birchfest

For those who don’t have Twitter it’s reporting we’ve come to an agreement with Rostov for Normann….

That’s curious, but just seems unlikely after him featuring and the words coming out of their club and from Billing himself. Unless we went all in. Still think Normann is the guy they will try to through the kitchen sink at now in terms of effort.

To be honest gutted as I think without our own hand in their goals, we were good for a win today. Normally that would encourage me this early in the season, however I’m just terrified of the Sheffield United/our own project restart experience effect kicking in and it becoming this big deal of when Norwich will finally win a game. Arsenal have been pants, but I still expect us to get nothing there, it’s a huge ask to go to their place and hope on getting our first win there. Its going to now put a huge pressure on the Watford game to kick start our season and they seem a bogey side for us of late. It’s the next 3 days that could determine our season, 2 players from being able to sort out our formation I feel.

It really depends as often a dislocation goes hand in hand with ligament damage, they were quite unclear about Mumba and it could be his patella which can pop out and then back in (that’s a whole other conversation on the pros and cons of that). If he’s done that to his shoulder he will be lucky to be moving it properly anytime in the next 3 weeks, let along ready to fall on it or go shoulder to shoulder. That is seriously bad news if he’s who we need before October/November.

I think there is a bit of convenient truth in this. I’m sure both are a little sore after their first 90 minutes following a couple of weeks since they last got that with their former teams. Especially Tzolis who hasn’t played since his last Maga me in greece, which must have been 3 weeks ago? Farke also talking up Pukki at the end and his sharpness just suggests that there is a bit of expectation management going on. Tzolis looked good, but parts of our fan base need to get it out of their heads he should start as that is the only possible way we win on Saturday, that’s a huge amount of expectation and I imagine his form to be fairly mixed as he gets up to speed, it’s why 20 minutes off the bench would be the perfect next step. Same with Sargent, we should be encouraged that he already looks a better striker than Drimic, but to bin our most experienced striker who we know can cut it at this level could be missing a trick to get Pukki up to speed a firing. For me, if the scores are level or we are chasing a 1 goal deficit, then 60 minutes would be a great time to bring Tzolis and Sargent on, the buzz around the ground would be huge and it’s enough time to have an impact without putting the responsibility of getting a result as a starter on them yet.

Yeah, whichever way round it is, the one thing that seems clear is Bettis are desperate to have him gone and are running out of time.

Didn’t we have Steven Fletcher do a ‘reverse Pritchard’ where by he was about to sign but then had an offer from Sheffield Wednesday who were literally closer to where he was so went there and signed instead. Fairly sure he even did an interview and said as much something like ‘he didn’t fancy the drive’ edit* are yes here it is: “I was looking at the sat-nav and there was still six hours to go because it’s a long way down from Glasgow. “I was half way thinking Sheffield is just there, so I text Barry and said ‘what’s Wednesday like?’ and he said ‘brilliant’. He said you need to come so I went in and signed for them that night.

Well there we go, isn’t sort of obvious? Bettis want him gone and are using our enquiry to try panic Fulham into getting it done.

Funny, I’m pretty sure we were nailed on for a loan with Origi earlier in the window..

Well, just over 4 days of the window left… things are going to start to get going across the leagues now. Every chance we see some of the slowburner work we’ve been doing suddenly come together very quickly, especially with clubs feeling the pressure of the window about to close in both a selling and a buying sense. I’m keeping my fingers crossed today is the day we wrap up our business so the club can go into tomorrow’s match day with all the plans for the season finished and focus firmly on what’s ahead.

Guys, it seems pretty clear he was on the list and we asked at some point, but it seems Bettis want him gone and he isn’t so are trying to leak some interest, likely because there is someone else considering him and are trying to get them to bite. I have no doubt his name was flag, a call was made a fee was set out and then the first conversation with the agent put it firmly to bed with his wage demands and likely no desire to stay or have a wage cut in the event of a relegation. time to move on, it seems Normann is the front runner.

Yeah that’s me writing to him haha

Clinton Morrison, was going to partner Ashton post relegation… to go to palace instead

I’m pretty sure we had a period where Brit Assombalonga was constantly on the verge of having a mega bid put in for him from us.

1-1 at half time, Sargent and Tzolis into the fray on 60 minutes, Tzolis with the assist for a back post tap in for Sargent. 2-1 Carrow road erupts and Talksport goes out of buisness.

Dare I mention a certain ex-Spurs, ex-Swansea and apparently currently suspended from Everton midfielder. Pretty glad we missed that one…

I think also in one of the Pinkun Podcasts paddy said he had a conversation with a source at the club who said ‘hold onto your hats’ if they get their targets. However this was pre- Tzolis and Sargent, I think before LML too.

Yeah why not. In which case Alan Lee, I wonder how many were gutted we didn’t get him on a permanent and instead scrapped the barrel for some chap… Grant Colt… something like that.

I think Dennis Man makes onto the list, I mean he even got Webber out to Romania… quite the coup for the young man!

Ohh Bigila, cracking one that, well remember. I’ve got another.. Miroslav Klose

This mornings links have given me a little chuckle after the initial excitement was replaced by the realisation we have been drawn in on a bit of a non starter. Now don’t get me wrong this is a bit of a flash, but it got me thinking about some of those ‘bigger names’ we have been linked with, sometimes almost to saga length of time levels, only for it to come to nothing. My hall of fame nominations for ‘transfers that dragged on but came to nothing’ are: Craig Mackail-Smith, who gets extra points for his role in doing this over several windows, a remarkable achievement Ola Toivonen, he really didn’t want to come here did he, deary me that one dragged on. Then he went to Sunderland. Mad man. Fabio Quagliarella, almost… if only we could have offer him the €100,000 a week! Still, he has the highest viewed thread on here, almost comparable to his wage demands. If only we could pay him with views Shola Ameobi…. He never was in the building was he come on, who else…

Ameobi is STILL in the building…. After all these years, maybe we should let him out?

Damn, Connor snuffing out that one too… Would suggest Normann is the mann they want.

Yeah, I’m in this camp too. I think Normann sounds too much like what we already have, a leans towards a box to box McClean type, more than a destroyer. Camara appears to be much more in the traditional screening DM who perhaps could help get the best out of Gilmour who could help move the ball on.

Many reasons why this might have come out, I think perhaps more likely as Bettis are trying to get a bidding war going by letting it know he’s available or the agent also trying to generate some interest. We know now that Norwich made an enquiry, but who knows when that was or how far that conversation went. Maybe Norwich have leaked it to spook St Ettiane or Rostov, but I just don’t think we really work like that. I think one thing we should all be happy about, is despite the initial disappointment this one is likely not going to happen, we can clearly see that a CDM one way or another will likely be joining us as we seem to be trying to keep options open.