After an electric debut and a promising showing against Arsenal, Norwich City’s record signing finds himself playing for the club’s Under-23s.
In the summer of 2021, there was palpable excitement around the possibility of a variety of players signing for Norwich City. Considerable hype rose and died down around the potential arrivals of Kristofer Ajer and Josh King, while Mathias Normann and Ozan Kabak’s loans were met with great enthusiasm.
None of this was matched, however, by the excitement provided by City’s pursual of Christos Tzolis. Statistics were shared, journalists were nagged and YouTube compilation videos consulted, with the conclusion that the Greek could be the Emi Buendia replacement needed at Carrow Road.
Norwich Talk’s Ben Ambrose went as far as questioning whether Tzolis would be interested in joining the club, saying: “It’s a very, very exciting potential transfer. This is a guy who’s been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, which might make a few people think twice about how realistic this signing is.”
If the fans wrapped up in this whirlwind romance had been told that six months later Tzolis would be unable to get into the matchday squad, they probably wouldn’t have bothered.
On Monday night the 20-year-old played 90 minutes at Villa Park, but instead of terrorising the likes of Lucas Digne and Matty Cash, he struggled to make an impact against Ben Chrisene- Aston Villa’s Under-23 left-back.
That a player who had at one stage been seen as a potential secret weapon and a bargain at £9million has spiralled so quickly into a youth player who may or may not end up having a real impact on the first team must be alarming for Stuart Webber.
The City sporting director put a lot of chips on Tzolis’ success when he spent a considerable portion of the club’s Premier League budget on him. This was supposed to be Norwich’s real tilt at survival after years of preparation, and if one player was going to cost almost a fifth of the budget it was imperative that they were a success.
With the Canaries 20th and survival looking increasingly unlikely, the blame is shifting in the direction of this recruitment, and the question around Tzolis has continued to be asked: how has this been allowed to happen?
The forward’s Norwich career started well. In trademark style Daniel Farke kept his powder dry until he felt Tzolis was absolutely ready, introducing him to the home crowd in a Carabao Cup meeting with Bournemouth. A brace and two assists followed, and the calls for Tzolis to be immediately called into a struggling league side came in droves.
The Greek then put in an impressive performance in a 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, when he looked dangerous on the rare occasions that City burst into the Gunners’ half.
After making only the bench in the following weekend’s loss to Watford, what looked like a real chance to impress came against a weakened Liverpool, once again in the Carabao Cup. As Tzolis walked out of the tunnel he was likely positive about his chances of breaking into the first team, but 45 minutes later it had turned into the nightmare scenario.
Brimming with confidence after the previous round’s successes, the then-teenager took a penalty away from appointed taker Adam Idah, proceeding to drive it down the middle and into Caoimhin Kelleher’s grateful legs. The score was 1-0 to Liverpool at this stage and finished 3-0.
Former head coach Daniel Farke did not hold back in his post-match press conference, opting to make an example of Tzolis publicly. “Believe me, after our conversation, it will never happen again,” he said. “It was a big mistake.”
The former Norwich boss claimed three days later that “after the game we had a few words and then everything’s okay,” but his ensuing team selections suggested otherwise. Tzolis didn’t start again for the German, limited to off-the-bench-cameos where he showed an undeniable drop in confidence.
He started early in Dean Smith’s tenure against Newcastle United but belief remained invisible in his play, and young academy forward Jon Rowe’s place ahead of him in the pecking order will add nothing in that department. Any impact Tzolis now has on Norwich’s survival campaign looks likely to be very minimal.
It’s worth noting that Webber stated in November that his £9million signing was one for the future, with hopes that he may prove an added bonus during the 2021/22 campaign. He told the PinkUn: “To expect Christos to be playing every week in the Premier League, he was not bought for that.
“He has incredible potential, and potential needs time to nurture itself. Can he come through and make a big impact this season? Yes, but that is not an expectation on him and the price tag on him is not his fault. That should not bring any more pressure on him.”
Even if that is the case, once again the timing of such a significant spend is called into question. Norwich sold Buendia with the intention of replacing him with quality in depth, and although Webber said in that same PinkUn interview that the Argentinian “[told us] very clearly he would not be playing for the club again,” this had always been the plan.
Now that the Canaries look more likely to be heading back to the Championship without a star man to get them out of it, that decision looks increasingly unwise, although only time tell whether Tzolis was worth the fee paid for him.
Unfortunately, it seems that time has already told that it was a poor window to invest in the Greek, and that his stuttering start has only exacerbated the problem.
Webber needs to take a look at recruitment and offer a sliver of humility in that he got it wrong again. I’m grateful for what has been achieved in Webber’s tenure but getting relegated after spending like we have is inexcusable when it’s been clear as day for seasons that we needed a solid DM / CM and that it wasn’t addressed as there didn’t seem any succession planning after Skipp went back to Spurs. That is a glaring indictment on the recruitment team and Webber’s decision making.
I still think the summer recruitment was, on balance, poor Samuel.
I cannot get my head around the logic of spending that kind of money on Christos when we all knew, including SW, that we would be in a relegation battle. But then to say he wouldn’t be ready for this season was bizarre.
Did we have a replacement’s for Skipp or Emi ? maybe Rashica could be seen as a Emi replacement but they are completely different players.
But the most important position we needed I would wager was holding midfielder.
Is Normann that man ? yes and no he is more than that and I think he would be better served playing with a holding midfielder while he goes on his box to box runs.
To be fair Normann, Rashica, Williams and Sargent have shown some decent form but all can be erratic. While the jury is out on Gilmour, Lees-Melou and Kabak,
But poor Christos looks like a fish out of water. But he is a young man in a different country and maybe he will find that Bournemouth form one day, sadly I cannot see that happening this season.
I am sure a terrific man manager like Dean Smith has spoken to Christos and knows what the problem is.
But I wouldn’t rule him out just yet. A good pre-season could see a different player especially as we will most likely be in the Championship. And that’s not negativity just realism, look at Burnley and Newcastle’s form.
However relegation is now a 7 horse race though I do believe it is 6 as Newcastle look upwardly mobile now.
Interesting question, to me the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of looking at the players as individuals. To me the biggest shame is that we are only now starting to see some players like PLM, Sargent and Gilmour getting settled and show what they’re about
Rashica – strongly positive, now clearly our most dangerous attacker
Williams – strongly positive, looks more dangerous than Aarons going forward and solid defensively, plus willing to put the boot in
Normann – positive, impacted several games and solid otherwise
Sargent – push, showing good signs but was pretty terrible early on
Gilmour – push, looks a bit lightweight in some games, but still does a decent job
Gunn – push, doing his job but not standing out
PLM – push, not entirely sure about him but last few games he has looked a lot more comfortable
Kabak – negative – 1 good game against man united and a few glimpses but too rash and caught out too much
Tzolis – strong negative – disappeared after 1 good game
what was needed was players ready for the EPL not for next or other years . The recruitment was poor and Webber has to be held to account no CDM or goalscorer why not why small physically weak players ?
Hi Samuel
Sadly I will agree with most of your article but city have a habit of writing players off to soon.
I know nothing of your background but you seem to have no understanding of how difficult it is for a young man of his age to change from being at home with his family and friends to suddenly come to a strange country with a different culture, language and style of football..
Martins article yesterday brought these problems to the fore and like most things some adapt better than others, some people can fall on their feet when they get a move our new recruits all had a poor start with no preseason 9r very little of one.
Learning a new system as all would have been doing under Farke was a big jump but less than half way into their first season the rug gets pulled and a new manager with a different style arrives so adapting again has to start.
Please give these young men a breathing space we may not be getting the results we all want but after such large outlays most will be here next season unless we cut our losses on them and I don’t think we can afford that under this ownership
When we signed Tzolis, the Greek journalist said that he’d be good in another year, which could still be the case but it makes you wonder why we spent all that money on a prospect rather than strengthen the positions we were weak in.
We’ve abandoned last season’s successful formation to suit the new signings but the wingers are being judged on how they track back,while the full backs are selected for their attacking ability. The defensive midfielder has been left out and his job is shared between three forward thinking midfielders.
Things haven’t changed under the new manager,nobody really knows who does what,it’s a mess.
Farke’s tough love has left some of our players lacking in confidence,not made better by a new manager who doesn’t mind being hammered by the “top”clubs,even if they’re playing youngsters or only have 10 players on the pitch.
I seem to remember Iwan Roberts had a stinker of a first season and he wasn’t a teenager trying to adjust to a new country. I hope Tzolis gets the time he needs, regardless of what division we are playing in.
To stay up we needed players this year not the future – another promotion chucked away. If he comes good it is too late.
I think Tzolis is the piercing question in the NCFC squad … that doesn’t mean he can’t come back, and have a positive effect, even on our current situation, this season.
From his previous career we know he has a wealth of skills and tricks, he was doing stunning things in Greece, and it looked as if he was going to be quite a rampant contributor to the City squad in his earlier performances.
Cue the bad penalty, a rollicking from the crowd, and a dressing down from Daniel Farke!
AlexB highlights very well the problems of a young footballer far away from home, cut off from friends and family, I would imagine Tzolis must feel permanently deflated, ‘square peg’ and on the footballing ‘naughty step’. Can’t be very comforting living in a foreign land with very little that’s familiar, and few friends, surrounding him.
It goes without saying the penalty thing was the act of a brash young man trying to say ‘Hey, look at me, look what I can do for you!’ – nightmare! Everything that’s happened since then must really taste like very flat champagne.
Lets hope he gets his mojo back, because we could certainly use his skills, and without doubt the things he was recruited for have not disappeared. Tzolis is probably in good hands with S&S!
OTBC!!