Squad: GK: Gunn, Krul, Reyes RB: Stacey, Aarons, Mumba CB: Gibson, Hanley, Omobamidele, Duffy, Tomkinson LB: Giannoulis, McCallum CM: Sara, McLean Nunez Gibbs Sorensen Wide players: Sainz, Placheta, Hernandez, Tzolis, Rashica, Rowe, Springett Strikers: Sargent, Idah, Barnes, Kamara That's a 29 man squad, with Aarons and Rashica presumably leaving, Kamara and Springett likely to get loans, leaving 25. Numerically it's relatively balanced, depending on our primary formation, so probably close to 1-in, 1-out from here on. There's a significant lack of quality and creativity in attacking midfield roles though, still no proper DM.
Agree with most of that, DH, but for me, the first team squad consists of the senior players and young players with significant game time like Rowe, Mumba and Gibbs. Springett and Kamara are on the edge of that status but, as you say, are more likely to go on loan, so I see it as a 24 man squad plus 4 youth on the fringe of the first team. I see Sørensen as a proper DM, but we do need another one as well for competition and cover so one more player there. This would seem to be a make or break season for Tzolis and Placheta, especially with Sainz joining and Mumba coming back. The latter is like a new signing and this could also be a big season for him. The new signings all bring experience and skills well suited to Wagner's style of play. Sainz is only 22, but he's already played 132 games and scored 20 goals in testing leagues. It's amazing that we've gained so much quality and experience in four free transfers, but the proof will come on the pitch.
Alex Matos has now officially signed for Chelsea, free transfer apparently? I would have thought we would get compensation
Carlos Borges is latest rumour, 19year old winger/striker from Man City on loan. Has been banging in goals in youth leagues from what I remember
What is it with this obsession with loaning kids? We need experienced players on loan. Skipp was a success but all other juniors have been abject failures, ( Ramsey could have been a positive loan but the powers that be saw fit to terminate it).
More journo opinion than rumour methinks: https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/e...uld-be-on-norwichs-radar-this-summer-opinion/
Ramsey said that his loan was terminated by Norwich when explaining his reaction to the Norwich fans during the Middlesbrough game. Seems likely to be true IMO - why would he lie? It would also fit in with our obsession with getting in loans from big clubs - Chelsea, MU, Arsenal. If so, another stunningly successful decision on Webber's part. Marquinhos simply transformed us last season, didn't he?
It was Norwich who would terminate the loan certainly, but did Ramsey give them a reason for doing so? His reaction after scoring in the Boro game suggests to me that he did, but we'll never know for sure. Like you though, I've never liked us developing other teams young players.
But we quite like it when other clubs help us develop our young players, for example Maddison (Aberdeen), Ben Godfrey (Shrewsbury), Sam McCallum (QPR) and Bali Mumba (Plymouth)?
Fair comment, Robbie - we like it when it benefits us. But there is definitely a case for a larger debate about whether the current loans set-up is beneficial for football in general and, most importantly, for young players.
But those clubs are at a more similar level to ourselves rather than borrowing from Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea etc.
Gary Gower's on the Borja Sainz story ...so far: https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2023/07/02/the-borja-sainz-story-so-far/
Really? We have recently loaned several young players to National League clubs. That's three divisions below us. We are one division below Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea. The rationale behind the loans is the same, whatever the level.
Re. midfield creativity, there seems to be a general assumption that Sainz is "a wide player", but there are clues suggesting that this should not be taken too literally (e.g. by bracketing him together with Placheta, Hernandez, Tzolis and Rashica). Firstly there is his own comment that he "likes to play vertical and score goals"; secondly there is the testimony of the Turkish football "expert" interviewed by Connor Southwell, who said that Giresunspor's unbalanced squad meant Sainz was played wide out of necessity, not because that was his best position, adding that Sainz being played more centrally might have made the difference between survival and relegation; and finally, Sainz's highlights videos tend to support Michael Bailey's characterisation of him as "a progressive carrier of the ball, someone able to successfully take on players with the ball and receive progressive passes in dangerous areas, especially the penalty box". There is more than a little here that adds some substance to the idea that Sainz is more Emi B than Onel H. We shall see.
Agree with that Robbie. Sainz played on the left but is right-footed, so primarily cuts in towards the penalty area rather than putting crosses in from the left flank. Certainly more like a Buendia type player than a conventional winger, but not necessarily Hernandez, who also is not a conventional winger in that sense, as he is right footed, but plays on the left. More often than not Onel cuts in to make room for the overlapping FB, seeking to beat defenders to get across or into the box which is what Wagner wants from his wide players. In that sense, Sainz and Hernandez will most likely be competing for the same position as a replacement for Cantwell rather than Dowell. As both players can also play on the right, it remains to be seen whether we will see a replacement for Dowell. Springett is the closest we have, as he is left footed but plays on the right.
