Now that the 2022-23 Championship season has drawn to a close for City, the ‘summer of change’, as proposed by both David Wagner and Stuart Webber, looks to be well underway.
Transfer rumours are already doing their usual churn on social media, and we have a confirmed date on Friday 19th May when Webber will meet with the local press to discuss the failings of the season just gone and the plans for the future.
The main name linked with an early summer move to Norfolk is former Burnley forward Ashley Barnes. The 33-year-old first revealed he would be a free agent this summer after his side clinched promotion back to the Premier League against play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough back in April.
On Monday, he played and scored in his 293rd and final appearance for the Clarets against Cardiff City at Turf Moor. It was his 54th goal for the club and took his tally for this season to six.
On Thursday, transfer specialist Pete O’Rourke reported that we have agreed a deal with Barnes to bring him to Norfolk this summer on a free transfer.
On the basis of O’Rourke being a usually reliable source, I’ve taken this as my cue to analyse the positive and negative aspects of making him the first piece of Wagner’s summer jigsaw.
An obvious positive aspect of Barnes’ arrival would be the experience he would bring to not just the squad in general but specifically to his department of the pitch – the forward line.
With the loss of Teemu Pukki, the club have two strikers who are still raw and unfinished products. Josh Sargent (23) seems to be Wagner’s main man currently but he really struggled post-World Cup to replicate his form earlier in the season.
Adam Idah (22), despite recently signing a new five-year contract, has struggled to become a consistent starter in all of Daniel Farke’s, Dean Smith’s and, so far, Wagner’s sides; the latter often using him as a wide attacker.
Barnes would be arriving off the back of his third promotion to the top flight with Burnley, which is one better than some of the current crop have achieved.
Wagner has spoken in recent weeks about adding a stronger ‘mentality’ to his squad, something which Barnes would possess. He is also a player that has a lot more years of experience at a level above the Championship, operating at the Premier League for six seasons consecutively – the level that Norwich are striving to attain.
However with the mentality argument being made as a positive, the flip side of that would be the question of whether Barnes can bring himself to go again with a different set of players and in a different environment. That assumes that the maximum realistic contract he’ll be offered will be a year with an option of an extension – in football terms a short-term stopover for the former Claret.
This poses the question, will he be truly as committed given the context of his age and coming from a club where he spent a large portion of his career and where he was truly adored by the fanbase?
Also worth questioning is whether he will be completely committed to possibly playing the role of deputy to either Sargent or Idah, players who I’d argue are currently inferior in ability to Barnes.
Shifting away from the psychological aspects of the move, I feel Barnes could be a shrewd option for leading the line for the Canaries or even being paired alongside either Sargent or Idah.
I was unfortunate enough to watch Norwich get completely dominated by Burnley earlier in the year at Carrow Road and was pleasantly surprised by how well Barnes led the line for the Clarets that day.
Of course, there is a natural streetwise nature to Barnes’ game, the odd nibble after a heavy challenge and just, in general, bullying the City defence in duels. However, in possession he proved to be an outlet for his teammates, often drifting out into wider areas of the pitch as well as dropping deep to link the play.
I was also surprised with the athleticism he showed that day. He proved to be a real bundle of energy in Burnley’s press against Wagner’s backline and sustained that energy comfortably across the time he was on the pitch. And with the way Wagner has described how he, ideally, wants his teams set up, high energy and counter-pressing are key components.
Linking back to the previous point around Barnes’ streetwise nature, this is also a positive element he brings through the doors at Colney. For far too long with this City team has revealed a soft underbelly when it comes to facing adversity.
They struggle to pick themselves back up when they are down, which culminated in that pitiful relegation from the Premier League and an even worse attempt at gaining promotion from the Championship.
Finally, it is worth noting for the sake of balance that in recent years Barnes’ output in terms of goals has wilted significantly. He hasn’t hit double figures in four years now, with his highest tally being the six he scored this season in the Championship.
So it would be a brave call for Wagner to try and make Barnes his main source of goals during this rebuild.
Final Verdict:
I’d be pleased with the signing of Ashley Barnes, I like the experience he could bring to the forward line and the physicality/streetwise nature of his game. Alongside this, I feel his attributes will suit Wagner’s style both in and out of possession, and will hopefully provide a real focal point heading into the new season.
115 goals 516 games no thank you .
Barnes changed his style of play under Vincent Kompany. He consistently linked midfield to attack. He wasn’t the main striker. He is also good at defending. He will be a great influence on younger players. The way he quickly consoled Scott Twine after missing the target last Monday, Arm round his shoulders and ‘shepherding’ him to get on with his game was really impressive. Twine went on to score a sublime goal.
Barnsey is a rough, tough, intelligent and skillful player. We will miss him
Hi Steve
While you’re here well done to Burnley.
You were everything we weren’t this season and deserved your achievement.
Now go and kick some *Top Six* Ass with my [and most NCFC fans too I am sure] very best wishes for 2023/24.
A lot depends on who moves on. If we have Barnes, Sargent, and Idah, I think we’ll struggle. Only one can score regularly. No offense to Josh, he’s a nice guy with decent performances when played correctly, but I can’t believe he’s lining up to be our attacking #1 next year.
Back to Barnes. If a striker is a leader on the pitch, that’s fine, but first they must be able to score frequently. That’s the bare=minimum requirement.
Barnes’ stats don’t suggest he’s going to be the goal-getter that we need.
Idah is awful much rather have Josh
Other clubs were interested in him so I wonder why he chose us, was it the money or a promise of regular appearances? perhaps he wanted to end his career on a nice little earner.
I disagree that he has more ability than Sargent or Idah. Sargent has scored more this season, when we played him in his proper position we do well,same with Idah. It’s going to be a tough division next season,we need another prime Pukki or Buendia, perhaps we’ve got another Jordan Rhodes.
Absolutely, definitely yes.
Barnes played 40 games, scored 6. Have to assume his play enabled others to flourish as Burnley won the league and he okayed nearly all the games. His success may depend on the output of those around him as well.
Barnes this year did not play as an out and out forward or as a target man as he did under Dyche. He filled the role of false no 10, he linked play and his passing game which had lain hidden for years was at last revealed. Without Barnes this season Tella would not have scored any where near the goals he did. He has left Burnley as a legend, he would without doubt give 100% for Norwich should they sign him, Barnes has never given anything less.
Is he really a free signing, yes Burnley will not receive a fee so technically it is, but the player will expect a large signing fee and a significant salary.
I just think his experience could as said help the young players in the squad and his never say died attitude will be a blessing.
PNE 30miles from Burnley must have been an easy choice and wouldn’t have needed to up route his family plus other clubs were calling so they say.
Time will tell but city have always done well from players nearing the end of their career so let’s give him a chance
I wondered at the time when we signed Josh, why we went after him as he had such a poor scoring record. Apart from a purple patch earlier this season, apart from his work rate, he will never give us the goals we need.
Our recruitment should be young players from our league or lower leagues.
We will have to get back the the Lambert years in terms of recrui.
I wondered at the time when we signed Josh, why we went after him as he had such a poor scoring record. Apart from a purple patch earlier this season, apart from his work rate, he will never give us the goals we need.
Our recruitment should be young players from our league or lower leagues.
We will have to get back the the Lambert years in terms of recruitment..
Barnes is not a bad call as an addition to the NCFC squad, but he is not an out-and-out striker.
We need to grab someone who can score goals for us every possible game – Teemu was great, is gone, we ideally need to find the next Dean Ashton who can propel us up the Champs table next season through consistency.
Don’t particularly care if he’s a youngster, or somebody dropping down the leagues as, for instance, Mick Channon did all those years ago. Might be somebody frustrated at spending most of the current Prem season on the bench, who would be happy to get a whole Champs season under his belt and prove he should’ve been playing – and scoring – regularly.
The addition of a couple of oldsters is not a bad thing, it worked for the Canaries before and it’ll work again. Also need to find at least one more central defender.
OTBC
Another potential poor signing!
Stats do not lie!
Every signing with the exception of Pukki have no goal scoring record. Hence why we don’t score goals. We don’t just need a number 1 up front we need 5 players in midfield who can also score. When you look at the league 50/60 goals scored that is not from one person, it is a collective goalscoring tally.
This is just another example of recruitment incompetence.
If we we went and bought a 30 goal a season player from league 2 I could understand. This player is here because he is cheap!
To be fair Greg, most of our cheap players have done great – Pukki, Holt, Drinkell to name but a few – rather than the ones we have lumped millions on like Naismith, Wolfswinkel, Hooper etc.
Spending bigger money never worked for Norwich – always the bargains have been best if you look at past 20 years. I’m not one for lumping millions we can’t afford on duffers – look at Rashica and Tzolis; dreadful wastes of money. We got better value in League One.
Hi Kev, those signings were not under Webber. We did the good business when we had good scouts. Wolfswinkel was an excellent signing but Chris Hughton could not manage him? Present recruitment under this new regime is shocking?
Agree more duffers then good ones pukki emi excused 👍
This would be quite a departure if Norwich City are buying him. Nearly 34, certainly doesn’t fit the ‘Young & Hungry’ mantra and would have no resale value. This would appear to be more of a Wagner signing than Webber’s, given the above. Maybe Wagner wants to be a real manager and won’t put up with Webber’s hand of 8 High as his predecessors have done?
As a squad player, I haven’t got too much of an issue with this. He will be expensive wage wise, but might be what the club needs, even for one season. Or it could be (another) waste of wages.
I would prefer the club to look to the lower leagues which was once what Norwich City always did. Players would use us for a spring board to better things and we would make money in the process – how simple is that?
The club still has more deadwood than a forest with Dutch Elm Disease, so a cull is required with sensible purchases. Whether Webber is capable of that I’m far from sure, but if Wagner has serious input as he should, at least he might be getting a player he really wants instead Stuart’s Magic Beans.
VERDICT: Tears. Either in celebration or pain.
if he is that good why is he not staying with Burnely next season?
Typical Delia sleight of hand. We replace a 34 year old goal scorer for a 33 year old who doesn’t score!
Pay up and be grateful we don’t have a billionaire owner.
The best signing Norwich will make next, Ashley was hero worshipped here at Burnley, not out and out goal scorer, but his assists and work rate are 100%, will be sadly missed at Turf Moor.
Hope he does well but does reflect the hole Webber has gotten us into. Looks like a desperate last throw of the dice rather than a shrewd and strategic acquisition who fits a long term plan and vision (not that we have one of those anymore 😁) . Get a “big name” in before meeting the press on the 19th and then sell our family jewels (limited) for peanuts to keep status quo in place ruining (deliberate typo) the club.. Please Delia do the right thing