McNally and Hughton continue to test the Celtic nerve as City reflect on a much improved day at the office
Thu 31 Jan 13 by Gary Gowers
With City’s official website confirming the imminent completion of the Luciano Becchio/Steve Morison swap deal, the quest to land Celtic’s Gary Hooper continues.
As I write the Daily Mirror are reporting that City have now had a FOURTH bid turned down, Celtic manager Neil Lennon citing the valuation to be still well short of the level that would prompt a positive response. With the Glaswegians seemingly determined to hold out for £8 million, it appears that David McNally and Chris Hughton are circa £2 million adrift as things stand.
All of which confirms that Celtic are indeed willing to sell – previously a moot point – and that Hooper is willing to leave; the lure of at least 180 minutes of Champions League football a seemingly insufficient incentive to remain in Glasgow. One would expect – if Lennon is indeed resigned to losing his talisman striker – that a replacement is in the Celtic pipeline; without which the deal would surely be a non-starter.
The next few hours – as absurd as the January scrum is – promise to be interesting ones. So interesting in fact City have been assigned their very own Sky Sports News reporter at the gates of Colney. We have indeed arrived, but let’s pray that Hughton isn’t cunningly lured into a roadside interview through the wound-down window of his 4×4 in an ‘Arry Redknapp-style.
Birmingham’s Curtis Davies is the other name that has been mentioned with intent; our old friends SSN reporting that Norwich are ‘looking to finalise deal…’ despite Hughton alluding to BBC Radio Norfolk’s Chris Goreham that this particular deal had a long way to go.
One thing is for sure… McNally will be using up all of his free calls this month, and will be having a hectic old day. Let’s hope that come 23:00 we have a content manager and CEO on our hands.
If McNally’s day in the office is as successful at Hughton’s Wednesday evening in the technical area, then it could work out fine for City.
While the reward was only a point – hard to argue that Tottenham didn’t deserve a share of the spoils – the performance level was more far akin to those of October and November. Back was the high-tempo that stood City in such good stead for the duration of the unbeaten run, along with a willingness to close down, ‘get in their faces’ and make life generally uncomfortable for the visitors.
And it worked. For the first 45 minutes few could argue (Adrian Durham aside) that City were not good value for their lead; a second goal the only thing missing from a half as good as anything we’ve witnessed this season.
The second half alas was of course a very different story – the high tempo taking its toll on the City legs – and the visitors, with a little more time on the ball, were able to make their extra class tell. There’s also no denying the quality of the equaliser – it was a gem – but I’m sure Alex Tettey was kicking himself afterwards for missing a chance to ‘unload’ Gareth Bale as he embarked on that run near halfway.
Lots of ifs and buts – as always – but a fantastic point; one we’d have surely taken had it been offered pre-kick-off.
In stark contrast to Saturday, there were many good City performances to enthuse over, not least the re-emergence of the Tettey/Bradley Johnson combination in the centre of midfield. The target of much flak over the last few weeks, the pair rediscovered their respective ‘A’ games and for the first half completely dominated their Tottenham counterparts, Parker and Dembele. Whilst the roles were reversed for the second period, there was enough grit and drive on display to suggest that they, and their City colleagues, are slowly emerging from their bleak mid-winter slumber.
Worthy also of note were the lung-bursting performances of Grant Holt, Wes Hoolahan and Robert Snodgrass – all of whom put in tireless shifts. It was therefore all the more incredulous that my post-match routine – returning to the car and switching on CanaryCall – was ruined by two callers referring to Holt as ‘lazy’! For once… words failed me.
So… the signs are promising; the shoots of recovery were there for all to see (sorry, most to see) and there was an October-type feel to the City performance. And just as well…
With QPR (a) and Fulham (h) up next, now is the perfect time to re-affirm our mid-table credentials.
Given how this transfer window has shredded the nerves one can only imagine the angst a relegation battle would evoke.
Keep the faith…
“re-affirm our mid-table credentials.” That is the level of Norwich’s desire…Gary Hooper is at a club who are expected to win everything they go in for and when they lose a single game it is analized beyond belief for weeks and weeks. Hooper has grown in Glasgow, scores goals in Europe, in fact he just scores goals. Please dont be confused by the SPl not being the EPL, we have had many players come up here and found the standard of opposition vry difficult to beat, tempo very high, games very physical. I think that iof your level of hope for the season is 40 points and not getting beaten in the cup by a minnow then maybe you need to find a club with better aspirations. Hooper want sto play in the EPL but he also wants to play for England and as has been proven with Gary Holt scoring goals for Norwich doesnt get you noticed by England even when you are the top scoring Englishman in the country. I cannot understand why the toing and froing, if you want hooper then make Celtic an offer they cannot refuse then it is down to the player, if he wants to come then you would get yourself a top top goalscorer but maybe your club’s ambitions dont match the players….
Norwich are and always will be a small fish in a big pond..take away the sky money and most teams in Englands top flight would crumble or find their true level again
if your bids were realistic instead of being insulting you have went from a 1st bid of £4-5 million that was £2-5 up front and the rest over 2 years to a 4th bid of £5-5 of £3-5 up front and the rest over 2 years so pay up or shut up fee is £10 million
How does a little club like Norwich think that it can attract players from a big club like Celtic.
You are not testing anybody’s nerve with offers well below what we are looking for. Thats why they have all been rejected promptly.
Offer 10 and we will see. But you won’t it seems since the third bid was apparently “well off the mark” and the 4th was rejected immediately.
@Alan –
1. A more competitive league might be a draw
2. Grant* Holt
3. The bidding process is no different to the usual, but most clubs don’t do their laundry in public – it’s your end talking about it. Wonder if NLennon is doing it all to show the fans there was a fight before you let him go, rather than looking like they gave up too quickly for the fans’ liking?
Surely the bids have to reflect the players worth, now Demba Ba to Chelsea = 7 Million, and you lot think Gary Hooper to Norwich = 10 million? now come on, do the maths and work it out !!!
@Alan –
1. A more competitive league might be a draw
2. Grant* Holt
3. The bidding process is no different to the usual, but most clubs don’t do their laundry in public – it’s your end talking about it. Wonder if NLennon is doing it all to show the fans there was a fight before you let him go, rather than looking like they gave up too quickly for the fans’ liking?
Why wouldn’t Hooper want to play for Norwich? Freak results recently aside, he’d be taking a step up in terms of quality of opponents. Scottish football is hardly competitive at the end or the day and if he wants to test himself, then at some point, he needs to move to a proper league. If £10m is the price though, keep him. He’s not that good.
Unless there is a total disaster , between now and end of season i think city are safe ,hooper not worth more than 7 millon as unproved in top flight,so Mcnally should tell them take it or leave it .
Jesus christ the arrogance, tasp a big club like celtic p…lease what a crock its the best team in a mediocre league we are a mediocre teame in the best league in the world working our way up, if you was that good he wouldn’t need to want to change league’s to get a sniff at the national team,