Was a teary old day yesterday. And not just because of Wes. The applause on 48 minutes in memory of Paul Rudd was too a thing of beauty.
And then, of course, there were those who, as the final home game of the season neared its conclusion, we suspected we were saying farewell to even though we didn’t know for sure. There were several.
In addition to Wesley, I’d argue as many as eight of yesterday’s starting XI have either a red cross or a question mark next to their name. In my fearful, possibly overly-negative, eyes only Grant Hanley and Mario Vrancic are definites to be here in August.
The three loanees, who I’ll come to in a bit, will almost certainly be returning to sender. Timm Klose, Nelson Oliveira and James Maddison, each for very different reasons, will likely be departing this parish. And I have a nasty feeling that if the right offer came in for either Josh Murphy or Jamal Lewis, or possibly both, Steve Stone and Stuart Webber would be forced to have a long, hard think about it.
Such is the financial hole we find ourselves.
So, while naturally, it was all about giving Wes the wonderful send-off he deserved – and I thought the club did a fantastic job by the way – the outpouring of love and affection was masking more than a tinge of apprehension and sadness over the dismantling of what yesterday looked a team with plenty of promise.
It’s sad that we won’t ever see Wes jinking, bobbing and weaving ever again, but also that we’ll be unlikely to see Maddison’s twisting and turning, Angus dominating, Klose roaring, Reed scurrying or Mo Leitner with so much time he could light his cigar before picking his pass.
I’m a sentimental old fool, and every single one of those thoughts filtered through my mind as the Hoolahan juniors were hurling shirts into the crowd.
There’s a flip side to everything though and there are already some bodies in the house who will fill some of the aforementioned voids. Vrancic was superb yesterday and tasked with being part of the midfield ballast minus Alex Tettey or A N other warrior next to him, he simply shone.
His reading of the game is such that he doesn’t need to thunder into a tackle to turn win possession back. Instead, he’s clever, gets a toe in when it’s needed, and then uses it wisely. And his range of passing is right up there; even Crooky would be impressed.
Onel Hernadez too, in his brief cameo, did precisely what he has done in virtually every single one of his cameos. He whetted the appetite. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing him with a few months of Championship experience and a full pre-season under his belt.
So, even yesterday, there was light amongst the shade
But in the shade, as I mentioned earlier, were three departing loanees. And in Angus, Harry Reed and Mo Leitner we have been lucky enough to watch three individuals who have belied the notion that loan players don’t care.
All too often in the past – with a few notable exceptions (I’m looking at you Darren Huckerby) – players from bigger clubs have graced us with their presence, given off a ‘you’re lucky to have me’ air, before scuttling off back to their parent club without so much as a backward glance – usually having contributed chuff all to the cause.
One particular era, one that sent us on a downward trajectory with a would-be England manager in charge who too shared the ‘you’re lucky to have me’ mantra, is now regarded as the ultimate metaphor for a squad full of disinterested loanees.
But to a man, these guys have been different. Different class.
One or two eyebrows were raised when we announced the signing of Angus, the fear being he was still very much a rookie in terms of first-team experience and his arrival was a sentimental rather than a logical one.
Wrong!
From the second he set foot in the place he has been quality personified, the biggest compliment we can pay being that at no stage did he ever feel like Bryan Gunn mark II. He’s been his own man from the word go when it would have been easy to ride in on his dad’s coattails. And he’s done it by just being a bl**dy goal all-round keeper, with a human touch and no obvious weaknesses.
If yesterday was indeed his final hurrah, then we wish him all the very best and hope he never forgets his season with his home-town club. Legendary status and a song in less than a season are hard to come by.
Regardless of Man City’s call on his services, he is, and will always remain, one of us.
Reed too has been simply outstanding, of late playing in an unfamiliar right-back position that he adapted to so well it can now legitimately go on his CV. But it’s not just his fine performances on the pitch that have set him apart from so many others; it’s been his attitude and buy-in to the cause.
Not once has he given off the air of a loanee. From the day he arrived he’s bled green and yellow, and whatever unfolds over the next few months, he’s always be guaranteed a warm Carrow Road welcome. Always. None of us will ever forget his charge onto the pitch following Klose’s equaliser against that lot.
And then there’s Mo.
I should confess, Google did its thing when a Moritz Leitner, out of the blue, pitched up in Norfolk, but from those first few silky touches in his late cameo here against Brentford he’s oozed class. And he too – like Angus and Harry – has bought into all that Norwich City stands for.
When things went awry, he clearly felt the same pain that we all felt. I doubt he’d want to be reminded of a sitter he missed in the 0-0 draw at home to Bolton but his reaction to it, immediately following and at the end of the game, said everything. He was genuinely gutted.
To be able to turn his loan deal into a permanent one may be reaching too far into the realms of dreamland, but if Herr Leitner would like to grace Carrow Road for another season on loan he’d be more than welcome. We’ll even supply the cigars.
So, it was an emotional one, for lots of reasons, and that’s not even taking into account the MyFootballWriter brunch that preceded events at Carrow Road, but it was one of those afternoon’s when it felt we were all, for a few fleeing moments, united. And it was nice.
Oh, and we beat Leeds 🙂
A deflected shot, bouncing in off both posts. A goal and an assist. There is a footballing God and we had the joy to see the best of Wesley Hoolahan.
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Spot on Gaz – and good to catch up yesterday, pal.
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Good stuff, Gary. It was fine day all-round.
We know we’ll lose a couple of players in the summer that we’d rather be keeping. Exactly who, and how they’ll be replaced, we’ll have to wait and see.
But I’m not quite as apprehensive as you – or least, your worst-case scenario – for three reasons:
1. It won’t be a mass exodus. Yes, Maddison and one or two others will go. However, it would take an extraordinary bid for us to sell Jamal Lewis, for instance – money that would be ploughed back into building the squad.
2. New players. Our midfield will have a different look next year, of course – but we already know we’ll have some good options. Tom Trybull will seem like a new signing; Kenny McLean will be one; Ben Godfrey will return from starring for Shrewsbury, and Louis Thompson is ready to resume where he was before injury. And we know, for certain, we’ll have a new striker or two, to Daniel Farke’s taste and style.
3. Loans. We’ll all be sorry to lose Angus Gunn and Harrison Reed, assuming we can’t pull off deals for either to come back next year. They’ve been effective and committed, in contrast to many loanees we’ve had in the past. It would be a special worry, though, if this was Stuart Webber’s first go at it – was this season a lucky once-off? But it isn’t – he did exactly the same at Huddersfield, and we can imagine he has a few more rabbits in his hat.
One certainty: it’ll be interesting.
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Good response Stew… hard to disagree. Events conspired to put a little downer on the day 🙂
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I enjoy reading your thoughts Stewart, but I always feel uneasy when I see people commenting on how Louis Thompson will solve our midfield concerns. Aside from the fact that with his unfortunate injury problems, there’s no guarantee how fit he’ll ever be, I don’t know what people are basing this optimism on. I think he’s had one impressive game & that’s it. I remember watching him for Swindon after we’d loaned him back & I wasn’t inspired. Hopefully he won’t suffer from high expectations & I’ll be completely wrong.
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Dont forget Cantwell!
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We’d clearly got the send off he deserved from both the club and the fans. Of course a classic Wes display didn’t hurt either.
Hopefully someone at New England Revolution is watching, we like the Irish out here! Klose was wearing a Bruins hat after the match if that’s any indicator.
I think it hit home yesterday just how much class will be leaving. There’s a lot of big holes to fill in the summer and in many positions no transfer fee to help.
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Great read as always Gary. On the plus don’t forget there was a big win for Southampton yesterday and they now have a whiff of staying up, if they did I believe the chances of us having Reed here next season would be boosted. As you said he has been outstanding, hard working and fully committed from day one, he would a great asset in the next stage of the re-build next season. ?
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Hi Gary – a very good read and summary for the up coming transfer window.
I must agree with you on Reed and Gunn -their performances have shown they came to City and have been true professionals to their trade.
Man City don’t need Gunn at present unless they sell Bravo, then he might be their number 2 – other than that he will be loaned out and I expect after the way he and City have conducted the loan this season, Pep just might think City is the right place for him to continue his development. This would then put Mathews in a dilemma with his City future in the balance.
Reed has now proved he can play in a couple of positions and I have read somewhere that he doesn’t want to become a bit part player at Southampton. Whether they stay up or get relegated, both have a decision to make. I think this could come down to a possible transfer to City, with Southampton using him as a bargaining tool for a City player plus cash.
Leitner left Dortmund for Italy and never reproduced his true form, returned to Germany for a small fee – 1.5m€ – so telemarketer has quoted and now value him at 750k€ with his present club wanting some money back. If Webber hasn’t started negotiations I would be surprised.
Leitner has already stated how much he likes working for Farke, so we can but hope.
Klose – I can see this as a possible player plus cash swap as before with Reed; we will not get our money back but close to it.
Oliveria – he was gone in January in his head. 8 or 9 managers have tried and failed to get a long-term return on his ability. I just don’t see him here next season, maybe Wolves will give him a chance with all the other Portuguese they have at the club. Could break even on a fee
Murphy – reading that he is wanted by Newcastle, he would probably jump at the chance but he should be wary that it doesn’t turn out to be a not so good move. His brother hasn’t set the Geordie world alight, but getting the twins at the same club could help them both. Similar fee to his brother.
Maddison – this is the tough one. Unless he goes to a team not in the top 6 I just can’t see him dislodging the likes of Alli or any of the others in those teams. It could be sell high and loan back for another season; again Southampton have money to spend so they could be his next stepping stone up to the top clubs.
Tettey could still stay and I hope he does even on reduced money – he will possibly be getting more than in Norway. Here’s hoping.
I have high hopes for Godfrey, Mathews, Raggett, Franke, Mclean, and would like to see the young lad at Cambridge have some luck and get some game time and show us all what he is capable of – and the same goes for Thompson.
Others we have out on loans just might not make the grade under Farke.
Finally, I presume we will hear before long of the German defender Liester that is a free transfer?
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Good thoughts (though I fear you missed a couple of ‘0’s off those Euro figures).
I’m told Stuart Webber has been calling Man City at least once a week to monitor their thinking on Angus; ditto Southampton on Reed. Probably long shots to get either back, but we’ve certainly been trying. I gather Tettey’s situation is also up in the air.
We’ll see….
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Stewart, this is the valuation that he has moved for and City spent £1.5m on a loan fee:
M Leitner
Market value development
Current market value: 750 Th. €
Last change: Dec 28, 2017
Highest market value: 5,00 Mill. € Jan 13, 2013
Jan 31, 2017 L azio FC to Augsburg 1,40 Mill.€
Aug 12, 2016 Bor. Dortmund to Lazio 1.50 Mill.
Jun 30, 2015 VfB Stuttgart to Bor. Dortmund 3,50 Mill.€
Jun 30, 2011 FC Augsburg Bor. Dortmund1 150 Mill €
Jan 2, 2011 Bor. Dortmundt to FC Augsburg 1,00 Mill. €Loan fee
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Thanks. Perhaps I misread, but your original post seemed to be missing the ‘m’ and ‘k’ (now present). Maybe just my senility!
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Possibly my typing.
But that history of transfers just might mean he is within cities reach and if we paid such a large loan fee maybe there is hope.
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Hi All
Just read Wes comments on yesterdays farewell and the passage below is great.
“It will be a wrench walking away because I’ve spent a decade here, met a lot of good friends and there are a lot of people I know here. My kids were born here. And you know what, after football I’ll probably end up coming back here.
Lets hope it comes to pass and maybe do something at the club
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Reed has shown he is a decent Championship player so if the Saints are relegated they will keep him; he’s not one of their high earners. If they stay up they will surely want to strengthen in order to try to avoid another relegation scrap and his chances of playing are slim. He wouldn’t be happy to sit on the bench and will want to move.
So our best hope is for Saints to stay up, and Swansea come down, and that’s what I’m rooting for.
Of course the fact that I have Swansea to be relegated included in a number of combination bets doesn’t come in to my thinking at all….
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Sorry, it will be Huddersfield Keith., Pritchard back in the Championship, Saints to survive and Harrison Reed to remain at Carrow Road – sorted!
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Interesting comments.
I reckon, all considered, we’ve done well this season and feel very positive about the future. This season our squad was unrecognisable from that of the previous season and the departure of Wes and likely departures of Martin, Naismith, Wildschut, Gunn, Maddison, Reed, Klosse & Olivera are fine, although I’ve a feeling Reed may stay.
I believe Maddison may struggle next term as he’s now a known threat and will be treated as such making his learning curve continue for longer than he would like. The lack of a goal threat is what has undone us this season and where a bit of luck in recruitment is required. Going down the Holty route may be an answer, Jack Marriott, (albeit ex Ips),, Will Grigg, Danny Hylton but we need a proven goal scorer, preferably with attitude, to compliment the silky skills we have at our disposal.
The team wont dismantle it’s just evolving, exciting times ahead!
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