Ferret

Our friends at the Mirror came up with a story that could have ‘legs’ this morning, with City said to be keen on Rochdale marksman Chris Dagnall…

Keep your eyes open, your nose clean and your ear to the ground and there's one name that's popped up twice this weekend.

Nigel Adkins.

Lambert was a decent shout. He 'fits' like a glove given McNally's footballing background.

But the one thing that the Us chief lacks – for now – is a League One promotion on his cv.

He's come close; he did wonders in the cup with Wycombe. But that's not what the new City chief exec needs. …

Nine times out of ten and transfer deadline days come and go with barely a murmur.

This one, old Ferret thinks, could prove a little different.

Cos, there's another old face in play here – unless our friends in Trondheim are starting a little auction of their own for the services of Steffen Iversen.

Because there was the lad's agent and the famous Mr Hoftun telling the Norwegian daily paper, Dagbladet, that the Canaries were back …

Be warned. From now on the world and his Australian wife will be linked to the Canaries thanks to the man that who stepped off a plane at a little after 6.30am this morning.

No doubt with one or two names scribbled on the back of an empty Marlboro fag packet. Names that might, only now, be circulating around Carrow Road.

Like that of 23-year-old Fulham centre-half Adrian Leijer. He fits. Right age to have caught Mr Crook's eye – be it with the Australian Olympic …

I think this is what old Ferret would describe as 'from the horse's mouth…'

That having heard it was pretty much a 'Non!' as far as those reports of a full-time switch to Norfolk for Antoine Sibierski was concerned, now you've got old Brucie saying as much himself.

For me, it looks as if the old Frenchman's days are numbered. Doesn't appear to be much enthusiasm on anyone's part to get a full-time deal done.

And with the …

Is that No1 done and dusted? The first one through the door this window?

Er, no. Not according to what old Ferret hears.

The shout was that Antoine Sibierski's three-month loan spell has now been converted into a full-time free transfer; all of which would make the 34-year-old Frenchman numero uno for this January.

Not the case, I'm told. Nothing's happened there.

In fairness, there's no huge rush; he's here till the 18th …

Glenn doesn't half like a tease; sometimes you wonder whether he can't help but throw a little tit-bit into the ring for the boys to chew on.

And so it was with this 'ace up his sleeve' remark on Sunday afternoon.

Slapped in the middle of his conversation about Sibi's latest ailment, you couldn't help but think he was talking about a like-for-like replacement.

That Lita's third month wasn't the thought that was crossing his mind; …

The most intriguing line from Glenn came right at the end.

As he explained where Sibierski was. Or wasn't on derby day.

Nowhere to be seen in short as the 34-year-old on-loan Frenchman continued to struggle with injury.

“Sibi, unfortunately, picked up an injury on Thursday,” the gaffer told the reporters afterwards, as teh six-foot plus Wigan striker continues to make little or no impact on proceedings in Norfolk.

“The foot injury that has kept …

Here's a Wednesday night poser from old Ferret.

What have a six-foot blonde ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew, X-Factor judge Simon Cowell and PCP Capital Partners ever got to do with the cash-strapped Canaries?

Well, quite a lot possibly.

Because there was one little line from City chief executive Neil Doncaster that almost went unnoticed last night.

The fact that Seymour Pierce and Football's 'Mr Fixit' Keith Harris weren't the …

Put your ear to the ground and it looks as if that's another rumour old Ferret can knock into the long grass – or at least for the next six weeks. If not more.

For as everyone immediately installed City No2 Lee Clark as the favourite to succeed John Ward as the next manager of Carlisle, it was all-too easy to over-look the thoughts of the man charged with installing the next boss of Burnden – Carlisle's chief exec, David Allen.

He, it appears, was prepared …

A blast from the past popped up on the old radar this afternoon as Ryan Taylor's name did the rounds.

The one-time Tranmere Rovers full-back was once a target for then City boss Nigel Worthington only for the newly-promoted Latics to steal Norwich's thunder.

Armed to the teeth with Uncle Dave's millions, Taylor made the short journey from Prenton Park to the JJB Stadium for �750,000 and that was that, basically.

Lo and behold and today Taylor's …

Remember our old pal, Mr Fixit…

https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/full_article.asp?i=4131

Mr Keith Harris. Well, this caught old Ferret's eye today.

News that courtesy of our Keith's well-thumbed contacts' book Newcastle United now have seven interested parties.

All batting in and around the �300 mill mark for Mike Ashley's …

That was always going to be the big question – what's the quickest way to fill that �1.5 million hole left by the Turners exit?

Answer… get West Ham to flog Dean Ashton to Spurs for �18 mill.

That then, of course, goes all Pete Tong when Hammers chief exec Scott Duxbury does his 'Hell will have to freeze over…' speech only for Deano to then do his ankle in training.

Given that and what's kicked off in Iceland of late and Mr …

We've already done a few numbers this summer. But old Ferret reckons there's at least two more that need to be lodged safely somewhere before it all kicks off again on the takeover front.

11.1 and 29.9.

For those of you that have missed all the fun and games before, two other key numbers are �56 mill – the price the Canaries all but valued themselves at – and �20 mill. The price that Towergate chief Peter Cullum reckoned he'd whack into Roeder's palm if …

It was always the easiest answer to that �1.5 million black hole question.

As in what can the Canaries do in a hurry to paper over that �1.5 million funding hope left by the Turners sudden departure this summer?

And the answer? Get West Ham to flog Dean Ashton. Hefty sell-on kicks in; job done.

Now, however, that particular prospect looks dead in the water with reporst suggesting that the 24-year-old could be out for the bulk of the season with a worrying ankle …

If it all kicks off again on the takeover front over the next few weeks, there is one little sentence that old Ferret reckins is worth keeping handy somewhere.

Stick it on your bedside table; slap a Post-It note on the fridge door.

It's that statement the club issued in the midst of Round Two of Cullum-gate this summer; the one that valued the Canaries at �56 mill.

Keep that figure in your head. That was their opening demand. You want the club – …

If there was one line that intrigued the boys more than most from Colney this morning, it was this little one from the Gaffer:

“We had an 11 v 11 at the training ground this week because we didn't play a game this weekend and we tried someone else in there – and it worked very well.”

Cos all of a sudden, everyone started to guess who Johnny X might be.

Glenn steadfastly refused to join in the fun and games.

“That's for my …

When no-one is saying anything, that's when old Ferret can really have some fun.

So for as long as our Andrew and Sharon opt to keep mum as to why they packed their bags this week, then all any of us can do is guess…

But let's guess with a brain; work things through.

For most of this summer, those two have been going through every financial nook and crannie of that club with a fine tooth comb; squeezing the margins; working the numbers like they've …

That explained a lot. For as the Canaries headed into battle today with Archibald-Henville on the bench, it only begged one question… where was Shacks?

In Wolverhampton for a medical, was the short answer.

And, indeed, the gaffer confirmed as much afterwards.

“We've accepted an offer from Wolves to allow him to speak to them today,” said Roeder to the Press an hour after this afternoon's 1-1 draw with Blues.

Mick McCarthy had been hanging …

It was the 'significant' result that Glenn clearly didn't want.

Because if Rosenborg's attitude towards City's continuing chase of their star striker Steffen Iversen was 'resolute' going into tonight's UFA Cup second round, second leg tie with Swedish neighbours Djurgaardens, it'll be a damn sight more resolute now after his lordship bagged a hat-trick this evening in their 5-0 romp through to the third round.

The 32-year-old kicked …