smooth

Ha ha I was pushing back in my mind ha ha

There was an interesting article where the Croatian players noted that in 2014 that the media and noise of England are in the final egged them on to beat England in the semi final. I think it was the chanting of footballs coming home and they said 'hey you have to get through us first I can certainly see teams always upping themselves for England in any case but the type of talk and expectation that follows England is also going to get to other nations. Denmark are on a journey here, hard working, emotion behind them and capable. England know the journey to here has been fortunate as was the 2014 world Cup if I remember correctly. Going to be a good game, hopefully both are not too cagey from the off.

Alex, great point regarding Byram being standout that premier league season. If we have managed his return to fitness then it will be like a new signing. Personally I have though Billings looks a decent player with energy, strength and Premier league bite whenever I have seen him play. It's about improving not only the starting 11 but options from the bench. Last season we had rupp, placheta, Hernandez, vrancic, Idah, hugill etc. So it will be good to bring in the DM, second ST, centre half. Looking forward to the business continuing.

Soto was not going to be playing this season and a loan would have been ideal, training with the first team and playing in the B team sounds pretty good in a fantastic city and region, I would jump at it. However I would be reluctant to have a deal where he could go and leave at the end of next season. If he develops and becomes a national striker for the US it will give us further exposure in North America for more fans to watch and support Norwich. His development has actually been pretty strong and the teams he is associated with are working him hard, I feel he is a player who could be quite useful on and off the pitch but that is my view as someone not in Colney.

Idah is only improving with better players, I am pleased he is not going on loan as I think he has had a lot of experience now from joining the ROI squad and been part of the squad last year, with important goals. His attributes are very impressive and I do feel that as a sub he will have some joy and score in the premier league, he may well have a breakout year and if we build a great group around him that can use his movement, clever link up play then he will be better for it. I do think we need another striker and Hugill may have some more joy with the fact we have tricky wingers, but personally we need another striker ready to challenge the GOAT there was far too much on his shoulders 2 seasons ago and the last season.

As has been noted by many of us, the key is to see where we are at the end of the window. Personally I hope key positions are set and they have had time to get used to our way etc. DM x2, CB and ST are the positions I feel we need. We all know upon our last promotion Amadou arrived late and we did not get the new number 10, which I still think we're the key positions that off season. So could gilmour and skipp work, they could and it would work to some degree, skipp knows our style and Gilmour is going to play. Just feel a player with more top level appearances will be handy to have in this position.

Last time in the Premier league we were so short on goals, let's not forget after cantwell we had very few contributors over 2 goals. Yes it costs money but we need goals, as much a defensive, physical strength is needed, we will need goals. A striker who is not afraid to be greedy, take a shot first time. My one worry with Pukki is that he likes to take a touch and position himself for his strike. Allowing defenders to recover and keepers to get set, the best strikers in the Premier League take a first time strike

I think the answer is yes, we certainly need another striker. Rashica replaces buendia, the additions we were looking at prior to buendia included a player who could play AM / ST. That position is still needed. So I am hoping we can get another goal threat to help pukki and our striker department. Our spine of the team now needs the improvement. Centre half, 2 Defensive midfielders and a striker, always been the case with every promotion.

We have been briefed we are looking at 2 central midfielders, I would hope primarily defensive midfielders. It has been long talked about on here and by all NCFC fans and we know each promotion season we have neglected this position. If Gilmour goes ahead then what a fantastic signing, but we need the defensive midfield option. It could be Skipp but if it isn't then we will need to fill that role. I believe we need 2 as we do not have that bite, strength, body presence etc if one get injured. Maybe Ajer is considered that option too and his versatility could help as that cover for a defensive midfielder if a new signing is injured. But there are a lot of uncertainties here. This also means McLean then does sit back as a first team squad player and that lungi and rupp are also in this boat.

So until any of the other Linked names here have signed it is beginning to sound like we have a cracking replacement for Emi. So with that, we may still need a 2nd striker unless Hugill and Idah are seen as the answer. Acer, skipp, gilmour. Skipp maybe unlikely still but for me we do need 2 DM in the skipp role, we cannot have that important position threadbare where one injury can mean we move players around. I do not think lungi is a defensive midfielder in the true meaning of the position but maybe Farke and the team see it. Bringing in experience as we have with Rashica of top level football is important. We need nous and guts as we know we will be underdogs in every game.

Yeah I saw this yesterday and wondered if that move did happen what that would mean for Maddison. I recall there is a good sell on clause so let's see, now that arsenal are not getting the lad from Real Madrid it could be a move.

We haven't seen the best of Dowell over a period of time, he will have a full preseason but with rupp and Marco as competition (and I put that loosely) we need another ready player for the 10 position. When pukki is managed so closely we need to make sure we do have goals from this position and from Cantwell and others. It is an obvious statement. But with players in those positions we probably don't have enough I am looking forward to our business 2 CDM, winger striker, centre half, number 10 and possibly a full back Placheta I hope has a good Euros and comes back chomping at the bit and confident. Certainly the Norwich player in the championship I am intrigued to watch.

For me Emi is an exceptional player, he often would track back, get tackles in and then in the attacking 2/3's he has been one of the best players we have had. Pukki will suffer without him, cantwell and Dowell more closely marked and also they will need to step up. Buendia did make us a better team, too many people go on about his coue of red cards or grumbles when fouled. But he was the most fouled player in our prem season and last year. Teams knew what he was about, which is an exceptional player who can rightly turn a game. We have to bring in players, evolve our style a bit and bring in players that raise our game across the field. We won't replace Buendia but we can improve a number of layers around which will share the load. If buendia had stayed it could have helped with recruitment but again we have internationals throughout our team, young internationals and those who have gone on for big money. We need 2 defensive midfielders, a wide player who can be a striker, centre half, goalie and full back cover. You could even say we do need to placheta or Hernandez to prove we don't need to buy another wide player. Bring on the transfer window and new incomings, I imagine there will be outgoings of fringe and possibly Max but I also believe we will bring in some exciting players.

We are looking for players who have a ceiling that is good enough and to still grow to be good Prem centre backs. I love klose but at this point has his ceiling been? The answer is yes and is it good enough now? The answer unfortunately is no when we are looking to invest in a player who will rise up I think klose is a great player but right now Gibson and Hanley play that role, we end a new addition who could grow beyond these 2 and the better what klose can be.

I still think we don't realise how close he was to being the number 1 player for key passes in our last premier league season. He was on par with De Bruyne, Maddison and Grealish in key passes. He was a top 4 player with chances created, albeit de bruyne was way ahead of the other 3. I am sure he had some time when he was dropped and of course we had changes with the team shape that effected ths whole group with injuries and then the end of season was a very big struggle. If he had scored goals last season in the Premier league I think a better offer may have come in for him and he may not have been here last season. But that is the past, he can be in the top 5 of these categories, and more, again next season for us and certainly if he moves to a bigger team. He is an exceptional talent, all his plaudits are well deserved. If we can use our plethora of other internationals to help bring others to the club we may just keep him for next season. That is the key, I feel we have a proposition for many players from Europe. Premier league football, playing for a progressive manager, amazing facilities and a team full of internationals.

I think we also forget that roght now we are quite an attractive location for some players, even international players. Krul, Dutch international, Pukki Finish International, Dimi Greek international, Buendia Argentinian international and loads of u21 internationals. Let's not forget Placheta in the Euros, alongside Hanley, McLean would be there and we have Idah a Republic international on the bench. I have also not listed Lungi, Hernandez and others but we have a strong international team. We are filling our team with players who are getting international recognition because of our ethos. Of course we are not established in the Premier league but we have been there a number of years and have developed players who are going on to bigger things. Roll on the opening of the window!!

It all depends how King would come across in those discussions, if we were to have them. We all know players from Europe will be chomping at the bit to show their quality and may understand the system we have built and their role to Pukki and the group. If King buys into it, then the discussions go further. My belief is that possibly he knows he could be the main man elsewhere and get possibly a bigger wage or contract. We do want someone to push Pukki and possibly be that striker/ wide player to challenge for more minutes, due to good form. King has maybe not shown that recently so it is a tough ask to have a number of players that we may need to install confidence when as mentioned earlier their playing time is less.

Ha ha I did exactly the same

Fantastic Sales and Marketing Manager, he built up the game day fanbase, the reserve team attendances, engagement across the county, worked will with FITC as it was then. Worked here during a tough time too, had foresight to look a little out the box too with some of our commercial ways to bring money in. So I would say he did a very good job and if he is at Portsmouth now, he can build a great energy for the club.

We need a fourth striker. Goals win matches and we need strong contributors this season. As said if Pukki was out injured for any period of time to rely on Hugill and Idah is not enough. I value their contributons and I am excited to see what Idah can do. But I would like one more striker in. For me we still need the spine along with other additions and hence why if a few players leave as they want first team football I have no problems with that for the list with Marco and Onel. We need a second striker, number 10, 2 x DM, a centre half, a winger if onel or placheta goes, a full back and a goalkeeper. As said in another post I am glad we are not looking so much as bolstering the squad as to those that have a first team CV and will battle with our current first team players such as Dowell for that spot.

We certainly need 2 DM, so it is a big concern. If we bought one and he got injured we would be in an awkward position. It was interesting looking at the stats of champions and seeing how many defence splitting Vrancic put through. The number 10 position needs another addition, Dowell needs a challenger. Marco is probably not that answer but a squad player. Can't wait to see our moves in the window. Second striker, new centre half, 2 defensive midfielders and a number 10 is the bare minimum of what is needed and they have to be as close to starter level as we can get.

Terrible news for him. An important cog for Scotland and an important one for us to start the season who will now be in recovery. We know we need 1 if not 2 players to challenge, at a high level, for that defensive midfield position and for them to get settled with how we play very quickly. Now we may look at another addition if we feel Rupp and Sorenson are not right if McLean injury takes longer or if complications happen. Deeply sad news for Kenny and onet hat will give him fight for next season, let's hope for a speedy recovery. But also our off the field recruitment may now have to add an extra midfield option who is ready to be in a first 11 for a Premier league campaign

Sorenson will play in the Premier league for us next season, but he will be a squad player. Our recruitment has to be spot on and build a better first 11 and stronger bench. Defensive midfield had alway been area of improvement we have needed. We love Tettey but nobody took the position from him or really challenged him. Skipp has done exceptionally well and for me Sorenson is going to be a player who builds each and every game. He however is a squad player for next season. We need possibly 2 DM as if one player gets injured we will be far too short in this area of the field. If Skipp does come back we need another, we need but, physicality and strength to muscle runners off the ball etc. Our subs bench for next season has to be strong. If Sorenson, Hugill, Zimmerman, Hernandez for example are missing from first team squads next year it is because we have got our recruitment right and added more quality. This is not a bashing of those players, they have a part to play and will play. We will have injuries, international breaks, cup competition and some of them may challenge the new players who need to settle. We just need to have a better squad and that will mean some current first team players may even be on the bench. But this is for the good of the team. I am looking forward to seeing Sorensons development, I think we have seen composure, ability, strength of mind and there is more to come here. You can see it.

Slick and technically gifted. That is vrancic. That first championship season he was often brought on for leitner in the first half of the season and set up important goals. Then that night at Leeds was sublime in a hot bed of an atmosphere. The game against Sheffield Wednesday and so on. Let's not forget that amazing pass to pukki in our prem campaign that was on the volley. Part of title winning championship teams and deserves to be recognised.

The Barnsley boss has asked for a reaction to their loss from what I have read and the manner of the loss. This is the perfect preparation for them, title winning team and at home. So a chance to perform well and build for 2 tough ties that can see them at Wembley. I would love Barnsley to go up, much smaller team than the others and this is the best game to prepare for it. It is not playing a relegation team who will battle for everything. I would expect lungi or tettey in for Skipp as the only change. I would like lungi to start and tettey to come on later in the game.