Summation of Ben Knappers signings and my opinion of value (not a sale value, more based on performances) The Van Hooijdonk - loan - flop Ante Crnac - 8.5m Flop Done nothing Value 2m Matej Jurasek 5.8m Flop Disaster from day 1 Value 500k Amankwa Forson 4m Flop Done nothing and injured alot value 1m Jose Cordoba 3m Half flop Not sure he can really defend, error prone with his diving in. Very good on the ball though. Value 2.5m Roari Mcconville 1m Ok I think he looks reasonable for the money Value 1.5m Oscar Schwartau 2m Ok Not really ready for 1st team if im honest. Too young and no real standout attributes Value 2m Ben Chrisene 1.5m Flop Full of errors. Not got the physique of a left back. Should be a centreback if anything Value 1m Anis Slimane 1.2m Flop value 500k Callum Doyle loan Good Fat, slow, cant defend but amazing on the ball Lewis Dobbin loan Flop Kaide Gordon loan Flop Jacob Wright 2.3m Ok Average player Value 2.5m 28.5 million spent on that lot!!! That's conservative and not including add ons. Mattias Kvistgaarden 6.9m I rate him so far Papa Diallo 4.3m I think he's going to flop, no end product Mirko Topic 3m Good Looks competent and technically good. Hate all the long balls though Value 4m Vladan Kovacevic 2m Flop I don't think he'll be no1 in 6 weeks Value free Jakov Medic 2m Ok Too big, too slow for where hes playing Value 2m Javon Makama 1.2m Good Impressed so far although very little end product. Value 1.2m Harry Darling free Excellent super player, love him Value 10m Jeffrey Schlupp free Not fit Daniel Grimshaw 750k Ok , soon to be no1 i feel Pelle Mattson 2.7m Highlights reel very average 23 million on that lot. That's nearly 52 million spent. Lets be serious here. Does that team look like its had that amount spent on it? I mean out of all of them I'd genuinely say so far I am comfortable saying 1 is a hit......and he was free and really a Manning signing. The rest. I'd say many have regressed, some are just very average and barely anyone has gotten better. It very much feels like a bloated mess now.
So they have not got better, or have regressed? That's down to the training staff, who Knapper recruited. But they are the staff who got Bristol City, against all the odds, into the playoffs last season. But that was over 46 matches, not four. Diallo no end product,apart from the two assists that is. He has only played in four games so far. Would hate to be on trial with you on jury duty.
No. It is likely not the training staff, thats my point. We have overpaid for players who did not warrant the fees. They've not necessarily regressed, they were just never what we paid for.
Whilst a but harsh on one or two players It is an accurate assessment. This has also been part funded by the sale and profit of players like Nunez and Sainz bought by Webber. I also find it relevant that according to the Bristol Board the best spell they had last season and the spell that pushed them into the playoffs was when Manning was on compassionate leave and others took over. I accept, before others remind me, that it is early days but at the moment the Knapper/Manning combination does not fill me with confidence.
agreed generally, although by modern english league standards £50m or so over a couple of seasons isn’t really very much
I'd love to see how it compares with other Champonship teams. I'd say its likely 2 to 3 time the average none parachute team spend
Quite possibly, but Norwich are one of only only a handful of clubs in the Championship to have a positive transfer balance so just on expenditure, that’s not quite the right measure. The question is whether it’s been spent wisely - and I think I’ve answered that.
I don't know what measure you'd use. The sales are immaterial when judging the signings. It actually makes it look worse for Knapper as none of those funds have been generated from anything he's done. He's spending someone else's good work.
You’re a pointlessly argumentative bugger aren’t you! The gaping hole you appear to have missed is I’m agreeing with you…
