The Great Mass Debater

Byram (and maybe Whittaker?) had the same thing going on. Every season I would wait for it to be rectified, and it wasnt! Which has led to our left back taking the 14 shirt >:#

Hucks being a number 6 never sat easy with me

I had Fox 14 on the back of my shirt back in the day!

Since the move to permanent squad numbers, has there been a better number 7 than Borja Sainz?

Obviously due to his youth we cant place too high an expectation on him, but I have to say he has looked impressive each time I have seen him. How does he compare in terms of being a prospect to say Max Aarons? And how good do people think he can get. One thing he does have in his favour is that he still has some physical development to come naturally

If we have pulled off a potential £9.5m fee for Idah a certain John Hartson needs to be winding his neck in https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/24501974.john-hartson-blasts-norwich-city-adam-idah-stance/

Also, would you not expect us to be looking to make a few raids on FCN? If Thorup is aware of the next big thing set to emerge at FCN in each position, and with FCN set up to sell, wouldnt you have thought Thorup would have plucked a few here and there? Or do work-permits for Danish/Ghanain players scupper any such prospect?

So having read that article, it really does make me wonder what th club hope they#ve got with Thorup. Playing the youth isnt down to some bold philosophy from a trailblazing manager, it comes from the entrie set-up he was part of. Essentially that statistic about playing more youth than anyone in the world would be true of anyone occupying the FCN head coach role, not the specific individual. The style of play also comes from the model and as far as I understand it does not come from Throup himself. So Thorup of course would not have been passive through any of this, he will have to have been on board with it, believe in it and be effective in implementing it. BUT, he has a huge set up that he sat a-crest of. Does ha have that at Norwich. For example FCN has a shark-tooth system, which the arcticle highlights with the move of Frese. When he left, they didnt need to sign a replacement, they simply promoted one of their academy players. All their academy players are considered ready to step up because they have set things up that way so there is no blockage to progression - see the colour coded reference in the article. Our academy system seems amateur in comparison. We will have a lot of players who are essentially making up the numbers and not expected to make the grade (what the article refers to as attrition, which football as a whole is happy and comfortable with). When we were left with no left backs, did we promote Montoia? No, because he was not felt to be ready. In previous years Lewis and Max have been trusted, but the scale of the RTD set-up means when someone goes, the next player steps up. Thorup is not sitting on such a line of succession here. So what have the club done in appointning him? Not realised why the trust in youth statistic was so high for him and gone for a pretty dumb appointment? Are they hoping he can instill the same approach here at Norwich? Which if he is to do so he will need a lot more from the academy set up. If Throup is here to set us up like FCN then this is a major project that is going to take a number of years to come good. All well anf good if this is a genuine attempt at revolution, but the fans need to understand and buy into the project, and from the comments above about him getting sacked in 6 weeks it really doesnt seem that they are. If he has been brought in to be a conventional manager with the added hope he may get a few gems from the academy to blossom then this looks doomed to failure.

A really good read, thanks for sharing

Or indeed anyone who has ever played Football Manager. Getting rid of unwanted players the hardest thing about that game

Bassong is simultaneously the best and worst defender I've ever seen play for us. Bassong the 1st was superb!

Baby I'd live in Rotherham for you...

Rotherham. It's not the worst place in the world at all, but Im only here because of my wife

I got back yesterday from a short boating holiday on the Norfolk broads. Can I just say what a beautiful part of the country Norfolk is. We started off at Acle, then went to Ludham, Potter Higham and then Ranworth. Finished off at Wroxham befor back to Acle. Brief visit to Great Yarmouth and home. Anyone on here who lives in these places I am very envious and I would love to have something such as the broads on my doorstep. Id happily live there but my wife would never move!

Certainly doenst sound like our recruitment is going to be 'experienced' players