THE Man can reveal that three Norwich City players are currently for sale. Jim Brennan, Jason Jarrett and Jason Shackell are all open to offers. That's right, three of this season's top performers (loud cough) are up for hire.

THE Man can reveal that three Norwich City players are currently for sale. Jim Brennan, Jason Jarrett and Jason Shackell are all open to offers.

That's right, three of this season's top performers (loud cough) are up for hire on the following website: www.jam-management.com

All you have to do is click on one of the three Js to register a formal booking. The website seems to primarily handle modelling work, but party appearances are not ruled out.

The Man is not on commission for this one, but I have to say the website is worth a visit. Even if it is just to have a giggle at Jimmy B trying to look sexy in a vest. So, next time you are arranging a party for that special someone, go the extra yard, and book Gentle Jason Jarrett for an appearance…

In fact, The Man is tempted to save up all his money and book a dinner party with all three. Thank you please! I could even arrange for a surprise guest - Damien Francis is being hawked on the website too.

t THERE was a lot of dissatisfaction in the air during the Preston game. The frustration levels within Carrow Road seemed to be approaching critical mass as we slumped to a 3-0 reverse.

I have to say, and this is a little unusual for The Man, I felt a little bit sorry for the players and Worthy. It was sad that such a productive festive season ended on a sour note.

As far as The Man was concerned, our boys were dead men walking when they went out on to the pitch against Preston. They had knackered themselves wrestling nine points from three of the most physical sides in the division.

Meanwhile, Preston had had to contend with just two home games against the slightly less taxing opposition of Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry. Given our traditional Christmas and New Year results, I think everyone would have taken nine points from 12 prior to our Boxing Day visit to Bramall Lane.

That's not to say the Preston game did not raise some alarming questions, because it did. While The Man will put a large proportion of the deficiencies of the performance down to previous exertions, some rather ugly problems did raise their head.

One such ugly problem is the landscape of our midfield now that Safri has gone. We all feared what Youssef's absence could do to our revival - Monday's game was our worst fears realised. Simon Charlton plugged away admirably, Brennan tried to get stuck in but was rather thrown in at the deep end. While Dickson Etuhu had an absolute stinker.

A supporter who sits behind The Man joked that PNE had made it a requirement of Etuhu's prior loan agreement that he played for us against them. He was awful, truly awful.

The club's announcement that they had negotiated a near half a million deal for DH within 24 hours of the game did not go down very well. The truth is the deal was done a long time ago, even so, I'm sure a few PNE directors left Carrow Road with broad smirks on their faces on Monday night.

But, it was only one game.

We need to give DH time to settle. When he's played before he's had Safri on hand to help him out. Now he's got to work out how to run a midfield staffed by two full-backs by himself. There is absolutely no point in getting on his back, he needs support.

If he's rubbish for the rest of the season, then serious questions can be asked.

In recent years both Holty and The Doc looked ropey at the start, but turned it around.

The Man was a touch ashamed at the speed with which some of our supporters got on Etuhu's case on Monday. OK, he had a bad game, but what have we turned into? We're beginning to sound like Wolves fans. Of course, The Man is very often prone to a significant moan, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

There's no doubt the signature of Etuhu is a gamble for Worthy. £450,000 is a lot of money in this league, especially for a player that has never played to a consistent level for a prolonged period.

Can Worthy get 100 per cent out of Dickson? Let's see.

Also, our old mate Jason Jarrett returned to the club this week. Again this is a big test for Worthy. The way our midfield looks at the moment, JJ has got to be in with a shout of getting a game. By all accounts he's been in decent form for Plymouth. Will Worthy give him a fresh chance? It will be interesting. I assume he was given a run out today.

As a footnote, The Man would just like to make a few comments about Preston. They are obviously a very decent side, with a decent manager, but they were incredibly cynical.

I have not seen time-wasting like that at Carrow Road since Neville Southall used to spend five minutes taking a goal kick for Everton. The time-wasting - which only prevented them from wracking up more goals - was made all the worse by the fact the ref refused to do anything to address it.

Also, given PNE are on a long unbeaten run, their away support was pathetic. I've seen reserve sides bring more.

t WELL done to Worthy on winning manager of the month. The Man has handed out a lot of criticism over the past few months, so it is only fair to acknowledge NW's five straight wins.

Looking ahead, I do think without Safri the manager will find it almost impossible to repeat the good festive results in January.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but if the Preston game was anything to go by, I doubt it.

Ahead of today's cup game with WHU, we are only three points of the play-offs. Anything but a top six finish this season will be an abject failure so Worthy, keep-a-doing bor… you ain't out of the woods by a long shot.

OTBC.