So… Christian Fassnacht it is then. No one saw that coming. Not even the in-the-knows.
But when Paddy Davitt delivered that #NoCircus tweet on Monday morning, you just knew.
And Paddy was right.
Twenty-nine years old. Nineteen caps for Switzerland. Six-foot one and, get this, 104 goals in 345 games. Not bad for a bloke who has played most of his career as a midfielder.
If, when he eventually departs the Fine City, he still has a goalscoring ratio of one every 3.3 games, then he’ll have been a more-than-worthy parting gift from Stuart Webber. If.
But for now, he’s one who ticks quite a few boxes and who, if he can settle, has much promise.
If, like me, you’re not one of the Football Manager generation – who seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the ‘ratings’ of every pro in the world – and his name was one that was only vaguely familiar, let me try and help.
Christian Andreas Fassnacht was born in Zurich on 11 November 1993, and (as far as Google is concerned) led a life of mystery until the age of 21, when he popped up at a small club called FC Tuggen which plays in the third tier of the Swiss footballing pyramid.
He played just 18 games for Tuggen, scoring a more-than-decent 11 goals in the process, which was enough to catch the eye of FC Winterthur, then of the Swiss Challenge League – the second tier.
In his two seasons there, both played in the second tier, he played 50 times and again scored 11 goals before making the move to Super League team, Thun.
His stay there was a relatively short one, just a single season, but 10 goals from 36 games from midfield was a goal/game ratio that hit the radar of Young Boys of Berne – the Man City of Swiss football.
And there he stayed for six seasons; six trophy and goal-laden seasons.
He joined Young Boys at the start of the 2017-18 campaign and between then and 2022-23 they won the title five times. Ironically, the only season during that six-year period when they didn’t win a league title was the one spent under the tutelage of David Wagner.
(Move on swiftly).
In those six seasons, Fassnacht scored 72 goals in 241 games, including 10 in Europe. For the first four seasons, he missed few games but in the last two, due mainly to a series of injuries, missed a cumulative total of 36.
At 29 and having spent a whole career playing in Swiss football, it looks as if he felt that if he is to try his luck overseas, now is probably the time. Either that or he felt he needed to break free from the Wankdorf Stadium (I kid you not).
Either way, he’s one of us now and so will be afforded all that goes with being a Norwich City player, including our wholehearted support… at least to begin with 🙂
And if he continues that goalscoring form and the happy knack he appears to have of popping up at the far post at just the right time, then we’re all going to get along just fine.
In terms of what type of player he is, his right-footed but, in a world of inverted wingers, looks to have played most of his career as a right-sided midfielder/winger, although he has also played centrally and even as a striker when called upon.
If YouTube is to be our guide, then he doesn’t necessarily do humdingers from distance but instead gets a lot of his goals from in and around the six-yard box via (as mentioned above) some nicely-timed, late runs into the box.
Whether he was on the wishlist all the way along or if he has been fast-tracked due to the injury to Borja Sainz is unclear but this one, at least from the outside looking in, makes a lot of sense.
Welcome aboard, Christian.
Welcome and thanks to Timm Klose for the recommendation.
Hi Gil
I was hoping there would be a Timm Klose link in there somewhere!
Wilkommen Christian from me too!
Looks a very good signing from the showreels. Scores poacher goals and quite a few headers. Hopefully adapts quickly and a big step up from other options and Wagner thinks he will suit his style. Time to move Tzolis and Plachetta on
Probably a decent fee. Very Pleased with Fassnacht, Barnes, Stacey, Duffy and Sainz -real pity about the latters injury but will be like a fresh signing in October.
With Sara and Nunez hopefully about to kick on in their second season could be a surprising upturn in Canary fortunes.
Hopefully Rashica, Aarons and Omabamidele get their moves soon for relatively big fees so we can get 3 more through the door especially centre back as Duffy and Gibson together looks a slow combination
Disappointed with Bali moving for a million hopefully a large sell on %
Need to get the 2 prem loans right this year – a Skipp or Huckerby or Crouch who blanked out his time here
Well another warm body in the door.
As you say Gary, he’s had a reasonable career until a few injuries in the last couple. Let’s hope that the medical team have done due diligence and give him a full clean bill of health. The Championship is a lot harder than what he’s used to.
He fits a number of requirements, so we will give him a hearty welcome and hope he has a good City career. Maybe Klose might turn up to see his countryman play.
Looks to have a good character and speaks ok English. A little doubt re injuries. He will have to toughen up. Time now to sell those expensive underwhelming wingers – Placheta, Tzolis, Rashica. I differ about Omobamadele we should try and keep him another season, as someone says Duffy and Gibson are both slow. Hanley who knows and Tomkinson needs recovery time. All I can see now we lack is a decent left back – once Aarons goes to pastures new we are a bit light at the back. I guess Sorensen can always fill in but he won’t stay here after this season when his contract expires. Off to Rangers I shouldn’t wonder..
I agree with your left-back comment, Roger. Neither Giannoulis nor McCallum fill me full of confidence. Put the two together and maybe we have the answer but individually, not so sure.
Have we sorted the defensive midfielder problem yet ?
Wagner does not play with DMs so that is not going to happen.
Tend to agree. The ‘double-pivot’ that Wagner prefers at the base of his midfield – one of whom will drop between the centre-backs when we try to start the ball rolling – doesn’t naturally accommodate an Alex Tettey/Ollie Skipp type who will just sit in there and act as a human shield.
Hi Gary,
Fassnacht sounds pretty good as long as he doesn’t have injury problems, but I still think we need an out-and-out striker to complement what we already have…
Dion Charles – 28 years old, plays for Bolton who narrowly missed play-off promotion to the Championship, 21 goals plus one assist this last season, Northern Ireland international, a grafter,
or,
Jonson Clarke-Harris – 29 years old, plays for Peterborough, again missed promotion to the Championship via the play-offs, 5 assists, and 33 goals including for Jamaica.
Both these players must be gutted about missing promotion, both can be seen scoring on YouTube by typing in their names, either is worth a punt if their prices aren’t huge.
Cheers Guys!
Hi Kev
I dunno how you’ve managed it with all the possible strikers available but I’ve been banging on about Clarke-Harris to anybody who’ll listen ever since Peterborough’s calamitous contest against Wednesday and I certainly wouldn’t mind Charles either from what I’ve seen of him.
12 months ago I would have said they were off Webber’s menu because of their ages and therefore lack or relative sell-on value but seeing what this window has brought us so far I’m not so sure!
Hi Mate,
I hope your, and Gary’s, health is doing great / improving despite our calamitous and weather-wrought failure to regain the Ashes from the Aussies – typical bloomin’ Manchester weather!
I honestly wonder how these two strikers would work out playing together in City’s Championship front line – could be very interesting indeed with 54 goals between them through last season.
I haven’t picked your pocket here, they used to feature quite regularly on the lower league’s footie highlights during 2022 at least – indeed I think it’s fair to say they each fueled their respective clubs’ charge to League one play-offs.
All the best, Martin.
Another thing going for Fassnacht is the fact he’s another 6 foot plus player.
So was Drmic 😉
I struggle to see where 50+ goals will be coming from this season?
Striker recruitment has been a real struggle for the club over the years.
Strikers operate purely on scoring goals (confidence) I still don’t believe we have the right fit for Wagners style of play?
Speed is a key issue, breaking down defences quickly creating chances? Norwich last season always crumbled when getting into the opponents box.
A striker who has been on form, knows where the goal is from a lower league, is something I have been saying for the last 6 months.
I would even give Macaulay Langstaff from Notts county a go? 42 goals in a season hatrick in 7 minutes.
The question is why none of these lower league players are not on our radar?