well robbie, i'm sure most people are aware of my view of ryan bennett. i said before he signed that he'd play for england one day and i still stand by that. yes he's a twerp on twitter but he's a naturally talented ball-playing centre half. anything that hinders his progress is a worry but equally its all about strengthening the club. if he has to perform even better in order to get in the team then that's a good thing. i was of the opinion that alderweireld is a top quality centre back who has the potential to be a top four defender given a little time. our friend cove has poured a little cold water over that suggestion but i've seen him on tv and think he's a talent, even if he might not quite as good as i initially thought. therefore, if we can acquire him for a reasonable fee we should bring him here because he's the right age, right potential and if he joins us ahead of the likes of leverkusen and liverpool, career-driven and that's a very good sign (much like RvW).
Yes would love to get excited if I had actually heard of any of them before a couple of weeks ago. Can we really know what to expect?? We seem to have gone from never looking abroad at any internationals under Lambert, to being linked to any name that seems to be hard to pronounce. Everytime I mention a potential Norwich target to anyone I know, everyones immediate responce has been 'who?' I would just like to see some experience brought in upfront. No one has the damn slightest idea how RVW is going to do in the Premiership. And signing another host of midfieldiers and forwards of the same uncertainty spells danger for me. Am i just over thinking this, its just i want to log onto here, and hear everyone getting excited about a player i have actually heard of, or at least seen on match of the day.
I cant speak for other members on this forum but I have heard of everyone that we have been linked with, most have been playing in the europa league or champions league over the past few seasons. I would like to think I know a lot of foreign footballers by name and reputation though despite admitting I havent seen many of them play too much. I can see why you would worry but I dont know what the alternative is. If we are worried about signing international footballers with european experience at reasonable prices/ages then we might as well not sign anyone.
Another way of looking at it is if we can acquire a top centre half then who is to say that we wouldn't sell one of the others if the management felt that we had sufficient cover for that, or indeed any other position. Of the current squad there are not too many who could not be improved upon for a spend of £5m which is now within our means - Ruddy and the Wolf and maybe Snod and Bassong but we are in a position where we could improve the quality in virtually all areas it is just a question of how the finite amount of funds are applied - if £5m noticebly improves one CB position but would barely improve our midfield then CH will buy a CB even though we have some strength there already. I think that we will have at least one more forward on board this week as I cannot beleive that McNally would sell Holt without being pretty damn sure of finalising a deal for a replacement in quick order. I really hope it's Hooper as the prospect of he and RvW in combination certainly would strike terror in many a defence. I know I should be mourning the loss of our top scorer but I can't help but feel that this was the time for him to move on and for the next generation of City strikers to come in and light up FCR for as long as we can hold on to them.
you're not 'over-thinking' it jeremy but i do think your concerns will prove unfounded. if you keep an eye on european football then these names will be very familiar to you - not everybody does - it doesn't matter. but the players we're being linked with are certainly improvements both in terms of overall quality and reputation than what we are used to. this ultimately makes it harder to attract these players as their reputations are grander and bigger clubs are interested, so we have to be canny, but i can say with hand on heart we are trying to sign some good players. some may flop, who knows, but any player could flop - that's the risk you take whenever you buy a new player
Know sod all about the lad, and accepting we also need a couple of first teamers in, in general terms this is the sort of signing we need for the future evolution of the Club. I still have reservations but the 3 in excite me somewhat so, for once, I have to say well done Hughton.
TalkS****'s "man in Holland" seems to think Fer and Alderweireld are on the cards: http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/ha...ich-set-sign-two-players-dutch-league-201282?
If he is coming from Betis at least he will know how to control and pass a ball. I really like to see this sort of thought for long term development especially as, despite the Sky money, we won't be able to spend small fortunes every transfer window, develop the ground and remain debt free.
Well it's not really me hitting the nail, it's simply me listening to what Chris Hughton actually says when people ask him questions! He said at the end of the season that we already have a strong squad but will look to build on it, and the stategy will be to recruit extra quality if and when we can. In other words, no panic buying is necessary, but improving in all positions is the name of the game. Fantastic!
Maybe he has been phoning round his Belgium international colleagues (Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Kompany, Miralles, Fellaini etc.) and discovered that not-so-big Norwich turned all their "bigger" clubs over last season on the way to finishing 11th in the league!
Yes your right, I'm not as up together with European football as the EPL, I just know that it's a gamble bringing in from overseas. You don't know how they will settle. Many have flopped. I just see our club captain leave and our forward line potentially looking like the name sheet of a champions league match. If all these players do sign then they are going to take a while to get use to their new surroundings and playing in one of the toughest league in the world. I just think the first couple of months of next season could really be dicey for us. I would love us to bring in at least one household name to our front row to replace Holt.
we won't get a household name from this country - we can't afford them. the man who replaces holt will be hooper or someone of his ilk. these players are household names, even if not everyone in england knows their worth
I will bow to your superior knowledge on this one Supers, you better be right cause I will be back on here with the told you so talk if we lose our opening 10 games Abit left field but how about Darren Bent?
oh god. if we lose our first ten games this board will be in meltdown and i'll have done a runner! darren bent? i wouldn't touch him with a barge pole but someone desperate enough will do. newcastle <cough>
Holt, though a brilliant leader and for a long time our talisman, is still only one man. We may never replace his spirit or leadership (Though the likes of Russ and Bassong can quite easily fill the captain's role) but we can send him on his way as a legend and say thanks for the best years of his career! Norwich are looking to the future now. Holt may have still played a role next season, but with RvW in, Hooper likely to join and the potential for one other striker, you'd think we'll not miss him too badly.
russell martin has officially signed a new three year deal with the club i heard about that weeks ago - thought it had already been announced
