Yelloow Since 72

Good read with an insight into the way SW has created an economic balance since he arrived.

Would he be first choice at Villa?

Yesterday's game had its positives and negatives, but Srbeny's well taken goal and Idah's confident debut were both the former. Drmic made a solid debut as well, leading the line and scoring the penalty and Roberts looked promising. We need to see more in the next game, but it certainly seems that we should now be focusing on defensive options. I also think Ajayi could be a good solution. He started at CB but has now also played DM quite a lot for Rotherham. As you say, we were interested so it could be one SW might be considering. He's 'homegrown' as well. We'd still need a RB as well.

Yesterday's game had its positives and negatives, but Srbeny's well taken goal and Idah's confident debut were both the former. Drmic made a solid debut as well, leading the line and scoring the penalty and Roberts looked promising. We need to see more in the next game, but it certainly seems that we should now be focusing on defensive options.

Yes, that was a classic piece of what Chris Lackey dubbed 'churnalism'. Teamtalk pumped out the rumour and within an hour blog after blog copied and pasted it to create what EDP called 'mounting speculation' before dismissing it after checking with the club. Expect the speculation to go on mounting though. https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-jordan-rhodes-loan-move-reports-latest-1-6161385

No faith in teamtalk I'm afraid. I like Rhodes but agree the defence and DM have to be the priorities now. Drmic has played on both flanks as well as up front, but not as a number 10 as far as I know. Leitner and Vrancic can though.

Klose is near recovery from last year's knee problem. Schalke will be too soon for him but he could play against Brentford, according to DF. I think we are stronger with the three new players, but we need another RB, preferably one who could also play at CB and/or DM. If not that we need two more defenders. By my reckoning, we still have about £10m left in the budget.

If Thompson can get back to his best it would be like a new signing, albeit with an uncertainty over further injuries. If it weren't for Zimmo's injury, Godfrey could provide another option at DM. There's also the possibility of Godfrey at CB in a 3 at the back formation with him moving up to DM when we have the ball and dropping back to CB when it's lost. RB is certainly the priority though.

I can remember thinking that City had arrived in the big time when we signed RvW for £8.5m. I hadn't felt like that since we signed Ted McDougall way back. Instead RvW launched a period of high spending with low results. Fortunately we dodged the bullet that was Ross McCormack (Villa caught that one), but all the same we ended up too close to administration for comfort.How things have changed since Stuart Webber arrived. Probably the best bit of recruitment we've ever done. It amazed me how quickly most people accepted Stuart's vision, a German Head Coach, and an influx of German and other 'foreign players'. Out went overpaid British players and in came austerity and a new emphasis on young players. Things wobbled in the first year, but the second year was magnificent as we left other teams in our wake to end as Champions.This summer we've recruited a new striker/attacking midfielder on a free and two players on loan, albeit with a hefty loan fee in Fährmann's case. These have gone under the radar in the national media because no big fees are involved while Villa are the media darlings for the money they have spent (or misspent). Time will tell. In fact they've spent extravagantly on players they had on loan last year when they finished 18 points back. Others they've brought in may make a difference (or not), as Fulham found out.What a difference it makes to have Webber who can find gems like Pukki and Buendia (and all the others) on a free or next to nothing, as was the case with our new signings. True Fährmann did cost us €3m, but that's a tenth of what Villa are paying out. There's also the young players SW is bringing in under the radar for DF to develop. This is sustainable development.

In the EDP now - new contract until 2021. https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/mario-vrancic-signs-new-deal-at-canaries-1-6158014

HOMEGROWN Players: Tim Krul, Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis, Ben Godfrey, Grant Hanley, Louis Thompson, Todd Cantwell, Patrick Roberts, Adam Idah That makes 9 available. It could be 10 if we sign Rhodes. NON-HOMEGROWN Michael McGovern, Christoph Zimmermann, Timm Klose, Alex Tettey, Kenny McLean, Mario Vrancic, Tom Trybull, Moritz Leitner, Marco Stiepermann, Emi Buendia, Onel Hernandez, Teemu Pukki, Phillip Heise, Dennis Srbeny, Josip Drmic, Ralf Fährmann That's 16 by my count, so we could afford one more if we don't sign Rhodes.

Love Trybull's reaction: "I'm feeling very good and happy to sign a new deal. I really like living here and I love to play for this special club as there are so many positive things about Norwich. When I first came to the club, it was all very new to me and my wife as it was a new country and a different experience. But my team-mates made it easy for me to fit in the squad and the supporters have helped me and my family to feel comfortable in the city and stadium so it was clear to us that we wanted to stay. The club and especially the headcoach and Stuart have given me so much and I just want to give back to them." That spirit seems to run through the whole club at the moment.

He looks like a younger Buendia in that video and like him, comfortable cutting in from wide positions as well. He seldom needs a second touch and has an eye for goals. Have to consider the level he's playing at, but he looks to be a good prospect.

My two nephews support Newcastle, having grown up in the city, but both are in the depths of despond about the current situation after their struggle to survive last season. Playing them at CR in our second game is a real chance for 3 points.

Nicely done indeed. Reflects the club's current focus on youth and great images as well.

On the first point, DF had little choice. Krul came in because Gunn had left. Marshall played at LB because of injuries, as I recall. DF wasn't going to play Oliveira because of his attitude and his failure to fit Farkeball. The only other choice was Srbeny. This season he has proven players in all of those positions. The second point is certainly true and it's possible that he may decide to play Fährmann instead of Rhodes after a full pre-season, but I can't see Drmic and Roberts replacing Pukki and Buendia at Liverpool unless there are injuries.

There is another possibility for strengthening the DM position. If we were to play three at the back, Godfrey could be one CB when we don't have the ball, but move forward into the DM position when we do. At the same time the CM, say Leitner or Vrancic, could move forward to support the attack. When the ball is lost, Godfrey drops back to his CB position and Leitner or Vrancic drops back to CM. The effect is a stronger defence when we don't have the ball and a four player attack when we do.

According to the EDP it happened in the off-season. Would guess that the op was arranged as soon as possible.

That could still happen. If so, it's possible that Godfrey could be given a flexible role, moving forward into DM when we have the ball, then dropping back into the back three when it's lost. That could make us stronger at the back without diminishing our attacking abilities.

I tend to agree with Broadstairs on this one, not for sentimental reasons, but for continuity. Buendia and Aarons didn't come straight into the line-up last season, in spite of the previous poor finish. Our strength last season was the instinctive understanding between players and that takes time to establish. Pre-season will help, but I expect us to start with players already ingrained into Farkeball. New players are likely to get their chances from the bench.

I like it and it seems to fit with promotion to the PL.

As Crafty says, second RB first would definitely be a good idea. Given that Drmic can also play WL or WR, another DM is more pressing IMO.

Glad it's been settled - can enjoy the weekend now.

I think that's about right, Indy. Recruiting is one thing, but new players have to be integrated and that takes time. We've lost no players important to the first team last season (only Pinto had a few games at the start of the season). Our young players are proven and experienced now and squad unity is strong. Our strengths lie in that togetherness, squad depth (seemless replacements when players are injured), togetherness, fitness, and a genuine hunger for success throughout the squad. That gives me confidence that we'll handle adversity when it comes and fight hard through the whole season. Farke knows what he's doing and the players buy into it entirely and apply his tactics and strategies instinctively.

If this tweet is true, it could indicate SW's thinking behind the evolution of the squad on the brink of the PL season. In some ways it would be similar to the Rhodes loan deal, which also didn't include a buy option, as that couldn't be agreed. It's an expensive deal, but it has to be put in the context of this season's PL money. As Parma says, if we stay up, it's money well spent. If we don't, then we're not stuck with an expensive player who doesn't want to play in the Championship and is then sent out on RvW style loss making loans. To buy a GK at Fahrmann's level would be hugely expensive and we don't have the budget for that this season. If we do stay up and Fahrmann wants to stay, then we could afford to buy him or another keeper of similar quality. As it is, it will take a large proportion of the budget available to pay the fee and wages, but there would still be enough money left for any business we have yet to do. In that light, it makes sense.