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Neil still desperate to sign the next Grant Holt as City fire big, fat blanks against the visiting Owls

14th August 2016 By Rick Waghorn 12 Comments

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There is one thing I have never understood about the summer transfer window.

And I might have missed the explanation. 

If I have, then I’m sure someone, somewhere out there in MyFootballWriter Land will enlighten me.

But why does the summer transfer window have to close at the end of August – and not at the end of July?

It would make everyone’s life so much easier – not least the Carrow Road board as all eyes turn towards them following this weekend’s goalless home opener against Sheffield Wednesday.

Coming hard on the heels of last weekend’s goal-fest away at Blackburn Rovers, Norwich’s tea-time TV ‘treat’ found City boss Alex Neil bemoaning the fact that the current Class of 16-17 could go from one “extreme to another” in terms of attacking endeavours.

Or, indeed, overall play. 

From glass over-flowing to glass nigh on empty as the Canaries struggled to make anything by way of a dent in the visitors’ defence.

In short, it was Norwich’s other half; the one that more often than not rocks up at home; the same home that was mentioned on Friday – the one for the fainter hearts.

Neil, not surprisingly, was also to be found confirming that a new No9 remained his top priority.

He has No 10s by the bucket-load, though none proved able to pick their way through a well-organised Wednesday side, who would head back to South Yorkshire well pleased with their point.

“We need to bring in a striker to give Cameron [Jerome] a hand,” said the City chief afterwards, speaking to Canaries TV.

“That’s not news to anybody, we just need to try and get that work done as quickly as we can. We’ve got good players; it just so happens we’re short in one position.”

Which brings us back to the opening point of this piece – why does the transfer window not close at the end of July as opposed to the end of August?

Someone will have the sensible answer.

In the meantime, it might be worth seeing the month of August through the eyes of players’ agents – the people who really oil the wheels of the greasy machine that is football.

Having a window that closes the better part of three weeks into the start of a season is perfect for them.

Because as unfolding events at Carrow Road are merely confirming, the pressure to do something (anything) when it comes to making a No 9 and ‘marque’ signing grows by the day when all involved can see the gap in their armour.

And results/performances started to underline that point.

As do the punters reactions on message boards and phone-ins etc… Everyone screaming for action becomes so much music to the ears of Mr Ten Per Cent.

Because as the pressure mounts on the City board to do something, so the price of their eventual answer merely rises.

It is simply the law of supply and demand kicking in. The more the demand grows and supply proves problematic, so the price rises.

A fact not lost at players still – for now – in a Norwich shirt. They too might want-away that little bit more as they start to sense the first rumblings of discontent seeping from the stands as the game’s real power-brokers go to work.

So agents and players alike can sit back and watch their ‘clients’ – the football clubs – squirm in their hour of need, before finally making their way to the negotiating table come the midnight hour at the end of this month.

By which stage the Good Ship A Neil may or may not be fatally holed beneath the waterline as every newly-relegated manager faces the toughest 100 days of their managerial career – trying to prove to a restless nation that they are, indeed, still up to the task.

The Canary board have the sterner test – trying to mix ambition with prudence. Again.

And even if Prudence is not what she once was with so much parachute riches at their disposal, you still have to get the right player to come to the far end of the A11.

In the knowledge that they won’t be hitting the fleshpots of London till ten o’clock on a Saturday night.

Not for the first time, it is the agents who are coming up smelling of roses here as the Canary faithful start to sense something whiffy in the air, transfer-wise.

And the club struggle to find anyone to fill the large vacancy left by one Grant Holt in terms of that classic No9 striker.

But a repeat performance in midweek against a similarly obdurate Bristol City will leave Neil needing a big derby win rather more desperately than all would like.

One final point.

Timing is everything in show business. Whether now is the best time to be donning the sequins for a summer season on Strictly Come Dancing might be a moot point as far as the message board fraternity are concerned.


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Filed Under: Column, Rick Waghorn

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Comments

  1. Chris says

    14th August 2016 at 2:48 pm

    Interesting points. However, shifting the blame onto disgruntled supporters for the inactivity and negligence of the board is wrong. Unlike last year, when the excuse trotted out was that the play off win was responsibility for our late and fruitless efforts, we knew our fate good and early this time around. A week into the seaso. And we’re still piddling around while on the pitch a fading centre forward lolls about knowing his place is as safe as it gets. The old standpoint that all footballers head for the fleshpots of London is a red herring. I sincerely doubt Timm Klose does not countenance such a thing on a Saturday night. Drunken philanderers are not wanted at this club and can’t be relied upon. Mr Neil is coming up short at the moment and questions a rightly being asked about his abilities. Regarding our beloved chairman of the board it’s surely a coincidence that since he and Smith minor slid onto the board everything has turned to rats.

    Reply
  2. Ncfcpaul says

    14th August 2016 at 3:09 pm

    It strikes me that a big part of the problem was not just the lack of fire power but that the fire power we had- Cam Jerome seemed very isolated. The midfield looked really busy, some nice passing but I always thought ten yards too deep, always in front of the Wednesday defender and none running passed. It got worse when Jerome went off and Naismith who looked good before then looked lost trying to be a solo front man. It might work if the midfield really bomb forward, but it’s a risk because then we are open to the counter.
    In short I thought we weren’t brave enough to commit forward and made it too comfortable for Wednesday. Where’s Grant Holt when you need him?!
    OTBC

    Reply
  3. Colin says

    14th August 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Rick, I believe the date is to allow synchronisation across all leagues. English leagues start earlier than many due to the fact we play more football (2 to 3 cups and league games). It would be equally wrong for teams in Europe to be able to buy players this month to strenthen but our clubs to not be able to replace. It is a flawed system, but the logic is there.

    Reply
  4. pab says

    14th August 2016 at 4:46 pm

    Yes, UEFA’s top priority is the Champions League, so all countries have the same date for transfer deadlines and also for submitting squad lists.
    Our Club struggle to sign any of their main targets during a whole long summer, so any shortening the window may lead to even less success ….
    We’ve got a new Chief Exec to run the club, so Balls being absent whilst in dance studios should not be any disadvantage.

    Reply
  5. canaryjim says

    14th August 2016 at 5:19 pm

    I didn,t watch the game but listened to it and sounded like we struggled against alot better team than last week.. and the fact they got (blackburn) hammered by wigan confirms that . I agree with paul that the midfield did not play very well passing was terrible at times and howson was non existent ..
    I was pleased with mcgovern coming on and hopes he cements his place in the team and with the clean sheet ….also very pleased to hear about the new CB if true and to hear that alex been looking abroad too.
    I think we do need a powerful pacey striker and think britt absombalonga fits the bill perfectly along with a different type of striker too .
    I am sure that the board are realising the task at hand and the new ceo and tony spearing will sort it out this year !!!

    Reply
  6. Adrian says

    14th August 2016 at 8:53 pm

    In answer to ncfcpaul (2) : Grant is up here playing for Hibernian in the Scottish Championship, managed by Neil Lennon, who after yesterday’s game praised Grant’s fitness – 3 games in a week – and his all round contribution, saying Grant’s attitude is perhaps driving him to try bit too hard, but that goals are undoubtedly on their way.

    After his injury Grant has worked hard to get back to a high level of fitness. Scottish fitba may lack some sophistication and quality but it is played at a million miles an hour.

    Hibs could do with a bit of transfer fee, and Waitrose Wymondham would welcome him back – as I’m sure would Carra Rud.

    Reply
  7. John says

    14th August 2016 at 10:13 pm

    Unlike canaryjim, unfortunately I did watch the game (being a season ticket holder). To say that we were poor and lacked ideas is the understatement of the year so far. We have (in the words of the manager) many creative mid-field performers, but yesterday were prevented from seeing any of them. Hoolahan was brilliant at finding cul-de-sacs patrolled by 3 opponents; Naismith anonymous; Tettey too often on the edge of our area before intercepting and then passing the ball back to a Wednesday player, and was Howson there before the final 10 minutes? Murphy looked totally lost and clueless whilst words fail me in trying to describe the ineptness of our lone striker. Where were Canos and Maddison, and following the injury (??) to Jerome, what does it do to Carlton Morris’s confidence when our main scoring threat gets injured…and is replaced by a holding/defensive midfielder?? That particular logic defies description to me….surely at home as a newly relegated team you should be pushing for a win rather than trying to save a point??

    Reply
  8. colin m says

    15th August 2016 at 4:02 am

    First home game of season and we are moaning,booing, etc. Just don’t understand, so we struggled for any real cohesion but Wednesday one of the better teams. Goal scorers are gold dust we cant just go and buy one, Hooper, Graban, Lafferty, Rvw hardly set the world alight. Fleck,Sutton, Iwan, Holty, just four in 30 years so get real. I reckon valuable point gained. Stop booing or p**s off, go shopping instead.

    Reply
  9. Gary Field says

    15th August 2016 at 8:32 am

    The transfer window was the idea of UEFA, bless them, and their requirement for synchronisation across all European leagues is, indeed, the reason why the window closes at the end of August.

    Having a finite window has, in my opinion, shifted the balance more so towards the selling clubs and the players, not forgetting their agents, at the expense of the buying club.

    As a consequence, plus the new mega TV deal, determining value of players has become even more difficult than ever.

    Acquiring players was never easy, now it seems to have become virtually impossible, unless you have a blank chequebook!

    Reply
  10. Ben K says

    15th August 2016 at 9:49 am

    Colin, I couldn’t have put it better myself. Those people booing ought to have a good look at themselves. Is that going to happen every time a few entitled types don’t get their way? You don’t just turn up and win matches by dint of who are, or who you think you think you are, in this league. Have a look at Newcastle and remember we’re four points better off than them.

    Reply
  11. Stevie M says

    15th August 2016 at 10:49 am

    The Wednesday game plan worked a treat and we did look very short of inspiration. Our midfield was stifled before any meaningful attacks achieved any kind of momentum.Ball retention was pretty poor.

    Fans including me last week applauded the inclusion of youth in the shape of Jacob but sadly Josh, against a much better side, was so subdued that he virtually disappeared. These opportunities for young and fringe players to start need to be seized by them immediately.In an instant results business virtual ‘no shows’ are potentially very damaging especially where the player has been supposedly knocking on the door for sometime.

    I’m very concerned that 180 minutes of our season have passed and our £10.5m investments thus far have featured for about 10 minutes or so. How are we going to give all these creative players sufficient game time?Have we literally bought or acquired too many of this type of player?

    What is certain is that booing the team at the end of Saturdays game was utterly inexcusable and wholly counter productive.

    Reply
  12. EdCL says

    15th August 2016 at 11:01 am

    I’m now wondering if, assuming we do bring in a couple of strikers, one of them being a name very well received by the majority of fans, and then proceed to draw 0-0 at home in game he is playing in, if there will still be boo’s at the end and what the reason for them will be that time?

    Reply

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