MancCanary

I.e. this year''s championship squad (as it stands) or the squad from the championship season we were promoted? On paper, you''d have to say this year''s. But it just goes to show how much of success in football is down to belief/confidence and good tactics/organisation. As we proved in that season, and indeed the first premiership season, you can do well with inferior players if your players are busting a gut to do well. And as we proved last year, you can have great players on paper.. but! So I don''t think we need to stress out too much about signing Rhodes, McCormack or anyone - we just have to hope Adams & co get whoever is here into shape, full of confidence and playing without fear. Blackburn paid £8m for Rhodes with the hope he would take them straight back up - but the rest of the team wasn''t up to it, so all he has done has kept them up. I would prefer we have a team of no-names like Grabban etc, that all have something to prove, than one or 2 £10m players. Thoughts?

Any player determined to leave would have already put in a transfer request by now, and we would know about it - because that''s what always happens. That just leaves other clubs to come in and make the right offers for the players that we cannot turn down, such as with Snodgrass. I''m sure if someone offers £6m+ for RVW he would be sold, £7m+ for Hooper, £3m+ for Bassong etc etc. Obviously we have to make sure we get it all done ASAP and get the replacements in ASAP, as if someone makes a proper offer for Fer, Ruddy, Hooper etc too close to the end of the window, we''d either have to say no and risk the player being unhappy, or sell them and risk not being able to get the replacements in quickly enough. I''m going to predict that we keep RVW, Ruddy, and Hooper, but sell Fer and Bassong.

I would agree with you on that. Let''s just hope that the club do the sensible thing and don''t let him go before getting a replacement in first.

Wiz, you can''t just stake everything on one player - it''s about more than one player - the whole team needs to be set up well, to know their jobs, and be sent out with confidence in themselves and to play without fear. It''s no good just signing the most expensive striker in the league. We could sign him and still be crap - look at Blackburn! He''s kept them in the division, but that''s all. It''s about the whole team - and we''ve definitely got a very talented strikeforce for the championship already. Trust me - you will certainly believe in them if we have a good start!

chicken - you mean Harry knows him personally, or knows a bit more about him as a player? He''s never managed him has he?

TCCANARY - haha, true! Seriously though - why aren''t any Premiership clubs getting linked with McCormack or Rhodes?

Yelloow Since 72 - How do you know Olsson prefers 23? He''s never had it before?

You''re dead right there Wiz - We''re never going to spend even more money (£10m) on a player with even less pedigree than RVW did before we signed him. Just ridiculous. I don''t get why QPR aren''t being linked with McCormack and Rhodes, if they''re so good? Why do they want Hooper? Perhaps Hooper isn''t as bad as some would have us believe.. and perhaps McCormack and Rhodes aren''t quite up to hype.

Would we be able to afford Rhodes'' wages, let alone a £10m fee? From the Huddersfield Examiner article: "It’s claimed the 24-year-old has requested a pay rise after an £8m bid from Norwich was rejected." He must be one of the championship''s highest earners, on over £20k a week - and if he''s asking for more that''s probably around £30k a week. Would Hooper even be on that much? Seems like too big a gamble. Oh, and if Rhodes is so good, why aren''t QPR trying to sign him instead of Hooper, who a lot of city fans on these boards think is a bad player?

Yes, silly you Newton. You''ve given yourself an ambitious username there mate, as you seem a little way off Isaac in the brains dept. Perhaps you should hang about under apple trees? Maybe an apple on the head will allow you to understand this - the scout does not choose the price tag. Get it?

That doesn''t suddenly mean we should spend most of our budget by paying twice what a player is worth. PS, the scout doesn''t decide how much the club pays for players, he just recommends them.

Ray - OK no problem, we''ll just have to see. But I''m afraid i really don''t understand your "to answer your questions could be unproductive, hope you understand." comment. Sounds a bit needlessly mysterious?! If you work for the club just say so.

So just because Fulham like to pay premiership fees for championship strikers, we should too? That tactic has gone really well for Fulham recently as well hasn''t it? The ink is barely dry on Mitrologu''s £10m signing, and now they''re going to spend the same again on a player who''s worth £5m tops. Just because a stupid club is bidding £10m on a striker it doesn''t make him a genuine £10m striker.

Ray, I took "man-management" to mean management of players - so that''s just a misunderstanding, apologies. But just wondering, how do you know he''s not a good man-manager of non-football staff? Do you have connections with the club, or experience of working with him? I''m not trying to sound challenging or aggressive with this - I''m genuinely interested.

[quote user="Ray"]This worries me, for many reasons. IMO lacks man management skills and is a puppet appointment. C''est la vie![/quote] What on earth do you mean, lacks man management skills? The Technical Director isn''t meant to be man-managing anyone - that''s Neil Adams'' job as the head coach. Ricky Martin has done an excellent job as Academy Director - culminating in his academy players winning the FA Youth Cup. He obviously knows what he''s doing, having coached many of these players over the last 10 years since he joined in 2001/2. He also knows the club, the academy and colney inside out. He does not need to be a big name, or a good man-manager, or any of that sh*t, because that isn''t his job.

[quote user="A Gay Schoolboy"]What happened to the idea that the technical director was going to impliment a ''Norwich way'', a style of football that would transcend the tenures of individual managers? There''s no mention of anything like that in the press release, or even of Martin having any input on signings and coaching beyond fitness work.[/quote] Do your homework before you mouth off mate. The Technical Director was NEVER meant to have any input on signings - McNally said that from the off. The TD''s job is to do all the non-coaching football work around Colney and Carrow Rd, allowing the coaches to coach, whilst the Head of Recruitment (Barry Simmonds) has an input on signings.

[quote user="Highland Canary"]It was obvious for those of us that had watched the previous season what was likely to happen. Unfortunately, it doesn''t take a rocket scientist to predict what will happen this.[/quote] Go on then Highland, what''s going to happen then? Predict it, and we''ll come back to this in May and see if it did or did not take a rocket scientist to predict what would happen this time. I don''t see how you can have a clue how we will do this year, without the benefit of a previous season under Adams'' management to help you.

[quote user="Herman "]It all depends Wiz. If it looks like Adams is clearly out of his depth then less then 10 games. If we are picking up points, but not as many as the fans would like, but it looks as though the team are gelling and gaining momentum then more than 10 games. Etc. etc.[/quote] Herman is right Wiz. There can be a big difference between two different runs of 10 games with a low point tally. Much like a 0-0 draw can be a drab, boring affair or a brilliant, end-to-end battle with 2 great goalkeepers keeping clean sheets.

No great surprise - he will play 40+ games for Bournemouth, but would find it much much harder to get ahead of the calibre of strikers we have at Carrow Rd. Maybe 1p5wich should''ve bid for him as you have no decent strikers at all? Oh.. You couldnt even afford him. Sorry.

Is this another Waveney? I''ve not seen this particular moniker before. Oh well, doesn''t matter which kn*bhead it is doe it..

It has been pointed out numerous times already that Grabban, Lafferty and even Callum Wilson can all play on the wing - so it doesn''t necessarily mean the end for all 3 of RVW, Hooper and Becchio. In fact, if Pilkington and Hoolahan leave, it''ll really look like we need all of the others. If we look at what we''ve got right now: Out and out strikers: RVW Hooper Becchio Loza Forwards/Wingers/Attacking Midfielders: Lafferty Grabban (maybe Wilson) Hoolahan Out and out wingers: Pilkington Redmond Bennett Murphy And if Pilks and Hoolahan and one of RVW, Hooper or Becchio leave, I think all of these players would still play a part in the season: 2 of RVW, Hooper, Becchio Loza Forwards/Wingers/Attacking Midfielders: Lafferty Grabban (maybe Wilson) Out and out wingers: Redmond Bennett Murphy - If Grabban, Lafferty and Wilson were all just no.9s, it would be a different matter of course. But with them being so versatile, I can see us keeping 2 of RVW Hooper and Becchio.

My god this is good!: "the canteen at their training ground closed down, meaning the players have to take packed lunches or send out for sandwiches. The players are also being made to pay to have their kits washed. Hockaday will not have control of transfer business and Cellino intends to flood the squad with free signings and cheap Italian imports."

ncfc2012: "wolfswinkel wanted number 20 shirt" Then why would he tweet "been given number of 20"?

So much guesswork and reading between the lines going on here! I''ll add my own.. Let''s look at the possibilities: 1. Adams has taken away the 9 shirt and given him 20 to belittle him, or because he intends to sell him: This is possible. But why give him 20 - why not 30, 31, 32 etc? 2. Adams has decided after all the bad press and pressure on the kid after his solitary goal last season, it''s a bit silly him having the no.9 shirt again this season, so we''ll give him the NEXT lowest number that has become available (due to Nash leaving) - so he''s definitely in the 1st team squad, but the pressure is off him as the record-signing, dutch international no.9. I tend to think it''s this second possibility - because 20 IS the next lowest number free, and if he was really being harsh, he''d give him no.31 down there with Bassong - who I think is obviously being given the cold shoulder. Olsson''s no.23 also worries me. Surely if you would give him the no.3 shirt all day long.. unless you think he;s almost certainly going?

That''s a bit of a ridiculous comment. All the way up from league 1 we''ve had some big performers who other clubs (not necessarily top prem clubs) would have wanted - but we didn''t have to sell at any point. Granted in the last season, the value of our players will have diminished (except Snodgrass, bizarrely!).