Scales wears number 5 and has 30 starts out of Celtic's 34 games, more than any other CB and he's their third highest rated player over the whole season. He's also listed in WhoScored's most common lineup:
Meanwhile, Abu Kamara has the potential to make another step up this summer, according to Wagner: "I haven't seen him for a year, okay in clips and on TV, but not in person. A year can make a lot with a young professional. I'm excited to see how he responds to what we have in place for him [for pre-season]. I rate Abu as a player and a character. I think everyone knows this is why I gave him his first minutes in the Championship here in the last season. The special thing for me is that now everyone speaks about his numbers and promotion, but he had a difficult spell at the beginning and went through it. Not everything has been easy or happened quickly. He really had to improve, take information on board and settle into a new environment. As a young lad, you can easily break down in this situation but he stood up, fought and I'm very happy that he got his rewards and Portsmouth Football Club as well." With 21 goal contributions in 51 appearances in all competitions, Kamara now has the potential to break into the first team and kick on from there. It's almost like a new signing even before this season finishes. https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwic...gner-excited-abu-kamaras-norwich-city-return/
Agree with your points about the standard of the league and that he wasn't expected to play as much this season, but the facts are he has had a good season and I think for a low amount of money would be a cheaper Gibson-type replacement. We can offer him a lot more in wages that Celtic currently pay him, money may talk. Even Baath is on about 10k/ week which is double Scales' wage. I don't suggest we go for him if we go up.
Reports floating about that we want £5m for Idah. A 23 year old International striker with bags of potential. Seems reasonable especially after 11 matches 2 assists 7 goals for Celtic
He has a long term contract and significant potential, I would have thought we could attract double that
Considering the amount of time Sargent has left on his contract I was surprised his value was only 10 million on the thing I saw. He's scoring for fun in the championship currently
TransferMarkt lists Sargent at £12m, but given his age that would at least double. Idah is listed at £2.8m and being the same age that would also double. Strikers have an additional premium though and Sargent's 16 goals in 25 appearances would likely take his value over £30m, IMO. Idah's scoring rate would also be a factor, so maybe around £8m?
Has anyone seen anything of the performance of Tzollis this season? Is he just a winger, or could be play more central? I am thinking in the place of Barnes for instance. He certainly looks to have a knack of scoring so it makes sense to play him in a position to give him the most chance to do so.
I'm guessing neither Tzolis or Idah will play for Norwich again beyond the summer pre season . IF we pull off the unthinkable & go up again we will probably need to upgrade, if we don't the transfer fees will be needed to balance the books .
I think this was what Wagner considered his major weakness. Clubs here can't afford to carry luxury players.
Sainz & Rowe are terrifying at this level & both put in a shift defensively. Sara isn't bad on the wing either
Realistically, a play-off place is secured for Norwich City - it's going to need a football miracle for Hull to go to Plymouth, who need points as well for different reasons, and turn around an eight-goal swing. Norwich just need to go and make sure that they don't have to depend on anybody else. On a personal level, the fact they are at Birmingham on the last day of the season, you look at where they are in big relegation trouble, and May 2002 does spring to mind. Losing to them in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium that year was obviously one of the biggest disappointments, not just of my seven years at Norwich but my footballing career as a whole because we were within touching distance of the Premier League. I was going back to Cardiff, scored the opening goal as well – and I was thinking that was the winning goal, the golden goal. I celebrated with 45,000 supporters in yellow shirts, unbelievable scenes, and then as I straightened my collar, I saw Geoff Horsfield and Stern John ready to take the kick-off – and I knew then it wasn’t a golden goal. It went to penalties. I took the first - don't know why because you want to get off to a good start and I wasn’t very good at penalties, but I thought when I've scored in the game, I might as well take one. It was in front of their end and I was getting absolute dog’s abuse from the Birmingham fans. They had Nico Vaesen in goal and he was seven foot 10 or something and he filled the goal, but I sent him the wrong way with one of the better penalties that I've taken. Of course, at the end of the day we lost and I remember sitting down on that Millennium Stadium turf, my head in my hands and I shed tears, I cried. We had to stay out there and watch people assemble the stage and see the Birmingham players one by one get their medals and then the trophy and there were fireworks and everything that goes with winning. And I thought then, this is my last chance of playing in the Premier League. I was 34 and yes, I still felt good enough to carry on playing, which I did for another two years. But I just thought that was our chance. I thought with the squad that we had, that was our chance - not knowing what would happen two years later, when we signed Hucks (Darren Huckerby) and went one better won the league. But then, I was told my services were no longer required, so I obviously left the club. I’ve said it many times that it doesn't matter what sport you play, you'll always get a chance for a little bit of payback. I guess this could be the chance not for me personally or the team and the squad of 2002, but for Norwich to get a little bit of payback for that really sad day in May and send Birmingham down. Would it be closure? Possibly... Sometimes, as people, as supporters, as owners, as players, you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. At the start of the season, they did well under John Eustace - maybe they didn't play the most attractive style of football, but he had done well at the football club, and they sacked him in October with the club sixth in the Championship, because they wanted a big name and they brought in Wayne Rooney. Now they are third from bottom staring relegation in the face and knowing they have to beat Norwich to stand a chance. There's no pressure on Norwich, by the way - there's a big difference in pressure when you're going for promotion and pressure when you are fighting relegation. There are huge repercussions - obviously from a personal point of view, you will have a clause in your contract that says your wages go down. But then there might be redundancies at the club and that’s horrendous. People say players don't care but they do care if people lose their jobs. People you have been around every day become friends and you don't want people to lose their jobs because you've not done your job on the football pitch. For Birmingham to be where they are now, when they were sixth and sacked John Eustace - sometimes you get what you deserve. PREDICTION TIME So, how about a few predictions to see where Norwich end up in the play-offs. With Leicester crowned champions their game is irrelevant, so let’s look at the other: Ipswich v Huddersfield: I had some great times at Huddersfield and it breaks my heart to see them in the position they are in. It's a good club. But you finish where you deserve in a 46-game season. The atmosphere at Portman Road will be absolute bedlam! Home win. Leeds v Southampton: Two relegated teams, Southampton have lost their last three. Beaten at home by Stoke a week ago with a weakened team. Russ Martin knew after the 5-0 defeat Leicester that there was no way of top two so he’s rested a few. I can see where’s he’s coming from, but do you want to go into the play-offs losing four on the pin? For Leeds and Daniel Farke, it is must-win - and I think they will. The Pink Un: Daniel Farke Daniel Farke (Image: PA Images) Birmingham v Norwich: I'm going for a draw. Norwich do need to go for it rather than be too conservative. I want to see them go at Birmingham from the start and kill the game off as early as they can. West Brom v Preston: West Brom are in decent nick, to be fair, Preston have lost their last four now and haven't scored in any of them. Home win. Plymouth v Hull: It’s a tough game for Hull. Plymouth have a decent home record, although they lost five on a spin before a draw and then a win over Leicester. I think they will beat Hull. So on that basis, Ipswich go up automatically with Leicester and Norwich will play Leeds in the play-off semi-finals. The one bonus for me is that Norwich are in by far the best form of the play-off Iwan Roberts with an axe to grind
If I had a time machine and decided to use it for football purposes (no idea why I would). I would have tried to convince the club to let Iwan stay as a bit part player in that Prem Season
New 18 year old RB possibility? Been on trial at Colney for a week. https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=51403 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/harmony-okwumo/profil/spieler/965606
QPR's Chris Willock is out of contract this summer. This is from the Pinkun: "Norwich City are hoping to sign QPR midfielder Chris Willock whether they’re promoted or not, according to reports from transfer guru Alan Nixon. The 26-year-old, who came through the Arsenal academy system when Canaries sporting director Ben Knapper was their loan manager, is out of contract this summer and available on a free transfer. Willock was first linked with Norwich back in 2019 after their title-winning promotion to the Premier League, joining the Hoops a year later after loan spells with West Brom and Huddersfield Town. He’s impressed under Marti Cifuentes, scoring four goals and claiming four assists in 39 appearances this term as Rangers have gone from relegation favourites to finishing 18th in the Championship."
