Gary said yesterday that he is not feeling quite so aggrieved at the departure of Bali Mumba to Plymouth Argyle as other City supporters might well be so, here’s how I feel guv’nor, and there’s only one word for it: gutted.
That article attracted a large amount of comments and it is a testimony to us MFW crowd that, [as suggested by Trev 
] we are keeping our debates civilised with no referring to Roger’s Profanosaurus of Viz Comic fame.
It also gave me time to read said comments before finishing this article, so for starters I will acknowledge that Bali is a 3-5-2 wingback who David Wagner does not see as a full-back in a 4-4-2 or its close relative, a 4-2-3-1.
Argyle Manager Stephen Schumacher was delighted with the deal, which sees the Devon outfit paying around £1 million plus undisclosed add-ons for a player many of us believe never got a real chance to impress while he was here, with just nine appearances, none at all under Wagner or Dean Smith.
“Everyone knows how good a player he is, and he’s a brilliant character as well. All the players were made up to see him when he came back in. None of them were aware of anything that was going on. He surprised a few people. If it wasn’t for his best mate leaking it on Twitter then I think no one would have known so it has been a good bit of business!
Schumacher added: “To get top quality players to the club and put them into our environment… that as a coach is one of the most pleasing things.”
Emerging from an initial state of shock, some City fans were clutching at straws by trying to explain the sale away by hypothetically questioning his attitude.
It doesn’t look like there’s much of a case to be answered from what Schumacher has just said.
One poster suggested yesterday that [and I’ll paraphrase] Bali might not be up to learning well enough or quickly enough to become an effective traditional fullback in a 4-4-2 so was surplus to requirements. Well, I can’t say that poster was wrong as I don’t have the requisite knowledge to do so but there was me thinking he was likely to prove a valuable squad member, right from next month’s kick-off!
Given our parlous circumstances the £1 million isn’t going to help in the short term, and in any case, just how much of that relatively diminutive sum will be swallowed by propping up fan funding is an unknown quantity.
I suppose it could be argued that if David Wagner doesn’t want the lad then it is Stuart Webber‘s job to get the best price for him, which on the surface he probably has done.
But when a player like Bali Mumba is sold in favour of promoting the untried Kellen Fisher from Bromley in the National League because he has “looked good in pre-season”, I really am past the point of understanding what recruitment at NCFC is supposed to be about right now – do we buy a player when he is young and cheap [from Sunderland in this case], send him out on loan until he is approaching the finished article [box ticked] and then sell him for a pittance?
And if he is indeed a direct replacement for Bali Mumba, young Kellen [he’s 19] has a lot to live up to according to PAFC Official:
“Mumba was named in the EFL League One Team of the Season and was named as the division’s Young Player of the Year, while in Argyle’s own awards, Bali was not only named as the outstanding young player but was runner-up in the Player of the Season vote, narrowly missing out to Michael Cooper.”
But not deemed good enough for Norwich City.
***
Norwich City took on Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday as their pre-season preparations continued, the Canaries having returned from Germany at the weekend after completing fixtures against SV Darmstadt 98 and FC Kaiserslautern in the land of Adidas and Juergen Klopp.
The Alkmaar match at the complex of Dutch amateur side VV Dirkshorn was a low-key affair, with Ashley Barnes opened the scoring just six minutes in from 10 yards before the Kaaskoppen, who finished fourth in last season’s Eredivisie behind champions Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven, and Ajax, equalised in the 10th-minute courtesy of Ruben van Bommel.
***
Norwich City have completed the signing of Gabriel Forsyth from Scottish side Hamilton Academical. The 16-year-old has signed a long-term professional deal with the Canaries.
Born in Glasgow, Forsyth made a number of first-team appearances for Hamilton, with two coming in the Scottish Championship. Capped six times by the Scotland Under-17s, the youngster will initially form part of the club’s Development and Academy set-up.
Forsyth said: “It’s amazing to join such a big club. I’ve already started, so I’m excited [for] the new season ahead.”
***
Norwich City forward Abu Kamara has joined League One side Portsmouth on a season-long loan.
Kamara scored 13 goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances for Norwich Under-21s last season, leading to Wagner giving him his first-team debut.
Kamara was introduced from the bench in the Canaries’ 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United at Carrow Road on April 1. He would also feature against Rotherham and Blackpool in the EFL Championship before the end of the campaign.
***
Norwich City Under-21s defender Lewis Shipley has joined Sky Bet League Two side Accrington Stanley on a season-long loan. Cambridge-born Shipley has been with City throughout his football development and is committed to the club until 2025.
He has played over 30 games in PL2 for the Canaries, with 18 of those coming in the 2022-23 campaign.
He joins fellow Canary Brad Hills at the Wham Stadium after Hills joined Stanley on loan for the season last weekend.
***
Burnley’s signature of Nathan Redmond has been confirmed as the former City, Birmingham, and Southampton wideman joins the Clarets following a season with Turkish giants Besiktas.
Remarkably, to me anyway, this hero of Alex Neil’s 2015 Wembley win over Boro, is still “only” 29.
***
Bradley Johnson has completed a return to Derby County as a player-coach to support the development of their academy players.
Our former Norwich City midfielder secured his Pride Park return on Tuesday and will focus predominantly on coaching in his first full-time role and will also be eligible to play for the Rams Under-21 side in the Premier League 2 as an overage player.
MK Dons released the 36-year-old following their relegation from League One last season.
***
City’s upcoming home fixture against Leicester City has been selected for broadcast coverage by Sky Sports so, you guessed it, the game has been moved back 15 minutes to 8pm.
There is no change to the date of the match itself, which will still take place on Wednesday, September 20.
***
Back to haunt and taunt us is a reprise of the rumour that Sporting Lisbon and former Liverpool winger Rafael Camacho is reportedly being tracked by Norwich City, and a trio of Championship rivals.
Portuguese daily sports newspaper O Jogo claims the 23-year-old is set to be released from his Sporting contract 12 months early, and could be available on a free transfer.
Apparently, the Canaries, Watford, Stoke, and Hull are monitoring Camacho’s situation.
***
Milot Rashica has re-joined his parent club at their Austria training base, but the Kosovan remains a summer target to seal a permanent move to Galatasaray [or possibly did until Gala made a very recent move for ex-Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, anyway].
If we don’t sell him relatively quickly there will be even less money available for recruitment. Nothing is confirmed as I write.
***
Christos Tzolis remains another who could potentially depart, with the Greek youngster getting limited game time so far in pre-season under Wagner.
***
In what was hopefully an entertaining afternoon for those supporters who made the POET’S Day journey, Norwich City and Stephen Fry opened the doors to over 400 people at Carrow Road’s brand-new pub, the Lion and Castle on Friday.
Canary legends Grant Holt and Darren Eadie were in attendance, with the latter acting as mine host for the event and introduced Blackadder’s Boss on stage to cut the ribbon and officially declare the sports bar open.
The bar was part of an extensive refurbishment project in the Russell Allison Lounge in the Lower Barclay. To continue holding the memory of long-serving groundsman Russell Allison, a plaque was put in place in his memory next to a mural of Barclay-end highlights.
***
In what is the last of my close season diary pieces [it’s the return of The Posse next Monday and then the serious stuff starts] I’ll make a tongue-in-cheek apology to Delia Smith for the times I have suggested that she might be intransigent and is too old to take on new ideas [with thanks to the Lynn News]:
The owner of a fish and chips restaurant in Thornham has said there has been a “crazy” response to a quirky item on the menu after Delia Smith’s endorsement.
It comes after the celebrity chef added the deep-fried jam sandwich, which she had tried at Eric’s Fish and Chips, to the menu at Yellows Bar and Grill at Norwich City Football Club.
Eric Snaith, chef-owner of Eric’s, which has branches in Thornham near Holt and St Ives in Cambridgeshire, told the Lynn News: “It’s been crazy, the interest has been really good.”
Delia’s love of the deep-fried jam sandwich, which she first tried at the fish and chips restaurant in Holt, has made national headlines in the last week, and even saw Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond doing a taste test of it on ITV’s This Morning.
In the description of the dessert on the Yellows menu, Delia says: “Who is Eric? The very famous Eric of Fish & Chip fame who in his restaurant in Holt serves the best fish and chips ever.“
We have permission from him to use his exclusive recipe which may sound unlikely but has to be tasted to be believed.”
***
A couple or three summers ago I was walking along the Haymarket sporting my habitual black NCFC training jacket and saw two lads bouncing along the pavement towards me with all the energy and cheeriness that only the enthusiasm and exuberance of youth can bring.
They were wearing City training gear and laughing, smiling, looking into shop windows, and saying “Hi” to a couple of folk who, like me, recognised them.
I asked the taller guy if he liked it in Norwich and we all chatted for a while and then wished each other well for the season as this was late July time.
One was Matthew Dennis and the other an endlessly polite and cheerful Bali Mumba.
I’m pleased it all turned out for the best for you Bali.
I really think it did – because there’s nothing like being where you are wanted.
***
I might have left you with this soul classic before but, just in case I have, just remember that you can never get too much of Marvin:
Nice work as ever, Martin.
Re the Camacho rumour… This looks like merely a regurgitation of an old rumour, but the heart still sinks *every* single time I read one of these snippets where we are linked with a player along with a list of other clubs.
Given our hopeless financial position, when have we ever emerged from one of these type of situations with the player?
Feels like we only ever succeed in the transfer market when it’s a one-horse race.
*sighs*
Morning Gary
I included Camacho for pretty much the reasons you mention here – it’s never going to happen for a variety of reasons, now is it? 🙂
This one was from a Portuguese newspaper so therefore a cut above those frm UK-based sites who spend all day robbing each other for the rumbs of somebody else’s vivid imagination. I try not to mention these unless they are particuarly amusing.
I know a certain type of supporter would slap me down in an instant if I went into any detail, so suffice to say that while Norwich has always been a hard sell to players, just now you can quite legitimately: would you join us?
A mate slightly overstepped the mark doing the week when he suggested Webber was actively sabotaging us as he played out his never-ending notice.
But, from the outside looking in…
Cheers
We are a very well run club and to demonstrate this fact we spend £millions on wingers and lend them out to champions league clubs. Only a well run club could afford to do this.
Renew your season ticket, ignore the final eleven games of last season and count your blessings you have such wonderful owners who have the best interests of the club at heart.
Hi John
If Booker did Sarcasm prizes I’d cheerfully nominate this comment as an entry – and I doubt you’d have much trouble finding a seconder round these parts right now!
Cheers
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💚💛
This was so good I actually mailed it on to a couple of non-footballing friends and they enjoyed it immensely. First time I’ve done that in what must be seven years 🙂
Morning Mr P, good sum up of the latest events or non-events whichever the case may be. Since writing your usual Monday morning round-up news has broken that City look set to sign Switzerland international Christian Fassnacht. A player Wagner is familiar with as Fassnacht, 29, scored an impressive eight goals and assisted another seven in 28 league outings for Young Boys last season.
I am still puzzled by the giveaway of Bali, if City had gotten 2-3 million may have taken some of the sting out of the whole thing. At least he is at a club that wants him and will play him. A while back my lad and I went to a U23 game at Carrow against Wolves, talking to a couple sitting next to me who followed the young lads closely, they felt Bali had been affected by his time at Peterborough and was not the same player who left to go there. They felt he would not cut it at Norwich after. That was a little while back, his sale reminded me of their words.
The Pink One offers an article on why Mumba was sold or given away depending on your view, but as usual behind the wall, as is just about everything else. I wanted to find a confirmation date for something I was writing, the date was just over 10 years ago, low and behold the Pink one has that old news beyond the wall as well, paying to read up-to-date news and views is one thing, but something that is a decade ago totally another. another reason why I keep my money.
.Like Gary, I feel the Camacho rumour is doing the rounds again, when it first broke, didn’t we end up signing Sainz? or have I got my time scale mixed up, which does happen more as the years go by?
Hi Lad
I was hoping something might have happened with Faasnacht yesterday evening as it’s not often I’m first with the news these days!
I have honestly never heard of him, but Swiss World Cup teams have never really grabbed my interest so I must have seen him play and forgotten all about it 🙂
Maybe your friends were right about Peterborough but Bali seemed more than happy at Plymouth so just maybe he found us to be the problem.
All I’m prepared to say about the Pink Un is that it is the same for me – I will never pay for it because it isn’t worth the money, Not to me it isn’t, anyway.
Cheers
Bali has left because he doesn’t fit into DW’s preferred formations. End of.
And I’ll eat my Canaries scarf if there is not a hefty sell on clause in this apparent fire sale price.
When Glenn Middleton was sold to Rangers many moons ago I felt the same angst as seems to be the norm with the City faithful about Bali……..whatever happened to Middleton? Let’s just say our hefty sell on (he was a free transfer) has not yet yielded a penny……
Hi Nick
End of? That’s a bit too dismissive for my liking.
The end of Bali’s time here with us, certainly. But who knows how he might fly in future?
You don’t. I most certainly don’t.
I see your Glenn Middleton [a good choice to illustrate your point] and raise you a Daniel Adshead, a Conor McGrandles and a Matthew Dennis, so I get your point completely.
I just happen to believe that the tale of Bali Mumba has a lot mre life in it yet.
Cheers
I will bow to your inside knowledge, but still have my own opinion
Answer: plying his trade for Dundee Utd in the Scottish Championship. Or about L1 in EFL money. The club got that one right though I thought he was a cast iron cert for stardom.
Not an exact science is it?
Daniel Adshead – Rochdale AFC (National League) on loan from Cheltenham Town of L1.
Conor McGrandles – Charlton Athletic of L1.
Matthew Dennis – MK Dons of L2.
Perhaps also worth mentioning that Glenn Middleton was relegated with Dundee United from the SPL to the Scottish Championship last season. Your description of the standard of the Scottish Championship as EFL L1 is, as a local, rather generous.
None of these amazing talents that Norwich City allowed to leave are exactly pulling up trees!
Hi ScotCan
I think it is very difficult for those of us who live in England to make sound judgements about standards simply because we see so little of it.
The SPL consists of one huge Great White, a Basking shark and various types of minnow so even there it isn’t easy to get any perspective.
And the reason I’m so disappointed in Mumba leaving is because if he progresses like I think he might do he’d be the first in a while, as you say.
Cheers
I know we’re looking at an older player here but the first time I saw Wes, my honest reaction was *wtf have we got here*! 🤣
I’m a Pompey supporter but I wàtched several Plymouth games last season & I was astounded that Norwich let Bali Mumba leave. He was the stand out performer for Argyle in every game I watched.🤔
Thank Rob
MFW always likes to hear from supporters of other clubs!
I saw enough of Bali to be able to agree with you.
Being as anti-Ipswich as all us Canaries are I was rooting for Plymouth and Wednesday last season!
Cheers
“One poster suggested yesterday that [and I’ll paraphrase] Bali might not be up to learning well enough or quickly enough to become an effective traditional fullback in a 4-4-2 so was surplus to requirements. Well, I can’t say that poster was wrong as I don’t have the requisite knowledge to do so but there was me thinking he was likely to prove a valuable squad member, right from next month’s kick-off!”
Good heavens, how dare anyone make such a scurrilous suggestion….?!
I agree with your last bit, in fact I imagine that’s how Wagner would have seen it too – not a first pick, but useful cover on the bench for a couple of positions. I seriously don’t believe the club has offered him for sale; he clearly wanted to go, and if he’s guaranteed first team football I don’t blame him. We’ve kept people in the past a year longer than they really wanted – Emi and Pukki in particular. But they are in a different class. The fee and wages saved (comparatively low presumably) are largely irrelevant in this case.
Anyway the bottom line is that we’ve won 1 game in 11, and until we do something on the pitch to put that right everything that can be used to beat up anyone involved in running the club will be.
Hi Keith
Ah, it was you then was it?
There were too many comments for me to remember the author of ech individual one so I’m sorry for that.
Scurrilous? No not really – it’s just that I’ve been called sexist and ageist on MFW before [I’m 65 for heaven’s sake]] I can’t be too careful these days 😉
Where you are absolutely right is saying that Bali wanted to leave – probably largely but not totally to guarantee first team football – and particularly your point about keeping Emi & Pukki for far too long – that’s such an obvious truth I’m glad you’ve mentioned it, if you see what I mean.
And the odd scurrilous comment is just fine btw – I make them too from time to time :-).
Cheers
Hi Martin
Let’s hope this Swiss International turns out better than the last one Drmic and he could offer Webber some mountaineering tips so job done.
Leeds papers are all saying that Byram has impressed Farke with his fitted and could be offered a short term contract pay as you play till he proves he over his injuries then a full time deal will be sorted.
Joe Lewis has jumped on Mr Levy and said Spurs are a self Funding club and Kane must be sold and not allowed to leave on a free so £80m plus will get a deal done and we get £1 for Bali the havecand have nots of the football World.
It seems Wagner wants to have an attacking team but I was always told the best form of attack comes from a solid defence but we haven’t really improved that area.
Zaha so Sky are saying has signed for Galatasaray so I think Rashica will be at city unless Webber crumbles to their offer or maybe Fenerbahce might step in.
Sell before we buy so the freebies are coming in but no one wants to buy from city, maybe so many sold have not come good once they have left clubs are wary to buy from us??
Hi Alex
I doubt a professional footballer’s manager or insurance company would be too happy about any mountaineering exploits!
To be fair to Webber, he wasn’t in a position to negotiate pay as you play with him at the time – Paul *I can’t train cos my knees won’t let me* McGrath comes to mind.
The often-made comment is that the market needs some movement at the top to cascade down to the bottom with loans to follow as the last choices are made and to a very large extent I’ve always found this to be true but there is an additional problem for NCFC to consider as in:
We’re soon about to find out exactly how skint we are.
And that’s the original situation of expecting the worst by hoping for the best.
Never the nicest spot to be in, that one.
Martin: did you write this article at two different times?
You start by rationally noting that Bali Mumba’s best (most would say only) position is one that doesn’t figure in Wagner’s system. He’s an exciting wing-back if he’s going forward, but his defending in a back four is hopeless – as I highlighted here in my report from Barnet.
Kellen Fisher looks promising in the right-back position, but not yet as a starter. He’ll be back-up to the one you don’t mention but who really looks the part: Jack Stacey.
By the way, I haven’t heard anyone questioning Mumba’s attitude – rather the opposite. It’s just his defending.
Hi Stew
What an interesting suggestion!
Actually I wrote all the non-Mumba pieces as they came in during the week and spent quite a while knocking them into some semblance of shape first before postponing the Mumba piece at the last, which I did in one hit.
I was following the incoming comments on Gary’s article and also waiting until 2100 to see if anything 100% about either Wilf Zaha or the Swiss midfielder wuld arrive by then.
Nothing occurred so I did a re-read and pressed *send*.
I hope that helps 🙂
This should, as you suggest, be about what David Wagner wants.
But this is Norwich City we’re talking about here so that doesn’t sit too well with me I’m afraid. I suppose I’m a bit hamstrung by my view that Bali could have been a useful option from the bench, even used to replace a flagging Onel if he has started and hit the 70-minute mark.
Maybe I was a bit clumsy in the execution but I was asking, and would ask again: is it a good thing to let Mumba go for a song?
There are people out there who were suggesting it might be an attitude problem but like you I have only heard to the contrary, hence mentioning what a nice lad I found him to be in the coda.
Everybody who says Mumba is not what Wagner wants is correct, but how far down the line do we have to look until we discover that *what Wagner wants* will be an irrelevancy?
Thanks for a very original comment – I don’t think I’ve analysed my own m.o. since sixth form 🙂
Cheers
Hi Stewart
Surely in Bali Mumba’s time at City, the highly paid coaching staff under three head coaches should have highlighted his defending and concentrated on improving it, not just sending him out on loan for others to do it for them.
It’s passing the buck in my world, educate a person on how to improve, but then were the coaching staff up to the task? All those players sold had been coached prior to Webber coming, so were the people in place then better than what he recruited and got he extremely lucky that they performed to such a high standard in two promotion teams?
I know what you’re saying but you don’t usually get that kind of *luck* twice 🙂
One aspect of the last couple of weeks that hasn’t been commented on very much is the effect of the Maddison/Winks deals between Spurs and Leicester.
The figures quoted on transfermarket suggest a difference of €30m between the two. That seems fair enough on the face of it. But how convenient is it that Winks was valued at only €11.6m, i.e. about £10m? He may be out of favour but he’s a full international – and not with Finland, Greece, RoI or Scotland either. He will surely be class in the Championship. I seriously don’t believe they would have accepted that for him from any other club.
But of course by Spurs setting that fee so low Leicester could then sell Maddison to them at a rate way below his real value – reducing the amount due to us (and Coventry?) in line with the sell-on clauses. Nothing illegal about doing it that way, but I get the feeling we and Coventry have (allegedly etc. etc.) been hung out to dry on this one – and by a Championship rival too.
Hi Keith
Winks had a few injuries in the last couple of years and lost his way at Spurs and in Italy last year he had 5 months on the sideline with a nasty training ground injury.
The Italian coach praised him for his ability when fit but refused the buy clause due to his previous injuries and the £10m fee so maybe his price reflected that.
As for Maddison none of the big spenders were interested so a market driven price even Newcastle who were interested weren’t going to pay over that and yesterday they paid a similar fee for Harvey Barnes so no conspiracy Leicester just wanting to clear the decks of high earners in case they don’t get promoted.
You’re probably right. I still think it’s a bit iffy, but just thought it would make a change to beat up another club rather than our own!
With Barnes and Anthony Gordon now at Newcastle I wonder if that means Jacob Murphy will be moved on, and whether that might also involve a sell-on clause? He played quite a lot last year and of course they’ve got Europe so maybe he’ll hang around just for numbers, but it’s hard to see him getting much game time unless injuries kick in.
It looks like Jamal Lewis is going to Watford so another sell on clause lost out on we seem to good at that.
Godfrey is getting game time at Everton but not pulling up tree’s as was expected.
Buendia seems to be plodding along at Villa and again not getting much international recognition.
And Al, other so called prospect floundering in the lower leagues maybe Martins choice of SOLE music does ask the question.
I think Jamal was one we let go at the right time. He was terrific for us but done very little since.
The Murphy sales seem like an awfully long time ago now. I haven’t got a clue if there’s a sell-on involved in either, although of course Josh’s move to Oxford would have consitued a loss the scale of which I wouldn’t care to contemplate!
I’d have Leicester down for promotion myself, probably with Leeds & Soton. I know it rarely works out that way but this time I think it might as the gulf is huge.
Good comment Keith – I hadn’t considered that before.
Hi Martin, good points re Bali.
I never quite understood why he wasn’t utilised further forward as I believe Schumacher has suggested he intends to do.
I think the sale invoked the fear that we are in an even worse financial situation than generally thought. Hence the furore.
Galatasaray have clearly been attempting to squeeze us over the Rashica fee and we have, quite rightly, resisted.
Rashica himself appears to have narrowed his options by stating his preference for Galatasaray above all others. Now it would appear that he has missed the bus.
Hopefully other suitors come forward with more realistic offers and rashica can be consigned to the history books.
Hi Chris
Burnley were said to be interested in Rashica but the word up here is was he only wanted Galatasaray so they signed Redmond on a free so another door closes.
Not knowing the young man but his last interested club could be Fenerbahce who have been looking, not into Turkish Football but the rivalry between these two clubs make the Old Firm Derby look like a game of croquet, so it will need nerves of steel to make that move.
A vicarage tea party it isn’t – I’ve seen some of the clips!
I believe Alex that Fenerbache were mischievously offering more than Galatasaray were prepared to pay. It could be that Rashica has run out of options and will have to knuckle down and slum it with us
Gala are allegedly paying Zaha over £3m pa for 3 years. I imagine Rashica was going to get much less, but add in a fee approx £7m, then you can see why they went for Zaha. And a much better player!
Whoops. Other sources say £24m over the 3 years! Must research more before posting.!
If this figure is correct then Gala we’re not broke when trying to beat SW down. We’ll done for playing hard ball.
Well done with playing hard ball indeed – seriously.
The downside is that we’ll be left with a very unhappy bunny in the shape of Milot Rashica who wil be unlikely to react positively to the situation, although it doesn’t sound like it was our fault the deal didn’t go through in this case.
Hi Chris
I’ve tried to look at it this way: there are rave reviews for a loan season and then there are Stephen Schumacher’s testament to Bali.
His loan from us was as effective in its way for them as that glorious season we paid Olly Skipp’s wages on behalf of Spurs.
Spurs can afford to let a player like Skipp go [they’ve made the far more sensible decision to offload Harry Winks instead] but can we afford to do the equivalent, albeit at a lower level.
Failure to part company with Rashica will lead to us having even less to spend in what’s left of the transfer market and I can see us ending up with one unhappy wantaway Kosovan where a few million quid would have proved much more useful.
But maybe as you say Gala played a smart hand by hanging on for Zaha – there is no doubt that he’s a far superior player to Rashica.
Cheers
Good article over on PinkUn by Connor on why Bali is surplus to Wagner’s requirements… Basically, hasn’t impressed pre-season, not strong enough physically and not good enough defending
He may not have impressed pre-season David as he wanted to move on. A touch of the Rashicas I think 🤔
Hi Kev
I think that’s spot on mate.
Cheers
Hi David
A mate sent me it via his social media this morning and it IS a good read indeed, clearly emphasising all the issues that you highlight here.
Not being first in line to battle Jack Stacey for the shirt would have been enough to send me back to Plymouth too, so thanks for giving a perspective I wasn’t aware of when I wrote my article.
Cheers
In 2019 Mumba played in the England U19 alongside Saka and Norwich’s Daniel Adshead. Adshead scored in front of Gareth Southgate. He had been a fantastic prospect when we signed him from Rochdale, having been scouted by all the top clubs in this country plus Barcelona and Bayern Munich. With all our facilities we could do nothing else but loan him out to lower clubs “for experience” . Such clubs rely on more experienced players, Adshead eventually got injured and we couldn’t get rid of him quickly enough. Mumba and Early both did well on loan and we sold them. We’ve just loaned out two young centre backs when we’ve got big problems in that area. Kamara has gone and will be forgotten about next season like Tom Dickson-Peters last season and Tyrese Omotoye before.Josh Martin was a fantastic prospect.
We need to have patience,with players like Goss and Fox and many others would never have made it under the current set up.
“players like Goss and Fox and many others would never have made it under the current set up.”
I can’t agree with that. Godfrey, Lewis, Aarons and Omo all made it – and in defence too, where players tend to need more time to learn the game. Things may not have worked out with Cantwell in the end, but he also had plenty of chances. Gibbs looks very composed and mature, though whether he has the physicality we need remains to be seen. Rowe can’t be far off – he certainly puts himself about. If guys are good enough they’ll get their chance. It’s not like the Worthy/Grant/Roeder period where the only outfield player to earn a regularly starting place over about 5 years was Shackell.
They wouldn’t have made it because they were too long before they broke into the first team. Both were regulars in the football combination side under Mike Walker, lucky for then he stepped up to manager.t
They would have been loaned out and never seen again under this system
Considering Worthy got us promoted and to a play-off final, just about all his first team squad was made up of buy-ins throughout his tenure.
Maybe Greeno was an exception but I can’t readily think of anybody else who was homegrown in that era. There must have been a couple, but once again I can’t recall them.
Can’t recall the Roeder or Grant era line-ups either, but that’s simply because I really, really don’t want to 🤢
Fox got going quite quickly but Goss was a bizarre case: endless years in the Reserves until mid twenties! Then Mike Walker suddenly realised he could build a team around him. Then a few stunning seasons with Goals of the Season, last goal scored in front of the old Koop at Anfield etc. Then his level equally suddenly dropped alarmingly. Gossy basically flourished and fizzled in three years.
Hi Nick
Most of the so called Walker team was assembled by Dave Stringer and Walker earned the plaudits.
Stringer was clever enough to see how Chase was going to operate and got out earl doors
One or two players had little faith in Stringer and at one point [this has to remain apocryphal unfortunately] he was advised that he was not wanted in the dessing room at half time.
This incident allegedly happened at Carrow Road.
I’d credit Steve Foley and Gary Megson with helping Gossy along as well as Walker.
Hi Gil
Great mentions of Gossy and Foxy. I remember Jerry Goss’s name being booed by the Barcay as the teams were being announced in the old-fashioned way.
He broke through by sheer hard work and persistence whie al I can say about Ruel is that Mike Walker found a way to get the best out of him, which was something Dave Stringer never really managed to do.
Akinbiyi and Cureton were two others who flattered to deceive around that time – shedloads of patience was shown with both, but although they enjoyed reasonably good careers neither hit the heights expected of them when they played *little and large* together in the youth team.
Cheers
Yes Martin it was the price for Bali Mumba that didn’t make sense to me .
Hi Jim
Maybe I’m being presumptious here but it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the most Plymouth could afford – especially as they paid the same for Morgan Whitaker on the very same day.
Maybe Webber found his kind heart and let them off a few quid 🙂
Cheers
Portuguese papers saying Camacho wants to stay in Portugal with his favoured destination Famalicao.
Swiss press saying Fassnacht in UK having a medical at Norwich. We might have got more for Mumba if the Swiss guy is costing £2.5m.
Hope he’s not just a walk on part and get in lots of shots.
Maybe the Swiss lad will be announced tomorrow if the medical’s today?
I’ll believe it when I see it – which is quite possible in this case, I suppose.
The Camacho rubbish will still be doing the rounds this time next year I’d imagine 🙂
Cheers
My commiserations to the Francis family – a sad loss with Trevor Francis dying at 69 years old after a heart attack this morning
Good afternoon Martin.
I am like you, incensed by the Bali Mumba transfer.
I agree with a lot of the points made on here, but I still do not get it.
I won’t repeat all I put on Gary’s piece yesterday but surely he would have been a very good squad player. Especially to bring on when we are losing?
Okay a £6-10 million offer for a squad player in our present situation couldn’t be turned down. But £1 million ?If memory serves me right he did come on and change a game many moons ago. Why not try him as a winger?
In my time I have seen Greg Downs moved from an okay striker to a very good left back. Terry Anderson our left winger back in the early seventies played a few games at centre half and look at Chris Sutton and Dion Dublin both brilliant striker’s and centre backs. I am sure there have been many others, are we saying today that players cannot learn?
You hit the nail on its head Martin, Bali Mumba League One Young Player Of The Year or untried 19 year old Kellen Fisher from Bromley who would you pick? I am not dissing Kellen for one moment, he could be another youngster we turn into a very good player but surely Bali is ahead of him at the moment.
Personally I think this has done David Wagner no favours whatsoever. And I know a lot of supporters are as incensed as I am.
A poor start and he will be in massive trouble. No bedding in time now.
I’ve just read Alex’s post, it is absolutely dreadful news to hear of the passing of Trevor Francis, great player, R.I.P🌹
Rob Newman could play centre half or centre forward. Rosario even played centre half once. Andy Townsend was bought as a left back and Mark Bowen as a midfielder. It’s about getting the best out of the player. Hernandez is not a left winger.
Aother good shout. Newman was originally signed from Bristol City as a centre mid and Grasshopper Norton played the last 25 as the right of a back three when we held off Bolton for a vital 1-0 win.
I thought Townsend was always signed as a mid, but I’ll take your word for it as nothing has surprised me about NCFC for a long time now!
Hi Tim
It’s sometimes said that disgruntled supporters are the ones that make all the noise but I’m not sure exactly how true that is.
Logically the head coach/manager/whatever should decide what he does or doesn’t require but as I said to Stewart {above] we’re not talking logically here, we’re discussing l’il ole Nodge.
Your point about Wagner losing the backing of the supporters is one factor that once again pushes me into questioning: for how long will his wishes be relevant?
Cheers
Hi,
On the Bali Mumba ‘debate’, My last memory of seeing him play for NCFC was as a wing back at Chelsea in that infamous drubbing. – but obviously out of his depth at that level then being matched up against James & Chillwell. Plymouth fans had also suggested wing back or wide player great – not good enough defensively for a full back in a rigid 4-4-2 – seems the club may have a point in letting him go.
I then saw a comment from a Plymouth fan on an NCFC forum after he was sold suggesting that he had a poor pre-season because he was played out of position and we should play him in Hernandez’s place, which would relate to previous observations. On Bali’s return to Plymouth he played in their friendly as a ‘wide left’ in a 4-3-3, he scored one and had one assist – their manager said that was where he intended to utilise him this season….!! I think this points more towards a lack of vision and imagination in our management and coaching staff that was prevalent under Smith and appears to be true about Wagner and his team especially when we are being linked to ‘wide players’ almost daily. Could he have been ‘converted’ and coached into that role – i look back to Ben Godfrey, young right back who went out on loan and finished up playing centre midfield, came back to Norwich and finished up a £20 million pound centre half – young players evole and grow and can make serious money for the club, a plan Farke was asked to begin but seems now to have sadly been completely disregarded…..!!
Hi John
As I said to Rob [above] we love to hear from supporters of other clubs as their ears are very much closer to the ground than ours might be concerning certain issues.
Your comments on Ben Godfrey are spot on as is the comment from the Plymouth fan that you mention.
Good post
Cheers
Argyle are working on varying from last season’s 3-4-2-1 to a 4-3-3 back in the Championship. Bali is seen as the wide left in the middle 3 because of his attacking skills. As an Argyle fan in Norwich with a strong liking for City I’m pleased for Argyle but confused why City dont seem to have seen that possibility.
Hi Kevin
I kind of mentioned that possibility in a reply to Stewart [above] when I said:
*Bali could have been a useful option from the bench, even used to replace a flagging Onel if he has started and hit the 70-minute mark.*
Onel Hernandez burns himself into the ground every match and when he’s done for the day, often around the 70th minute, then the pace of Bali Mumba would see your new signing [oh Lordy, I’ll have to get used to it!} give the average Championship RB a torrid time indeed.
And if Bali did that job well enough, who is to say that one day very soon he might nothave been fighting Onel for the starting gig?
But no, not us. We’ll probably persevere with the waste of €10 million that is Christos Tzolis in that role instead.
Cheers