Well that mini feel good factor of better performances and results since Pritchard returned was short lived.
It's really down to him and as he said, he really enjoys playing, so why move in the summer to just make up the numbers - but then I guess his agent will have a say!! We'll see. Edit - From today's presser. So as several of us said, it was Pritchard who wanted the move - playing in blue and white??? #traitor
I think we all know that mistakes have been made on the transfer front, but SW seems to be doing a reasonable job of putting that right. The clear out, though painful, was necessary. The Jacob and Pritchard deals have restored the financial balance and provided money to continue the rebuilding process within a wage structure we can afford. The new players have settled in now, Lewis has been successfully brought into the first team and we should see some new players soon 'to give the boys a boost' as Lambert used to say. I always felt that such a radical restructuring would take more than one season and so it has done.
I'm strangely unconcerned by the Pritchard transfer. He didn't want to be here, so off you go son. Injured for half of last year, he's played, what, 20 odd games for us? Seems like short term gain to me, could well be seeing him in the Championship next year. Good and necessary business I'd say.
I feel as gutted about Pritchard leaving as I did when Ashton, Earnshaw, Bellamy, Johnson types left. He really is a fantastic player, and he's only going to get better. I think Huddersfield might be alright this season. They have already added Pritchard and Kongolo. 2 fantastic young players.
That's one of the main things I was sad about. It made such a difference to have him back, and we waited so long! It also looked like Madders and Pritch had a really good connection.
As I said yesterday we wont and cant. We can't get a player of that quality for that sum, or less money, coz other clubs aren't as stupid as ours. We wont because bringing in another German 3rd league player for 50,000 wont replace him, and that seems to be where our recruitment is at. I also think that we have really depressingly quickly become a really unattractive prospect of a club to join.
Wolves apparently looking to offload Ben Marshall. Possible Pritchard replacement?! I really rate him. Strikes me as the kind of player a Burnley or Bournemouth could go for.
But we don't need to replace Pritchard, we have JM who is very much a replacement, so we can upgrade in other areas where it is required.
We can't have Maddison as the only person in the whole squad who can score and assist regularly, surely!?
Have you not read all the experts saying accommodating them both caused an imbalance in the team, we need to sign players who can fit into DF's style of play.
DF has been playing both Maddison and Pritchard for a number of games and they have been very effective together. So Pritchard goes do we now assume that Maddison will be as effective on his own or do we expect somebody else in the squad to take Pritchard's place and form an effective partnership with Maddison? I don’t think that a Pritchard replacement exists in our squad.
All the more strange that we started scoring goals and winning when he returned ,the pair of them set up or scored nearly all the goals.
I don't think we are undesirable to join. We are as desirable as the wages we pay allow. That is more appealing than most/all second tiers in Europe, more so than some top tiers. We have just sold another player to the premier league for an 8 figure sum (tbc). If I'm a player in Germany on less money and fancy a shot at the PL gravy train, Norwich look a great stepping stone. Increasingly we look a good place to be a youngster, a number of young players recently playing in the team and again moving on for better things (Of course some haven't made it, that's football) we look good for them too. Who we looked good to, but perhaps don't any longer is; overpaid, old, hasbeens looking for a last pay day. If you're young and hungry then we currently look a pretty good place to ply your trade. Winning stuff, ok no, but that goes for many teams in many leagues, we are not the worst of these............yet? Bah!
The bottom line is that you can't keep a player who doesn't want to be here, we can protest all we like. He made a mistake choosing us over Brighton, thinking we had more chance of promotion, so he's gone for a definite (albeit possibly short-lived) move to the Prem. I've forgotten about him already.
