The 2019-2020 season.

I've a feeling it's more his agent and SW is on record as saying that he won't budge on his stance. I guess it's a case of whether his agent will 'blink!!'

 

Certainly wouldn't blame him. Much as we're his boyhood club, I think for Todd to play 25+ games next season would be difficult/unlikely. Barring injuries he's unlikely to get many first team openings to take advantage of, so he's unlikely to get a long run of games. The addition of Roberts doesn't help him there.

A loan away, then a Cantwell "too good for the Championship" the season after would be the ideal situation for NCFC, but if he wants to leave and forge a career, especially abroad, good luck to him.

 

Circa 90 minute interview : Stuart Webber with Connor Southwell.

 

Terrific article by PD on DF - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...niel-farke-premier-league-challenge-1-6123798

 

Some great comments from SW during his interview with TNC - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-chief-opens-up-on-dark-moments-1-6125985

 

INTERESTING striker analysis by DDF - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-striker-rhodes-poll-results-1-6127763

 

I am not sure about the return of Rhodes, not from a playing perspective, but a financial one. With MD now on board are we going to spend X £million on what would be a third choice striker? I would be very surprised if that were to happen. A second loan is more likely I would have thought, though Wednesday night not agree to that.

 

Yes, I've just been reading that and DF makes a good job of weighing up the options available before concluding:

"All of which leaves Rhodes as an ideal candidate to complete the striker roster for next season, if a more affordable deal can be struck with Wednesday. Pukki averaged a goal every 129 minutes in all competitions last season but Rhodes wasn't far behind with one every 135, thanks to three cup goals, and Srbeny averaged a goal every 194. Drmic, for what it's worth, has scored six in the 19 appearances he has managed in the last two frustrating seasons - finding the back of the net on average of every 114 minutes."

Drmic's average goals per minute makes good reading, especially as it was in the Bundesliga. Hopefully he can get back to that with a full pre-season and a fresh start. Rhodes offers a different option though, especially coming on as sub if we're chasing games - even using three strikers if necessary. There's also the possibility of injuries to either Pukki or Drmic (or heaven forbid, both of them).

As for the finances:

"It certainly appears that Owls boss Steve Bruce is keen to move the 29-year-old off the club's books, with The Sun on Sunday reporting at the weekend that he wants Wednesday to lower their asking price to pave the way for a move for the forward."

 

I think Drmic's goals per min stats aren't especially helpful, there just isn't the game time to draw meaningful conclusions. His 2 goals last season were a late equaliser when Gladbach had 3 strikers on, and in a 4-0 rout against a much weaker team at the end of the season. It's hard to even compare that with Rhodes' contribution last season.

 

The key thing for me is that Rhodes is a different type of striker and we need that option.

 

Those that play Fantasy Football, the new season has gone live. Prices of Norwich players:

Krul and all NCFC defenders: £4.5M
Vrancic: £6.5m
Buendia: £6.5m
Pukki: £6.5m
Hernandez and Stiepermann: £5.5m each
Leitner: £4.5m

 

Hernandez and Stiepermann: £5.5m each
Bargain. Always harder to pick the cheaper players from other teams with limited insight. I wonder who amongst our team will set the real/fantasy world alight?

 

I've put in Pukki, Aarons and Buendía in my fantasy league team. Buendia was £6.0m.

 

Good choice.

 

I had Lewis in there too but apparently I had too many Norwich players in my team lol. But I think those 3 will do well.

 

Should we band together for a league? Bit early to be making these calls, no telling who is going to go where?

Bah!

 

Although I've selected my team, you can change it as much as you like until the new season kicks off. So I still might change my team depending on what happens, although I don't know why I bother, I do so badly at this lol.

 

If it works like previous years, I should be able to renew last season's league, so hopefully most people get automatically included. Once I've come up with a suitable pun for a team name, I'll get on it...


On a completely different note, has anyone come across Tifo football? Their punditry is such a level above the usual fodder. They appear to be dedicating an hour of podcast to each of the promoted clubs. They've only done Sheffield United and Aston Villa so far (so presumably we're due one), but even those two have made me so much more positive. In addition to general praise of NCFC scattered through both episodes, there's some important issues for both clubs. I won't spoil both episodes, but here's some of the food for thought from the Villa ep:

• The need for Villa to essentially build a whole new defence. It doesn't look like Jed Steer is going to maintain the #1 shirt, whilst their favoured CB pairing of Mings and Tuanzebe were both on loan. Even if they can secure both, to essentially stand still, there's no depth behind them. Jedinak got pressed into use as an emergency CB last season, and he's out of contract this summer (one of 7 players with expiring contracts). Currently, James Chester and Kortney Hause are the only CBs on their books. Both their full-backs are the wrong side of 30, and been relegated before. The only cover they have there is James Bree - young, but fresh from relegation with Ipswich. Realistically, they still need 2 CBs, 2 full backs and a goalkeeper this summer, who then all need coaching into a cohesive unit by August.
• The Villa midfield looks much more settled, you could easily see McGinn, Grealish and Hourihane as first choice midfielders next season. Perhaps they lack depth, but given the defensive reinforcements needed, this could easily be an area that's overlooked.
• The Grealish conundrum is an interesting one too. Whilst Villa had more about them than "give it to Grealish", equally they were heavily reliant on him in the same way we were of Maddison in 17/18. The way he could draw 3,4 defenders created space for other players - but will that continue against better defences? If Prem defences feel they can cover Grealish with fewer defenders, will there be the space for other players to exploit? Does Grealish start to overplay and feel he has to do it all himself?
• Equally with Grealish - he will never play in the Championship again. How long does it take for the sharks to start circling, and the rumours to start? How does he react?
• The podcast was recorded before they signed Wesley for £22m, so they do have their main man for next season. Obviously, there's the issue of whether he fits in, and adapts to English football.

I was really surprised at how negative they were about Villa, essentially concluding that there's too much work to do, arguably not enough time to do it, and they are probably forced to rely on "doing a Fulham", but getting it right.

We shall see! But I suspect the NCFC episode (if, when it comes), will make for excellent listening for the Canary faithful.

 

This is the last Tifo podcast I've seen, but it's still the clearest explanation of Farkeball that I've seen:

https://www.tifofootball.com/video/norwich-city-tactics-under-daniel-farke/

They predicted us to get automatic promotion halfway through the season and got that spot on. Their assessment of Villa looks about right to me as well, so it'll be interesting to see their prediction about us in the PL.

 

So, Heise had a hernia operation. I wondered why we weren't seeing or hearing about him. The club did a good job keeping it quiet; I don't know why, though.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/heise-ready-to-challenge-at-norwich-city-1-6131000