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Is there anyone now still in doubt that the project is not working as it was intended? The reputation our club has been developing since Webber/Farke arrived has now reached the stage where we can attract AND afford not just good young players, but the best young players. The two go hand in hand - attract and afford. Ya da ya da, I know we've not kicked a ball yet this season, I know we haven't got super rich owners, I know we hint bought a CB etc etc - but to say the project is not working would be a bit churlish imo. Yes, we could still get relegated, but yes, we could stay up and yes we could even do a lot better than just stay up, but to me this transfer window has been a vindication of the policies adopted by the club - to make us the club to go to if you are young and want to develop your career. It started even before Farke/Webber with attracting Maddison to the club and the bringing through of the Murphy twins so it is not a new idea and we were already recognised as a good club to go to, but in four years we have gone from being on a one way road to nowhere financially with an aging squad with huge contracts to pay, to a club totally at ease with itself financially, playing great football and attracting the best young players available from around the world. Beautiful football, stable and effective management, togetherness on and off the pitch, improving finances with getting the best young talent that will get more big money transfers later on to improve finances to be able to do even more...... I mean - what's not to like??

I hope every fan will support the players in taking the knee on saturday. If, for whatever reason, you find the act objectionable I hope you will at least remain respectfully silent and not bring shame to the club by booing.

Roll up, roll up, get your Mark Lawrenson Norwich City Bingo Card right here. Yours to cut out and keep.

Meaningful change is drawn out and hard won. History shows that It is often the consequence of multiple chains of ‘gestures’ and small, yet symbolic steps. ’Flagstones on the road to Democracy’ Or decency if you will. Parma

Onel always brings a smile to my face......😄

Don't worry Byram is fine this photo was taken just a few hours ago of him

No it doesn't!! Footballers have made it clear over and over again that they're doing it as an anti- racist gesture and that's all. Bless you for making an account and logging on to make this point though. How do you think the game will go on Saturday? (Norwich will be the team in yellow by the way).

I agree with the likes of Wilfred Zaha. Why can’t we all back a respected campaign, Like Kick it Out. An apolitical campaign that ran for years, successfully focusing on anti discrimination. Like it or not, the knee taking stinks of the BLM movement. Throwing around the “no-brain” insults to anyone that happens to disagree only reflects badly on you.

Assuming that everyone is fit, this is the XI I'd go with.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9884653/I-imagine-noise-explosion-Tim-Krul-insists-Norwich-streetwise.html And for those of you who don't wish to give the Mail any revenue from clicks, here it is copy and pasted 'Tim Krul remembers standing in the tunnel at Anfield on the opening day of Norwich’s last season in the Premier League two years ago and feeling concerned about how the night may go. ‘I could see our young lads looking at Salah, Mane, Van Dijk and the rest,’ the Norwich goalkeeper told Sportsmail this week. ‘I could see their faces and then it can be difficult to walk out in front of 50,000 people. Of course, that does something to your confidence and then suddenly you are two goals down.’ Norwich lost that game 4-1 and things didn’t improve an awful lot from there. Daniel Farke’s expansive but inexperienced side were relegated in last position. This weekend it’s Liverpool who once again present the opening challenge and Krul is confident things can be different. ‘We can all look at each other five minutes before kick-off and realise what we achieved to get back here,’ added Krul. ‘It will be a full house at Carrow Road for the first time in a long time and I cannot even imagine the noise, the explosion, that we will have. ‘Playing in the Championship in the pandemic last season was a huge challenge but we just took it by the horns. I remember playing Millwall away and we all were changing in a basketball hall. At Birmingham City, the changing room was like a pub. There was a bar in there! ‘But now with the fans back in, this all feels incredibly exciting. It feels like a privilege. ‘There are no excuses this time but equally there is no fear factor and I think we can ask a bit more from ourselves. ‘The younger boys have grown into men and we have added some top-quality players. We are better equipped.’ This interview was due to take place at Norwich’s training camp in York a fortnight ago. But a Covid outbreak in the squad put paid to the club’s plans. Farke subsequently said the problem wrecked his pre-season ahead of a daunting opening run of fixtures that reads: Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester and Arsenal. ‘That’s not an exaggeration,’ nodded Krul on Zoom. ‘We missed two games and haven’t had even one game with the settled back four or XI that we are going to start with against Liverpool. ‘It was a massive Covid hit. We had about 13 out at one stage. ‘When those fixtures came out I already thought somebody was having a bit of a laugh. People say it’s a good time to play those teams but I am not sure! ‘But I do think we are ready to be more streetwise this season. We all know this squad can play amazing football but there are other sides to the game and you can’t just play that same style all the time. ‘I remember last time beating Man City at home and then the next week going to Burnley thinking we would just roll them over. ‘They literally just stormed all over us, bullied us. ‘This time I think we will be more streetwise, I really do.’ Norwich’s approach to Premier League life last time round was questioned. The club didn’t invest heavily in players and appeared — from the outside at least — to have gone down without a fight. Crucially, though, they kept faith in Farke and the German, along with sporting director Stuart Webber, plotted an immediate route back as champions. ‘I have been here three years and have bought into the culture,’ said Krul. ‘If you see the training ground from when I walked in you would not believe it. I remember the gym basically being a conservatory. I was in there doing leg weights and water was coming in through the roof. ‘Now we have a world-class training centre and world-class stadium. Stuart Webber, the boss and the board clearly had a path and that involved investing in the infrastructure. ‘Yes, they made a clear decision that maybe did not help us two years ago as a squad, because we were definitely quality-wise not what we ideally should have been. ‘But the club was nearly bankrupt a few years before so I totally understand why they didn’t chuck £100million on players. ‘If you see the style we have played over the last couple of years it is the best football I have ever been part of and hopefully we can still add some more quality, like we have done by signing Billy Gilmour from Chelsea.’ The issue of sporting directors in English football remains a live one. Some managers welcome the support. Others don’t see it that way. ‘They are clearly on the same wavelength here,’ said Krul, matter-of-factly. ‘They bounce off each other. The manager says if you have a contract issue, go to see Stuart. Equally, Stuart is not going to tell a player he is not playing on a Saturday. ‘We are not at a club where a player can go behind the manager to the sporting director and tell stories of what is happening. There is no division and that’s amazing because I know a lot of clubs where it is done differently. Here, we have peace.’ Norwich’s recent history feels like a good fit for Krul, who is still only 33. He, too, has had to go backwards to move forwards. He spent a decade at Newcastle and became a Holland international before a knee injury sidelined him for more than a year. When he returned, Rafa Benitez made him train with the academy players. A move to Brighton, where he hooked up with former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton once again, was enjoyable but he couldn’t shift Mat Ryan from the No 1 position. Then came the call from Norwich who, in 2017-18, had just finished 14th in the Championship. ‘I was desperate to prove people wrong who thought I was finished after my injury,’ he explained. ‘It keeps me ticking, to show people I am still capable of being up there with the best in the world. ‘Benitez clearly didn’t want me at Newcastle but that actually kickstarted my love for football again. ‘At Brighton, I didn’t play much but it reignited my love for it. Chris Hughton eventually told me I was a No 1 and that I had to go somewhere and show people that. ‘So yeah, I took a risk coming here. It could have gone both ways. But I am lucky. It went up. ‘At Newcastle, I was No 1 for five or six years and started to take it for granted. I just drove into St James’ Park for a match like it was just a normal thing. But it’s a case of not realising what you have got until it is taken away. ‘Training with the academy when the first team are on the pitch next to you is ruthless and it should never have ended that way. ‘But going back to play them and getting the love from the fans — standing in front of the Gallowgate and hearing that from 30,000 of them — is why you do it. That means more than one person not believing in you. ‘You know, I have had 25 or 30 managers in my career and it would be a miracle if they all loved you. It’s just not going to happen like that. ‘These things shape you. You need to find motivation in life and those things may feel like a door is always closing in your face but it does make you more determined.’

Seriously? Are you even a Norwich supporter? Obviously the club was pretty successful for a period under McNally. And it only really fell apart when we started trying to sign 'better' players on bigger wages under Hughton. But there has been a fundamental change in philosophy both on and off the pitch. Even if we get relegated again in 20th place, we have paid off all the debts and have enough guaranteed income to cover the committed expenditure for the medium term. We have a category 1 academy with a proven production line of top calibre young players. We've signed a bunch of young players with potential to build a team for the future and have managed to shift almost all of the dead wood from the squad. We have just experienced the best (points and win ratio) season in the club's history. We've smashed the club record by selling a player for more than 20 times his initial cost. The club is in the best position it's been in since Chase destroyed it. These are exciting times to be a Norwich fan.

That would fit the tune of ‘Girl Like You‘ by Edwyn Collins 👍 For extra appropriateness, Edwyn is Scottish too.

Don't worry, folks, he's way happier in this one... Jolly Tzolis!

This thread is what it says on the tin... Uh, title. Interesting to see Hanley involved wonder if this means hes fit and ready for Liverpool?

As a non-white person, I see taking the knee for what it is - a political statement A divisive political statement at that I find it quite incredulous that some people think it's actually achieving some form of racial harmony or racial enlightenment Sadly fighting racism has taken a backward step since taking the knee became a fashionable, yet divisive statement which clearly follows a dubious political ideology

Personally I think announcements at the start of each game as to how people are expected to behave would be better than taking the knee, which has unfortunately turned into something that is divisive rather than supportive of a good cause. It just needs a single sentence - "Just a reminder to all that racist abuse is not acceptable at this club and any person seen or heard making racist remarks will be removed from the ground".

It's all a load of b*ll*cks, to be honest, and will seemingly carry on forever now. Because when do you stop? Racism isn't going to go away - it just isn't, and I actually think this kneeling pre-match is making the situation worse, not better.

Sadly the shameful events of the summer proved that racism is rife amongst a small element of so called football supporters. It's now more important than ever to show them that their vile views will not be tolerated. Standing (or in this case kneeling) against racism belongs in sport for as long as racism can be found in sport.

Just another one of the no-brain "stick to sport, not politics" empty vessels repeating the far right message of trying to silence and oppress freedom of expression. "Gesture politics" - bore off.

The list of things to take is getting longer. Take - Season ticket ✔️ Take - Lateral flow test / proof of vaccine ✔️ Take - mask ✔️ Take - contactless payment method ✔️ Take - the knee ✔️ Take - Home 3 points!

Like Farke I won't be taking the knee, but I will applaud them. PS will it clash with On The Ball City?

In light of the Dalian Atkinson incident it has even more relevance to not only this country but to this sport.

Heart says: 10th 💛💚 Head says: Listen to.your heart 10th it is then👍

It would be a Desperate signing...

Sargent to win the golden boot, scoring 24 goals - all with his left foot. 17th.

https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2021/august/tzolis-announcement Did not see this one coming, love how such things fly under the radar...

Webber spotted him years ago apparently, even had him on trials at Liverpool when he was their head of academy recruitment.

It was a veritable Greek Odyssey. At least we've got him Homer now. 😉

Yeah nobody had any idea this was happening 🤭

Hernadez is an unpredictable player. To say that he is "not cut out for the PL" ignores the fact that he can have his moments in any situation, whatever the level. We should have learned that by now. It also denies the fact that he did rather well (and better than most) towards the end of our last PL season. Placheta has promise. He works very hard, can be effective, but needs to be more so. A Polish international at a young age he will go places ... some, it seems, do not see Carrow Road as that place. I've no particular qualms. He is capable of surprising (remember when TC emerged from his pupa state into a fully fledged and splendid and colourful butterfly?) Ugh! I've just made myself sick.

Auclair is very good. The non-p*rn question of who actually owned BK8, which as he says didn’t seem clear, was one I raised.

I think if they boo taking the knee, it's a pretty good indication that they might be racist! As what makes them racist, ignorance and/ or a feeling of personal inadequacy are probable explanations.

Going to start a thread about it... today/tomorrow hopefully...

£1 for every goal Norwich score. £1 for every goal Ipswich concede. Simples.

Well, he's finally signed. Could well end up getting a bench spot straight away here. Very much interested in seeing how the younger ones we've signed, so him and Sargent in particular, develop under Farke's coaching. Definitely looks like a way of being a bit speedier in moving the ball around and not being caught in front of an organised defence. Norwich City sign Christos Tzolis from PAOK | Eastern Daily Press (edp24.co.uk)

Taking the knee this season should not be taking place, in my view, as I don't feel it's a movement that sport should be involved with. As I say, that's my own view though. Personally, I'll remain quiet with neither a boo or a round of applause. People shouldn't be made to feel ashamed for not "taking part" if that particular choice remains respectful of other's views.

Agreed, will not be doing it myself though as I will never get up again........oh and good luck in the 4:40 at Salisbury today.........

I’d say given how we’ve p155ed money up the wall in the past on massive flops costing us both integrity and time, I’d say we’re now a damn successfully run club. In fact I’ve never known it to be as well run. To quote Super Hans from Peep Show “Norwich might not win the league but they still show up every week… the pr1cks!”

Going to games, but showing minimal appreciation of what the club actually stands for doesn't make you a fan. You seem like you don't actually like the club at all.

As John Lennon sang: Tzolis is Christmas

I give it exactly 30 seconds after if/when Liverpool score their first goal on Saturday.

Spot on Lakey. But ... I mean - what's not to like?? ... I'm sure there'll be someone along in a moment to put you straight.

If we get a CB and DM in as well before the end of the window then I don't think a single person can level any criticism at the club for this transfer window. But given the importance of those roles I feel that if the window ended today, for all the young, exciting attacking talent we've signed, I still think we'll end up relegated, such is the importance of those 2 roles.

😀 Gee, Officer Krupke - haiku!

Which means he was wrong quite a lot last season. He reminds me of guys who've worked at the same place all their life and no one has questioned what he actually does...in 40 years!! Got that know all smug ex pro attitude , why do research......he knows it all already.

@TIL 1010 This would go nicely with your italics, what do you think?

Wouldn't it be terrible if a group of football fans sang a song over and over again to the tune of yellow submarine? 😉

It's always tough at the start of the season before things settle down, so I'll go for something relatively safe. Benfica won their opener and Arouca lost theirs at home, so Benfica to beat Arouca at home at 2/11 is my pick. For our game, I was thinking Lees-Melou to score but that's been suggested. Instead, I can see one of our engine room picking up the first booking, so Lees-Melou first booking or Rupp first booking will be my tip, priced up at 11/1 and 16/1 respectively. And @nutty nigel, I'll send you a tenner at some point over the coming days.

There is a "PinkUn and Norwich fans" league - not sure how you join it... Is somebody here the admin on that to invite NCY?