Well done NCFC - also great tweet from @Madders10 - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/maddison-urges-fans-to-pay-tribute-1-5378796 If I was going to the game, I'd certainly join in the applause.
I see we've got our favourite official as 4th official on Saturday - aka Simon Hooper. Let's hope the referee doesn't get injured!!
An excellent article on how DF sees the future at CR - http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-farke-blueprint-championship-success-1-5379016 It's interesting how he says that English players want too high a salary and transfer fees are too high. It COULD work and we just have to give it time.
Talk about stating the bleeding obvious! With that said when you buy british you get two positives, they help towards the quota and they are more likely to be adjusted to the pace and style of the British game. Whether they are as good as their foreign counterparts or can adjust to Farke's style is more questionable. Bah!
Thank God for that. we don't want any of those sheep shaggers! ......apart from maybe Bale, bit useful that lad! With respect to the british players, we are considering them as we have to with the domestic quoter, we are just trying to buy them at the time we can actually afford them, young and risky but thats where we are. bah!
Here's DF's take on where we are now and where we go from here. http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-farke-blueprint-championship-success-1-5379016 That's pretty much the way I saw it last summer and still the way I see it now. We made a major overhaul of the squad and then continued that in the window just gone. Yes it's painful to see good players go, but that's what it takes. The key now is how the new players perform in the next few months, but we'll go into next season with a settled squad with a minimum of gelling required.
Thats the theory, I will wait for that rug to be sold out from under Farke. If you look at the current 1st choice team how many will almost definitely not be here? maybe not be here? almost certainly be here? almost definitely not be here Gunn Tettey Maddison - (Though we may get a loan back, that will depend on him and his assurances of playing whereever he goes) maybe not be here (I'm thinking of those who have either impressed or even been touted with moves already and can get payed better with better prospects elsewhere) Hanley - (Right age and been too good not to attract richer championship club interest) Zimmermann - (All ready has Arsene as an admirer and see Hanley, will he have some loyalty to Farke and City? Not when someone offers him double his money!) Lewis - (If he carries on as he's started he will also have a number of suitors) Trybull - (Only 1 year option remaining with money king and him stalling on a new contract, is he really going to stay?) Murphy - (Tough to call, hasn't pulled up trees, but still a very bright prospect, much will depend on his form from now till March) Oliviera - (Maybe should be in the definites, but he will have to pick up some serious form before the other clubs come calling, may go anyway, if his drought continues will we want to keep him?) almost certainly be here Pinto - (Proud Capt and settled, also older so will appeal less to suitors, though is still a good player with great attitude so could interest others) Klose - (getting on a bit too, as such also lost some transfer appeal, one who probably is on too higher wages to be pinched) Vrancic - (Not shown enough for anyone domestically to pay enough to pinch him, a move back to Germany? i reckon another go at the championship and hopefully further improvement. Obviously we have the newbies and the rest of what is a pretty thin squad, but how settled can they be? Several are out on loan who will not be used to the Farke ethos and some of those few that won't pull on the city shirt again. the newbies hopefully will be up to speed by the summer and after only half a season hopefully won't be ready to leave. But the way I see it whilst we still have Naismiths/Wildshutts/Jarvis's to get rid of and we also have to sell anyone who performs well, a settled squad and well gelled from previous seasons, remains something of a pipe dream! Bah!
I'd say Gunn, Tettey and Maddison could be leavers. If there's a PL team willing to make Gunn their starting GK on loan, then he will probably go. Tettey has been a likely leaver for years, but to save wages he probably will this time. There's a lot of speculation about Maddison leaving, but I'm not convinced it ever got beyond press rumours. It could happen, but it'd be big money for no PL experience. I'd add Reed as a probable leaver though. As for your maybes, I'd only include Oliveira, if he ups his scoring rate, and I'd say the same for Murphy. Trybull will leave if he turns down a new contract but not otherwise. The likes of Zimmerman and Hanley leaving seems unlikely to me as they're both on long contracts. Lewis to me is an unlikely leaver this early in his career. Yes, a few players could leave, but IMO the squad will mostly stay intact and be ready at the off, along with a few new players coming in. I think Martin and Wildschut will turn their loans into permanent deals, but I'm not sure what will happen with Naismith.
Very interesting posts General/Rick and you both make some good points. Here’s my summary - Gone, but not forgotten - Gunn, Tettey and Maddison Likely to leave – Hanley, Zimmerman, Trybull (he appears to be stalling over signing his contract) and Basil Lewis I think we’ll keep until next Jan at the earliest and same for Murphy, as I don’t feel he’s performing well enough consistently (insert Redmond!!) We also have Godfrey who is attracting interest from other clubs who may leave and Morris who doesn’t seem to be faring particularly well. It will be interesting to see how Phillips and Cantwell perform on their loans We also have Fonkeu, Mourgos and Abrahams currently performing well for the Under 23s and IMO, we could see 3 of those 4 in the first team squad next season. The other loanees I don’t know enough about to be able to comment, though if CZ leaves, then I think Raggett should be able to plug that gap. Edit - Positive words from Leitner - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-moritz-leitner-championship-switch-1-5380508
I just don't get any of this? If Zimmers and Hanley continue to perform 'heroics' (within the context of our season - and recent seasons' defensive frailties) then a minted club showing interest ain't going to give a flying fig about the length of their remaining contracts. And as for Lewis not getting his head turned, well, what if he's looked at Jacob M, Pritchard and / or Glen Middleton as role models? DF said in today's presser - and it has been referenced by Webber many times too "We had to find creative solutions". That means selling anyone deemed an asset where the fee / deal is right and replacing for as little as possible. And the four you mentioned above Rick are all high on our (dwindling) list of 'assets', so I'd be keeping my powder dry until we kick off in August and see where we are then
Well, this has been a depressing conversation. Think I'll go read the death notices to cheer myself up.
Depressing? Compared to transfer windows under Alex Neil and Chris Hughton, I think it's been all that fans of a not-exactly-flush team could hope for. New source of creativity in midfield, a pacy guy who likes to play wide and a new striker - surely better than simply hording a selection of AM's - plus some of the high end wage earners who clearly no longer have any real future here offloaded, albeit temporary. What's so disastrous about that?
Sorry, I didn't mean to be a doomcaster! I'm merely saying a club like ours will be fully aware of all of it's major 'assets' and their ongoing value. And the four RER mentioned are all prime candidates, I personally believe. We can cross all those bridges in the summer, there are 17 games to get the best out of this current squad left this season. 40 points on the board now, new players to try and integrate as soon as poss, and I do admit the prospect of 3 of them brings a tinge of excitement. If Leitner scores or assists in a ripper tomorrow, any lingering pain over Alex Pritchard's departure will be forgotten.
