The Judge

I do feel his days are numbered - however very little will change without Smith, Munby, Doncaster etc going aswell. The board is getting what it deserves through years of poor decisions and lack of investment in the team. We need a fundamental change of strategy to move forwards again - that will only come with a change of personel at the top. Delia - do what is best for the club and its supporters and go.

Probably a slightly low assessment on some players, but basically not too far off. Which makes Doomcaster and Sharon Turners statement on potential player sales an absolute joke - how on earth are they going to pay back the remaining £17m ?? or even the next instalment at this rate. The value of the current squad is a result, of a combination of lack of serious investment in the squad for the past 4 years - a conscious decision by the board, and very poor signings made by 2 poor managers. Though the managers may argue they can only buy within the financial restriction imposed upon them, what arguement can the board make for their decision ? They chose to spend money and borrow for off field activities and the current squad is a result of this. As i have said on another thread - they must be held accountable for getting this so fundamentally wrong. In any other walk of life Doncaster would have been sacked years ago - why oh why is he still here ? Not only do we not sack the muppet we give him a place on the board 2 years ago. Our board make the guys at Enron and Robert Maxwell look good businessmen !!

Having an incompetant board who made wrong decision after wrong decision over the past 3/4 seasons. They have invested in non football activities whilst the football side of things, which is fundamentally what a football club is about, goes to ruin. Doncaster and Turners sob story around the finances are as clear an indication as anyone should want that they have got it wrong - they get no sympathy from me - they need to be held accountable. They have borrowed too much and they have pee''d away the opportunity the Premiership money gave us to put the building blocks of a team capable of challenging the play off for seasons to come. Yet despite the fact our "team" is now a poor shadow of what it need to be the debts prior to promotion have risen significantly. OK we paid some back last season - whoopee doo - how do they think they are going to pay the rest off ??   Selling players to service the debt - are they having a laugh who in that side is worth anything ?? The only 2 ways to pay that debt off is a) promotion or b) significant new investment. We all know we aren''t going to get promotion so that leaves b). Chipping away and selling players each season and not replacing them is only going to lead us down one route - relegation and probably sooner rather than later. Maybe thats the plan - so they can go into adminstration and wipe of the debt that way. To be honest that is more likely than promotion. Doncaster as the CEO - MUST at a minimum be held accountable for the financial mess we are in - and he can take the rest of the board with him... THEY GOT IT WRONG BIG TIME. time for accountability.    

Haven''t heard myself yet - but if he has said this the club is falling apart and their is only one way to stop it. I expect some serious consequences in the next few weeks / days. Hucks is of course right - we have all been saying the same thing since the start of the season, but for our best player to say this in public we are in trouble. If the board or Grant take any action on Hucks - that could be the catalyst for the supporters to react because ultimately we know he is right. Interesting times - we could be entering the Delia & Co end game  

Why not the Turners aswell ??- get them all out they are all equally to blame. The Turners could have come in with a fresh perspective and view and get the rest of the board to change direction. But they haven''t - they were obviously just Delia''s buddies thats why she got them on board. Unfortunately I have been saying it for a few seasons now - but the only way to for Norwich''s fortunes to change is to get rid of this incompetant board. However despite the fact there are people out there willing and wanting to invest in football clubs, Delia''s beliefs and views make it almost impossible for them to come to Norwich. If you see some of the other clubs being linked with buyouts and takeovers, Norwich are a far far better investment opportunity and prospect than some of those, QPR, Coventry etc.  She won''t sell out, unless the buyer lives in NR1, has been a norwich supporter for 40 years or more, goes to church and makes a lovely cup of tea ...unfortunately if she is to go she will need to be forced to go...who is up for the task ???

I admit I was one of those supporters who although firmly believed Grant was the cheap and wrong option when he was appointed. However I tried to console myself and tried to find rationale and positives in the appointment. One of the reasons I thought was that at least he had foothold and connections West Ham and was apparently well respected by the players their- therefore I and others hoped he would be able to use these connections to bring in some of the better fringe and younger players at West Ham(or other prem) to Norwich. What have we seen since then - nothing !- diddly squat ! not even a link to a loan. Appreciate Pardew soon moved on to Charlton which may have messed things up abit (but who have we been linked with  from Charlton either ?) and now I see Dailly has gone to one of our competitors on loan. I know he wouldn''t have been many peoples first choice central defender (including my own) but in the absence of no -one else I would have taken him at the drop of a hat. He has got to be better than what we have at the moment - which is dire to be kind !   All Grants "connections" have brought in are primarily second rate scottish players. Fair enough Marshall is a good acquistion, and Lappin is a steady player ON THE LEFT, but Murray and Fotheringham - the jury is out. How some people say Fotheringham not being available is the reason for our poor performances this season does amaze me. You are probably the same people who were slagging him off for not being up to the task the second half of last season !! I hope I am wrong but he is an average player at best (as is Lappin) and if we are pinning our hope on these guys then, i''m sorry fellas you are clutching at straws. Surely if Grant had any sway, or standing with the fringe players at West Ham we would have got Dailly in to strenghten our appaullingly weak defence. Unfortunately Grant doesn''t seem to have the respect and pull of players that we were led to believe or hoped...the appointment seems stranger and more flawed by the day. I still hope as a NCFC supporter I am proved totally wrong and he leads us to glory, or at least challenging playoffs this season, but unfortunately this seems more and more unlikely. I am not one to solely blame Grant for his shortcomings I am firmly in the camp that it is absolutely and fundamentally the current boards fault for the situation we currently find ourselves in - the buck stops at the top. Until we see a change their nothing with change. In Delia''s immortal words; Turners where are you ? - lets be havin'' you.. ! What have these two proclaimed by some messiahs bought to party since their appointment ? - not alot is the answer. We need more investment to be successful - unfortunately Delia is not looking for it... Friday afternoon post pub rant over...!    

On the face of it going to Charlton to play for a draw is not a bad tactic. However where you must question Grants decision is how many games in the past 3 or 4 seasons have we not conceeded a goal away (or at home for that matter). I haven''t got the stats but i''m pretty sure it won''t be many. We always look like conceeding at least one - based on this fact alone to keep a clean sheet would have been an exceptional performance last night. People say we kept them out for 85 mins - so what !!!! we didn''t keep them out for 90 and it is always unlikely we were going to, especially against Charlton - we know that so should you Peter. So based on the fact we are likely to conceed you have to include players that can nick you a goal to draw or potentially win the game, Huckerby and Cureton are the only players at the moment that fall into that catagory for us. So what do you do Peter - you stick one of them on the bench, giving us even less chance to score. I''m sure we all feel we are excellent armchair managers, but i''m afraid Mr Grant you made some very strange decisions last night - though in theory your tactics may have made sense it is obvious to most you haven''t got the players to carry them out - therefore you have to adapt the tactics to the players we have. Simple really !  

Just my guess fella''s, but I think it had alot to do with the fact that we were owed money from West Ham for Green and Ashton and we offset some of this to secure Grants services. It was clear to us all that our board weren''t going to pay up Worthingtons contract in full AND pay compensation for another proven manager in work - basically because we probably didn''t have the money to do this. So unfortunately it was one of the only options available to us - and a cheap one at that, so a bonus for the board, who tried their utmost to force Worthington out by making him resign thereby not having to pay up in full. Also a very risky appointment in my opinion because if Grant fails (and as a fan of NCFC I hope he doesn''t) the board will feel the recriminations due to the fact they appointed an untried and cheap manager at a time when we really could have done with someone with more experience. Only time will tell.   

If that is the average it just shows how overpaid some of the muppets Worthington bought in since relegation were. I understand our players wage bill last season was around £9m - if you divide that by the average salary we would have had 45 professional players on the books. We all know that wasn''t the case and our squad was widely touted to be too small - which it was. It was rumoured that Thorne was on £9k a week - thats £468k a year, Hughes £8k a week - thats £416k a year. Robinson, Fleming, McVeigh were also on good wages. God knows what Earnie was on, but I guess it was well over £10k a week - and Hucks will be in that bracket also. I have been, and still am highly critical of our board and how they have managed the clubs finances over the past 4/5 years, but if you take the above in to account you can''t say they haven''t put the money up over the past couple of seasons. Its just that we have had, and signed, very poor players that haven''t delivered for the money they have been getting paid - a responsibility that must lie with the scouting system, and the first team management and coaches. It re-inforces the fact that this years bargain basement buys have been to re-address our wage bill and bring them back to Championship average. Unfortunately it will also result in us being an average championship club........which brings us back to the debate on the vital need new investment if we are to challenge in this league again.  

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"] My opinion on the board currently remains neutral,  there are pro and cons with them as there are with any board and with few exceptions there are groups fans at every club who want a change at the top.  They have done things well but have also made mistakes (both lists could be significantly longer)  - the biggest praise for the board is making the club one with 17k (?) season ticket holders from one with an avg crowd of 14k  and my biggest criticism remains taking too long to dismiss Worthy.     As a neutral I would see city as a reasonably well run club owned by fans trying to ensure good links with the community;  as a fan I will always think that they should be doing more.   My prime concern remains the footballing side of the club.  Over the last 3 seasons both Grant & Worthy have had funds to compete for promotion (funds in excess of most of our competitors, who finished ahead of us) yet we remain a long way short of realising that goal.  It is the managers role to use those funds to give him the reource he needs to gain promotion;  it is the boards job to set the overall budget and negoiate the details of the contract.    In all three seasons we have had a squad that has significantly under-performed. Now that is the one thing that is not the fault of the board - that responsibility sits squarely with the management and playing staff.  Tactics, performances and potential have all been sub-optimal for far too long and that is not the boards role - only at hearts does that happen in british football. Until we have a season where I feel that the squad have played to their potential and still only finish mid table, my finger will continue to point at the playing staff rather than the board.      One our players perform and we remain mediocre will the board have questions to answer.  [/quote] Can''t disagree Zipper - but who appoints the Manager, who then in turn appoints coaches, identifies targets etc ? Holding on to Worthington too long was a mistake and appointing Grant was a risk (based on affordability, availability, and ability to "wing" an interview) The ultimate power to change things remains with those who make these decisions - everything else is a consequence of this. 

[quote user="mystic megson"][quote user="Dexx"] We can all dream but Norwich City are a championship side always was and always will be. We dont have the money to be anything else. [/quote] We''re a yoyo side Dexx.  We don''t have the wherewithal to stay up for more than a season or two, but we are a big enough club to finish in the top six and that''s what we should be aiming to do, even if we lose out in the playoffs.  I miss watching City but there''s no way I''m forking out any more money to support our board''s quest for mediocrity.    [/quote] I wish we were a yoyo side Mystic. I guess it depends on your definition however being in the Premier league one season out of the last 10 doesn''t meet my definition. I guess most people would be happier, especially with the crowds we get, and the financial boost we recieved from our season in the Premier if we at least in a position most seasons to challenge the play-off places. Lets face it we should at least be doing this on a regular basis (i.e. every other season) This unfortunately hasn''t happened and also seems a remote dream this season also.In alot of people views (including my own) this is primarily down to very poor management and decision making by our board of directors. All which have been debated on numerous occasions on this board. I see QPR are being linked with the guys that run F1. If that goes through, they will be another of an ever increasing number of clubs in the Championship with more resources and ambition than our own. Times in football are changing and quick - we need to adapt or we will be swallowed up. People say who will buy invest in our club -a fair enough question, but the answer is definately no-one if you put up the shutters and say NOT FOR SALE ! - unless you live in NR1, have supported Norwich City for 50 years, go to church on a regular basis, and are a personal friends of Delia and Michael. I''m not saying I know the people who may in invest in a well supported club, with great facilities, a great catchment area, and a good pedigree/history, but it is clear there are people out there looking to invest - and this is being proven on an ever increasing and regular basis. Going back to your comment on being a club - if things don''t change we will indeed be a Yo-yo club: between the Championship and league 1     

[quote user="cityangel"]Attendance was just over 24000 brlliant compared to the other championship attendances like Watford 17,000[/quote] Yes Angel - and the board take us all for granted. It is only us who will suffer in the medium to long term with this boards lack of funds. I can''t say they are not doing a reasonable job with the funds available to them - but ultimately it isn''t / won''t be enough for us to stay in this league. If they remain in charge for the next 5 years I can guarantee we will be relegated unless significant new money is bought in. What exactly have the Turners bought in to this club ? - certainly not a refreshing change of attitude for how to run a football "TEAM" . Unfortunately the board totally mis-managed the fantastic opportunity the Premiership money bought to us 3 seasons ago - yet they are still here, our debts have got bigger, and we have a very average team on the pitch with very few players with any resale value. The crowds are indeed fantastic - shame our board aren''t...

So the transfer window is now shut. There have been numerous comings and goings from the club in the summer (some needed - some forced) but are we in a better position this season to mount a promotion/play off challenge this season than last ?? - In my view absolutely not. We weren''t equipped last year and we aren''t this. Goalkeeper - improvement -Marshall is better but why bring in 2 goalkeepers when money it tight and its outfield players we needed ? Right back - improvement Ostembor. But where is the cover ? (Colin, Louis Jean, Hughes out) Centre Backs - no change - still weak. Unbelievable to think that we haven''t strenghtened the area of the pitch that has been the most glaring weakness for 3 seasons. Staggering. Left Back - no change. We have brough Murray who can play left back - is he better than Drury who flatters to decieve. Centre Midfield. Potentially stronger in terms defensive capability (Brellier, Russell) but very much lacking in terms of creativity and play making. Not saying this was great last season but the exit of Safri has taken this away totally. Right/Left wings - no change. Centre Forwards - Cureton for Earnshaw - this was forced on us and Jamie is an adequate replacement but if you had the choice who would you have in your side ? - sorry but has to weaken us. Dave Striker - who knows ? - from what i''ve seen so far he isn''t going to set the world alight. Overall we shipped out some necessary deadwood, Thorne, Henderson, McVeigh, Louis Jean, Hughes and were forced to part with Earnie and Etutu and we have bought in some OK replacements in some areas (Jamie, Russell, Semmy, Marshall) but is this good enough ?? Not in my opinion and this is backed up by the performances I have seen and heard about so far. OK some people aren''t fit, are ill, adjusting to life in the Championship etc - but even when all these things go away will we stop conceding goals with the defence we have ? will we create chances from centre midfield ? will we control a game by pressing up the pitch with centre midfielders dominating the play with short sharp progressive passing, or knocking that early ball out to the wings ? Early signs aren''t good... The next 5 games will be a real test and will show us how good, average or poor our side is going to be this season. I do think we have the basis of a stronger 1st team, however due to what ever reason (targetted players not available, silly prices, not wanting to come to Norwich, or lack of ambition from the board) we haven''t brought in those extra 2/3 pieces of quality into the team in key positions (CD, CM) that could make the real difference to our season. Perhaps they will come on loan (I certainly expect a defender) but how long will it be before we hear the line about clubs wanting too much for loan sign on fees... prepare for another season of mid/lower table mediocracy i''m afraid.    

Agree we need to be realistic Gissing, however the danger is that in the medium to long term if we continue with our prudence with hollow words of ambition mantra there is only one way our club will go and that is downwards. Just like this season, and last, and the one before that, there will continue to be clubs in the championship that will be bought out by rich benefactors. Add to them the clubs that come down from the Premiership with their huge amounts of parachute money and very very soon we will be in a position where we will be struggling to stay up. Not because our club isn''t being run properly, but because it simply can not financially compete. Especially with £22m worth of debt ! How can i ask are we ever going to pay this back if we stay in the Championship ?- answer is clear - Never ! How do we get out of the Championship ? - answer is - Invest (or get very lucky) ! Its risk versus reward. Unfortunately for us all, like it or not the people currently running the club do not have the financial clout to compete in this league, add to this our financial debt (which I guess can be restructured in the future), and the fact Delia has this moralisitic view of how a football club should be run, despite the fact every one can see its a dirty, hard, winner takes all, business, then unfortunately you can only come to one conclusion.  The post i read aren''t generally from people who are saying spend recklessly, people are saying that for alittle more investment (remember we have let more players go this summer than bought in, making a tidy positive contribution to the clubs finances at the same time) and a couple more quality players we can secure our place in the championship, aswell as giving us a realistic pop at the play-offs or promotion. I don''t know what we should do to be honest, but i do know if we don''t invest this season you can bet your bottom dollar that we will need to invest a darn sight more in future seasons to give us that opportunity - and where will that money come from ??(and no it won''t be off-field activity income) 

[quote user="Lincoln Canary"] Indeed, Temp. I still don''t understand why anybody persists in interpreting that statement as meaning there was money available to spend on buying new players. Also, you can''t just add up the income from the players who departed and the players who come in; it''s not that simple. As you quite rightly point out, there''s a multi-million pound shortfall in parachute income to make up for too and we have absolutely no idea what other fees and expenses have been involved in the transfer merry-go-round. On top of that, it really annoys me when people insinuate that there is a conspiracy among the Board members to line their own pockets with ''profits'' from player sales instead of investing in the squad. Unless massive holes appear in the official accounts there is absolutely no foundation for such assumptions apart from the simplistic beer mat calcuations some posters on this site base their opinions on. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 Phew; I can feel my blood pressure beginning to return to normal now. :-) [/quote]   Calm down Lincoln - I''m not insinuating anything at all - where have I said the board are lining their pockets ? All i''m saying is the board time and time again come out with statements which they don''t back up with action. We are short on quality in vital areas of the pitch (everyone agrees)i.e. central defence and creativity in cental midfield. We have made money in this summer transfer activities, we have 2 new board members who supposedly bring something to the party, we get crowds that some Premiership teams would love to get, our board state they are ambitious - I just want them to show me/us they share our dream/aspirations, because so far this summer they have done no more financially than previous seasons. OK the players coming and going have been greater (and was needed) but the nett financial impact is the same i.e. more money in than out. Is the quality better ? - can''t answer that one yet. We have had years of off field investment (admitted to by Munby), the time must come when we invest in on field activities - as ultimately it is this will determine the greatest opportunity for future revenue. Yes it is more risky, and i''m not asking them to be reckless, I personally just feel with all the activity this summer they have sold us short again. You and others probably disagree and that is perfectly within your rights to do so. 

[quote user="Temp the Revelator"][quote user="The Judge"] Before the transfer window opened, we had the hailed introduction of the Turners on to the board who "loaned" us £2m which prompted the statement - "we don''t have to sell any players this summer". Knowing that we would need to strengthen after last years dismal effort you can confidently assume that when this statement was made (unless the board are blatantly lying to us) their was some money for transfers. [/quote] But - they never said we don''t have to sell any players if we want to buy some, did they?  I took that statement as a ''now we have kept the wolves from the door'' type thing, rather than a ''we have loads of money''.  Remember, there is a shortfall of £7m income this season.  However, I am not a staunch supporter of the Board, and it is patently obvious that we have not spent all that we''ve received this summer. Loans may not be the way forward for you, but if we are being quoted silly money for players we are enquiring about (Davenport for £2m +?? You''ve got to be kidding me!), then loans may be the ONLY way forward if we are to strengthen the squad.  Try and be a little more objective. [/quote] Don''t get me wrong Temp - I am very much of the opinion the statement didn''t mean ''We have loads of cash'', especially as you rightly state our parachute payments finished last season. However even our board would have realised that they would need to strenghten over the summer - even if it was just to appease the supporters. As you can probably tell it just annoys the heck out of me that our board, time and time again sell NCFC supporters short of what we as a club need, desire and deserve. Few can disagree with Delia''s moralistic view of whats right and wrong, and that a football club should be at the heart of the community, available to all, and that she wouldn''t want the "wrong" sort of person investing in our football etc etc.. However, unfortunate as it is, football isn''t like this anymore, success comes at a price, the only losers in the medium to long term will be us as supporters, as we watch our team go backwards and downwards as clubs run by less idealogical people swarm past us. However there is still 10 days left in the transfer window -let hope they prove me, and alot of others wrong, with at least one permenant signing that shows some intent.

Money already spent !! - you are joking I hope ?? Before the transfer window opened, we had the hailed introduction of the Turners on to the board who "loaned" us £2m which prompted the statement - "we don''t have to sell any players this summer". Knowing that we would need to strengthen after last years dismal effort you can confidently assume that when this statement was made (unless the board are blatantly lying to us) their was some money for transfers. After that point we sold / released amongst others: Thorne, McVeigh, Henderson, Earnshaw, Etutu, Hughes, Safri - which not only bought us in over £5m in transfer fees, but also ensured the vast majority of our high paid players were off the books. Gallagher has also gone out on loan this week for 6 months - more money saved There is no way in a million years the players brought in have used up anything like the money we got in fees or saved in salaries. Also net ongoings of players hasn''t been matched by the numbers coming in.  Be real people - be under no illusions - to date the club has done very well financially out of this transfer window despite their hollow words of ambition. We are in need of strenghtening in certain positions which we all agree on - NOT as cover though - but as players that are of first team calibre. The players we have at the moment are not good enough to mount a serious attempt at the play-offs, let alone the automatic promotion places. The games so far this season prove this despite the results. It was clear too me on saturday, and obviously from the reports on the Preston game we totally lack a creative flair/playmaker in the middle of the pitch. OK we have Hucks to come back into the team at some stage - but you still have to get the ball to him !! Yes Fotheringham did OK when he came on, but we need someone more consistant and better quality in that position and we all know about Central defence issues. Loans for me aren''t the way forward either, unless there is a serious realistic opportunity to purchase the player at the end of the loan period. I just look at the attendance figures over the Prem and Championship at the weekend and it just makes me so frustrated that the passion, commitment and desire for success of NCFC supporters is not matched by those who can really do something about it. The board still have time to prove me wrong, and I am encouraged by the fact that Grant says he is after 2/3 players because we certainly need them for any realistic chance of success this season.  

The calculations, whether they are right or wrong, high or low, also assume their was NO money in the transfer kitty before we sold any players. Going on the fact that the club stated we didn''t have to sell any players during the summer you can fairly confidently assume their was some money set aside for transfers - so this would need to be added to any figure estimated above. Also as stated many times alot of players with high wages have left, Thorne, McVeigh, Earnshaw, Etuhu, Hughes, and before that Fleming and Robinson. Currently the board must be extremely happy with the summers transfer activity - whilst the team still lack the investment and quality needed to mount a serious promotion challenge. Ambition - my ar*e !!  

Totally agree Rudolph - but we all know they won''t release the cash will they. Where most of us supporters see this as a necessity, the club would undoubtedly see this as reckless. I would really like a sign from the club that they are serious and ambitious - not just in words but action - a signing that will get us all excited and feel we really do have a chance. ''Hoping'' things work out is a strategy doomed to failure - too many times I here Doncaster and Mumbles come out with the word HOPE !!. Not good enough guys. The last 3 seasons should show you that "hoping" doesn''t get you anywhere and in the long term will only take you in one direction - backwards. Appreciate spending big money on certain players doesn''t guarantee success but you stand a far greater chance of achieving it if you do.  Prepare for failure and you will inevitably fail - prepare for success and you will succeed. Lets keep our fingers crossed that by the end of August the club will have given us all the sign we need and back their statements of ambition with investment in the team. If they don''t we''re in for another dissappointing season I fear.

He just signed for Preston for 1.2m....so no need to worry about him.    

And we can now add to that Hughes wages which won''t have been insignificant...the board must be rubbing their hands with all this extra cash they have got. If we don''t sign 2 permanent players before the end of the window (and decent one at that) - I think the answer to your initial question Bly is clear and staring everybody in the face. Of course some will still choose to ignore it !!!  

We will only be able to really answer this question at the end of August. However if we sign no-one else before then we can''t really say they have backed their statements of ambition with hard cash. Don''t be fooled by their statements of "we have signed 8 players" - though this is factually correct they always omit to say how many players have left the club. They also conveniently forget to say that many of those who have left were also the higher earners in the club i.e.; Thorne, McVeigh, Earnshaw, Etuhu and Safri. There is no doubt that Income from player sales and savings on salaries far outweighs any expenditure this summer - is that ambition ? - In my view - absolutely not.  Our better players have gone (other than Hucks) and we have gambled by replacing them with cheaper alternatives, may be this gamble will come off, may be not. If it doesn''t then we are in real problems. Lets keep our fingers crossed ...  

Don''t know what games you went to then CUSDP ? I think you are being abit harsh. He made plenty of defence splitting passes. He was the only player that got the ball out to Hucks early on a regular basis. When Safri played well Norwich played well. Why was Hucks so pleased last year when Safri came back into the side ?? - he knew Safri made the side tick, got the team moving forwards, rather than the sideways or backwards passes of Etuhu, Robinson and Hughes, which ultimately led to us playing deeper and deeper. Even if we go by your conclusion that his was only a tidy passer - he was the only tidy passer we had in the squad. He must be replaced with a another passing midfielder because we haven''t got one at the club at the moment.

Doncaster probably insisted on the "Undisclosed Fee" as then he/the club can manage fans expectations on how much we should spend on a replacement. Assuming we do get a replacement - which in my view is imperative Obviously relations between club and player had broken totally and weren''t going to be repaired - however Grants public outbust will have meant any interested clubs will have offered low figures because they knew we wanted to get rid of him, instead of getting the type of fee we should have done for a player of his quality. I was/am a fan of Safri, but there was no way he was going to play for NCFC again. We now MUST sign a passing / creative midfielder - as he was the ONLY player in our current squad who could pass a football/   

Safri apparently not in photo which i''m sure you are all aware means just one thing. As I said on the Darel Russell thread - one step forward - one back.. and no doubt a sizable financial benefits in our favour. Hope I''m wrong but it doesn''t look like it. Appreciate Safri had his on and off days, is injured alot and is away on international abit, but he is the ONLY player in our midfield who can pass a football . When Safri plays well Norwich play well. For the qualities Russell will bring he is not a passer of the ball like Safri. May be we aren''t even going to try to play passing football this year !!! I await the other signings in anticipation (or is that trepedation !!)