With the sound of beeps shortly to emanate from the fields of Colney, as the players undergo the pre-season fitness tests, the shape of Neil Adams squad of 2014/15 should soon begin to form.
News that Kyle Lafferty is to officially put pen to paper on Tuesday has received a mixed reception at best but, along with the capture of Lewis Grabban, confirms that an overhaul in the striking department was the first task on Neil Adams’ to-do-list.
If messageboards and comments attributed to Palermo president Maurizo Zamparini are to believed Master Lafferty will, if nothing else, boost the economy of the city’s Prince of Wales Road.
Also, in response to a Metro piece I wrote on the pending arrival of the Northern Irishman, Rangers supporters were quick to remind me – in no uncertain terms – that while we may be acquiring a 6’4″ striker we should not expect anything resembling aerial dominance.
So not the most glowing of references but, given the flawed scouting reports that preceded last summer’s equally flawed striking arrivals, it’s inconceivable that David McNally would sanction one that appears certain to backfire before he even kicks a ball.
They will have done their research, and any alleged foibles in the make-up of City’s latest international will have been weighed up against what Neil Adams and co think he can bring to the Carrow Road party.
Lafferty, it seems, falls in the ‘good feet for a big man’ category and will add something that’s been missing since the departure of one Grant Holt: the ability to make the ball ‘stick’ when back-to-goal.
And the similarities don’t end there, if this YouTube clip is anything to go by.
For many however the die is already cast. Lafferty is a ‘wrong un’ who will not only fail to deliver on the pitch, but will be sure to cause a rumpus or two off it.
A ridiculous view in my opinion. As ever, the ex-Burnley and Rangers man needs to be judged on what occurs on the green stuff starting on 10 August. Until then, perhaps the cynics should reserve judgement.
In terms of departures, it appears certain that Robert Snodgrass will be departing for pastures northern in the next day or two; City’s 2013/14 Player of the Season seemingly won over by the bright lights and fat pay packets on offer in Hull.
With a reported fee of £7m rising to 8m with add-ons, the offer appears one that was simply too good to turn down, particularly with the Scot about to enter the final year of his City contract.
And while his appetite for the fight in the final throes of relegation set him apart from most of his team-mates, and played no small part in him being the latest recipient of the Barry Butler Trophy, there is no doubt he was a source of frustration for many City fans.
As a left-footer whose preference was to play on the right, Snodgrass was arguably one of the main contributors to City’s much-criticised slow build-up last season; the necessity to cut inside on to his left foot to deliver a cross often killing forward momentum.
His quality on the ball (most of the time) was not in doubt, and the fact he was the chosen one for virtually all set-pieces spoke volumes of his delivery in training, but minus that extra yard of pace he all too often flattered to deceive. With that extra yard he would be gracing bigger stages than Carrow Road and the KC stadium.
Clearly a good technician, Snodgrass is one who also wears his heart on his sleeve and his now-forgotten spat with the Snakepit was a perfect example of how much it does, or did, matter to him.
But, only time will tell quite how invaluable that good technique made him to the side.
Equally, only the passage of time will tell us if, as a unit, the side can function better without him. If pace and athleticism in wide areas is the way Team Adams wants to go we certainly have some exciting alternatives, with Elliott Bennett and both Murphys no doubt itching to call that wide-right berth their own.
Snoddy will hold his own at Hull City, I’ve no doubt about that, but Carrow Road will see new heroes emerge in the next twelve months
Who knows, one of them may be a gangly Irishman who likes a beer.
We’ve bought a target man who can’t jump and doesn’t train. Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I certainly feel like the cat that got the cream.
My lack of excitement is due to having seen this guy play too many times for my own liking, rather than whether he’ll be chatting up my Mrs outside the Prince Of India. He’s welcome to her.
Thanks again Mr Chester.
Hi Gary, a very enjoyable read as always. Can you tell me why such a large proportion of our fan base are so hell bent on fearing the worst and believing everything that comes out of a new player’s old club? Has nobody ever heard the old adage, “The proof of the pudding……?”
From what I’ve seen of David McNally, anyone would be a fool to upset him.
I’m beginning to get a good, positive feeling about the up-coming season, not least because our “friends” down South are continuing to mock a certain RvW, I’m longing for the day when he shows them just what he’s capable of with the right set-up and some good service! OTBC
Great piece as always Gary particularly the snodgrass verdict.I believe it was a good piece of business to sell him and although he was a good player there is certainly life after him.As for the the new supposedly Irish womaniser time will tell but I will certainly back him come august and won’t judge him till then.OTBC
As there are conflicting views home and abroad on Mr Lafferty, I think we should wait to see what the new Kyle brings to the table before passing judgment – maybe he will fall in the ‘big feet for a good man’ category. Ha!
‘Perhaps the cynics should reserve judgement until 10 August’ says Gary. Not an unreasonable request, but it took all of one response to show that cynicism remains alive and well among the City faithful.
I hope – and suspect – that Lafferty will join the ranks of underwhelming signings who prove the doubters wrong. As Gary says, we’ll have done our due diligence on him. He’s 26, by the way – not only a perfect age for a player but also an age at which many settle down and put a youthful lifestyle behind them. If he tries to shirk training at Norwich, I’m sure he’s aware he’ll find Gary Holt having a word in his shell-like.
The cynics can’t dampen my growing optimism for the season ahead. The players have been given a choice: stay and give 100%, or be available to leave (if the price is right for us). To my surprise it seems Fer and/or RvW may have made the first choice, in which case they’ll be potent forces in the Champ. If not, we’ll invest a large part of their transfer fees in other players who can impose themselves on the league where we now find ourselves. OTBC
Whether Italian ladies or just Norfolk broads
If he can sweep them off their feet,
With goal scoring exploits, to take us forwards
Then I´d say he´s well worth a seat. OTBC
I’m pleased we’ve got Lafferty – people seem very quick to latch onto any negativity but the Palermo fans seemed to rate him (which may explain some of the quotes given from the clubs hierarchy)
While disappointing to see Snod go, it would appear to be one of those rare transfers deals where everyone seems to have done well; we get a good price, Hull get a good player while Snod stays in the Prem and gets to play in Europe. The criticism of him last year was ridiculous & he should be given a good reception if & when he returns to Carrow Road .
OK, I don’t expect our players to be whiter than white, but Lafferty (at least at his time with Rangers) was just a horrible player. Just so we all know what kind of man we are getting google Kyle Lafferty Dive and you’ll see a nice example.
Good luck to Snoddy in the official ‘City of Culture’ – he put in a good shift for us.
Lafferty seems to be getting stick for a dive he once made (Holt at home to Southampton?) – doesn’t seem to have held back the likes of a Robben (yesterday) or a Bale who was partial to the odd theatrical performance in the penalty box at Spurs. If KL gets the winner at Ipswich, I don’t think his ‘extracurricular’ activities or sack of potatoes impression from previous days will be an issue. He could just be what we’ve been missing all theses years – a big lanky CF successor to Robert Rosario!
Selling Snody is the right move. Good money for someone whose heart is Prem quality, but his feet weren’t. As long as we reinvest wisely of course.
Lafferty is a strange signing. People were talking about the new management setup as people who ‘get the club’. Then we sign a someone whose better known for womanizing and diving than tearing up the Championship. Odd one. I was embarrassed with some of Fer’s antics last season and hope we don’t get more of the same with Lafferty.
I agree the criticism of Snodgrass early last season was unjustied. He was struggling, but not through lack of effort. Its called FORM, and almost every player will have those dips. He reacted in the right way, and was a worthy POTS.
Having said that, l’m not sorry he’s gone. I think the atmosphere in the dressing room had to change, and my suspicion is that Snod was a bit too much of a dominant character in there. Grabbing the ball for that penalty vs Villa , always popping up on the radio for interviews. It’s good when players take responsibility, but it was like he was demanding it, like he felt he should be captain.
I remember at home to West Ham. We were terrible in the first half. Snodgrass was pressing high up the pitch, and getting angry when none of his team-mates joined him. But was that the manager’s instruction? To press high? Because no one else in the team thought it was. A worrying sign.
Good luck to him though. I hope he’ll be pencilled in for a return to Carrow Road for a Premier League game in a year’s time, and that Gary Holt can get the current squad working as hard as he did.
I am more concerned about Lafferty’s antics on the field than off it – providing of course that he turns up for training fit and well.
Let’s not kid ourselves though. Thierney (at Bolton) and Johnson both saw opponents red-carded after being “pole-axed” by head butts that didn’t actually connect enough to knock a toddler off balance – and both were lauded (wrongly in my view) by some of our fans. So it’s not entirely new to us, even if we have had fewer culprits than most teams.
Snodgrass of course was wiling to go down very easily although I don’t recall him feigning injury and trying to get opponents sent off.
But let’s see what Lafferty can do for us. Sometimes a player with off-field “history” needs to move on in order to grow up. Chris Martin is a prime example. Sometimes too a player gets to realise how short his career will be and finally grasps that he needs to knuckle down and make as much of it as he can. At pushing 27 maybe that’s where Lafferty is now. Let’s hope so.
Most important in my view is to find some midfield recruits. Realistically Fer is likely to be on his way; there will surely be interest in him. I would be surprised if Tettey’s agent isn’t making a few phone calls too. With the number of games in the Championship and the work rate required of box-to-box players we need much more strength in depth in that area.