Grass looked very long to me, hard to get a passing rhythm going. Decent run out. Good for Drmic to get a goal, tidy finish from Srbeny. They looked a bit further ahead in their preseason than us?
Felt we got our pass and move swagger back between players as the second half went on. You could tell they were a bit more casual. Just trying to get back into the flow, of interchanges.
Don't really care about the score line, like always pre season is about getting the fitness levels back up. But I hope the injuries to Godfrey and Thompson isn't anything too serious.
They've already played 3 pre-season games against good opposition and won them all. We were a bit sloppy in the first half and Jamal made a loose pass to set up their first goal, but he had just switched to CB after Godfrey went off. Srbeny did well to score from the left angle. Drmic looked good with two shots on target and he took his penalty competently, sending the keeper the wrong way. The passing improved in the second half but the timing wasn't there between Hernandez and Pukki or we would have scored more. Idah came very close to scoring as a shot came back off the post but the keeper just beat him to the ball. He certainly looks the part and made a good showing in his cameo. At the back, Hanley was impressive and Heise did well in his first game since January, including a free-kick shot.
Sadly his career with us looks blighted and he will never get a proper chance to establish himself with the first team. What a shame.
On the plus side Hanley will get lots of game time if Godfrey is out and we now know that we need a right back .
Thompson has a hamstring injury, so should be back in a few weeks. Godfrey's ankle is the worry: "I am really concerned about Ben Godfrey. He is in a lot of pain. He leaves the stadium on crutches and tomorrow we have a scan," said Farke. "I am bit concerned. Louis Thompson has a hamstring injury. We have to wait how long he will be out. Christoph is not available. Also Timm is struggling a bit in his rehab and wasn't involved in team training. If Ben is out for a long period it wouldn't be nice and it would cause some problems to be honest. For Timm I don't think he will be available for Schalke (on Friday) but perhaps the Brentford game. In general he is not far away from team training but then he has to work a bit on his conditioning. So we are going to have some problems at centre back for the next two games."
We don't need that with our trip to Anfield looming on the horizon!!! Precisely, JMF. I wonder if now is the time to go for Ajayi or a similar player who can play at CB or DM, thus strengthening both positions. The other possibility could be a RB who can also play at CB. Jamal had to switch to CB today as Heise came on at LB.
The injury update now says Thompson lay-off is likely to be measured in days not weeks, but Godfrey could be a number of weeks. I wonder whether any RB/DM recruitment will now be with half an eye on someone who can cover CB in a push.
It would be delinquent if it didn't, to quote a certain Mr McNally when quizzed on whether a replacement for Chris 'don't lose whatever you do' Hughton ha dbeen considered back in the day. What's Harrison Reed up to again? Sorry, but with his previous (horrendous) track record, I think Louis Thompson should be considered more a luxury player than an integral part of the squad - or we could well find ourselves short in that department once again this crucial season. Not the lad's fault but ridiculously injury prone. A versatile right sided player who can cover RB, CB and DM - they don'y grow on trees and will cost but we've hardly spent a dime of this supposed £20m budget?
Gallery from yesterday showcasing what the new kit looks like. https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2019/july/gallery-citys-first-outing-in-new-home-kit/
From one of yesterday's match reports. "On the positive side though, new signing Philip Heise got plenty of game time after replacing Godfrey on 24 minutes. He looked pretty good too. He played on the left, with Jamal Lewis moving alongside Grant Hanley. His passing was generally good and he took several dangerous free kicks as well. He looked like a very good, technical player – which bodes well."
Well, what have we actually spent? Fährmann is said to have cost around £2.5m in loan fee and probably around another £2m in wages. Roberts probably has a modest loan fee, say £500k and another £1m at least in wages. Drmic will have had a signing on fee, say £500k and his wages are probably at least another £1.5m. Then there's the 7 young players who would each have a modest fee and wages in the region of £800k each, or £5.5m. Incoming was £450k for Franke. If those guesses are about right, that's roughly £13m gone from the £20m budget, leaving around £7m for any more players coming in. That would eliminate Jarrod Bowen or other fantasies, but it could be enough for a reasonably priced RB/CB and/or DM combination in one or possibly two players to complete our dealing. Over to you Stuart. Edit: It looks like we may be getting £1m for Oliveira's transfer to AEK so, if true, that would leave £8m in the budget.
