The point was that Naismith's wages were not excessive for a PL player. We now have to restructure our squad to cope with the end of parachute payments and Pritchard moving on for a healthy fee is part of that.
Where does the club go from here though? We now can’t go out and spend the transfer fee or wages to bring in a player of the same or similar quality. And based on the very, very hit and miss transfer recruitment policy. I don’t see why we couldn’t hold on to him to try and beat relegation this season, and promise to sell him in the summer when he will know who is in for a season in the Premiership, and the transfer fees and tv rights will probably go up another couple of notches. We now have either halved our attacking quality of the team for the rest of the season. Or we have to go out and pay inflated prices to try and fill the hole he will leave.
Fair enough, but we've been a lower league side for two seasons (and counting!) yet is this reflected in what the aging waste of space earns? Not only is the club more pants than average at signing new players, it's even pantser (?) at negotiating sensible contracts with those it does sign. Very poor show, NCFC and it's all coming back to haunt you next season - and self inflicted.
The Wildschut loan seems strange to me, but it seems to indicate that DF wants a different sort of wing play in future. Josh is the only true winger now and the others (Pritchard included) tend to crowd into the centre rather than spreading play. Archant are now saying that Wildschut's fee was closer to £4m than the £7m often quoted.
Good point re him waiting until the summer FML. If SW/DF ARE allowed to spend any of the fee, you can be sure it will be on a player from Germany or the lower tiers of English football.
So he's deemed good enough for a side vying for automatic promotion / play offs, but not for a dysfunctional (or about to become more so when AP goes) side in the bottom half of the table? Yeah, that's Norfolk logic at its absolute finest for you
I don't think we will try to replace Pritchard. He was playing out of position because Maddison is doing so well at AM. That's another positive about the deal IMO. We also have Wes and even Naismith who can play either AM or on either flank. DF can now bring in new players who suit his tactics rather than trying to fit AN players into his system. Much will depend on the players coming in but we could improve as a result, or at least have a more settled squad ready to kick on next season.
We all knew Wes can't play as a winger any more. He hasn't got the legs or the Pace. As has been shown a few times this season when DF has for some reason played him as a right Winger. So that's him out of the reckoning. Naismith should be nowhere near the first team, can't perform in any position we have put him in, and is being constantly linked with Scottish teams, so he's out. Wildschut seems to be off to a promotion contender, because he's not good enough for us. That's another winger option gone. On top of that, looks like we will replace them all with Jordan Jones from Kilmarnock. Who although is a really good dribbler, who is pretty good on the ball. He's nowhere near the standard of those other players mentioned above. It smacks of another Andreu, Canos, Wildschut signing.
Wildschut hasn't been great. But he hasn't had a run in the team. I think when he has played, he has shown glimpses of things we have lacked. Like pace, Directness, taking on a defender. I would have much preferred to see him given a run of games to some of the usual mob. I am sure he would have offered more than Stiepermann, Vrancic et al, who have played much more minutes. Only thing that has looked dodgy with Wildschut is his final ball. But who does have a final ball in our side? Madders and the departing Pritch. That's it. I think a lot of us were all baffled and appalled at the signing of Wildschut. We didn't need him in that position and it was silly money that apparently we didn't have to spend. I would rather we started with Josh on the Left and Wildschut on the right. Rather than revert back to Stiepermann, Vrancic and Wes.
Agreed, plus whoever else they deploy in a supposed 'wide' role, Josh excepted, has a tendency to drift inside so we once again become too narrow and predictable. Naismith, Vrancic, Wessi, Watkins, even Howson before he left, have all been played ostensibly as wide players - yet none of them really are, so we're back to square pegs once again.
Urgh, I totally forgot we even had Watkins. He's looked like a poor Championship player. I don't even know his best role, or where he'd want to play. All he has is a bit of pace and works hard.
Do you recon we have any lingering interest in Jerome Sinclair anymore? So close to signing him on loan last window, or window before. Just seen he's linked with a loan move to Holland.
I'll be astounded if this is true - maybe before Ruddy & 6 others were released at the end of last season, but surely not now? Shoddy management once again if it is accurate. And why, why, why did Naismith not have a relegation clause in his contract when everyone else did? How many more times will this club hit the self-destruct button?
