This is exactly how the Knapper project should work, as he has said before the ethos/project remains while all other aspects/staff/players are interchangeable pieces including himself. The recruitment strategy and targets remain the same no matter the manager. It is not Manning or Thorups recruitment, they are Head Coaches. The manager may help sway the players decision to join, but the targeted players will be from Knapper and the recruitment teams plans not the demands of a manager. This way we can hopefully have a squad that fits the project and then recruit managers that fit within that vision, rather than a Man Utd style mess of that seems to lurch between stylistic changes, recruitment to fit the manager, only for the manager to be sacked and a new managaer to be left with the remnants of the last 3 or 4 iterations of a plan. Medic for example is apparently a player that has been watched for over 2 years by the club - prior to him joining Ajax.
Kovacivecs (?) Joined Sporting for £4.1m (€5m?) and had a release clause of €60m so must have been highly rated by them. This could be a master stroke of a signing (or a disaster I suppose). Hopefully the first. or
“NCFC Numbers” on X come up with some great information. “Harry Darling is Norwich City's first signing between the ages of 24-26 for four years (Matthias Normann in August 2021) and the first centre-back aged between 24-26 to sign for the club for eight years (Grant Hanley in August 2017)”
According to Bethnal Y&G on the Pink'Un forum, Marcondes has been told he should look for another club.
We extended his contract 2 months ago. Seems a continuation of the new well worked out plan where, as with Reyes and Barden, we give players another contract and then tell them to find another club. Clever stuff!!
What Bethnal actually said was: "Seen a few rumours coming out of Brazil that Marcondes has been offered to Gremio by his agent. Seems he has been told that he is free to find another club." That's little more than supposition based on a few rumours. Connor Southwell has probed further: "Sao Paulo-based station Rádio Bandeirantes are reporting that Marcondes is attracting interest from Brazilian top-flight side Gremio FBPA and is being considered by their management to replace attacking midfielder Franco Cristaldo should he move on. The midfielder, who is of Brazilian descent through his late mother, had options to move to Brazil last summer - but opted against it for personal reasons. It's understood that Norwich have received no official approaches for Marcondes at this stage of the summer, but are braced for interest in the midfielder. He joined City in part due to his strong relationship with Johannes Hoff Thorup, who was dismissed in April. City would be entitled to a transfer fee should any deal materialise." https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/25261242.brazilian-interest-citys-emi-marcondes---reports/ Another key factor might be the formation Manning plans to use: "Throughout his career he's used a variety of systems, starting often with an expansive 4-2-3-1 but taking the Robins to the play-offs deploying a 3-4-3. There are several indications from differing quarters as to which his Norwich players would suit, and he likely already has an idea, but there's nothing quite like analysing in the proximity of the training pitch." Marcondes would be a priority if he chooses a 4-2-3-1, but less so if he opts for the 3-4-3 he employed at Bristol as the AM is the position axed in a 3-4-3. The recruitment of 2 new CBs could also be an indication that he's planning a 3-4-3 setup.
That's good news if true for us and Kovačević, but it would take a fair while for Knapper to make it official. The mills of the gods and all that.
Everything at the moment, good or bad, including what you have posted Rick is speculation as there is nothing coming from the Club including news on the coaching staff. You either have faith in what is going on or not as the case might be.
But there's a big difference between "Marcondes has been told he should look for another club" and "City would be entitled to a transfer fee should any deal materialise."
Little difference between ' free to look for another Club' and ' should look for another Club but who cares - its all speculation. What isn't speculation is that preseason training is about to start and, officially, we have no coaching staff and few ideas on which players are coming, staying or going
I think there may be a significant hole in your cup 1950 and it’s not the one at the top. Marcondes agent has apparently been speaking to Gremio, perhaps it is Marcondes angling for a move since JHT has left, as you say pure speculation at this time. I choose to have faith that the 2 coaches will be here before pre season, probably by the end of the week, the delay is just negotiation between us and Bristol. We’ve made a little saving in not paying them for a couple of weeks where there would be no one at the ground to train them. They know Manning well so they are likely to understand the regime he will require so little to nothing lost in planning. We do have several other backroom staff here just in case. I’d also suggest we have a significant idea of 2 players that are likely to be joining in short order this week - Medic and Kovacevic. Wingers/attacking midfielders is the only area that I would suggest we haven’t had much news on, even so the transfer window has only been open a couple of weeks and we’ve done more business than 90% of the rest of the league. Outgoing will be dealt with in due course as well. I know this feels like uncharted territory for us, as we usually have to shift players out of the door before we buy but this is what the Americans enable us to do. I seriously doubt that Knapper doesn’t have a few irons in the fire as destinations for those that are surplus to requirements. Positives my friend!
Preseason starts next week. Bristol have appointed a new Head Coach and there is no talk of him bringing in a new coaching team so presumably there is a chance that the existing staff will stay. Up until now everybody has been convinced that Sainz and Sargent are off - have we got cover/replacements for them? Is Duffy off to yankee land or are we still going to be lumbered with him? GK situation? I could go on but won't. Positivity or blind faith?
Are these players we're signing based on Knapper's (mk. II) play-off reaching philosophy, I assume with Manning's blessing? Or is this a scattergun approach from Kanpper, which are proposed to fit Manning's chosen style and down to him to achieve?
As for the coaches, this is the latest: "Talks between the clubs are close to completion. Norwich are hopeful the pair will be in place when pre-season officially begins next Monday, with the squad set to return to Colney for individual testing throughout the next seven days." Any replacements for Sainz and/or Sargent will have to wait until it's definite that they are leaving, as usual. https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/25259466.norwich-city-close-hogg-krause-breakthrough/
As RER has said it’s reported that talks are close to completion with Bristol for the coaches. It’s been widely reported that the club are certain they will be in before pre season, perhaps you’ve not seen these articles. I believe it has been said that both coaches have release clauses, at the very worst we pay those as we could have done a few weeks back, at best we have saved ourselves many thousands. Very likely that Sainz is off and I accept there is no rumour of replacement, but it is still very early in the window. Defence and GK has been the obvious and welcome priority. I’d argue we need several winger/attacking midfielders but again there is plenty of time, no one goes into the first week of preseason with a squad that remains the same at the start of the season. Sargent I feel is less likely to go than Sainz, we are in a stronger position with his current contract running for another 3 years and unless someone makes a “significant” bid for him then he will stay. Latest article from the PinkUn if you chose to believe them suggests that wingers will be the next priority… Wingers a priority in Norwich transfer shake-up https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwic...y-transfer-news-wingers-key-sainz-exit-looms/ I think it’s positive that we ar getting good players in early and decisively. Plenty of time for sales. I’d say I consume far too much NCFC information if anything to be considered to have blind faith, I listen or read anything from those in the know. Just trying to cheer you up a bit 1950, but all welcome to our opinions
No such thing as the Mk2 philosophy I don’t think NCC. Even if JHT were still here the target that he mentioned was playoffs/promotion for year 2, this year is the continuation of the Knapper project just with a new Head Coach. If you believe the information out there - Darling, Medic and Kovacevic have been watched as potential targets over several years
