We’re all guilty of it. Getting carried away that is.
As City’s players and entourage – including Messrs van Wolfswinkel, Fer et al – enjoy BA’s in-flight entertainment en route to the US West Coast it’s all too easy to cast ourselves in the role of QPR fans.
This time last summer – off the back of Mark Hughes’ solemn promise that the Hoops would never again find themselves in relegation trouble – those from Shepherds Bush were basking in the glow of a glut of expensive and high-profile signings.
Thanks to the very deep pockets of Tony Fernandes, Hughes embarked on the trolley dash of the century with eleven (that’s eleven) new faces pitching up at QPR’s training ground for pre-season.
In no particular order I give you, Junior Hoilett, Park Ji-sung, Samba Diakite, Robert Green, Ryan Nelsen, Andrew Johnson, Fabio, Jose Bosingwa, Esteban Granero, Sam Magri and Stephane Mbia; all serving as collective proof that, true to the owner’s word, he was on the cusp of turning “… a raw diamond into a diamond…”.
Oh dear.
For good measure, throw into the mix – one sacked manager later – the mid-season acquisitions of Loic Remy, Christopher Samba and (almost) Peter Odemwingie and there you have the most salutary lesson possible that despite the best of intentions and the thickest of cheque books nothing in football comes with a cast iron guarantee.
Similarly I can distinctly recall the buzz of excitement that emanated from that small town in Suffolk in 2001 when George Burley persuaded – amongst others – a Nigerian international by the name of Finidi George that Portman Road was the place to be.
Oh dear.
While not wishing to dampen down anyone’s parade – there’s no doubt this is just the best time to be a City fan – it is worth a gentle reminder that others have been here before and it’s ended badly.
But with one subtle difference.
Neither QPR, ‘that lot’ nor others who found themselves in a similar boat had a David McNally overseeing the whole caboodle.
And that’s why it feels okay to revel in what’s happening at the moment.
The Hughes summer spending spree was – to outsiders at least – borne of the scattergun technique; the one where you bring in as many big names, big egos and big reputations as possible in the hope that by chucking them together in the same team they’ll click. They didn’t click.
When said approach is accompanied by pay packets containing zeroes to make your eyes water then it HAS to work, and which is why the Welshman is now an ex-QPR manager (good luck Stoke).
City’s approach hopefully differs because those on the shopping list are there because they fit the City mould. Not because they’re ‘a name’ and they look impressive on paper but because, courtesy of Ewan Chester’s scouting reports, they provide a certain something that Chris Hughton has identified as missing from his current crop.
Sounds easy but of course is quite the opposite; the refusal of Ola Toivonen and Toby Alderweireld to be wooed by McNally a timely reminder that while we perceive ourselves as ‘massive’ others – particularly on the continent – are still struggling to comprehend this. One suspects both would have left their agents to do the declining given the fearsome reputation deservedly bestowed on the best CEO in football.
While Leroy Fer may have looked happy enough while enjoying his lunch in Yellows, what the picture didn’t show was the McNally half-nelson that finally made up the Dutchman’s mind. (JOKE).
Talking of which… at the time of writing Neil Lennon is reportedly shuffling around his desk a piece of paper that says ‘Gary Hooper: £4million – take it or leave it by 5PM. DM’; the Daily Record reporting that City’s seven month quest for the striker to be nearing its end-game with the McNally/Hughton patience finally showing signs of running out.
Despite reports in some Sunday papers that the former Scunthorpe man was veering toward a more lucrative move to QPR (ironic eh?), the Scottish papers are today reporting Norwich to be his preferred destination with some suggesting a City player moving in the opposite direction could be a part of the deal on the table.
For their part, Celtic are clearly hoping to hold out for the highest bidder and are not keen on accepting a cut-price fee for a player who has just one year left on his contract.
An interesting one and perhaps for once, in Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell, McNally has met his match. With both seemingly intent on playing hardball this one looks likely to go the wire, with 5PM today looking to be make or break for the deal.
As one messageboard contributor wrote earlier today: ‘I wonder if he [Hooper] will go down as the most widely spoken player never to actually play for us, at least since Dean Windass?’
Time will tell.
In McNally we trust.
if you want the player pay up or shut up we are scottish not idiots if hooper was playing in england you be more than double the £4 million offered i think that celtic will settle for no less than £5-5 million .as for the norwich deadline for £4 million at 5pm i would tell them to shove it and never come back for any of our players again as who do they think they are trying to bully us no offers welcome
Fair enough… a point well made
the best ceo in football? what a complete horlicks
was made of the lambert departure,along with childish and un-professional behaviour when lambert returns with villa to carrow road,the whole thing was just embarrasing. Compensation,never a chance!
Doncaster,now that is a story,the worst ceo we
ever had,called doomcaster by everyone and for good
reason.
Lisboacelt, the problem is that we are in the English Premier League and Celtic play in what used to be a two team competition but which is now just a stroll against some not very good opposition.
So although on a couple of one off games in Europe some of your players looked half decent, so did Luton’s when they beat us in the FA Cup last year. It’s easy to raise your game for cup ties every 3 or 4 weeks but what indication do we have that Hooper is actually a PL standard player?
So why would we pay £8m for him when we got RVW for that – an established goalscorer in proper leagues with international caps.
Personally, I think £4m is generous.
Your user name harks back to a time when Celtic were great – unfortunately for you, that isn’t likely to happen again.
You might not like the fact that Norwich City are able to buy your players without having to worry about the money, but then you let Neil Doncaster sort out the future of the SPL so what do you expect? The reality is that Celtic can now never compete – but do enjoy your league title again….
Another good article, Gary. The signings we’ve made look to be full of serious promise, but the words ‘Spending spree’ send a shiver down my spine. It’s all done the Norwich way, behind closed doors, so we never really get to see beyond the smoke and mirrors. We will only know if the deals are good deals when we’re well into next season. And – to our Scottish friend – none of us know if there was any deadline or not – that’s newspaper talk, so a drop of cold water on an overheated sporran may be in order! As for Peter’s comment: again, we still don’t know what actually happened, so to criticise what we suspect may possibly have happened is a little out of order. (Which is not to say it’s not good fun.) However, since McNally has been in place, things have gone from worst to best. We just need to bear in mind that managing success is easy: managing failure is a tad more challenging.
What is sure is that there has NEVER been a better time to be a Canary!
Celtic are only being put “under pressure” because they mucked around in January. Lennon had no need to go public. He’s entitled to say ‘no sale’, but his comments looked like an invitation to bid more and gave a green light to Hooper to leave this summer.
Peter – Lambert’s departure wasn’t badly handled. Listen to Bowkett’s remarks at the AGM. McNally & Bowkett knew it was possible he would leave in the summer and how that might happen. They were ready and prepared.
Norwich? Norwich??? Really???? A team that has won what exactly???? They may have the riches of the Sky TV money, but they have no real history and certainly no real future when it comes to winning things! Oh… and a fanbase with next to zero passion to boot!
Stay put Hooper or at least show some ambition and try and get a move to a better club!
If it is true that a deadline has been given then it doesn’t necessarily mean that it was given in a brusque manner. It could simply have been a “we’d like hooper and this is how much we’re prepared to pay. If you don’t want to sell him for that then let us know by 5pm and we can start looking elsewhere. Otherwise we need to book a flight from Glasgow to America.”
The Truth – does it really just come down to ‘history’ my friend? As a colleague so eloquently put it… https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2013/07/03/naughty-naughty-norwich-when-will-we-learn-to-accept-citys-place-in-footballs-pecking-order/
Respectfully, I think it may be Hoopper himself who is participating in holding back.
With the greatest of respect to QPR, why would he swap Celtic and Europe for a First Division club who may or may not earn promotion this season?
The Truth – History is in the past. As well as you, your ‘friends’ across the city have history. In their case it ended last year! That’s what history does for you.
sgnfc, the problem is that Norwich are in the Premier League and have to try to compete to stay in the Premier League.
Only 2 teams had less goals for than Norwich’s 41 last season, 40 minus an own goal and 8 of those (20%) were scored by Grant Holt.
Hooper has scored goals in the SPL, Champions League and the English Championship, where he was the third top scorer in the 09/10 with 19 goals in a team that finished 4 places from the bottom. That might be useful for Norwich next or for seasons to come as he is only 25 and hasn’t reached his peak yet.
Hooper is a good player and if Norwich want him, they need to pay the money for him. McNally might think he is playing hardball, but Lawell holds the aces and he will decide if he wants to sell him (although I am sure he will take into account what sgncfc thinks).
Norwich have the 4th best odds on for relegation, and it is up to them how they address that, but if are relegated from the Premiership’s estimated £30m a season because they were unwilling to raise their offer from £4m to £5m, that £1m difference could be a real source of embarrassment. Especially if Q.P.R. with Hooper bypass them on the way up.
sgncfc, a fair point but one always being made against Scottish clubs a 2 team league though 1 team league at the moment. Though aren’t most leagues dicated that way. Spain, Italy, England (apart from owners who have more money than sense).
But to state Norwich players are on the same level as Messi, Xavi is almost insane yes players can reach levels they may never before that is true but when playing players of this quality over 2 games & only being beaten by a single goal to deny them a draw.
Norwich afraid to say have got no player of the same quality of Barca so your statement of Luton beating Norwich is bizzare to say the least.
Gary Gowers- Peter Lawell who was headhunted by Arsenal which he rejected to become their ceo is a hard customer to deal with… Though he has to protect his club to get the best deal, I feel he should accept Norwich’s bid & then everyone can move on.
Still a good bit of business, agree with the other point of english clubs buying english players at insane transfer fees is a valid point.
Though Norwich are a respected club, though in that league you cannot tell how long you will be in the top table.
Hooper – good enough for the PL? The SPL is less competitive than a tiddlywinks tournament and only slightly more exciting. Yes, Celtic beat Barcelona (respect for that but if they played them 99 more times, they wouldn’t repeat it) and Hooper looked totally out of his depth when Juventus subsequently turned up in Glasgow and gave him the ‘Italian treatment’.
More than 4 million is Harry Potter land. If he thinks the Fernandes/Redknapp ticket is his path to glory, then he needs his head checking.
With all due respect to Norwich, they are a bit part club with no history, their great achievement is reaching the EPL and staying there. The EPL is the best marketed product in the world but I wouldn’t cross the road to watch Norwich v Stoke/Fulham/Cardiff and all the other teams with overhyped and overpaid players. Hooper is a proven goalscorer, outscoring Andy Carroll whilst at unfashionable Scunthorpe. If you want him, pay £5m which is a bargain to be honest.
Terry Bhoy – Blimey… another ‘history’ comment! I refer my right honourable friend to this…
https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2013/07/03/naughty-naughty-norwich-when-will-we-learn-to-accept-citys-place-in-footballs-pecking-order/
Not a big fan of the EPL eh Tel? For Stoke v Norwich read Inverness v Ross County, or Ross County v Celtic for that matter
Terry B. – Think you’ll have to explain the Andy Carroll comparison! Is that the best you’ve got?
Gary Hooper has his own website (bizarrely he has his birth year of 88 after his name on it) which proudly boasts “Britain’s most prolific striker 2011”. Gary – it’s 2013.. I suggest you get it updated.
http://www.garyhooper88.com/index.
Gary, what is easy gained is easy lost. The RVW signing was good for you, but I don’t remember anyone else having bids in. He joined because that was the only offer and he was excited to play in the EPL, not because it was a well run club or he believed in the direction that the club was moving in. He didn’t get a relegation release clause that he was supposedly after, but if the team are relegated, he will end up seeking a move anyway.
That article (not this)is hype and any intelligent Norwich fan should feel patronised by it’s tone. Alderweireld and Toivonen were not convinced that with Norwich, they ‘can be part of a side that makes history’ haha
Can someone tell me what the fuss is all about when ncfc are prepared to court hooper at reported 7,6,5,4mil? for a player who’s cv does not include premier league. City must realise that if only they & hull have shown an interest then the rest of the premier league must know something.
Gary Gowers my friend! You missed my point Sir! You chose to concentrate on the “history” part of my post and chose to ignore the more important part which was “certainly no real FUTURE when it comes to winning things!”
My point being Hooper should stay at Celtic for for silverware and more glorious European nights (something Norwich will never be able to provide FACT!!!!) OR hold out for a move to a better club that can provide this!
Simples! 🙂
The Truth – can’t argue with you when it comes to winning silverware, but when the silverware in question is the same every season with little or no opposition does that still strike the same chord?
Or perhaps we should enter City’s first XI for the Norfolk Senior Cup and then rejoice when we win it every year?
Either way… have a good season and thanks for reading.
🙂
What’s this Celtic fan going on about? Celtic play in a very very rubbish league, we could probably walk the spl. Epl where’s it count. I’d rather we signed this quagirella than Hooper, Hooper no premier experience at all.
Didn’t we beat you 1 nil home & away last pre season? Probably win 5:0 home & away now.
Gary, still have too win it no matter who you play. As Paul Lambert your old manager stated when he won the champions league with Dortmund then moved to Celtic “that every one raises their game to beat you, the pressure of having to win every single game is not easy”.
Also Forrest with a magical manager won 2 european cups which I know is now a bygone era… Though what were the mighty Norwich winning back then erm NOTHING. Just shows if Holt was a legend then says it all really.
& Chris yip first game was played with kids, 2nd game should have won… But hey its friendles same as when Celtic won a while back, results matter not one bit.
Though having nothing against Norwich, just the usual ignorance of fans belitting Scottish Football which we know is mince not the ideal product but what we can do is learn from other smaller countries.
Chris my good man who would Norwich walk a league without proper resources… You would not get the 40-60 million from Sky.
So please budget 1.1 million from tv, then what you make from the gate to walk the league hahaha.
linbergj – wasn’t my intention to belittle Scottish football. Indeed you can only beat what is put before you, and Celtic do it very successfully.
My comment was in response to one of your own who appeared to question City’s right to be ambitious on the basis we have ‘no history’. In the same way you can only beat the opposition in front of you, we have no ability to change our history.
For us to be dismissed just because we’re looking forward and are ambitious seems a little bit ridiculous.