Like most of us of a Canary persuasion, I have whiled away my spare time this week with quite a few message exchanges with friends and fellow Yellows – not that this is a particularly new concept for me as I guess I do it 52 weeks of the year.
This week’s discussions were really quite predictable to a point. The new away kit largely got the thumbs up from everybody, despite one of my mates, who lives in Harrogate, saying it reminded him of a York City shirt. He sent me a pic and I have to agree he’s got a point.
Isaac Hayden’s sojourn under the surgeon’s knife was viewed to be as predictable as it was disappointing.
Mild disgust was expressed at NCFC charging £10 to watch the Marseilles friendly on Canaries TV. I think we all declined to utilise the facility on principle. And a couple of us were pleased to pick up on hints of a thawing in relations between NCFC and Archant as surely that has to be in the interests of both parties and therefore the supporters as well.
Yesterday, satisfaction with our performance in the South of France, the result and a cracking strike from Lungi Sorensen were to the fore and quite rightly induced a feeling of creeping optimism for next season. However, a laugh was shared about the Sheffield Star calling us out as EFL Championship title favourites with the relatively short odds of 4/1.
There was a bit of banter about this new young lad from Sao Paulo, one Gabriel Davi Gomes Sara, as well of course. The deal is done although we are not being told the exact terms beyond it’s a four-year contract with an option for five.
Seeing the NCFC gallery*** yesterday of Gaby’s private Saturday tour of Colney – hosted by no less than Stuart Webber and Neil Adams – drew my mind back to a chat wherein I suggested that it cannot be easy for a young lad to travel several thousand miles from home and then adjust to what will probably be an alien style of football to him, particularly if he doesn’t speak much English.
Posse members Cutty and Bernie astutely pointed out that we don’t know Gaby doesn’t speak English and that Norwich, Thetford, Yarmouth and other places I’ve forgotten they mentioned have large and thriving Portuguese communities, which might be of value to him at some point.
This led me to re-examine my initial thoughts and I immediately thought of my next-door neighbour in the City. At 23, Kris is the same age as Gaby and came to Norwich for work nearly four years ago. He is from Hungary, not Brazil, but I’m confident his observations about his rite of passage apply every bit as much.
Kris lives with Zoltan and Margrit, who arrived in the UK about eight years ago from the Budapest area and better neighbours you will not find. We’ve long adopted the old working-class practice of watching each other’s houses while one of us is away and taking in all the dustbins and parcels for each other when required.
The first time I met Kris he had a Kiss T-shirt and I was wearing a Slayer one, so heavy rock was the icebreaker between us. He spoke no English but fairly good American!
He enjoys football but his great love is ice hockey and we had a good laugh when I told him the nearest rink is probably in Peterborough.
He said that there were a few early backward steps but he has steadily grown to love life in Norwich, explaining that speaking with his work colleagues and other folks about music and sport and learning about aspects of UK culture, in general, has really put him at ease.
He sees many similarities between the UK and Hungary that he wasn’t expecting to find and hasn’t returned home in three years now as he would rather stay here with his friends than go back every summer with Zoltan and Margrit.
His American now easily surpasses that of Sleepy Joe and he told me that speaking with people has been the absolute key to him feeling “part of the place”.
This very laptop threw a massive wobbly about three months ago and as an IT tech he fixed it very quickly for me.
When I asked what I owed him he said “nothing”, but when I said I’m not having that he replied that he’d love to go to a match at Carrow Road.
That request will be honoured when we take on Birmingham City in the League Cup on August 9. I don’t normally do League Cup matches but there is no chance of getting a vacant seat near me in the Barclay for a League game, so the Cup it will have to be.
So maybe things aren’t quite as daunting for Gaby as I initially thought they might be, especially considering the work the City welfare department does to make sure everything is as good as can be for all new arrivals, whether for the Academy recruits or the first team.
Mind you, Gaby has a little bit of weight on his shoulders that Kris doesn’t.
He’s been awarded the #17 shirt – and we all know who the last incumbent of that was.
***In the gallery I noticed that Gaby is left-handed. It might mean something or it might mean nothing.
Yes I know Carlos Santana is Mexican but enjoy this as a welcome to Norwich, Gaby:
Michael Bailey of the Athletic did a great good on Sara yesterday and he has some very impressive stats\skills.
It will be interesting to see how DS can use those dates to benefit the rest of the team and also how quickly the player can adapt to the rigours of the Championship.
Hi Ed
I really should get around to subscribing to The Athletic. MB’s always been a good writer and he’s a lovely fella too.
The cynical side of me thinks that the Championship might come as a bit of a shock to our new boy from Brazil, but only time will tell, of course.
Cheers
Sara left handed and left footed: that is rather sinister!
Hi Nick
I like your comment – very dextrous!
Cheers
Some idiots like to portray Norfolk/Norwich as being a place of inbred yokels who hate foreigners, and sometimes when we come across an obnoxious stranger we do love to play that part. But the truth is we’ve welcomed strangers in their thousands and this young man will find his feet and perhaps have a good laugh amid the initial confusion. The key to his success is in Club, his fellow players, the management, the tea lady and all. And of course his willingness to be part of it. I just pray his injury doesn’t see him sidelined and stop his integration. I don’t expect him to be an overnight star, a Roy of the Rovers, but a confident and positive start would be the tonic we desperately need..
Hi Cutty
I lived in Coltishall for 15 years so your line about *we do love to play that part* is certainly not lost on me. Most of the boat people were fine, but there were always the odd one or two. Every single summer day in fact 🙂
You’re absolutely right – integration is crucial, but look at how many have loved their time here so much they chose to stay. Hucks, Ken Brown, Simon Lappin and many more.
Wes still has a house here and you don’t do that unless you’re planning to settle down in Norfolk when your playing career is over.
A confident and positive start from all concerned seems essential this time around.
Cheers
Hi Martin
A good read with my coffee this morning in a scorching Brazilian style weather from Blackpool.
Adapting to a new country has many pitfalls the biggest is language and Google says that English is in the top 3 of spoken ones in Brazil so I would hopefully presume Sara has the very basic to survive.
The second was always the hardest in many ways and that is work having to prove you can do the job you were recruited for some of your new friends see you as a threat to their position while others will go out of their way to help you.
Let’s hope he has some family around him to help him adapt to a new city, friends, environment, food, language and football style.
Peter Crouch said on his time at city it was after training he found the worst time being in the hotel by himself for 3 months, I did that in Qatar for 2 years the only relief was Fridays when a few would go out for Brunch and Drinks but we survived.
I will like you and many others welcome our new recruit and hope the Club has a team in place to help him settle into the city.
Hi Alex
Although I often worked as part of a team I always had a unique role so was never really perceived as a threat by anybody so I haven’t experienced that. Good point.
Although I’ve worked in quite a few countries [all in Europe admittedly] the only one I largely had to fend for myself in without any language ability was Germany. I’ve not even got eine kleine. But most Germans speak English anyway and just like the French, Spanish and Irish were incredibly welcoming and friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed it tbh but then again I was in my 30s with a couple of kids and I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it so much at 23.
Yes, we do seem to have a very good *welfare team* in place from what I have read and been told.
Cheers
Hi Martin;
I too welcome him with open arms, and pray that the club’s integration system has improved since we signed Sergei Canos from Liverpool! Poor lad was very much left to fend for himself, and I understand was pretty much ignored at Colney by the then manager.
But (and there’s always a but!!), once again we’re signing/relying on a currently injured player. We were told that Isaac Hayden had recovered from his injury, and would get a fullpre-season. Now we learn he will be missing until September at the earliest. I wonder who has paid for his latest operation?
Given last season’s debacles with Normann and Kabak, I would have thought that it was money we could ill afford to gamble.
Sao Paulo’s financial difficulties are well documented, but had (apparently) mostly disappeared when Arsenal bought Marquinos (younger and more highly rated) earlier in the window. Did they see us coming?
I’m now wondering if the transfer manager at Sao Paulo is the guy who at this time last year was employed by Werder Bremen!!
O T B C
Hi John
Those deals with Werder turned out very badly – for us, not them!
I hadn’t heard that about the Sergi Canos situation before and I must admit I’m disappointed to learn it now as it seems atypical of our welfare department.
About a year ago there was a lengthy interview [probably in the Pink Un] with the recently retired head of that department who described the lengths he and his team went to in terms of helping players get out of trouble they’d inadvertently caused for themselves – anything from finding lost car keys to explaining the intricacies of a washing machine!
As for who paid for Isaac Hayden’s operation I can’t answer that one I’m afraid.
Cheers
Interesting stuff…hungarian ice hockey fan must be rare in Hungary. Or Is it? I do know that Hungary at least has been a great power in water polo. They also have a formula 1 rink called Hungaroring. Slayer of course beats Kiss in my ears easily but like we know there is no good or bad music taste, just different taste. Movies cant be said the same thing, yesterday after again amazing women euro22 games 1 of our tv channels showed Good, the bad and the ugly western movie masterpiece. I have seen that movie so many times, but it still feels like a new experience.
Women euro22 has been a great success here and the final culmination is still waiting. Finland got 0 points which was an expected outcome. Now after all that hype there starts really time to work, no more excuses and baby tears. Players just must be in better shape to be able to compete, womens football is rising like a rocket and many thanks for that for England for this tournament and invests in female league football.
After a quick look at Gabriel Saras stats and injury history, I once again dont get it. Even more strange is that almost all games this year are from their regional league and not from their Serie A. If his transfer fee was 10 million about the same as Watford paid to get Richarlison. Paying 10 million might indicate that someone might be sold or does Norwich really have money to invest so much to championship level? Mmmm that actually gives some hope to prisoner too.
Hi 1×2
No one is a prisoner he has an agent possibly you in disguise but the first and foremost is someone has to make an offer.
Smith says he expects Pukki to be at city for the next campaign as with Cantwell last season no offers came in and it seems a similar stance is with Aaron’s.
All players have 3 prices the club he plays for, the interested clubs and then the final price if he is transfered and the first 2 are negotiable to reach the third.
You need a willing buying club as at the moment Webber and Smith haven’t indicated that an offer suitable or otherwise has been made.
Pukki and his agent as with the other 2 all signed contracts with city with free will no pressure so prisoners with huge benefits.
AlexB, this is the case where our opinions completely differ. The clear majority of Finland national team fans want and push him to leave, same time Norwich fans obviously seem to feel exactly opposite and want him to stay. A common opinion is that he must sack his finnish agent if he cant make a transfer happen and take someone who makes things happen and who have contacts to do that. Norwich is asking price is too high, so if you lower it then you will get offers for him. Main issues are that the player wants to leave and Norwich asking price is right now too high to get offers. When we head closer to the end of the transfer window, we shall see. If Norwich keeps on getting good training game results without Pukki, maybe they let him finally leave. Training games are training games but it still gives some hope that even prisoner sometimes get free and Norwich board believes that they might have found a solution.
Sorry but your reading of Norwich is wrong it’s a selling club by nature Godfrey, Lewis, Maddison plus many more all signed long term deals and if an offer came in for Pukki then he would be informed and the the club with him would make a decision.
Nowhere have I seen any fee amount mention so speculation on how much city want for any player doesn’t come into it till an offer is made hoping city will sell nearer the window closing is futile as it will leave the squad short and at a later day in the window pric3s will only go up.
Alex and 1×2:
Everybody at NCFC is *for sale* 24/7 during a window. It’s always been that way and with Delia Smith as joint majority shareholder that will forever be the case, not that most supporters approve of this.
I have said to 1×2 many times that I agree with him that Teemu Pukki would be best served with a move in this window for the sake of his international career but – as yet – an offer has not come in that we know of and in all fairness his demeanour indicates that he isn’t unhappy to be here right now.
1×2 if Norwich City sell Teemu Pukki for silly money and the season starts of badly, then If you thought Carrow Road was hostile at the end of last season then you ain’t seen nuthin yet. As the Americans may say.
As mentioned by Alex Maddison, Godfrey and many others left Carrow Road for a decent amount and went with our thanks.
But they were all young, years ahead of them and it was unfair to hold them back.
Teemu ? hands up anyone who had heard of him before he came to Norwich City ? I hadn’t. We want/need Teemu to give us this season. As I have said I would offer him 2 more years but as you say Teemu may want to get one last big contract away form here and that is fair enough. Either way he will leave as a Canary legend.
He owes Norwich City and that is a fact, he is on EPL wages lets not forget. I would love to a prisoner on £3 million+ a year.
Teemu is worth £40 million + to us as where else will we get a 25-30 goals a season for the Championship ?
Stuart Webber cannot have it two ways when he says we are a self-funding club and sell someone like Teemu for £5-10 million with an expected £150 million as a reward for promotion.
Look at the lack of money being spent in the Championship at the moment. Hardly anything.
Yes he could down tools but I believe he is too good a person to do that. A person I greatly respect in the village spoke to Teemu a year or two ago and he said he would never push to leave Norwich City FC, if they wanted to sell him fair enough but he wouldn’t throw his toys out of the pram.
I believe Teemu is a man of his word.
Hi 1×2
I’m not sure how popular ice hockey is in Hungary either but I do know Kris follows a Hungarian team. He did tell me the name but I cannot remember it.
You’re right about music and film. To me Kiss are a pantomime band and my metal line is Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica and these days Mastodon. Each to their own 🙂
Mrs P has been following the Womens Euros and I’m surprised how much I’ve watched of it. The standard has come so far in the last five or so years. In fact Norwich City incorporated the womens’ squad fully into the club earlier this year which can only be a good thing. England star Lauren Kemp comes from North Norfolk, quite close to where I live!
On Sara, he remains an unknown quantity to me and I’ll form an opinion once I’ve seen him play a few times. And don’t be surprised at all if Norwich sells a couple of players in this window – it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t 🙂
Cheers
Martin, our good friend google gave the result of about 8000 ice hockey players in Hungary. In Finland which are reigning world champions, olympic champions and whatever there were about 60 000 players.. Its one of the declining sports here, with athletics and cross country skiing. Its fourth biggest sport here after football, golf and floorball. Rising sports have been football, basketball and padel. Disc golf is very popular or at least has been so Finland is full of disc golf courses and courses are always free. I think they have problems getting people to buy licences so to the majority it is just a hobby.
Mastodon Each is something I have never before heard, so thank you for that. To me metal bands like Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Judas Priest, Van Halen and so on were part of football playing culture. It was always a good memories to go playing football for fun, put that kind of music, share some snus and mission was to play beautiful football smile in face where no coach screams move, there and whatever. Im sure Pukki has been grown in similar football culture in Kotka and his skill sets comes from there. Dont know what music they used or did they but the idea is the same just have fun and improve your skills.
Its great that Norwich has also started to invest in your womens team. Who knows maybe some day the Norwich womens team has finnish player. Finland wingback Emma Koivisto just made transfer from Brighton to Liverpool.
I dont know anything about Sara either. Transfermarkt gave the attacking midfielder stats, his transfer fee is massive compared to his stats and age. His serie a club seemed to be 16th last season.
The band I mention is Mastodon – no Each in the name.
They are all over YT and have an excellent website, Mastodon Rocks. Have a listen and I hope you like them – I’ve got every album!
Football and music do indeed go together in that way and many musicians have been pretty good players in their day. Rod Stewart was once an apprentice pro with Brentford, Ray Davies [The Kinks} was a good player, as was Ronnie Wood, and Mick Jones and Paul Simenon from the Clash.
Pink Floyd and their road crew had their own team for years and played friendlies on tour whenever they could against all kinds of opponents!
I’m surprised to hear that ice hockey is in decline in Finland. It is fairly popular in the UK but never had a major following. It lends itself to TV very well and I will catch a National League match a few times a season as I enjoy watching it.
There have been a few comments about some of Sara’s stats being “negative” but also that football in Brazil is so much slower, thus suggesting he’ll not cope with the pace of the Championship. Well, possibly he won’t.
But supposing it’s the other way round? One of his attributes is, I think, the amount of ground he covers. So perhaps the slowness of the Brazilian game isn’t what he needs. Perhaps a faster game will suit him more. That was possibly true of Buendia, who was always willing to track back and put his foot in (sometimes both of them unfortunately) and flourished in the second tier.
Hi Keith
Although Sara and Emi seem to play in different positions and with different styles I agree you are 100% right to make the connection.
After Tzolis, Rashica and Sargent supporters are entitled to be concerned about spending this amount of money on a player such as Sara, but I want to see him play a few times before I even consider making any kind of judgement on him.
As well as the pace of the Championship there is the physicality aspect to be considered and from what little I’ve seen this lad looks like he can handle himself.
Cheers
From what I’ve heard (from Tim Vickery on the radio) and read, Sara could prove to be a great signing-his recent injury lay off is a bit of a worry though. There’s no point in getting too carried away; as City fans we have very recent experience of getting excited by signings who quickly disappoint. I wonder who Billy Gilmour will be with next season.
Hi Don
Billy who?
Cheers
Afternoon Martin a little warm mate see you talking about canos hardly setting the world alight is he ?Nice to see cantwell with a smile in his face hope it lasts when the real games start don’t take any notice myself the results are meaning less and bore me ridged. Be interesting to see if our “prisoner “”will be aloud out for 90mins on a Saturday and Tuesday mate keep cool mate 👍
Hi Kev
Yeah it’s been verging on scorchio today so we’ve retreated to Mundesley for a few days for the sake of the dogs as much as anything else. Nice coastal breeze.
I like your *prisoner* reference – that’s one debate I’m not getting involved in 🙂
Cheers
Afternoon Martin.
When I glanced at the 3-0 score line I initially thought losing by 0-3 isn’t too bad. I must admit it did shock me when I realised we had won 3-0.
My mate Marty is already dusting off his passport as Europe beckons after out next promotion🤣
Not a bit of it as he cautioned me today and said what I always say “ignore friendlies”.
Times they are a changing. Not one of my fellow canary supporters are super confident about this season.
Anyone remember what happened the week after League One Norwich beat EPL Wigan in a friendly ? Lets put it this way Agent Lambert was a very happy man.
I have noticed that big money transfers are getting rarer and rarer in the Championship, I stand to be corrected but it seems only ourselves and Sunderland have spent anything.
So it seems wages are going to be the key in this league so the American investment cannot come quick enough.
Gabriel Sara looks interesting beyond the usual South American appeal, although only 5ft 10 he looks a powerful player in addition to having the Brazilian skills. Is Dean Smith addressing the lack of strength in this City side at last ? I for one hope so. Hayden is no shrinking violet either. This could be the news we all need to hear.
The next one ? Pace ?
Hi Tim
You and Marty are quite right – friendlies mean nothing in terms of results.
No I don’t feel confident either. I never have done, with the exception of Lambert’s three full seasons when my summer was filled with anticipation rather than trepidation..
The new lads look like they look after can look after themselves and as you say we’ve been sadly lacking in that respect for some time now.
Cheers