At this late stage of the previous half-a-dozen transfer windows, I have rounded up the Posse to see what their thoughts and feelings have been on our dealings in that window.
This time around I haven’t had the bare-faced cheek to ask as I don’t want to waste their time on expressing their views concerning a window during which all that has happened has been extremely predictable and is very likely to be all that does happen.
To briefly recap the earth-shattering events that have happened so far we need only have a glance at the “Outs” column.
Saxon Earley was recalled from his loan spell at Steve Evans’ promotion-chasing Stevenage Borough with the express purpose of being sold to Steve Schumacher’s equally promotion-chasing Plymouth Argyle.
In the meantime, Bali Mumba remains a temporary Pilgrim and the larger-than-life Evans has been somewhat placated with the loan of young centre-back Jon Tomkinson, who will remain at Broadhall Way [I had to Google that!] until the end of the season.
All three of these lads might pick up promotion medals of course, and that is no bad thing for any of them, particularly Bali who has been almost ever-present in a green shirt.
A week later Scotland under-21 keeper Archie Mair was loaned to Notts County, who currently sit top of the National League a few points ahead of Hollywood Wrexham, so Archie too might be in the frame for a medal.
Tony Springett completes the loan-out line-up by hooking up with Paul Warne’s Derby County. Guess what, they are very much in the League One play-off mix-up so we could see yet another of our lads with something worth more than a bathplug to hang around his neck.
Milot Rashica remains at Galatasaray still vaguely hopeful of something permanent happening. January seems very unlikely. Maybe at the end of the season, eh Milot? You must have enjoyed being compared to Didier Drogba as you were in the week. I would be very proud of that if I were you. 😀
Christos Tzolis was expected to remain with FC Twente in the Eredivisie for the rest of the season but reports emerging in the Netherlands media suggest he may be cutting short his stay there and returning to Norwich. I have no idea what the future might have in store for him but suspect David Wagner will want to run the rule over him and then make up his mind.
Aaron Ramsey has returned to Aston Villa with his season in tatters after acquiring a serious injury during our ill-fated attempt to morph into a “different animal” in the USA and Isaac Hayden has fallen at the battle of wounded knee, with that very much being fought in England this time around.
It’s hardly Isaac’s fault, but the doofus who negotiated that particular loan deal should be detained in a small but comfortable room ad infinitum.
Jordan Hugill has fallen into the arms of Paul Warne’s ex-MIllers on a three-year deal which is top-notch from his point of view. Let’s hope he can score enough goals to keep them up. Good luck to you Jordan and a great Carrow Road welcome is reserved for you on your next visit.
In case any readers didn’t know, Todd Cantwell was sold to Glasgow Rangers last week for something around £1.5million plus the inevitable add-ons. A Mick Dennis article last week and the reader comments on it more than adequately covered that one so I’ll leave it right there.
Will there be any more out of the door?
I doubt it.
Rumours concerning Max Aarons and Danel Sinani have gone quiet for some time now and I don’t expect anything else to happen – with the usual caveat that this is football and for that reason alone I could be wrong.
I was more than a little surprised to find one or two folks suggesting on MFW that collectively all of these transactions should be considered as masterstrokes to be celebrated under a rather tatty banner of: Look at all the wages we’re saving!!!
Cantwell and Hugill would have been on a few bob admittedly, but the rest of them?
Of course, if we hadn’t borrowed £66million against future parachute payment money it wouldn’t be an issue, but when wages we freely agreed to offer to match the going rate in the industry become unaffordable at comparatively short notice I am very, very concerned.
Then there’s the share allocation, which Gary covered yesterday, and I’m even more concerned than very, very.
So by my reckoning that effectively leaves us with three keepers, 3.5 centre-backs, two left-backs, 1.5 right-backs, 7.5 midfielders, and three strikers plus Jonathan Rowe when he returns from injury and Lungi Sorensen, who covers all the 0.5s. Two free spaces there of course, so it’s on to the incomings…
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I’d like to leave you with this – as often with my musical choices, please feel free to dedicate it to whoever you wish:
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Official Video – AC/DC Live)
All in the timing Martin….. Might have to edit the Tzolis entry! Mind you your caveat about it being football is a get out from the naughty step card.
Hi Nick
Wise words mate – I had no idea that was on the cards 🙂
Mind you he could prove handy to have around and Wagner’s got a week to take a close look at him.
Cheers
Agreed. If Wagner can’t get him to show his worth, given what he has achieved with Dowell and Argos, then nobody can and the wheel of blame alights on SW…..
Very good point about Wagner/Webber. The acid test!
To be honest the only exit that made me raise my eyebrows a bit was Tomkinson, given our luck with injuries to central defenders, but with Lungi back I’m less concerned.
I’m struggling to see the point of bringing new players in right now, of course it may have been different if Smith had gone when he should have done. As it is I think that apart from anything else the current squad probably needs to feel that people around the club still believe in them – which isn’t helped by bringing in loan fringe players from the PL.
Hi Bruce
Your point about the psychological effects of incoming PL loanees on our current squad – particularly the younger ones such as Jonathan Rowe and Liam Gibbs – is a very good one that I sometimes tend to forget about when I really shouldn’t!
Cheers
Forgot to mention, as did your good self, the exit of Omotoye to FGR.
Yes. I always thought that Tyrese, along with Tom Dickson-Peters, was a striker for OUR future but apparently not so.
I did forget about him, hands up to that one.
Marty, this transfer window has been a bit of a spring clean up and added to Waggy‘s rearrangement of the furniture (players) the old place looks a lot more comfy and the punters will be a smiling when the game‘s a foot on Saturday. I‘m actually looking forwards to it and I wouldn‘t have said that pre Waggy.
Hi Cutty
I think we’re all looking forward to Burnley very much now, whereas a month ago we would have been dreading it.
While I’d take the draw I wouldn’t care to predict the result, if you see what I mean.
Cheers
Hi Martin.
A very cold but sunny day here in Blackpool.
Once things settle down and all the flag waving for Smith’s departure and the welcome mat for Wagner has been dampened down with a reality check might be the time to look how things at the club has changed in a few weeks including ins and outs and the emergency AGM.
Webber did have an up and coming Brazilian CB on the radar but work permit stopped that one maybe it will be revisited in the summer.
Ipshite got a good result holding Burnley in the cup I hope city had eyes at the game but were they at 50% strength or less not sure, but Kompany will be more interested in promotion and up for the game on Saturday.
So far no great shocks but still 48hrs to go will we be surprised by any last minute headlines as you say its Football.
Hi Alex
36 hours to go now and a returning loanee the only movement but you never know, Tzolis might have a role to play between now and season’s end.
As for the meeting I find quite a few folks can see signs of Delia loosening her gnarly old grip on the Club.
I don’t see it that way myself as there are too many uncertainties for my liking.
Gary F was quite right yesterday when he said that there was nothing in the constitution to stop anybody owning more than 50% of the shares of NCFC, but Geoffrey Watling publically said more than once that he never wanted anybody to have that kind of power again after the dark days of Chase.
Money versus morality with only one winner as usual, hey?
Cheers
With the news that apparently ,Tsolis is being added to the squad, come very strong rumours that the Brazilian 19 year old winger , Marquinis is about to arrive from Arsenal on loan.
As you said Mr P it’s a message to our u23 squad if true.
Hi Bernie
Yes it’s just been more or less confirmed. One I didn’t see coming but there was a Ramsey-sized hole in the squad to fill.
I don’t think Rowe is available for a while yet fwtw.
Cheers
Well Martin as I write I see there is a arsenal winger joining us for rest of season according to Charlie watts as for tzolis whats the point has shown nothing when had the chance rather see springett and I predicting a 10 win sat v Burnley keep well mate ..
Hi Kev
Charlie Watts???
He would’ve been better than our travelling drummer I s’pose.
I know nothing about Marquinhos but maybe he can share duties with Onel if he’s any good. As a friend said to me a short while back, this has Webber written all over it.
Cheers
Definitely Charlie watts drummed up a n interesting signing 👌
Steve Stone?
Who ?
The ex-England international who played for Forest, not our late-lamented finance guy
Tzolis’ return, Rowe;s imminent recovery and (possibly) Abu Kamara ready to be more closely involved in the first team squad. Perhaps these are better bets to bolster the squad than a risky signing from elsewhere. The boat seems to have settled somewhat since DW’s arrival, perhaps rocking it now isn’t a great idea.
Whatever happens on the field for the rest of the season, which I think we’re all feeling better about than four weeks ago, it seems that what happens in the boardroom over the next few weeks is going to define the club’s direction for years to come.
We live in interesting times.
Hi Don
*We live in interesting times.”
Too true but I am not yet ready to accept, as some others have, that this is the beginning of the end for Delia. Far from it.
I passionately hope I am wrong but it hasn’t stacked up like that yet for me, not least because of the presence of Tom Smith on the Board.
Would Mark Attanasio want him or even have any kind of use for him?
I can’t see it myself.
Cheers
I watched the Middlesbrough-Watford game. The game was good and Boro deserved their win. Boro attacked mainly from the right side, the idea was to get a ball to Marcus Forss who was brilliant. Boro has new player, Cameron Archer who played as striker. Archer looked exactly like a player type they needed. He is fast and good at dribbling, but the goal scorer he didnt look to be. As some kind of nr 10 played their fan favorite Chuba Akpom, who has been very effective this season. Left side McGree didnt impress. Overall their playing was in good balance. I admit I could have never thought that Forss could be so good in that role. Everyone knows he is a very high level scorer and that he proved again. I suppose Carricks reason to not play him only as a striker is that he would get wasted there just waiting for a scoring chance to come. He left the field after 70 minutes and after that Watford started to get scoring chances from left thanks to Sarr, but it was not his day. That indicates that Forss played also defensively good game. After Boro started to make changes, their mobility was gone so their bench is not great. Boro will be a tough contender in the race to win promotion. Watford has so many injuries right now and of course they are in the mix too.
In Teemu Pukkis youtube video about the championship, he revealed that he had tried for several years to convince Robin Lod to make a transfer to England. Of course the club would have been Norwich. Lod would have made the Norwich team better.
Hi 1×2
I think we agreed last week that Marcus Forss has blossomed again at Boro under Michael Carrick’s management.
That must be most satisfying for both of them and I would not want Norwich to face Middlesbrough in the play-offs if we get there, that’s for sure.
I very rarely watch MLS so I know little of Robin Lod although obviously I have seen him play for Finland a few times. The wages are pretty good and the lifestyle too in the USA so you do get some very good players who are quite happy to stay there.
Kiitos
I see that Norwich also looks to be loaning new player, Marquinhos from Arsenal. To me Arsenal is the worlds best team this season, of course it does not mean that all their reserve/bench players are world beaters, but interesting. Seems to be right winger, I guess that this will be a success or complete disaster. Difficult to believe that he would be average or ok always reliable championship player type.
Boro by the way just bought Dan Barlaser from Rotherham. In his highlight video, he looks like a very similar type of player with Rangers finn Glen Kamara. He has 2 goals and 7 assists this season. its easy to see why Carrick bought him. They have now attackers who can make runs, so they bought a player who can feed them.
Todd Cantwell got right away deputising chance at Rangers. Michael Beale is obviously very good at player management, Cantwell surely needs to get his confidence back and in highlights he made a very nice pass to a 2-0 goal. In my opinion there should be counted also second assists, they are often key ones. In mls they count second assists.
Yes, I think our Emi Buendia would have got a few second assists!
Onel Hernandez can play right wing of course although this season he has been very largely used on the left.
I can see Cantwell doing well for Rangers but it’s so hard to evaluate what *well* is because the SPL is a really poor league. Kamara has done well there for a while now while the guy Barlaser from Rotherham isn’t very well known, although I’m sure we’ll hear more of him now he is at Boro.
Odd player comments (1) glad Ramsey has gone that has forced some others to step up e.g. McLean and Dowell (2) the odd extra winger/returnee doesn’t disturb the balance but adds healthy competition (3) Sorensen has always been stand out for me ever since he came on when CR injured Hanley and then proceeded to school CR as well as Rashford. But for a silly moment from Max Aarons and CR converting the penalty we would have deserved at least a well earned draw at home and possibly more (4) agree, who ever had a hand in the Hayden contract should have that and other body parts painfully removed!
On the shareholding shenanigans, we fans need to learn what supporters of big teams know, that we have nowt to do with the money side. Thanks be for that, it always has been a losing game …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMO5Ko_77Hk
Hi Roger
It’s easy to say I know, but if I had squillions under the mattress I would never invest it in football, which is like a black hole.
I don’t gamble, don’t do stocks and shares and I’ve never invested in a business of my own let alone anybody else’s beyond buying a bit of essential tech and a car once when the accountant told me to!
It’s too hard come by to put in the hands of the Webbers and the Richens of this world I am afraid.
I agree about Lungi Sorensen and hope we see a lot more of him as he really deserves a run in the team. For Wagner it will be a question of where, but he seems to have worked Kenny out quickly enough.
Cheers
It does look like David Wagner wants to work with a slim lined squad Martin.
But he has lost by my reckoning three midfielders without any replacements though we could sign on loan Arsenal winger Marquinhos who as I speak has completed his medical.
But I suppose with Lunghi returning I suppose he only two midfielders down.
It will be interesting to see how King Kenny copes with his defensive midfielder duties against Burnley. He has done well, surprisingly to me, but Burnley will be a big test.
The Isaac Hayden fiasco is indeed just that. He came here bloody injured and how many of us really believed he would only miss 5-6 games after his dreadful fitness record of 2022 ?
As you say Martin this is no reflection on Isaac who seems like a top lad but you are 100% correct the rascal who okayed this loan without an injury clause needs to sit in a room watching repeated episodes of The Chuckle Brothers.
But I suppose to be fair we have never signed an injured holding midfielder on loan before who then went on to miss game after game….. oh 💩yes we did last season !!!
I hope you are keeping well.
Hi Tim
Webber had 14 months of watching the Chuckle Brothers live at close quarters every day for 14 months and those episodes included many repeats!
Yes Mathias Normann was kind of a pathfinder for the Hayden deal.
I think it was Webber who once said *we wouldn’t get quality players on our budget if they didn’t have something to prove after long-term injury*.
The recruitment pre-season in 2021 was the worst I can remember since the days of Bryan Hamilton and his videos of Derveld and De Waard so what does Webber do?
Compound this with an equally bad bunch of newbs in summer 2022, that’s what,
We should have kept [and promoted] Kieran Scott instead but maybe Mrs Webber wasn’t too fond of that idea and Tom Smith’s input was, erm, minimal.
Cheers
I think Martin dear old SW should rethink that statement after Jarvis, Byram, Normann and Hayden.
All they have proved is they know the way to the medical department 😱
We can’t blame Webber for Jarvis. That one was down to Moxey and Alex Neil as I remember.
Good point Martin.
I am disappointed to see Aaron Ramsey off to Boro.
Weren’t we told by the club he would be out for months?
I was stunned by that piece of news. Something very fishy went on there!
Still it’s all better than the signing of Drazen Musinic , back in the day , by a manager who’s blushes I shall save. The signing was based upon a video tape submitted by the players agent. The said manager then said I reckon we got Musinic’s postman.
Best not to embarrass Bondy, eh Bernie!
Martin; did we really get £1.5m for Cantwell?
If so, we must be employing the guy who fleeced us for Sargent and Rashica when we signed them from Bremen.
Given what’s occured with him over the past season and a half I could understand around £0.5m plus sizeable add-ons if “he finds himself again”….
The lad from Arsenal looks a tad decent….from the same Brazilian club as Sara, younger, much better stats, and apparently Arsenal got him for around a third of what we paid.
To my mind, not good housekeeping, but what do I know. We’re only £66m in the brown stuff if we don’t get promoted.
Having said all that, I’m really looking forward to Saturday. The acid test to show how far we might have come under Herr Wagner (or not!!).
Lastly, am I the only one who thinks the referee make a total lash up of the penalty decision given against Jon Tomkinson in the Stoke/Stevenage game? It looked an immaculate tackle to me (and it wasn’t even Simon Hooper).
O T B C
Hi John
Last things first: You’re spot on about the Tomkinson tackle. The lad has the gifts of pace and timing which is not too surprising as he began as a midfielder. As clean a tackle as you’ll see in either realtime or slo-mo.
Every source I’ve seen quotes £1,5million for Cantwell but the Club is never honest enough to disclose what it achieves from sales of its *unwanted*.
They will doubtless claim *commercial reasons* as an excuse for not revealing the figure but more often than not they are simply too embarrassed to do so.
There was talk of £20million not that long ago of course, ha!
Very many of us are looking forward to Saturday. I very much doubt I will ever get to see the Wagner version of NCFC in person, but I have learned to accept that the TV is an acceptable *second best* so this time around I’ll be able to enjoy the match too.
Cheers
It might of course be that Rangers don’t want their fans to know how much they’ve overpaid for an unproven lad with only 6 months to go on his contract. I mean, imagine how Webber would be slated if he did paid £1.5m for someone in similar circumstances….
Sure that’s likely too. These decisions are often – but not always – mutual.
That there’s been some pruning of the squad isn’t a big surprise – apparently Wagner himself said he doesn’t like to have too big a pool of players at his disposal. And like many others Webber’s always said he doesn’t like doing incoming business at this point.
It was a shame that Ramsey got injured – he was looking sharper by the game. Bringing in Marquinhos is interesting.
One feature of Wagner’s short tenure is the apparent re-emergence of Hernandez. But Onel’s drawn praise from fans, I suspect all it’s really done is from the manager’s point of view is prove that he is no more than a decent mid-Championship player. Even though he’s made an impact his end product is still not got enough to unlock well organised defences; even his goal was a bit scruffy. He failed to control properly first time and better defenders would have smothered him a lot quicker. Likewise Sinani has surely proved much the same.
My concern with recruiting yet another 19-year-old is that there seems to me a lot of evidence suggesting that the tough Championship schedule (and training sessions around it) leads to injuries for many break-through players. I think Ramsey, Rowe, Omobamidele, Springett, Idah, Gibbs, McCallum (at QPR last year) all got crocked after being in and around the first team for a while at a point when presumably they are not fully physically developed. It’ll be interesting to see how this lad copes.
Hi Keith
*There seems to me a lot of evidence suggesting that the tough Championship schedule (and training sessions around it) leads to injuries for many breakthrough players*.
That’s interesting and something I’ve considered too. I think on balance it just about
stands up, although a few of ours have considerably conspired to disprove it recently, notably Max, Jamal, Ben Godfrey, Todd Cantwell himself and both the Bros. Murphy.
Like your list mine is spread across all the positions on the pitch.
I agree with you about Onel – sometimes us supporters can become a little bit blinded by love!
Cheers
Curious to see that ‘Boro have taken Ramsey on loan for the rest of the season.
From everything I’ve seen/read I thought his season was over after the injury he got while the new “animal” was being created…..
O T B C
It’s more than curious, it’s downright confounding.
Athletic is reporting Villa were very surprised at Ramsey’s return but Webber made the decision after Smith had left as he was associated with the sacked manager so under that reasoning why haven’t we tried to return Hayden as Smith admitted he was the driving force to get him in ?
Because Newcastle realise we are mugs?