Now that this season of discontent has ended in ignominy for Norwich City, all we can sensibly do is focus on 2022-23.
I have no idea what might or might not happen during the summer transfer window, although I could make a few shrewd pessimistic guesses, so I thought I’d leave matters in the hands of mi regular MFW posse to proffer their thoughts on how Messrs Webber and Smith [Dean] might proceed with the jolly old wheeling and dealing.
First up is Alex A, who says:
I’d like one of the promoted clubs to tempt Teemu Pukki. I’d love to see how many goals he could plunder coming on as a sub for the last 20-25 minutes with a team who can give him opportunities to score against the likes of a tiring Harry Maguire!
We have enough goalkeepers, so I’ll concentrate on the rest of the team.
Full-back – We have Bali Mumba and Sam Byram and I think Dimi Giannoulis still has another year on his contract. Sean Stewart in the Under-23s looks promising and there may be others who can step up. Ideally, two signings needed.
Centre-back – I’d like Grant Hanley to stay, but I’d like our previous GH (aka Grant Holt) to give him words of advice on being captain. I quite expect both Zimbo and Ben Gibson to stay. I hope Andrew Omobamidele recovers from his injury and is able to play regularly. I’d still like at least one further centre-back.
Midfield – We must try to sign a quality defensive midfielder and failing to do so would be unforgivable. If Milot Rashica, Przemysław Placheta, Christos Tzolis, Kieran Dowell and Jacob Sorensen all stay, then that is the nucleus of a decent midfield, while Flynn Clarke in the Under-23s looks promising. As for Dean Smith’s *favourite player*, Kenny McLean, I’d prefer to see him used as a sub. Sorensen should be starting ahead of him. Overall, I’m fairly happy with the midfield options.
Striker – If Teemu Pukki is lured elsewhere, we could be in real trouble. Hopefully, Adam Idah will recover from his injuries and have a fairly injury-free season. Abu Kamara and at least one of the Under-23s could make the step up, but if we can’t sign a good quality striker, we are really going to struggle. Trouble is – good strikers cost big money.
Alex B looks at it like this:
People will shout *why was Reece McAlear not given a chance?* Sadly, unless he signs for an English club then City get no compensation as moves to Scottish clubs are classed as an international transfer.
Gibson could provide some incoming funds if uncle Steve can convince Chris Wilder to take him on and Giannoulis could land up in either Spain or Italy, depending on which paper you read.
Max Aarons could be off to any number of clubs, both home and overseas.
I’m not sure if Todd Cantwell has burnt his bridges at City but can the manager turn him into the player we know he could be? Or will an offer come in that the club takes just to get him off the books?
City have recently been “linked” in the media to the following:
- Ayoub Assal of AFC Wimbledon.
- Young goalkeeper Michael Cooper from Plymouth Argyle.
- Jean-Paul Boetius of Mainz on a free.
- Dimitri Cavare who played for Barnsley but is now at Sion.
- Giovane – an 18-year-old striker from Brazil.
Only one of those has any real pedigree, as in Cooper, and I don’t think our management has the ability to make silk purses out of sows’ ears for the rest.
Loans in? For obvious reasons, it appears Aston Villa could be the go-to destination.
Can we expect wholesale changes? Well, that will depend on departures and fees received.
Cutty appears to be quite philosophical:
The Webber/Farke transfer scenarios are due for a rethink and I would guess that with Webber off up a mountain, Messrs Smith and Shakespeare will have a big say and look to bring in players known to them.
There should be an emphasis on experience rather than untried hopefuls and money‘s tight as usual, so a couple of sales out, a couple in and maybe a couple of loans with an option to buy. I‘m not going to play a guessing game with names but we‘ve got some lightweight players and we need lads who can stand up to the rough and tumble of the Championship with a mixture of possession football ability and steel.
It’s now time for S&S to show their mettle. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks. I do believe they can make a positive difference.
Bernie Owen is his usual mixture of light and shade:
It’s odd that I’ve got a few things to throw out of the window, but I am not holding much hope of items coming in through said window.
Rumours are flying around that Deano will raid Aston Villa for some younger fringe players such as Kienan Davies, a 24-year-old striker with 11 senior goals in 106 games. Please, no that’s a Josh Sargent strike rate. Another mentioned is Philogene-Bidace, a left-winger. We have a surfeit of left-footed wingers and need a right one in more ways than one.
The wish list is looking like it was last summer, a decent defensive midfielder to play alongside Sorensen, a proven central attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and a striker capable of getting half the goals Pukki has scored in the Championship.
Our squad doesn’t look too bad for Championship football, so sensible investment in three quality players would be good – and don’t spend all the spare change on prospects for the Under-23s this season.
What I am really wanting to throw out of the window is the Board.
Well, thanks to mi posse – they’ll be back near the end of the window to consider what actually transpired.
I’ll leave you with this from the days when Queen were still basically a hard rock band with extras. I was actually at the Hammy O that Christmas Eve when this clip was recorded. They were simply wonderful in those days and this song [particularly the lyrics] encapsulates my current view of NCFC in general and the forthcoming transfer window in particular.
From local journalists the rumours are: OUT – Krul, Aarons, Rashica, Cantwell, Sinani if Huddersfield want him for £1m approx. Plus maybe some loans out for player development.
IN – no names but desirable list includes one CB, one DM, one number 10, one striker if TP gets an offer nobody can refuse.
Will be interesting to see which returning loanees make the cut into the 25 man squad – my money is on McCALLUM and Sinani if Huddersfield don’t take up their option.
Hi Nick
Yes, it really is all up in the air, isn’t it?
I cannot see the Terriers not taking up the option on Sinani tbh and I would completely agree with your list of *outs*.
As for Sam McCallum I have never seen him play, but he won QPR’s Young Player of the Year award so he must have something about him. Surely it must be time to give him some involvement in a Yellow shirt.
We paid Cov around £3million for him and he’s just won QPR’s Young Player of the Season award so he must have something about him!
Cheers
For me, Milot Rashica, Przemysław Placheta can depart quickly, I would much prefer Mr Argos to take their place. Sorenson must be a sure fire starter as a defensive midfielder, he can read the game well, get Tettey back to help him hahaha. Another one would not be a miss as for Mayor Kenny think Rangers would like you. wadda think ?
Gibson would be behind Omobamidele, and Zimmo if I had a shout at it. As to strikers, I have seen a few U23 games although Kamara scored a few, he looked a tad lazy to me, not running towards the ball unless on his feet he didn’t move, plus I lost count of the times he was offside hit double figures in the last home encounter. against Wolves.
I would bring Sinani into the fold, looked a half-decent midfielder to me, he will push on in attack always looking for the striker. Be interesting to see the play off final
Think Man U’s supposed offer is bloody cheeky trying it on, taking Max to Old Trafford but offering a loan in return, no fee figure mentioned. should be told to try somewhere else. Cantwell now there is an enigma personal I would cut my losses and wave goodbye.
As to who comes in is anybody’s guess, but one thing I am sure of, is there won’t be many
Martin & Co.,
For me the first signing should have been the person at Werder Bremen who got us to pay those exorbitant and over the top fees for Rashica and Sargent.
He/she could then have got us close to pre-pandemic fees for Aarons; Cantwell and other departees which would have made it easier to attract Championship players who could make the step up to the Premier League if it happens (which in all honesty I don’t think will be for a while).
O T B C
Hi John
I like it!
The trouble is it takes two to strike a deal and the vendor of the item will always know its provenance better than the buyer!
We woz robbed with that pair for sure 🙂
Marty, I was tempted to include the following; this season we played Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup and won 6-0, scorers were Tzolis 2, Sargent 2, McLean, Rupp, the Goat didn‘t play. So maybe we don‘t need a major overhaul as some fear.
Hi Cutty
At the time I think that one was billed as City Res v Bournemouth Res!
I’m not reading too much into that performance, although a 6-0 is always good 🙂
Cheers
Marty, you‘re getting cynical in your old age, no such thing as Reserves. Those players did us proud and are up to Chumpship standard. As you know I‘m not a happy clapper but I‘m not going to start a new season hiding behind the sofa. We MOGs have to keep a troshin.
Yes indeed and the Reserves refernce was merely a hankering for what is now a bygone era I guess.
I won’t speculate on next season until I see what the squad looks like on July 29, but at the very least we need a decent DM as nobody was brought in to replace Skipp and Tettey, which I reckon is pretty much unforgivable on the part of Webber & Co.
Hi Lad
Back injuries are very concerning in all walks of life but particularly for sportsmen of course – Omobamidele’s been out for a very long time and fingers crossed that he’ll be ready for pre-season as
there’s been no update for some time.
The Man U rumour doesn’t appeal to me either.
I agree that there won’t be many coming in, but I hope that for once those that do will be experienced Championship level players rather than youngsters with potential.
Cheers
Mcullum and Sianni are the best of the loanees imo,so would welcome them back.As for the rest…..probably only Henandez and thats if we can shift Rashica and Placheta.Definately needed Two DM’s,one AM,a CB/FB and if Pukki goes then obviously a striker.Four decent players could be enough,but please no more youngsters for the future,we have enough already,and no more than two loanees co.ming in .
Hi Tonyb
I don’t think Sinani will be coming back – as I said above the Terriers would be crazy not to buy him and from what I can gather he’s become quite a fan favourite there as well.
I agree with you about restricting the loans to two – that’s sound.
Cheers
I really don’t think there is a need for an overhaul. This is a good championship squad. So for me the need is to replace departures and add quality that might be able to step up to the PL in key positions.
So if Krul leaves, we have Gunn but would need to either be ambitious LOL and get as good or better, or most likely get a promising understudy for Gunn.
likewise, Arrons, it seems Smith is working on Byram as a CB so we need cover there, though the youth seem promising.
Cantwell I think must likely go, unless he can come back with a positive mindset and a realisation that perhaps he grass isn’t greener elsewhere. There is a good player in there somewhere and he could give us much needed creativity if he and Smith could find it again.
I know Kenny has been once again out of his depth in the PL, but he has been a solid performer in our promotion seasons and like others e.g. Gibson will be decent again for us at their level.
We really do desperately need a DM and god help us if we have to try to replace Teemu on the cheap!
Hi MoO
I very largely agree with you here.
Cantwell remains the conundrum. I don’t use social media but from what I can gather from those who do he’s not been endearing himself to everybody recently.
Should we get a reasonable offer we should let him go imo, but having said that there may be issues going on in the background that I know nothing about.
Cheers
Sounds like *the original mixed-up kid* to me.
Premier league contract extension rules are strange. Yes, it gives the option to extend but it works only with players who do not play much at all and are happy with that situation. So, mainly it gives the possibility to ask for a transfer fee. Transfer fee would be way much lower of course than in normal situations. The stupidest possible decision is of course to keep by forcing a player who does not want to stay, its loose-loose situation to both club and to player and will always have a bitter end. If a player has a low salary, the risk of keeping a player like that is of course way much lower. Of course Cantwell can hang on and take his salary without playing. Of course Pukki can take his salary which is obviously a problem to Norwich and hang on without motivation. After that 1 season, both are 100% free to leave and Norwich will not get any kind of transfer fee.
So. like I have said before Pukki and Cantwell are leaving. Others impossible to say. Harsh reality is that there is not any talent. Championship level is way much lower than the Premier league was. Several clubs have only british players, foreign players have left and clubs cant buy new foreign players. Its not impossible that Norwich gets the top 2 situation next season even without Pukki. Championship is an absurd league, because there you should build a team to compete in the Premier league as target. At the same time financial differences are surely the biggest between the 1st and 2nd level of the world. Bournemouth, Fulham and Huddersfield or Nottingham are heading to the Premier league now. At least 2 of them will drop back to the championship. Parachute money is why they want to visit Premier league, it saves them from bankruptcy and guarantees that they have a good chance to get promoted back to 1 season visit to premier league again. You fans just have to accept that every second season your club will lose all games and every second win all games.
Hi 1×2
You make some very good points there which are pretty realistic – it’s always good to hear from somebody who is *outside but looking in*.
Our impression of Teemu from the Norwich point of view is that most of us wouldn’t think of him in that mercanery way – he loves his football, loves scoring goals and if he hung around in a lazy manner for one season that would not help his even greater passion, which is the Finland national team.
You and I said ages ago that he might quit Norwich and quite a few people are coming round to that outcome as well.
Kiitos
Well Martin if the same people in charge of recruitment not a lot m8 !
Hi Jim
It reminds me of the chorus from Village People’s *In the Navy*:
*They want you, they want you, they want you as a new recruit.*
Trouble is the US Navy [who officially adopted the song for recruitment purposes despite its innuendo] surely have a far better screening process than NCFC.
Cheers
Nothing short of a pack of hyenas to replace the bunnies in midfield will suffice.
Hi Andy
Owzabout African Wild Dogs? They make the average hyena look laid back 🙂
Cheers
That’ll be my 3 Mexicans and you 2 home grown then.
Don H has got a border collie, Martin MacBlain often sees his neighbour’s Rumanian rescue dog and my Bulgarian friend Alex has a young Rottweiler called Maya. who would make a good CB.
Add in my Mundesley neighbour Matt’s beagle Oscar and a couple of whippets I know from over Sloughbottom and we’ve got a starting XI.
Best not put one of the chihuahuas in goal though.
Well Martin keep hearing rumours that emi coming back on loan I think Emu would be more appropriate as most of our team have been running round like they’ve got a hand up their jacket all season 😉
Hi Kev
Ha!
If Emi returns on loan I owe you a pint – he won’t!
Hand up the jacket is a very polite way of putting it.
Cheers matw
Hi Martin
Some good comments and your remark about back problems to sportsmen has hit the England cricket team 8 out of contention for the NZ series starting on June 2nd.
Anyway we have all seemed to have forgotten two CB’s that could be returning
Famewo not on the release or retained list I suppose the club is waiting for Charlton to decide if they will be taking up the buy option if his loan got many good reviews last season and his then manager Johnny Jackson said he was a Championship CB just needed to be given a chance.
Bushiri another who while out on loan has done well, spent the last 6months in Scotland and again in his early days got plenty of game time and his then manager was interested in buying him permanently with that as an option, once the club made a management chance his game time dwindled.
So with both there’s uncertainty about how they stand with city that’s unless I missed their names on the released or retained list.
Hi Alex
Neither Famewo or Bushiri were on the *released* list but I have no idea about their contract status I’m afraid.
From what I can gather, Jon Tomkinson might get the nod.
Early days 🙂
Cheers
Can answer that in two words Martin, sadly: ‘Not much’.
Webber can buy just as much rubbish on free transfers as he can for £60M, so why bother.
Hi Trunchy
Yes I agree.
In terms of last summer, it was a case of *never has so little been bought for so much* and if anybody is expecting the likes of Sargent and Tzolis to suddenly come good in the Championship I fear they will be disappointed.
Cheers
*Pukki (and possibly Krul) aside.
Those two and Emi I would say, but it’s hardly a great strike rate in reality
Sinani is an interesting one. If Huddersfield are promoted they may feel, like Bournemouth with Cantwell, that he’s not at the level they need in the PL. If they aren’t you would think they will take up the option, certainly if it’s only £1m. But supposing we offer him a better deal to stay with us? Just because we’re obliged to accept Huddersfield’s offer doesn’t mean that he is also obliged to accept personal terms.
I’m puzzled that some people are so keen to write off Rashica, Sargent and Tszolis. They have not had the opportunity to cut their teeth in the Championship, and the last two in particular are still very young. Had Buendia, who was 21 when we signed him, arrived at the start of a PL covid-infested pre-season instead of a Championship one I very much doubt if he would have had any more impact than Rashica did. Especially given our first few fixtures.
I agree that McCallum is likely to get his chance now – it would have been very risky to throw him in the PL and probably sent him backwards. I thin k he could be our left back for a few years to come.
PS Just read that a top class Man City full back is out of contract, so could be interesting if Max Aarons leaves. Probably better in the air than max too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpt-pM3_5Tc
Hi Keith
Yes it’s true what you say about Rashica, Sargent and Tzolis but from where I’m standing they were recruited for the PL, not the Championship.
Having said that all three might come good in the EPL or maybe just two of them if Rashica is sold or chooses to leave,
If we wanted to keep Danel Sinani we could indeed find a way but if the lad is as happy in Yorkshire as he seems to be I think he’d probably kick against the idea of staying here and if Huddersfield get promoted his personal terms will automatically receive a boost from those in charge at the John Smiths Stadium.
I don’t see them beating Forest on Sunday myself, but you never, ever know.
Thanks – good comment.
Hi Guys
With Kabak, Gilmore, Williams and Norman returning to their clubs and choosing to not retain the services of Aarons, Cantwell, Rupp, Placheta, Rashica, Tzolis, Hugill, Hernandez, Krul or Zimmermann. My idea for next seasons Championship squad would be;-
Angus Gunn
Michael Cooper (Plymouth)
Michael McGovern
Grant Hanley
Rob Dickie (QPR)
Ben Gibson
Rob Atkinson (Bristol City)
Andrew Omobamidele (u21)
Jonathan Tomlinson (u21)
Sam Byram
Bali Mumba (u21)
Dimitris Giannoulis
Sam McCallum
Jacob Sorensen
Max Bird (Derby)
Kenny McLean
Pierre Lees-Melou
Ben Whiteman (Preston)
John Buckley (Blackburn)
Ryan Giles (Wolves u23)
Kieren Dowell
John Swift (Reading)
Callum O’Hare (Coventry)
Chris Willock (QPR)
Scott Twine (MK Dons)
Teemu Pukki
Adam Idah
Emil Riis Jakobsen (Preston)
Tony Springett (u21)
Jonathan Rowe (u21)
I understand that u21 players do not have to included in the 25 player squad.
This line-up would obviously require obtaining good sales figures from players sold and some clever negotiations on those purchased – over to you Mr. Webber.
Hi Hugh
That’s a very interesting take on our near future.
The two I like from your proposed list are Scott Twine and Callum O’Hare and despite our uncertain [that’s being kind] transfer budget both would surely be affordable.
I really enoy watching Colin Murray and crew on EFL on Quest and I’ve seen enough of those two to think theywould be great assets. Other clubs will be in for them as well of course, which normally rules us out.
I’m disappointed Quest has lost the franchise but I’ll see what ITV has to offer.
Excellent post – thank you.
John Swift has signed for WBA
If recruitment is anything like last summer. We will be entertaining a swift return to League One.
I think the majority shareholders will come to rue last seasons wasted Premier League opportunity and continue to dine on past successes.