perhaps, perhaps not, only time will tell. If Wet Sham did really offer £5M we may well regret not taking the money. What I do know is that the whole saga leaves a pretty bad taste in the mouth. My personal opinion is that if Holt doesn't deliver the goods in the first half dozen games this season, there are going to be certain sections of the crowd, (pinkun posters), that are going to get on his back big time, make no mistake. He has stated that he has always wanted to finish his career here, so why did he throw his toys out of the pram and request a transfer just because he couldn't get a solitary extra year on his contract ? If he had continued to bang the goals in he would have no doubt been given another contract at some point. He may have 'legend' status at our club because of his exploits against the old enemy, but will he still have the same rapport with the fans now ? How will the fans react now if he has a dip in form ? Don't get me wrong I'm glad he's signed a new contract but at the same time I don't like the fact that McNally has done somewhat of a U-turn on this either, I can only assume that it was Chris Hughton who persuaded him. OTBC ... CTI ... IHWT
I don't know, but my guess is that by opening up negotiations for the extra year it allowed his ongoing wages to be adjusted as well. That would explain the sticking-point on "just 1 more year". If this was the case then I can't blame him for it. (Ending career, lots of years on comparitively low money). And if sold, would 5m give us a player with the ability (proven) to bang in 15 prem goals? Now I'm not saying that GH will definitely do the same this season, thatdepends on a lot of factors. But we KNOW that he has done it.
.And the Pink-Un / Canary Call brigade of moaners are on a different plane of reality anyway. So who really cares what they say & do.
He's probably copped an extra few grand a week as part of the negotiations.But we just have to accept that,at least as far as one or more other clubs saw it,we were employing him on the cheap.Who can really say what the truth is? If he scores fifteen again next season and we stay up it was the correct decision.On the plus side Holt isn't the type of player who relies solely on speed which would no doubt diminish in future years.Also his ability not to suffer from injury is a big bonus.In truth he's a fecking great lumbering carthorse who is capable of sublime touches of skill such as we saw against Everton and Wolves.That really is a pretty rare combination and I think we have achieved the right outcome to this.
i'm certainly not of the opinion that some were that it would have been an unmitigated disaster had holt left but we are talking about more than just a footballer here. not only would we have had to sell him to a competitor who may have then relegated us, we'd have had to spend more than the £5m to replace him and with wages taken into account, it would have been very difficult to secure a player who is as good at his job - difficult, but not impossible. more importantly it would have been more difficult to replace holt the person - his influence in the dressing room and around the club is massive. i think the right outcome has been reached - it was handled badly by the player, his agent and the club in my opinion, but they appear to have settled their differences and if that's the case then everyone should be happy. i really don't think the crowd will get on his back - i think there will be one or two individuals who are petty enough to shout the odd thing out but i genuinely believe we have enough knowledgeable fans to turn on them if they did that. i agree that he needs to carry on his form - should it drop then there will be questions asked, but wouldn't that be the same had none of this happened? norwich are a stronger club for having grant holt a part of it. he'll be gone one day but i'd much rather have him here putting himself about the place until he's on his last legs than watch him doing it for some other team. there are far worse things happening across the country and the globe than whether grant holt played hardball with out club for a few extra quid. forgive and forget
I'm sure come match days, you'll get some morons of Canaries fans who want to boo GH (leave that to the away fans!!), but woe betide anyone who sits near me doing it!!!! IMO, Lee Payne (or should that be Pain) is the instigator in all of this, but once all interested parties sat down and talked, then common sense prevailed. Where are all those posters who were wishing CH was back off holiday so that we could get some new signings in?? I reckon he's done pretty well already - especially with the players who've signed extended contracts. Also, he sasid in the interview yesterday that we can expect some more new faces in the next few weeks.
The Holt we've all seen and come to love over three years, right up to a couple of days before Adam Drury's testimonial, is alive, fit and well, and happy. Personally I'm backing him to have an even more successful season than last season.
If he can be instrumental in helping us survive in the top flight for another season - and helping to secure the £40m plus Sky and TV money that it would entail, I don't see why we - or anyone else should begrudge him a couple of extra grand a week over three years for a contribution of that magnitude
Holt is our best player, selling him would be stupid, especially as he has always said he wanted to stay in Norwich.
If he gets stick then thats his problem. Terrace humour and outrage can be very amusing at times and if one or two spectators get on his case then so be it. He decided to ask for a transfer. Good luck to him if he got more money and security for his family. I don't blame him for asking. But not everyone is happy with the episode and he has gone down in some peoples estimation. And if they hurl a bit of abuse at him, I'm sure the butch tyre fitter from oop north can laugh at it. He won't need help from Outraged of Sprowston or Seething of Taverham. If he scores another 15 league goals for each of the next three seasons then he will have been worth it. If not then he will have done well out of it won't he.
But can you really believe what he says supers, action speaks louded than words and his actions said that he wanted his future to be away from norwich unless they gave him what he wanted. You surely must say i'm correct in this!
I'm so relieved that he'll be playing for rather than against us for the next three years. My hope is that he gets all the support he deserves if he continues as he has done these past three seasons. But I also hope that we have fallen just a little bit out of love with him, and can see him in a more rational light; enough so that we can give full support to Morison Jackson and Vaughan, (and any new strikers), if they are selected instead of Holt.
Poor old Guru! The way you wriggle on the end of the line looking for any crumb of comfort is laughable! He ALWAYS said he didn't want to leave! Get over it!
seriously, let it drop - you know nothing about this. we all know you're devastated that he is staying, though this is strange as you don't rate him and think he's overweight and cheats - surely you should be pleased the heffalump is staying...
Not being funny dave but thats exactly my point, if he came out and said 'I'll play for Norwich for nothing' would you believe him? do you think he would play for nothing? I suppose the question has to be, do you think he would have followed his threat through to leave rather than stay at norwich on the same terms?
Norwich is good for Holt, and Holt is good for Norwich supers. sometimes football is crazy enough to work like that. doesn't mean to say he is a world beater!
Let's be honest had the contract negotiations gone on behind closed doors with no public transfer request and all parties keeping their council then few of us would begrudge Holt getting a payrise and a years extension to keep him on board for the rest of his career. This is not just sentimentally rewarding him for the last three years efforts but also securing the future of our captain, top-scorer, best player and player of the season for the past three years. I know that nobody is irreplaceable but let us not kid ourselves that we could have got someone better in for the same money and, more importantly on a similar wage. I can understand why the offer of a longer contract and higher salary would turn his head and after the meteoric rise of the club during his time with us he probalby feels he has as much right to be in the first class carriage of the gravy train as anyone else. I am gald that a compromise has been reached but, like many on the forum, think that his agent is a c*ck of the highest order. I am sure that he will give 100% for the cause and as long as he does so I think that the vast majority of fans will be fully behind him.
