Vic Hopes, NCISA A number of interesting developments to mull over this week, such as 'who would have thought when we ushered in the New Year by this time six of our major high street banks would be virtually on their knees?' Not many it would seem, including the 'wise men at the helm of the banks or the Government!'

Vic Hopes, NCISA

A number of interesting developments to mull over this week, such as 'who would have thought when we ushered in the New Year by this time six of our major high street banks would be virtually on their knees?'

Not many it would seem, including the 'wise men at the helm of the banks or the Government!'

What has this to do with football, you may well ask, but if you take the combined debt of the two top tiers of English football this is perhaps a recipe for yet another financial meltdown.

It couldn't happen, could it? If you missed Neil Doncaster's article in last Thursday's EDP I strongly urge you to dig it out as he covers the subject far better than I ever could.

Moving on, to Rio Ferdinand's outburst when he described Steve McLaren's reign as the England coach as a circus a damning indictment of the FA, as it is their responsibility not only to appoint our coach but to monitor his progress and if he falls short to take incisive action.

Sadly, this has not always been the case closer to home at Carrow Road. The media has again had a field day following the 'match fixing allegations' allegedly involving our last home game. We can do little but to await developments.

Finally a bit of research by my friend Chris Banham reveals that, prior to today's game, GR has fielded no less than 18 different 'striker' combinations which of course includes starting and subsequent substitutions.

Is it any surprise then that we have failed so miserably in front of goal? I feel for Sibierski as he has had six different partners already. It is much the same pattern in both midfield and the back four, and one has to question GR's line up against Derby when, with an enforced makeshift defence, he played three strikers and a winger!

At least he pleased a lot of fans by dropping Fotheringham. Fozzy, as he is known, has not had a good season so far yet he was selected week in week out, something Jamie Cureton must have noticed. Jamie has, in my view, been pilloried in public far too often and it is high time he was given an extended run in the first team.