The recruitment alarm bells first started ringing loudly for me in August 2015.
Fresh from our play-off triumph and planning an assault on the Premier League, we had a summer of frenzied speculation that amounted to the protracted, time-consuming acquisition of Robbie Brady, making Graham Dorrans loan move permanent, Youssef Mulumbu on a free and season-long loans for Dieumerci Mbokani and Matt Jarvis.
Whilst Brady was of the right age and ability level for an aspiring new entrant to the Premier League, Dorrans had been used sparingly by Neil whilst on loan in the Championship, and Mulumbu and Jarvis were players past their peak but carrying Premier League salaries. Mbokani was, as has been proved since, a man happy to loan around, mercenary-style, in brief episodes to whoever would pay him the highest wages.
This entirely dysfunctional profile of players were the additions to a squad of Championship footballers, which we thought would strengthen us sufficiently to battle relegation from the toughest league in the world.
Of the existing squad, we started the season with only three centre-back options in Seb Bassong, Russell Martin and Ryan Bennett, with Michael Turner having been deemed surplus to requirements and loaned out. One injury to a centre-back and we wouldn’t even be able to have a substitute central defender on the bench. Two injuries and Steven Whittaker would be pressed into service at centre-back. Against Aguero, Kane or Costa.
This was a club failing to prepare and preparing to fail. It was a sign that Alex Neil was out of his depth with top level transfers. A sign that the club had no coherent recruitment strategy. And a sign that David McNally had begun to lose his previously vice-like grip in allowing this mess to occur. We were an accident waiting to happen.
The real low point of the summer for me however was the bizarre episode of Joaquin Larrivey, an Argentinian international striker from Celta Vigo whom the Spanish press announced was on his way to Carrow Road. For once all signs pointed to a smooth and very un-Norwich like transfer. A day later it was all off.
The club made no comment other than they had decided not to move forward. Larrivey’s agent, understandably, wasn’t best pleased. Not only had his client missed out on a big pay-day (and he on his ten per cent cut) but he felt that Norwich had acted unprofessionally.
The opinion of the Norwich faithful appeared to be a collective shrug. These things happen in football, transfers fall through. In truth most people knew little about Larrivey bar a couple of promising YouTube clips, but at 31 years old nobody was expecting the earth anyway.
It was then that the agent revealed that this had gone further than “initial talks”. He stated that not only had terms been agreed, but that the player had also passed a medical, and to demonstrate how far things had gone he provided pictures of Larrivey in the dressing room at Carrow Road being given the tour by player liaison, Phil Lythgoe.
What the exact reasons for the transfer falling through were, we will probably never know but the transfer had come an incredibly long way just to fall at the final hurdle. The agent was at pains to point out that the medical was not an issue, especially as he needed any other potential suitors for his player to remain undeterred.
It wasn’t like it was transfer deadline day and we targeted multiple players at the same position to ensure we got one and called Larrivey off because our first choice worked out and signed. We didn’t sign another striker until Mbokani rolled up later in the month.
Although the club shied away from commenting directly the ‘sources placed close to the club’ that did speak to the press intimated that Alex Neil personally vetoed the deal at the last minute.
If AN didn’t fancy him, why was he here in the first place? Was McNally’s infamous “football board” targeting the signings and only involving the manager at the last possible moment? The Carrow Road code of silence meant that we never found out the answers to these questions.
In fairness, we were still basking in the glow of that glorious day in May and Alex Neil’s stock could not have been higher. Fans belief in the combined abilities of McNally and Neil was bordering on religious. And so an incident that probably should have raised a cacophony of alarm bells was duly pushed to one side with only a murmur or two of concern that was swiftly ignored.
As always with pre-season, a new transfer rumour emerged to attract attention a day or two later. But the whiff of ham-fisted unprofessionalism lingered.
Having underwhelmed in the summer, we went transfer crazy in January, (at least by Norwich standards – by Harry Redknapp standards we were relatively quiet).
We added Ben Godfrey and James Maddison as promising youngsters. We converted Matt Jarvis’s loan to a permanent deal despite his prodigious injury history having been borne out during his six-month loan and limiting him to a handful of promising, appearances in a yellow shirt. And we paid big money for Steven Naismith, Ivo Pinto and, finally, a centre back in Timm Klose.
Revisionist history, as exhibited on Canary Call each week, points to this as a disastrous window but at the time I was personally delighted, as I think most were. We finally had a new centre half after years of plodding along with the same old faces. Maddison and Godfrey were refreshing examples of coveted stars in the making that we’d stolen away from bigger suitors in a very competitive and un-Norwich-like fashion. And Naismith was a big name player at a big club.
Granted I wasn’t sure quite where he fitted into Alex Neil’s strict 4-2-3-1(and never-shall-it-change) formation. But a player as big-time as Naismith had to help, surely?
Fast-forward 15 months and it appears more of a mixed bag. Maddison and Godfrey remain promising but unknown in a club that has stifled rather than developed them. Klose has become a worse player than when he joined through a combination of appalling coaching, shockingly-bad partners at the back, and his game not matching up to the rigours of a more physical league than the one he signed up for.
However he was the right profile in terms of age, experience and ability, which is why he retains some transfer value. Pinto was a win. A player on the up in terms of development, a great attitude, and one nobody regrets signing. Conversely Naismith’s and Jarvis’s contracts remain a millstone around our necks.
So prodigious are Naismith’s wages that even after post-relegation reductions, he was unable to agree terms with Premier League Sunderland on August’s deadline day, despite City having agreed a fee with the Mackems.
A year on, and with Naismith now 31, I would suggest there’s little chance of us being able to move him on this summer. If he’s not motivated by playing at a higher level then, preferring to stay on the money he lucked into here, there’s little chance now that any other club will come close to meeting that salary.
Ditto Jarvis. We’re in very negative equity with both players and will have to factor in their bloated contracts for the remaining year that they run.
I don’t blame either player for this. They have families to take care of and we willingly signed these contracts. But it’s an example of where poor decisions can come back to bite you a year or two down the line.
Thankfully, it appears that Stuart Webber is a man with a plan when it comes to recruitment and squad profile, the initial cull of seven senior pros being a bold and brutal statement.
The bizarre lack of joined-up thinking in the amateurish Larrivey debacle, and the subsequent lack of clarity with supporters as to what happened will hopefully not be replicated on Webber’s watch.
Nor will the lack of balance in the squad with some positions being overstocked, whilst others are devoid of bodies, talent or hunger. While he inherits a host of problems and collective mistakes, the signs are that he recognises this and that he’s prepared to remedy what he can as quickly as he can.
We need to remain patient on that score. Whilst we carry some of the more onerous wages to completion of contract, our hands will remain somewhat tied in terms of outgoing finances.
The players we target this summer may be lower in profile but if they are the right age and ability, with lower wage demands, and see playing for this high-profile Championship club as a challenge they want to fight to meet, we will begin to right some wrongs and see some value for our money.
Stuart Webber will not be short of a To-Do list for the foreseeable future, that’s for sure.
Excellent article and fair to say that a number of us were pleased with the signing of Klose and Naismith at the time. I still think Naismith can do a job for us, especially if we are going to take in a number of young, hungry players with less experience. What I would love to see next is Norwich bring in Angus Gunn on loan. His father mentioned he might be looking for a loan this season on Canary Call. The fans would already be predisposed to love him and it would mean some positivity from the crowd, which will be much needed next season.
PS Already got the chant worked out (to Guantanamera- if that’s how you spell it!) One Gunn’s a legend, now son of Gunn is a legend, Yes Angus Gunn is a legend…
Well I can dream!
Whatever happen we can’t have McGovern as first choice.
We know know that we need to rebuild the team for the new season. So know is the time for the board to suppoert the new manager and get this in place for the start of the season.!!!!!
Fantastic article.
Larrivey apparently plays in the 2nd division in Japan now…
I think this article reflects what the majority of NCFC fans (who have an opinion which is greater than one word beginning with S) think. I agree I was happy with our acquisitions at the time but the earlier ones haven’t paned out much, if at all. In fact looking at the squad there are not many players hanging around from the previous 3 or so windows. Dorrens remans a class act but we need a player to spread the ball around a bit like most of the championship teams and we have a dearth of players in midfield (and nowhere else). So that midfield area is going to need some care with maybe as many as 15 players going for 4 or 5 slots… (+ subs) There might be a couple we could let go on a free or get transfer value for (feel for Jarvis) but as the article says, maybe not… challenge, you bet
Spot on, Andy.
Very much in line with why Steve Stone pushed for a change in structure and the appointment of a Sporting Director to (i) support and challenge the Head Coach, and (ii) bring strategic thinking to our transfer business.
Good one Andy – a fine read on a fine morning!
I’d forgotten the Larrivey charade tbh.
I don’t see that type of thing happening this time around:-)
The only issue I had with the January 2016 arrivals was that they were all six months too late! The previous window was very poor; the recruitment team failed to deliver and the number of near misses smacked of carelessness. It felt to me Alex Neil was effectively asked to play poker with just a pair of twos in his hand – an accident waiting to happen, as Andy suggests.
This has been a great read as usual.
My one concern looking back was that due diligence wasn’t done in the case of Jarvis and Naismith, if it was then who ever looked at it must have not taken it in.
Jarvis high profile signing for WHU had more time on the treatment table than on the field of play.
Naismith good at Rangers then started off well at Everton but tailed off at the end only getting the bench and coming on for the last 20 mins in lots of games also lots of small niggling injuries.
My biggest problem is City were forced to pay over the odds in a fee for both especially for Naismith Everton knew we were desperate to sign him so the fee went up from the summer to the jan transfer windows also it put Naismith in the driving seat for negotiations we either paid what he wanted or he didn’t come.
For Naismith it wasn’t about playing football it was about money poosible more than he was getting at Everton and for them to get a large earner of the books that they no longer wanted.
A very good read Andy, thank you.
I too had forgotten the Larrivey incident, and can only wish that something similar had occured whilst we were talking to Mr Jarvis. However, that’s not to say that he may not be given a free this summer…but I doubt he would be able to move to any club who would come close to matching his wages here. Ruddy was surely sacrificed because of his wage situation; so either Mr Webber has seen what Rudd has done for Charlton, OR we’re getting a new keeper. After his (Webber’s) performance so far he surely will not have McGovern pencilled in as next season’s number one?
I’m fully expecting there to be a further cull after Sunday and there to be a few surprises.
After Pritchard’s recent performances surely he has to be a cornerstone of the re-building which brings up the Wes question….If we are to see more of Maddison then one of the others has to give way.
O T B C
#5, Secret Canary, yes JEF United Chiba in the J-League 2, who play in – yes – (flocked) Yellow shirts and Green shorts. He got there in the end!
#6, glutt not dearth!?!
#15, Or even, glut.
Good article and I agree with most of it. The only thing I notice is that we could get into a similar situation again where SW and team identify a player but the Head Coach decides against. If anything, this episode reflects well on Alex Neil as he decided against a player who has not demonstrated he would have been worth signing anyway. If, however, it works as planned the SD and HC should have identified targets together and the HC should never have to veto a player at this late stage.
#10 Alex; #11 John: You both make excellent points.
If Naismith’s reported income from NCFC is true I am totally bowled over, tbh. In an underwhelmed kind of way.
The Wes question is a question indeed.
We don’t need three playmakers and Wes is hardly the future, but if ever sentiment were truly due in his possible testimonial year…
My instinct would be to get rid, but I don’t want two thirds of Norfolk on my back for saying so.
Great comments both.
Let’s see:-)
#16 Martin I won’t get on your back. The time for sentiment is over, Wes (bless him) would be an impediment to Maddison’s development and we need to look to the future now. That must also apply to other good servants of the club who need to move on. Martin, Tettey, Jerome etc. I have the feeling that this will happen too. The squad needs to be smaller, hungrier, fitter and better coached. Here’s hoping.
For Wes it is a no win situation if he is let go on a free possibly Wolves would pick him up as Lamps like him and even tried to sign him for Villa.
As he would still like to play and hopefully get to the next World Cup with Rep of Ireland I would suggest keep him as a Player coach helping out with the younger players just look at what he could teach them and use him in the first team for cup games and league game when injuries allow also he could give valuable knowledge to both Pritchard and Morrison.
Howson should be made captain and again use Martin in a similar role but with the u23s.
#17 Cyprus: thanks.
I would keep hold of Jerome, but that’s just me:-)
Good stuff.
Every transfer window since 2014:
“Why can’t the board just stump up the cash to pay for players we want?”
End of 16/17 season:
“Steven Naismith on HOW much? DISGRACEFUL!”