The Norwich City bench during the FA Cup fifth round defeat to Leicester City at Carrow Riad. Picture: Paul Chesterton / Focus Images
I picked a team to win the game, insists Norwich City boss Paul Lambert
David Cuffley
Monday, February 20, 2012
2:52 PM
Manager Paul Lambert defended his team selection as Norwich City crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 fifth round home defeat at the hands of Championship side Leicester City.
Lambert rested top scorer and skipper Grant Holt and on-loan defender Kyle Naughton, and left goalkeeper John Ruddy and midfielder Andrew Surman on the bench – four of the team that won 3-2 at Swansea a week earlier – insisting that Premier League survival is paramount with the visit of Manchester United next on the agenda.
But asked if those omissions had an influence on the Canaries’ exit from the competition, he argued: “No, not really because everybody else in my own view is good enough to play in the side.
“If I thought that, Naughton would have played, Ruddy would have played, Holt, Surman. I’ve still got a big enough squad.
“At the end of the day, you hold your hand up. We just probably never did enough to go through.
“I picked a team that I thought would win. That’s my fault. I pick the team.
“You can’t take anything away from Leicester.
“They deserved to go through on the day and good luck to them in the next round.”
Though City are 14 points clear of the bottom three in the Premier League with 13 games to go, Lambert stressed again that survival was his priority.
“We’re a country mile from being safe. You never get complacent or think you’re safe when it’s not mathematically done,” he said.
“I don’t think the FA Cup is a diminished competition. I’m pretty sure everybody wants to do well.
“But I’m pretty sure nobody would thank me to get to a semi-final of the FA Cup, get knocked out and then get relegated. I don’t think people will pat my back then. The main priority for me, always will be, will be staying in this league. This club has worked really hard to get in the position we’re in and you don’t want to give it up lightly.
“Every game you’re disappointed to lose – every one you play in.
“I just don’t think we did enough.
“I think you’ve got to be bang at your game every performance you play and if you go below it, you end up getting beaten.
“The crowd are disappointed, like everybody else, to lose. The players are disappointed, the staff are disappointed.
“But we also know the realism is we have to try to stay in the league.”
Lambert was pleased with the contribution of striker James Vaughan, making his first appearance since September as a substitute for the final half-hour.
He said: “I thought he looked lively when he came on.
“I thought he and Wilbraham did really fine when they came on. Vaughany being out for that length of time, being out there for 30 minutes, I’m pretty sure he will benefit from having that time on the field and I hope he’ll be a big player for us in the remaining 13 games.”
Lambert also revealed that midfielder Jonathan Howson, signed from Leeds in January, was set to start full training today, but is unlikely to feature in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier Reserve League game against Arsenal at Carrow Road (7pm).
The City boss hopes his defensive injury problems will ease before Sunday’s visit of the reigning champions.
“We’ve got a few lads to come back next week.
“We’ll see how they are during the week, but I hope I’ll have a big squad to pick from,” he said.
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12 comments
My recent posting never made it . . . try again. Opinion still heavily in favour that NCFC ripped off punters for the Cup game when we are virtually safe. Lambert did not select a team to win the fixture and the ones that were picked were not motivated. From the ashes of this debacle I hope for a winning phoenix against Man. Utd.
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NorwichAbs
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I agree that Lambert and McNally have done and are doing fantastic jobs for Norwich but the events of Saturday afternoon were clearly ridiculous. Had the Leicester match been an additional Wednesday fixture inbetween Saturdays against Swansea and Man Utd it would have made sense to put a scratch team out. As it is we only play 38 fixtures in this league as opposed to 46 fixtures last season. The hype about a good cup run for the fans and instilling belief and the winning mentality in the players ended up like a damp squid at a November fireworks display. It is mid February and we are only two wins from league safety with teams at the bottom in disarray, players wanting away and the managerial merry-go-round. Stoke are in the same mid-table bracket as us and played Crouch who scored against Crawley, who you might expect to be physical. I sincerely hope for a massive win for us this weekend but supporters were conned for the Leicester game and the inept League Cup performance against MK Dons. Some honesty from Carrow Road would have been appreciated. OTBC.
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NorwichAbs
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
harry to england, david moyes to spurs, lambert to everton... real possibility, malky makay to norwich
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jmm
Monday, February 20, 2012
of course lambert is entitled to play what ever team he wants ,he is proberly in the top 5 managers in premiership, but we were 2 victorys away from trip to wembley,we have a reserve side for inexperienced players to get game time, us leaving holt out was like man united leaving rooney out in a champions league quarter final...lambert will get us a 10th or 11th position finish ,which is brilliant, but would prefer us to finish 16th or 17th and keep lambert for another season, if we finish mid table then a big club will come in for him
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jmm
Monday, February 20, 2012
I've' just tried to post what in my opinion is a valid point of view, but youv'e guessed. Yes! It has been blocked. WHAT'S THE POINT?
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Joe Rome
Monday, February 20, 2012
We are in our current league position, because the manager and his assistants have instillied the will to win in the players he inherited, and many of those he has added to the club. It is regretable that the same desire appears to be deserting a number of players.... Mr Lambert himself looked rather dis-interested, when we took the field at Sunderland. His communication with the press and the fans since completely lack passion. Does he have a new found problem with the Welsh and Irish in the squad? Logically he may have run out of steam, and may have taken this club as far as he is able! He may be looking at pastures new and even more rewarding in the near future. ..When this happens, and I think it could be soon, NCFC needs to have prepared contingency plans ready to put into place. We will need a new leader, and it's possible that Grant Holt may just be the man with the desire to take us onward.
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Joe Rome
Monday, February 20, 2012
All entitled to your comments but you are all talking rubbish and anyway PL is entitled to do what he wants he has got us where we are today without him we would probably be in league 1 so get off his back and stop moaning if not go somewhere else. It is people like you when another club comes in for him he will think can't win with these lot and he will be off !!
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The General
Monday, February 20, 2012
i understand supporters feel let down after spending £25 for a ticket,but in the last two and a half years we have only seen about four poor games.i have supported norwich since 1947 and believe me i have seen a lot of bad matches.this is one of our best runs ever.and i have just renewed again.
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bluelight
Monday, February 20, 2012
if we were on 20- 25 points i would totally understand lamberts selection, why was holt not even on bench, man u game is not til sunday, holt should at least of been on bench,starting steer sent the wrong message through out the team, the defence was settled and tight with ruddy and back 4, bad team selection,awfull performance,poor subs made, but i suppose we wouldnt even be here without lambert,
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jmm
Monday, February 20, 2012
the league is not as important as this fa cup tie (chance) was, we are basically safe, 36 points will be enough this year, they say 40 points but its such a strange season where the bottom 5 teams are on really low points,and norwich would never lose 14 in a row, 3draws or 1 win is more than enough to keep us up, so i dont see why we rested players when we are so clear of relegation?bolton didnt and they really are in trouble. why should a professional footballer not be able to play every week,why do they need a rest? 90minutes once a week. massive chanced missed ,we could have got to final. only thing lambert has got wrong so far..
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jmm
Monday, February 20, 2012
NorwichAbs - sorry mate you are talking rubbish the premiership is worth about another £60m if we stay up will give us financial security for years to come, allow us to make the stadium a 35,000 seater. I would give in the FAC for that would'nt you? Those moaning about paying £25 for a match ticket need to get a life go to one of the big boys and pay three times the amount. PL is god in the eyes of 95% of the supporters he has our 100% support. The other 5% should go and find themselves another club to support because you do not deserve to support a great club like City perhaps there is a team down the road who would like your support. Lets hope the Archant police don't delete this posting !!!
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The General
Monday, February 20, 2012
Absolute hogwash from NCFC. A second-rate team was selected for which punters paid good money to see a team throw away a chance to earn good money and gain further plaudits from the media. All when the first team is only two wins away from Premier League safety. Supporters were mugged off in a cup tournament yet again.
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NorwichAbs
Monday, February 20, 2012