Il Pirata

What a season... Can Steips, Hernandez, Pukki and Buendia get there act together and do it again please?

Utterly frustrating...

I don't think so. I think it might take us a little while to get last season out of our system. Plus the transfer window nonsense is proving to be really disruptive. The quicker that closes and we have a settled group that want to be here, the better.

We've been unlucky.

Oh dear.

Impossible. He's got no legs?

TVB 🤣 🎣

Come on city!

2-0 Norwich? OTBC.

FFS!

Player of the season at Brentford too? Pritchard on his day at this level is not bang average. If you think he only looked good for Norwich because he was being compared to Naismith then your delusional.

Sound advice. I'll do that.

Perhaps replace Skipp then? Seeing as Rupp has probably been our best player.

Like Wes "sh!thouse club" Hoolahan? Don't be so sensitive. If it benefits the team now, that's all that matters.

Lol. The last time he came on (last week) he barely gave the ball away, and started at least 3 very dangerous moves resulting in goal scoring opportunities with pinpoint accuracy! The whole 'legs gone' rhetoric is nonsense.

I can't see Buendia finishing the game today... I'd love Pritchard back, but we can't afford to put all our eggs in one basket with another injury prone player.

This rhetoric again!

Derby will work on him now...

Sounds like Buendia is outwardly showing signs of frustration. Not helpful at all.

Vrancic...calling out for him.

They key to that though, was the link up play from deep. Godfrey and Vrancic were crucial last time. Hopfully Gibson and Skipp can replicate. As I was last week, I'm happy with that starting 11. Been a while since that's happened!

We spent the best part of £5 million on Hugill. So we do still spend decent sums. Lewis and Godfrey money secures the clubs short to medium term future. If we get £15-20 million for Cantwell, why wouldn't we look to invest some of that? Webber knows ultimately the 'model' relies on promotion to ensure these inflated fee's can be achieved again. The next batch of 'crown jewels' are at the club. That's been the focus of the last couple of transfer windows, which supplements the prospects coming through the academy. Therefore, I firmly believe a decent percentage of any further fees from a Cantwell, Aarons or Buendia will be invested in a couple of 'ready made' players to give the best possible chance of promotion. Webber isn't one to invest in a plan and allow it to stagnate. His goal (IMO) is very much to grow the club through a dynamic process, which involves continuous squad evolution. But he won't allow the first team to suffer to a point that it can't be competitive at this level, as that would bring the 'model' to an abrupt end.

If Cantwell goes, I wouldn't be surprised to see us spend £10-12 million on a couple more players, hopefully a couple of powerful midfielder types. We need that ready made Tettey replacement, still. If we can do that, I won't be disappointed. Godfrey is class, and I'll miss him. But we do have good enough replacements at this level. And actually, I think Gibson and Hanley / Zimm has more solidity too it, which we need. Keeping Aarons is my wish. I think if he's here when the window shuts, he'll be free to enjoy and focus on just playing football. And as a result, I think we'll see him step up a level. Which will be very exciting to see. Buendia.. I don't know. The Buendia of our promotion season is impossible to replace. The problem is I'm not confident Buendia can be the same Buendia of that season. My fear is, he needs the move. It's not even that he might throw the toys out of the pram, I'm just not sure he has the same motivation. That's not something that can be switched on and off. His elevation in squad status has resulted in him being more outward and expressive on the pitch, which often leads to more frustration and potential conflict with teammates. A move away may be beneficial all round. Aarons would be the biggest loss. He'd offer so much to us this season. The rest, well, I don't think we're weakened that much at all, considering where they are in terms of attitude and motivation. Can, and will, they offer the same again?

I think it is a big deal.. we need our new players to bed in with a sustained run of games! Anyway, Steipermann or Vrancic back in with Buendia and Hernandez, hopefully.

I didn't want to make that point on Cantwell, but it does stand out. Along with the dip in form when he came in for Buendia towards the end of that season. I'm not ignoring Cantwell's early form last season, but it was quite short lived. How would Vrancic or Steipermann have faired in the EPL with the same amount of game time as Cantwell? I think the stats would certainly have been nor worse. Skipp looks a talent. He's more well rounded than Leitner. But to be an upgrade on what Leitner does best, not sure. Leitner's passing is exemplary, and I for one really enjoyed watching him play. It was a real shame he didn't play last season. That game at home to Newcastle promised so much. And as for Martin, my answer would be no. Buendia is a huge player. When on form and in the right mindset, as he was for the majority of our last championship, he was unplayable. At times, he single handily won us points... the only other player I've witnessed for Norwich do that was Huckerby. So as good as Martin may become, it'll be a mighty tough ask to be as good as Buendia. The season we had him on form will live long in the memory.