Interview http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20120124/jonny-the-biggest-decision-of-my-life_2247585_2587450
1. About bloody time too! Why did it takes so long?? 2. Paul Lambert & the board deserve a bucket load more praise for this transfer and further demostrates that Norwich City are more than capable of signing exceptionally talented players at a fraction of what other Premier Leagues club are prepared to part with. The difference with this particular signing is - he has a proven track record (Pilks, Bennett, Tierney, Fox etc all were good but in league 1) but none of them anywhere near as good as this guy on the day they signed for us. 3. Both Norwich & Swansea have been mocked by the other team that got promoted last season for the 'nobody & unproven at this level' signings we made in the summer and I am sure that will continue but a close look at the PL table shows which stratgey has been the most successful so far. Long may it continue but I am sure it will change one day. Having former England International players is all well and good but even they still have to perform (that is why they are Ex Internationals - they stopped performing!) 4. I will also say this signing is probably better than anything many of us would have expected. There has been talk of some good L1 players and even the odd Championship player as potential transfer targets, but this one (along with Snodgrass) is right up there with getting Dean Ashton in all those years ago. 5. To my mind there is a possibility that Hoolihans days may be numbered, (covered in another post, so pleasde lets not go down that road again) not that I particularly want to see that happen. Although a very good player he does not score as many goals (or has not in past seasons). Of course Howson now needs to score regular goals at this level to cement his place ahead of Hoolihan but I believe he will and will not take him long to rediscover his Feeds form before his inujry. 6. What I approve of more than anything is the fact PL is bringing in players who play for their current club week in/week out and not guys making the bench at best. In short I am delighted and somewhat excited about this signing even if we are not going to get to see him play for some weeks yet.
Like I said - covered in another post, so please lets not go down that road again All players have their sell by date, this signing will make another players sell by date just a little closer. Could be Hoolihan, could be someone else.
You can't say let's not go down that road again, and then go down it! I didn't see the old post so would just like to say that, as happy as i am with the Howson signing, Wes is going nowhere!
I reckon you guys have done well with this signing. Many leeds fans will say he has been off form this season and he has been to an extent but its only because of how well he was playing last year. For me, he was our player of the season last year not gradel and for him to leave for a reported 2m is gutting considering that realistically if he wasn't out of contract in 6 months it woulda been considerably higher. Not only this but its far too coincidental that we have lost form massively since his injury. Anyway, good luck to the lad, he's a better signing than Johnson
Just a shame were going to have to wait to see him play. When you get a new signing you get excited to see him run out the next match and we won't be having that pleasure as he's not even training at the moment.
It's a risky signing due to the injury but well worth it. I can see Lambert getting even more out of him than Grayson did. Will be interesting to see if Lambert can get him playing well in other positions than attacking mid. From what I've seen of Hoolahan he's more capable of sitting back and creating than Howson is, no reason they couldn't work well together. Howson's strength is definitely getting forward though. Given license to roam he will steamroll through the centre and make other teams look average. It's a shame you won't see the best of him until the dying games of the season. I also believe while he seemed a bit anonymous recently for us he was definitely doing something that we are now lacking. The lad has buckets more potential and I hope you get him to reach it, Leeds United were never going to manage that with the lack of ambition. Best of luck to him, hope he does brilliantly for you.
thanks for a very gracious post mark, well chuffed to have signed him and as you say, under lambert i can only see him getting better and better.
Why do people keep thinking this? Jeez, the first time we got wind of this was less than a week ago and I'm not quite sure what some people think a transfer deal consists of. It's hardly a five minute job and as was pointed out on another thread if it wasn't for the interweb the first we may have heard of it was the day he signed. Patience people. Also disagree massively about your assessment of Hoolahan, but like you say that's been done on another thread (not that I saw it either) so I won't go there....
The bit in black - I only mentioned about the time frame as it was effectively done deal on Friday (or so we were led to believe). Painful wait to get conformation. The bit in red - I may well be wrong but as no-one can 2nd guess PL who knows what might happen in the summer?
