Return of Leroy Lita?

[The whole year inn]

Despite what some people think, Colin is no mug.

Sure?

Have you seen the league table recently?

..and his record when it comes to signing strikers. Neil Warnock saying he is not interested in a striker is a glowing endorsement of the player IMO

[RoyalBlue]

Get Lita back and send Long on loan somewhere, he is the one who needs a run of games

Yep, lets force Norwich to return our 4th/5th choice striker, who has been next to useless for this club for nearly 2 years.

Even better, when he's back, send on loan our 3rd choice who, although invariably disappointing when starting, at least has a decent record from the bench, which is the best the rest can hope for until one of Doyle or Hunt get injured.

.

Unless Long starts to get his act together PDQ, you are going to have to find a different argument to use against Lita before too long.

Shane's fabled 'decent record from the bench' is starting to look not quite so decent!

[AlexY25]

Get Lita back and send Long on loan somewhere, he is the one who needs a run of games

Yep, lets force Norwich to return our 4th/5th choice striker, who has been next to useless for this club for nearly 2 years.

Even better, when he's back, send on loan our 3rd choice who, although invariably disappointing when starting, at least has a decent record from the bench, which is the best the rest can hope for until one of Doyle or Hunt get injured.

.

Unless Long starts to get his act together PDQ, you are going to have to find a different argument to use against Lita before too long.

Shane's fabled 'decent record from the bench' is starting to look not quite so decent!

Good point, hope Lita gets to be on the bench for Derby, let him come on and see if he makes an impact. If not send him back out on loan, one game wont do any harm.

[Royal Rother]

let him come on and see if he makes an impact. If not send him back out on loan, one game wont do any harm.

If he is going to be given another chance here it needs to be a little more than 10 minutes off the bench.

[andrew1957]

I really cannot understand why anyone would want Lita to come back now.

He is not a bench player. He invariably plays better when he starts a game than when he comes on for 20 minutes or so. Long is undoubtedly a better substitute. Can anyone remember when Lita last scored after coming on as a sub?

So the only reason to bring back Lita would be if we are going to drop Hunt or Doyle - who are both better than him.

Much better that he plays every week and is ready in case we do have a serious injury problem before New Year (as we can recall him at any time in an emergency).

Also if we get a decent offer in Jan I am sure we will take it rather than letting him go for nothing in the summer (providing he agrees to go of course) - so the more he plays and scores between now and then the better for everyone.

[brendywendy]

Despite what some people think, Colin is no mug.

you
are
wrong.

[brendywendy]

Yep, lets force Norwich to return our 4th/5th choice striker, who has been next to useless for this club for nearly 2 years.

Even better, when he's back, send on loan our 3rd choice who, although invariably disappointing when starting, at least has a decent record from the bench, which is the best the rest can hope for until one of Doyle or Hunt get injured.

.

Unless Long starts to get his act together PDQ, you are going to have to find a different argument to use against Lita before too long.

Shane's fabled 'decent record from the bench' is starting to look not quite so decent!

Good point, hope Lita gets to be on the bench for Derby, let him come on and see if he makes an impact. If not send him back out on loan, one game wont do any harm.

to who?

it will harm the player being dragged around the country every week, pressurised with one game to prove himself, and shipped straight back to norwich if he fails.

and it will make us look silly too.

[Alan Partridge]

Tbf to Lita this 'Long is better off the bench' it's hardly been tested that often has it, off the top of my head I can think of 3 occasions where Lita has been sub and scored, there maybe more for the statto's among us. He wasn't named as sub that often when he wasn't playing last season, this way Coppell has that 'Long is better off the bench' meant that Lita would start or wouldn't play any part.

As mentioned earlier Lita off the bench scored against Middlesbrough, Preston at home in a 2-1 win and also Man Utd in the cup at home. Any more?

Persnally I wouldn't mind seeing both Lita and Long being named as subs, both have their merits/flaws.

[Woodcote Royal]

e

Despite what some people think, Colin is no mug.

you
are
wrong.

Which is a typical response from shortsighted fans.

Colin has a long track record of making a complete @rse of himself but that doesn't make him a mug.

He must be one of the longest serving league managers in the game and his most recent success was getting Sheff U promoted to the Prem with 90pts. And, despite those who prefered to take the p*ss at the time, his former club are now expected to receive massive compensation for their relegation the following season.

Colin's love of a striker is legendary. He's bound to collect a few duds in his quest to have the best attacking force in his division but he's not even interested in taking a punt on Leroy...............what should that tell you?

Everyone should know that Long still hasn't fulfilled his potential and that, with every passing week his future at this club looks in greater doubt. But as cr@p a he has been for much of the time (and certainly not all) he remains a better bet on our bench than Lita.

Has Lita ever scored when coming off our bench?

Even, nearly 2 years ago, when he was last worth a place in our side, how many times did Lita make a valid contribution from the bench?

We currently have two inform strikers who will start every game and all our manager requires on the bench is the back-up who is most likely to make an impact in a short space of time.

From memory, Long came on at Wolves and within minutes his pace had created an excellant goal for Cisse. Hell will freeze over before Lita ever does the same and that's why he has no chance of getting on the bench with Doyle and Hunt in such great form. If Leroy comes back now it will be to reserve team football. End of.

I will be gobsmacked if it transpires that Steve Coppell is not currently doing everything in his power to off load Lita in January, whilst lining up a quality replacement. This would give him cover for Doyle's possible departure and/or a third striker who would seriously challenge for a start.

I don't know when Shanes contract expires but he's got to do more to get a new deal. It's only thanks to Steve Coppeell limited strike options that he's still getting the chances to stake his claim.

[The Prisoner]

All irrelevant for time being - loan just been extended for another month.....

Bignall has moved to Northampton on loan too - either SSC suddenly has faith in Mooney or we are a bit thin up front?!

[Woodcote Royal]

Which means the club agree with those who think Lita's return would be pointless right now.

[loyalroyal4life]

Which means the club agree with those who think Lita's return would be pointless right now.

which also means he is more than likely to not be able to make it back in the team

[Alan Partridge]

Which means the club agree with those who think Lita's return would be pointless right now.

which also means he is more than likely to not be able to make it back in the team

Well he isn't is he, especially after Saturday where both forwards got goals. As long as N hunt and Doyle are doing the business we have no issue.It's when they aren't that we have to look at other options includig Lita. for now he is best off playing regularly and hopefully scoring for Norwich.

[Mr Angry]

He isn't returning just yet...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/7708511.stm

[AF1]

'pparently loves it up there, hanging round the nightclubs like some kind of gang starr

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

I don't want him, he's just too naughty by nature.

[Einstein agogo]

Good or Bad , Lita WILL be sold in Jan (100%) most likely to Norwich who he is playing for currently (on loan)

remember we still have long , Antonio and Mooney ( and of course hunt & doyle )

IF doyle goes then i'd like to see hunt partner either of the above with long sill on the bench... personally i'd dump long out on loan ( i don't rate him in the slightess ) that still leaves us with 3 options ( or 4 if doyle stays / 5 if lita stays )

[loyalroyal4life]

Good or Bad , Lita WILL be sold in Jan (100%) most likely to Norwich who he is playing for currently (on loan)

remember we still have long , Antonio and Mooney ( and of course hunt & doyle )

IF doyle goes then i'd like to see hunt partner either of the above with long sill on the bench... personally i'd dump long out on loan ( i don't rate him in the slightess ) that still leaves us with 3 options ( or 4 if doyle stays / 5 if lita stays )

ideal situation come january is doyle stays and partners hunt for rest of season. if he goes then lita should come in with n.hunt.

[Silver Fox]

I don't want him, he's just too naughty by nature.

I'd quite like him back as when he's on form he's a big punisher of opposition defences

[Millsy]

e

Despite what some people think, Colin is no mug.

you
are
wrong.

Which is a typical response from shortsighted fans.
...

Everyone should know that Long still hasn't fulfilled his potential and that, with every passing week his future at this club looks in greater doubt. But as cr@p a he has been for much of the time (and certainly not all) he remains a better bet on our bench than Lita.

Has Lita ever scored when coming off our bench?

Even, nearly 2 years ago, when he was last worth a place in our side, how many times did Lita make a valid contribution from the bench?

We currently have two inform strikers who will start every game and all our manager requires on the bench is the back-up who is most likely to make an impact in a short space of time.

From memory, Long came on at Wolves and within minutes his pace had created an excellant goal for Cisse. Hell will freeze over before Lita ever does the same and that's why he has no chance of getting on the bench with Doyle and Hunt in such great form. If Leroy comes back now it will be to reserve team football. End of.

I will be gobsmacked if it transpires that Steve Coppell is not currently doing everything in his power to off load Lita in January, whilst lining up a quality replacement. This would give him cover for Doyle's possible departure and/or a third striker who would seriously challenge for a start.

Agree Colin is no mug. But he is no god either and just because he isn't interested means very little.

Again we're talking about the "potential" of the likes of Long.

Right now where EVERY POINT IS VITAL I don't care about how good Long, Mooney, Bignall or A.N.Other might be one day, I'm interested in having DECENT COMPETITION and DECENT COVER.... RIGHT NOW.

Quite simply as it stands we have no decent cover. Let's just say Long is better off the bench than Lita (and that has nothing to do with the number of times he's come on, the form of the team at the time etc etc).... so what?

Do you think the only reason we want Lita back is to come off the bench?

I won't regurgitate my longer post above but to put it briefly: we need competition from players who are CURRENTLY goalscoring STARTERS (like Lita) and backup for the inevitable time when one of them has a suspension/injury/tummy bug/off day.

Having only two inform current strikers for a team trying to achieve autopro is a joke.

Whether we get Lita back and sell him January for another quality striker is fair enough but missing the point. We need someone here now not two months away when we lose yet more valuable points like we did against the fake hoops.