As we near the cusp of transfer silly season, where agents leak all sorts of rumours to try and push a deal for their clients, we also enter the time of year where fans nervously glance over the back pages dreading the article that says their star player has left the club.
As fantastic as the end of the season was, City clearly need to strengthen if they want to put in a good account of themselves in their return to top flight football.
I am confident the majority of fans would agree that, for starters, our defence is not up to Premier League standard.
The issue is less in terms of the starting line-up, who for the majority of games towards the end of last season engineered some outstanding performances, but more with regard to the depth of the squad, which doesn’t possess the necessary strength to compete at the highest level.
One of the key elements to a successful season is managing your squad through injuries, knocks, strains and suspensions and with our current set-up I would fear any game against a top ten side if we were without one of our usual full-backs.
This is one of the first areas I would expect the club to strengthen and hopefully early on in the window so they can begin to embed themselves within the squad before preseason.
Over the past few days I have read that we have been linked with Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk. Could this be a sign that Russell Martin is to be pushed out to right back with Steven Whittaker lined up as his replacement?
Our midfield is currently our strongest area and, based on the assumption that we won’t sell any of our players, does not need to be strengthened unless an absolute bargain presents itself.
I imagine players like Nathan Redmond will attract attention from some of the mid-table teams but hopefully David McNally will stick to his word and hold on to our star assets.
One of the interesting situations in the Norwich camp this summer is the future of Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
Just two years ago he was seen as the player who was going to spearhead the City strike-force and drive them from a team constantly battling for safety to an established Premier League club under the guidance of one Chris Hughton.
Now, he has been sent back from St. Etienne who clearly didn’t see him worthy of a contract. Will Alex Neil see him as a project and aim to bring success out of him?
Whilst it is very easy to say “we need a new striker”, one of the important factors in this is how Norwich will line up.
The signing of Youssouf Mulumbu may be a sign that AN will look to employ a 4-2-3-1 with either Johnson or a new defensive midfielder supporting Tettey.
If this is the case we already have a bloated number of first-team strikers with Cameron Jerome, Lewis Grabban, Kyle Lafferty, Gary Hooper and Ricky van Wolfswinkel all vying for a place in the side.
I wouldn’t be sad to see Grabban and Lafferty sold on because to me they are not players that exude Premier League quality every time they grace the pitch. I would however, be happy to see us retain the remaining three and add a proven top level goal-scorer.
The transfer window will always be a period of mass speculation, glimmers of hope and moments of disappointment but the measurement of success will only be the points accrued between August and May.
Norwich have never had a better chance than now to build a squad capable of solidifying Premier League status and a chance to build a squad that teams in the league will dread playing.
The team have done their bit by earning promotion at the first time of asking, so now Mr McNally.. it’s over to you.
Great first piece Matthew.
It seems that over the past few seasons, eight to ten new arrivals have been commonplace. It’s now almost expected.
However, I’m not sure if we really need that many and the focus should be on quality, rather than quantity, this time around.
Gary F – It’s actually his second piece mate but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt… just this once 😉
https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2015/03/28/the-price-of-success-invariably-felt-most-by-the-very-lifeblood-of-football-the-fans/
Matthew – have to disagree with you on Lewis Grabban. Ok, he was a bit stroppy Adams-era and got himself sent off at the New York (he was in a headlock at the time). I would counter that with classy goals, clever movement and being AN’s first pick striker up to his injury in the Ipswich game – throw in goals in both derby games.
Cameron Jerome was superb and so deserves to have a crack at the PL (he’s done it before). Gary Hooper is too hit and miss in terms of effort/attitude while Lafferty couldn’t wait to head off after Christmas and can stay in Turkey if they want him.
What to do with a boy called Ricky? That is going to be fascinating to see what the boss decides.
I just hope McNally & Co. don’t adopt a ‘scattergun’ approach to signings like Liverpool seemed to have resorted to. I think they are more sensible than that.
Apologies Matthew and Gary G. I really should be paying more attention from my sun lounger 😉
What McNally has to work out is how to increase the wage salary budget in such a way as to attract better quality recruits without upsetting the players who are already there. Not easy, but essential.
There are probably 2 players who may be attractive to other clubs in the premiership – Ruddy and Redmond. Neill and McNally will not want to sell either. If however either player (or his agent) agitates for a move it might be impossible, even unwise, to hold on.
I can’t see Ruddy wanting a move unless he has a very good chance of being no 1. in a top 6 or 7 club; that seems unlikely. And in any case you get more chances behind a defence like ours to show Roy Hodgson how good you are than at, say, Stamford Bridge….
Redmond, unlike many of his contemporaries, seems level-headed and well advised. But if he wants to play for England he may feel the need to prove that he can play for one of the top teams (at the risk of course, like the Sinclairs, Downings and Adam Johnsons of this world, that he simply proves that he can’t). If that happens we will at least get a sizeable fee for him.
We were relegated last time primarily through lack of goals, and especially a lack of pace and power up front. So I am expecting something to happen on that front.
At centre half we have Bassong. Unlike many I don’t rate him as highly as Martin. Just look at the attempt to back-heel volley a clearance against Boro that led to them hitting the bar. He is far to casual at times, and seems to lack Martin’s intelligence and positioning.
Martin may not be as physical, or as noticeable, but 2 Scotland managers and 4 Norwich managers have all played him in the middle repeatedly and his fellow pros picked him in their team of the year. They can’t all be wrong.
If we can find one good centre half and one good full-back to replace Whittaker, I think we will be very well equipped.
Good breakdown by Keith(5) although seems strange that no one has questioned Olsson at left back. He’s never entirely convinced me that he’s PL standard under pressure. Competition for Olsson, one more decent centre back and an extra striker (Ricky???)should see us right.
Gary F.(4) – is that sun lounger in your backyard or on an exotic location? :)..old-school emoticon.
I think on the basis of record to date it’s easy to conclude that both Ricky and Lafferty need to move on, leaving Jerome, Hooper, Grabban to fight over the striker position(s).
I’d be surprised if Cam was not given a go, given his often (but not always) strong performances last season, particularly towards the end.
I agree that Hooper still looks off the pace when he plays … huffing and puffing up to the halfway line during quick breaks. He can’t really be overweight can he? In which case why does his fitness seem below the rest? An enigma – he has lovely skill, touch and the famed ‘best-finisher’ ability, but he has only occasionally looked like he is Premier League quality.
And then Grabban … AN obviously likes/liked him, but he also looks ineffective at times, with poor touch and finishing, although he is a different model to both Cam and Hooper. Could he be a number 10 Wes alternative?
And is the combination of the three enough? I think most would agree not. But the question is who that we can afford and is available can fill the gap … ?
Yes Cosmo, agree about Olsson who at the very least needs to be looking over his shoulder. Had we not been promoted I’d have backed Tofolo for that role but it’s probably a step too far for him in the Premiership at this stage.
Surely Ricky has to be given a chance. If I remember correctly he was unlucky on occasions not to add to his one goal for various reasons and if he had had a little luck in front of goal and been given better service who knows. We now have a manager who may get the best out of him. He might just turn out to be the player we hoped he would be.He surely couldn’t lose the ability that made city buy him in only one season. He needs someone to boost his confidence,come on AN
RVW cannot be blamed for the appalling season Hughton dealt him and us, where there seemed to be no attacking plan beyond giving the ball to Snodgrass. But RVW is lightweight and either needs to bulk up or bulk off.
In contrast… Hooper could do with losing a stone in muscle and becoming more mobile. Or redevelop his game. Because he’s not sharp enough for the top two divisions in England. A scorer of great goals but no longer a great goal scorer. But he has it in him, as does Jerome who might just get a magnificent season out of himself if Alex Neil has his way. I always doubted his ability to adapt but against Boro he was superb and his interview after the match about how Neil had helped him change the way he plays over the previous month was really interesting.