can move on now, the compensation thing can be settled, and both clubs can progress. I would like to see Colchester go up through the play offs, as they are a decent club and a community focused one.

And Paul Lambert? Unquestionably destined for higher things and, jno doubt if he continues as he is, Celtic one day. Hopefully not too soon though, and, for that reason, I hope Mowbray keeps his job for a long, long time!

I personally thought Dean was OK and got the major decisions right. The penalty was at the opposite end of the ground to me so I couldn't see it clearly (a touch of the Wenger's there) but the sending off looked like a very poor challenge. A lot of the 50/50 decisions seemed to go Norwich's way but that could easily be me wearing my Colchester glasses. We can't expect to win when we give the opposition 4 goals through our own mistakes.
I do wonder how long Mowbray will be given at Celtic after yesterday's draw and being 9 points behind Rangers. Do you think they should bring in the same rule for managers as they have for players where they can only be at 2 clubs in one season?
I definitely think that it's time to move on and concentrate on making sure we claim a play off place at the end of the season. I think Norwich and Leeds are the outstanding teams in the division and will take the top two places with Charlton keeping it interesting right to the end of the season. I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to finish in the top 6 as long as we get over the last two results and get back to how we've been playing for the last couple of months.

I thought that the most disappointing thing about yesterdays match was that there was no chance for both sets of fans to be united with a chant of "Stand up if you hate Ipswich"

ColchesterFC, I think the lack of the "Stand Up if you hate Ipswich" chant illustrates just how much of an irrelevance they have become with both sets of fans this season!

Their fans, mind, are still obsessed and worried about us!

With any luck all three teams will be in the Championship next season and the rivalry will intensify again. I do agree that yesterday wasn't a local derby. Our traditional rivals are Southend not Norwich and it has been mostly Cowling that has has led to the bad feeling between the clubs. As I live close to Norwich now I know a lot of their fans. I think that reports there could be trouble were overhyped and that both sets of fans behaved well, apart from our one idiot with the deathwish who tried to get into the away end.
Very disappointing that Norwich only brought 1900 fans with them though. I thought they might have had more than that ;-)

Yes, lets both get promoted and have that East Anglian mini-league thing going on again!

Shame you aren't interested in taking Cureton back, I guess you know, as the world and his wife does, that his legs have reportedly "gone" and the pace and fitness that was once a trademark of his game is no more. But he did well for you, proibably the best time of his career?

So he'll see out his nice fat contract with us.

How many players in your current team do you think could make the step up, should you go up this season?

Izzet, Baldwin, Okounghae and Odejayi could certainly play at a higher level and if we got in a couple of others we should be ok. I'm not convinced by Wordsworth and haven't seen enough of Henderson yet to make a decision on him. I don't know what's happening with Nobby Solano as he was reported to be interested in joining us. He could be a useful addition for the second half of the season. He's obviously not as good as he was but I'm sure he would be able to contribute at League 1 level.

Personally, i'm a huge fan of Lambert.

As mentioned by more than 1 person, I truely believe that Norwich are another club to help him build his experience up before he "goes home" to Celtic.

He's got Norwich playing some great football, and after a win like that, even moreso considering what happened at Carrow Road, again, Lambo has confirmed his status as a fantastic up-and-coming Manager, who is destined for success.

Scottish Managers are fantastic at their jobs, the majority of the time anyway. Just take a look at the Premiership & Football League at how many Scots are there managing English sides, yet some people act surprised with results like this. It's hard as a Bradford lad i'm a huge fan of Aidy Boothroyd, but on the othe rhand i'm a Celtic fan who worships legends like Paul Lambert. Not the kind of score I or anyone else was probably expecting, but again and again Lambert is proving he has what it takes.

He'll take Norwich up, and probably do a Forest/Leicester by challenging for Play-Offs, then a few years down the line he'll leave, his head held high, and cross the border and head back to Glasgow :-)

Godd luck for the rest of the season to both Norwich & Colchester . . .

At 11:11am on 17 Jan 2010, ColchesterFC wrote:
What did you think of the performance of Mike Dean yesterday Paul? The consensus from fans around me was that he had a shocker and it was no wonder he is not a Premier League ref any more. I thought he made a couple of strange decisions but that still doesn't account for us losing 5-0.

Just to point out that Mike Dean is very much still a Premier Ref, and a very well thought of one too. That being the reason he was given this potentially volatile fixture.

Nice blog Paul. I criticised your Friday effort but this was top drawer.

Terrific result, Cowley got exactly what he deserved. When will people learn that mouthing off like that usually results in a very large backlash?
As for Lambert taking the Celtic job, he emphatically turned down the Burnley job and seems genuinely happy in the interviews I've read, in which he has praised the fans.
Also he's one of few managers I've seen respond to "Give us a wave!"

After Colchester started selling the DVD of their opening day victory over Norwich there have been suggestions that Norwich might replicate with a DVD of yesterday's highlights. The working title is "Weston Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔs Five-0, Book 'em Deano"

@18 I think that there's a big difference between being offered the Burnley job and the Celtic job. Next season Norwich and Burnley are likely to be in the same divison so there's not a lot of reason to go there. However the offer to take over at Celtic just might be too tempting for him to turn down.

Nice blog Paul. I wish I was at the game now. What id miss? Only joking

If both Norwich and Colchester go up this year, imagine how good next season would be for East Anglia. Youd have Ipswich, Peterborough, Norwich and Colchester, and thats just the Championship. Its a shame we dont have any teams in the Prem

@21 Unfortunately even if Norwich and Colchester do go up it looks likely that Peterborough and even Ipswich (although they have started doing better recently) could swap places with them.

ColchesterFC- You're also assuming he'd be next in line after Mowbray. As much as I love Lambert, that kind of job would come up if he got us riding high in the Championship, possibly after our League One promotion (would love it if it was at the expense of Leeds, hoofy one man team with delusions of grandeur).
It's a bit join the dots- he was a player at Celtic, he played under Martin O' Neill, therefore he'll get the Celtic job. As much as I love Lambert, it's still too early to put him in that kind of frame.
For example, you've got managers like Mark Hughes available who might be tempted for that kind of vacancy.

@23 That's a fair point. I think he'll end up at Celtic if he keeps progressing but maybe it is too soon to think it will be this season. I personally hope he does stay at Norwich for a while. They've always been my second team as I moved up close to there when I was quite young and I haven't bought in to this recent rivalry between Colchester and Norwich. Cowling has been acting like an idiot with some of his recent comments. It's time to forget it and concentrate on promotion. Unfortunately I don't think things will move on until after the tribunal and even then I'm sure one side or other will be unhappy with the outcome.

@24 A large helping of humble pie for Mr Beckford I think. It seemed that after the FA Cup game he thought he'd get a flood of offers if he put in a transfer request and when those offers didn't come in he realised that he had some bridges to build. I don't think he's still at Leeds because he wants to be. But I can't see anyone catching them. In my opinion the other teams are fighting for 2nd and play off places.

It won’t be easy to overtake Leeds, but I’m sure if anyone in the league can do it it’ll be us. We have been continuingly closing the gap down and have the chance next week to take the top spot.

The whole Beckford debacle will have obviously caused problems within their camp and just because he has withdrawn his transfer request does not mean he will not move on in this window. The other point to mention is the amount of games that they have coming up – being both in the FA Cup and the paint trophy – whereas we have only the league to concentrate on.

Obviously these are all ifs and buts however the possibility is certainly there and their recent run will show other teams that they are not invincible.

#26 Beckford put a transfer request before the Man Utd game so I cant see how getting bigger offers has anything to do with it

I dont think it would happen BUT Id love it if we got top spot! Love it! It would show how far we have come with Lambert

Colchester and Norwich fans can see what happened behind the scenes at yesterday's match on the new Late Kick Off programme this Monday with Matt Holland. Matt's special guests will be MK Dons manager Paul Ince, and, former Norwich Manager Bryan Gunn. That's Late Kick Off, Monday 2335 on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 1 (EAST).

Norwich's aim has got to be to push for the top spot and dislodge Leeds, which if they manage to keep Hoolahan, Martin and Holt is definitely realistic. The come back from the 7-1 opening day defeat has been impressive and judging by Leeds tight win at Elland Road earlier in the season there's not a lot between the sides. The match up at Carrow Road will be awesome.

I don't think Lambert is a viable contender for the Celtic job until Norwich are at least established in the championship and pushing for promotion.

Lambert for celtic. Sack mowbary (as much as I like him he is not good enough)and get Paul Lambert in ASAP.

Kayode Odejayi could play at a higher level? He was rubbish at Barnsley....League Two is more his level

#32, football is a business and like other businesses, any that arent financially managed well deserve to go bust. Remind me who gave Stockport their money issues, because Im sure they put it on themselves

Really good blog Paul! Good to see the Footie League having a regular supporter! Great stuff!

Of course I meant REPORTER. Tsk

Anyone else in favour of scrapping the January transfer window and banning managers from switching sides while season is underway?

Paul, i am quite disappointed by a couple of things in your blog this week.

Firstly, is how you are portraying Colchester fans.
You describe how there was a fan running from the West Stand to the away end in the match.
We all saw it and you are right, it is incredibly stupid.
However, no real Colchester fan does this thing. The West Stand is mainly occupied by the older fans who enjoy to watch the game, hence why only adult season tickets are sold there. East Stand is the family stand and the South Stand is where all the singers ago.

When you look at that, it is clear that this muppet has bought a ticket in the block that happened to be closest to the away fans just so he could do this. There was not even an ounce of blue on that fan, all of the real fans were sat in their seats or singing in the South Stand. We have had problems in the past with pathetic yobs like him who just go to games to cause trouble - it's a shame as it brings the club down.

Secondly, regarding these fans that stayed around after the game to abuse Lambert, i would like to see evidence of this. I was in the reception until 6 after the game waiting with a friend of mine, no-one was there to give abuse to him, only the few of us there who normally stick around.


Other than that Paul, an excellent blog once again.

It shows what sort of game it was to be honest. Norwich took 5 out of 7 shots at goal, we took 0 out of the 15 shots that we had.

If Norwich weren't so clinical and we were, it could have been the same result but the other way around!
If Norwich want to go up, they will need to sort out their defence, as if we were clinical enough we would have demolished them in the first half.
We were missing two key players on Saturday, O'Toole and Reid. We started with Batth at centre back who was at fault for the first 2 goals, and he was replaced by Baldwin who was at fault for another 2 goals. Typical luck. Without those mistakes it would have been a different affair.

The behaviour of Lambert simply signifies how much of an unprofessional man he really is. When he left the club, everything came out, such as how he banished players to the youth team if he felt they didn't fit in with the squad.
As soon as another club with more prospect than Norwich and a bit more cash come along - Lambert will be gone, just like he did to us.

Whatever happens with Lambert in next couple of years I don't think his next career move will be Celtic. Mowbray's under pressure with results, signings etc and if the Celtic board decide to get rid (won't be before this time next year though) then obviously Mowbray has been a failure. To go down the Lambert route at that point would be too much of a gamble for them as he'd still be a lower English league manager unproven managerial at the top level.

On the other side of the coin, if he gets Norwich through the leagues into the premiership, leaving at that point may well be step down.

Paul, Re: your comments about the abuse after the game. I was still there when the interviews began to take place and watched it unfold from the top tier, box level. Whilst I agree there was a significant level of noise coming from a couple of groups of fans on that level I can heard no swearing as you mention. There was a sustained chorus of 'judas', which was I suspect based around Lambert's perceived actions from the start of the season. If I'm honest after his behaviour during the game (egging on the Norwich fans, theatrical appeals for every foul and challenge and the laughable incident complaining about the ball boy) he bought it on himself.

You yourself in the blog expressed your thought that he stepped over the line with his actions in the technical area so I can fully understand how the fans must have felt. Based on what I heard and saw it is a shame he reacted as he did.

Ironically, just before that the whole of that level had been queuing up to chat with and get photos with Delia Smith, sitting just by that area. The good nature she and the NCFC party had in discussing the game, chances for the rest of the season and more than one person ribbing them about a 7-6 aggregate score to the U's were in stark contrast to their managers approach.

I know both Colchester and Norwich fans who are top notch. Paul what I would say about your Point 24 is I'm not convinced my team Swindon are goal happy but one Charlie Austin, who was signed from Poole has 8 in 8 and most definately is!

The chairman Andrew Fitton, Danny Wilson and everyone else at the club are doing a tremendous job, creating a stable (in this world very rare) club with a top team coming together.

Stockport tomorrow and then 7 days rest before hopefully further denting Leeds' Championship aspirations. We are going to be very dangerous in the play-offs as we are improving.

I was at Carrow Road the day of the 7-1 defeat & Lambert celebrated every goal going in then as well, I think that's just the sort of man he is.

Surely if Colchester fans dislike his behaviour how do you think Norwich fans have taken to some of the stuff Cowling has been saying?

As a Norwich fan i'm under no illusions that Lambert will probably leave us but if he does I'm certain it will be because he's had success at Norwich & got us promoted. Which is fine by me.

It was painful to see 5 goals go in and contribute to 4 of them when Norwich looked quite capable of scoring against us without our assistance.
Like any Colchester fan I would like to be promoted in one of the automatic positions and if not, the lottery of the play offs will certainly do.
I would like to mention the small matter of money which seems to be our focus at the moment.
Norwich have done what any other club would have done and got the manager they think will serve them best. But any manager under contract to another club comes at a cost.

Norwich should gain automatic promotion and then the situation will change for them.
Our compensation claim will be minor against the interest payments on there Β£22 million debt. How can you finance signings for the team which will need to be made. Holt Hoolahan Martin will all stay because things are going well but how will Norwich finance the new goalkeeper and defenders which they will definately need.
Lambert will preach loyalty but his career will take him away from Norwich and him punching the air in delight on Saturday will be a distant memory when that day comes. I hope we are in the same division when that happens and that you remember these wise words.

Enjoy the good times but don't rub people up the wrong way because football has a habit of reminding you that you may not be as good as you think you are.

@post 38
'If Norwich want to go up, they will need to sort out their defence, as if we were clinical enough we would have demolished them in the first half.'

Look at our clean sheets and defensive record. I think you need to take that match with a pinch of salt, poor pitch and one of our key CB's injured. We still kept a clean sheet mind

@post 44
'Our compensation claim will be minor against the interest payments on there Β£22 million debt'

A substantial part of this debt is an interest free loan on the new stand which is being paid for by the tickets it sells.

@24 and 32 - Think you need to reassess your prediction capabilities Paul - Leeds, even with Beckford were left eating our dust!

I agree

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