Placheta looks pacey in that video and this is what he's shown in Poland: “They can expect pace of the Road Runner! He is the fastest player in Ekstraklasa. It’s been reported he’s done 30 metres in 3.8 seconds. It is on Usain Bolt’s level,” Soczynski explains. “You can expect from him unconventional dribbles and passes, but he needs to play in tactics which is allowing him to use his speed. To run into empty spaces. He probably will struggle in more crowded areas of the pitch. Where technique and first touch are very important." I hope this means we'll move the ball more quickly and use breakaways to get behind defences.
Seems strange that we would spend that much on a 21 year old winger when we've already brought in Sinani and Placheta. I'd rather that sort of money was spent on a quality striker or CB. A gamble on Man doesn't sound like SW at all - more like RvW.
Good, I'd have been worried if we'd gambled big money on Man. As for the comings and goings much will depend on whether any big money deals are accepted for Buendia, Aarons, Godfrey, Lewis or Cantwell. Leitner has been rumoured as a likely leaver and Thompson may leave now that Sørensen, Sitti and possibly Mumba are coming in. Beyond that, it's not that easy to see who might leave.
From our current squad, Leitner, Thompson, Morris, Vrancic, Trybull, Stiepermann, Klose, Drmic, Heise have all have a fairly minimal/no impact on our Premier League campaign. If the aim is to bounce back at the first time of asking, few of them had sufficient Premier League exposure to really learn from the season, and are unlikely to perform any better in a Premier League campaign in 21/22. Now there's various reasons why that's the case, and the last thing we need to do before a tough Championship campaign is ship out a load of experience and dismantle the core of a promotion-winning side, but I wouldn't blink at any of those players leaving. With the young prospects we'll see what happens, but the only over 25 year old players I'd be fairly confident will be here next season are Krul, Byram, Zimmerman, Hanley, Tettey, McLean, Rupp, Pukki & Hernandez.
I'm used to the feeling that my spectacles are different from everyone else's, but I'm mystified by the fact that Emi and Max are apparently top of the interest charts when it comes to cherry picking our young talent. I'd be quite happy to see those two go for decent money. Emi's departure might help to consign the "however many you score, we'll just score more" mentality to the trash can it belongs in, while Max, IMO, is a pretty average defender and poor in terms of crossing/chance creation.
Agree about the others, but Vrančić, Trybull, Stiepermann and Klose all contributed significantly to our promotion season and could do so again. Drmic achieved little in the PL, but could be a useful player next season, given that he can also play on the flanks. Clearouts are expensive and it would mean a load of new players adjusting to Farkeball. I'd rather we concentrated on some key quality players to improve what is a good Championship squad.
Sure, and I'd certainly be worried if we got rid of all of them! Vrancic and Stiepermann scored 20 goals in 18/19 between them, with Vrancic having limited minutes. We'd be mad to assume neither could get anywhere near those numbers again. But if a reasonable offer came in, or one of them wanted to leave, I don't think the club would move heaven and earth to keep them. Same with Klose, great defender on his day, but he'll be 33 next summer with 12 months on his contract.
From a defensive point of view, the pre-Christmas Zimmermann/Klose partnership was more effective in our promotion season than the post-Christmas Zimmermann/Godfrey one; Stiepermann was crucial to the entire enterprise as well as contributing goals; Trybull is a reliable reserve player. We all remember Vrančić's game-winning free kicks but, in all honesty, I can't see him being a major contributor in the coming season
Klose is our only CB comfortable playing on the left. Godfrey can play there, but often has problems clearing the ball when he's under pressure. If we bring in a quality left-footer CB then Klose would be less important, but this was a major weakness throughout the PL season. IMO, Trybull is a hybrid CM/DM, but McLean, being left-footed, has the advantage of being able to cover for Lewis if he's caught upfield (Tettey doing that for Aarons on the right). I suspect that Vrančić will be primarily used as a sub, particularly when we're chasing games.
If you like your rumours tenuous... Premier League club looking at CB from 3. Bundesliga. I mean that seems a very Norwich move.
Full translation: "A club from the English Premier League is interested in signing the Mannheim defender Gerrit #Gohlke. Should Jan-Hendrik #Marx leave SV #Waldhof, a home-grown plant would be a possible replacement on the market." Date of birth/Age: Mar 12, 1999 (21) Citizenship: please log in to view this image Germany Height: 1,92 m Position: Centre-Back (DM&RB as well) Contract expires: 30.06.2023 Does seem to have an SW look about it DH!
For the U23s? I mean, according to Transfermarkt, he has only 20 appearances under his belt, 11 of which were with his previous club in the German 4th tier, 1 for W-Mannheim II in the 6th tier, and 8 for W-Mannheim in the 3rd tier. It would be a huge leap to go straight into our Championship squad. Edit: Transfermarkt also describes him as being both footed, which is unusual but a big asset.
I think that might be the case if it is us, Robbie. Godfrey went through a planned development before he came through to the first team. Gohlke could also be a case of a younger Zimmerman for the future. The German U23 players play for the second team in lower leagues as Zimmerman did for Dortmund II when he was the 4th CB for the senior team. If Gohlke has that kind of potential, then it might turn out to be a good investment.
Interesting take on Jakob Sørensen from Jens Berthel Askou: "He has a good, physical presence, good vision on the ball and he is able to play under pressure. He likes to be engaged in the physical side of the game and he has a good right foot. He scored some cracking goals for Esbjerg." Be interesting to see what he can do. https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-jacob-sorensen-jens-berthel-askou-praise-1-6760632
Pinkun have an interesting profile of Placheta online, with interviews from people who know him and have seen him play. Sounds like his character will be an asset to the changing rooms, doesn't sound like we're signing someone who could be remotely disruptive. Interesting to read an opinion that he might be well-suited to playing left wingback. Not sure whether that was a factor in Farke/Webber's thinking, but it at least points to a winger who is prepared to do his defensive duties. Sounds like he has the pace to get himself into promising positions, and to recover from errors. As a winger, it sounds like he's not necessarily suited to Farke's patient buildup, and that he's better with space to attack. So perhaps more suited to counter attacking and games where the play is stretched? Although equally, if he's truly rapid and looks to get in behind defences, opposition defences aren't going to be able to employ a high line to counter passing, patient football.
Agree with all of that DH. Even during patient build-up, his pace carries a threat via a long cross-field ball, much like we do with Hernandez now. Up front or at WB, he would provide a breakaway threat which would make opposing sides hesitant about bringing defenders forward. Most Championship sides don't have the pacey defenders found in the PL and if he and Hernandez were both playing either side of Pukki, our breakaway threat would be immense without having to overcommit the FBs.
What about Cameron Carter-Vickers from spurs as a centre back? Recently on loan at Luton and widely credited with turning their season around for survival, 100 championship games, 22 years old only got one season left on his Spurs contract. Though he's a USA international, he counts as home grown.
Interesting. An affordable loan with a possible permanent signing at the end of it. Described as "a ball playing CB with accurate passing ability" he would also add the option 3 CBs playing alongside Godfrey and Zimmerman, say, working the ball forward through midfield, but dropping back when the ball is lost.
Norwich City transfer rumours: Canaries join the hunt for Charlton striker. https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city...ith-norwich-city-fulham-and-cardiff-1-6764304
