danielsroundabout 9 Posted January 11, 2016 It''s good to see one of our "surplus to requirements" being turned into cash and to hear rumours that Wednesday are now keen on a permanent deal for Hooper.It is the incoming activity that really concerns me and especially the seemingly endless problem at centre back. With Ivo Pinto presumably pencilled in at right-back, my worst nightmare sees our hapless skipper being moved back to the centre. This occurred on Saturday against Man. C. Hopefully it was a one-off use of three at the back for the specific game but Martin has succeeded in the past in convincing successive managers that he is capable of something that he patently isn''t.We desperately need to strengthen our starting X1 immediately in this position as both Martin and Bassong are consistent only in that they are total liabilities. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Move Klose 303 Posted January 11, 2016 Be patient. I reckon 3 more will come in before end of January. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morty 0 Posted January 11, 2016 You''ve got it wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CJ 0 Posted January 11, 2016 Most fans were shocked when no cb signed in summer , if this happens in this window then we really have lost the plot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buh 0 Posted January 11, 2016 I''m not going to baby youWorry, if that''s what you want to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Essjayess 307 Posted January 11, 2016 [quote user="Oh Cameron Jeroooooooome"]Be patient. I reckon 3 more will come in before end of January.[/quote]Imsure City would like 3 more coming in, but getting 3 more signed and sealed in reality may easily not happen, and that would likely mean at least 1 more going out. Thinking on how long it took Ivo to sign, and how long the Naisy situation is dragging on, it starts to lend itself to doubts. Its the 11th going on the 12th, still time yes, but amazing how fast the days fly by when youre wanting a thing to happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Year of the tiger 54 Posted January 11, 2016 9 points up for grabs before the end of January. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paul101 93 Posted January 11, 2016 by all reports pinto couldn''t move until the paperwork was done his end and they reopened on Friday so pretty much when people reported he would be signed and sealed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katie Borkins 1 Posted January 12, 2016 If we don''t sign a CB and striker then I can assure you it will not be for lack of trying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rufus 56 Posted January 12, 2016 It appears that some posters think we simply ring a players agent and agree the move overnight! Surely they ought to realise that it is a very complex and potentially drawn out process with many different parties involved. I think we should have more trust in the club as they are probably keener to get the right people in than us fans are. Listening to Howe stating how the Grabban transfer took a long time is typical of the issues involved and the tough negotiations to get the right price for incoming and outgoing transfers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfred Grimsdale 0 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="Darth Bor"]If we don''t sign a CB and striker then I can assure you it will not be for lack of trying.[/quote]Effort I agree but might not happen due to competence Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkngood 1,086 Posted January 12, 2016 We''re really pleased to be bringing Grabbs back to Bournemouth," Howe told Bournemouth''s official website. "It was such a long drawn out transfer but we''re delighted it''s been done.now I am really happy we got 8 mil for him and if that''s why it took so long then well done BUT it seems to me a lot of norwich''s deals take a long drawn out transfer is that what puts players agents clubs off ?? hull said it about brady us starting very low now Bournemouth are we becoming known as a club that''s hard to deal with ?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can u sit down please 0 Posted January 12, 2016 Outgoings to fund any incomings. Said it a month ago. That''s not a moan btw as £8m for Grabban is outstanding. The books will be very well balanced come tenendnof the window. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feedthewolf 4,846 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="Darth Bor"]If we don''t sign a CB and striker then I can assure you it will not be for lack of trying.[/quote]Even as someone who sits slightly towards the ''happy clapper'' end of the happy clapper<->pant wetter dichotomy, if we fail to sign a CB before the end of the window then we have not tried hard enough. Even if we go with Mbokani, Jerome and Lafferty as our three strikers, we have enough quality in midfield to make chances for them. Failure to strengthen central defence, though, could have catastrophic consequences, and I think the club knows that. If we fail to sign another CB and then Ryan Bennett gets a long-term injury... well, you join the dots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norfolk Mustard 94 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="norfolkngood"]We''re really pleased to be bringing Grabbs back to Bournemouth," Howe told Bournemouth''s official website. "It was such a long drawn out transfer but we''re delighted it''s been done. now I am really happy we got 8 mil for him and if that''s why it took so long then well done BUT it seems to me a lot of norwich''s deals take a long drawn out transfer is that what puts players agents clubs off ?? hull said it about brady us starting very low now Bournemouth are we becoming known as a club that''s hard to deal with ??[/quote]Extricating Hooper from Celtic seemed to take months too... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkngood 1,086 Posted January 12, 2016 and now Naismith linked to Swansea !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lake district canary 4,531 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="Feedthewolf"][quote user="Darth Bor"]If we don''t sign a CB and striker then I can assure you it will not be for lack of trying.[/quote]Even as someone who sits slightly towards the ''happy clapper'' end of the happy clapper<->pant wetter dichotomy, if we fail to sign a CB before the end of the window then we have not tried hard enough. Even if we go with Mbokani, Jerome and Lafferty as our three strikers, we have enough quality in midfield to make chances for them. Failure to strengthen central defence, though, could have catastrophic consequences, and I think the club knows that. If we fail to sign another CB and then Ryan Bennett gets a long-term injury... well, you join the dots.[/quote]But then we have two good first choice centre backs and also Martin amd Wisdom who can also cover at CB, so we effectively have four centre backs already. That Martin and Wisdom can also cover right back (where we also have Pinto and Whittaker) means that we have cover across the back four (with Brady and Olsson - and Whittaker - able to play left back). So although people might not rate some of those players as highly as others, the cover is there and there is little chance of finding an expeienced CB available at under 10 million who would be any better than our first choices and who would be prepared to come here mid-season possibly just to sit on the bench. As first choice CB''s, Bennett and Bassong are doing ok and our GD is not that bad - and imo some of our defensive issues come less from the back four and more from players giving the ball away too cheaply further up the pitch, with the consequent pressure that results. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morty 0 Posted January 12, 2016 Neither Martin or Wisdom are good enough at centre back in the Premier league.Russ, at a push in an emergency maybe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
......and Smith must score. 1,341 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="can u sit down please"]Outgoings to fund any incomings. Said it a month ago. That''s not a moan btw as £8m for Grabban is outstanding. The books will be very well balanced come tenendnof the window.[/quote]That''s what''s so depressing about Norwich City sometimes.If a club like Bournemouth can splash out £16m on two players why can''t we show a bit more ambition ? Yes, I know Bournemouth have a wealthy Russian but surely we can be a teeny bit more adventurous ?Yes, I know we came close to administration in 2009 but haven''t we moved on ? We''ve had Premier League cash coming in for four out of the last five seasons.This obsession with balancing the books at all costs is likely to end with one thing and that''s relegation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tetteys Jig 830 Posted January 12, 2016 I think it''s just a tough window to be honest. When you see the likes of Liverpool swooping down the list of defenders and the best they can come up with is Steven Caulker then you have to wonder who we get in the grand order of this gs.I appreciate they were in for a loan only and we are up for spending some money for a permanent deal but it shows the competition is out there. Definitely a sellers market. I just hope we don''t turn our noses up too many times at deals like Afobe and end up with nothing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,557 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="can u sit down please"]Outgoings to fund any incomings. Said it a month ago. That''s not a moan btw as £8m for Grabban is outstanding. The books will be very well balanced come tenendnof the window.[/quote]You did indeed say that. That we would have to sell to buy, which can only mean selling players we didn''t want to sell in order to buy others we wanted. Selling Grabban doesn''t fit into that category because from recent league team sheets, when he wasn''t even getting on the bench, it was clear he was well down the striking pecking order. And to get players in we have to free up spaces in the 25. If we get money for them, so much the better.Your claim will only be true if we sell players who have been featuring prominently recently. And it also only be true if at the end of the window the books are balanced and we have only spent what we have received. We shall see but so far I am happy with my reply at the time:1) We will spend a record amount for a winter window.2) There may well be players sold but only to part-finance transfers in, and those departing will be players who (and there are some obvious candidates) Neil has decided are not wanted on voyage. Apart from anything, some squad members will almost certainly have to be culled (sold or loaned out) to make room for the incomers.3) We will spend more than we get back in transfer fees. We will certainly not balance the books either in terms of our winter spending or our overall summer and winter spending. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkngood 1,086 Posted January 12, 2016 I hope you are right purple as that''s what I would like to see otherwise we must be close to setting a record of net spend by any promoted team ever !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkngood 1,086 Posted January 12, 2016 edit button should of read !I hope you are right purple as that''s what I would like to see otherwise we must be close to setting a record of LEAST net spend by any promoted team ever !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,557 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="norfolkngood"]edit button should of read !I hope you are right purple as that''s what I would like to see otherwise we must be close to setting a record of LEAST net spend by any promoted team ever !![/quote]To be cleaer, my predictions are what the board intends to do, based on my fag-packet reading of our finances. We could be banking on spending £10m on a striker and the deal falls through at the last moment. So far, for this winter, going by not very trustworthy headline figures, we have spent £4m-£5m and received £7m-£8m. And we have are only in the 11th day of the window, with 20 to go after this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
It's Character Forming 1,160 Posted January 12, 2016 I was worried when we didn''t sign a CB over the summer and after a few games our defensive weakness there was obvious. Fortunately Bennett has since come in and with him and Basso at CB we have decent quality in that position (for a lower-end Prem team). My concern as has been mentioned is what happens when injuries/suspensions happen. If we''re forced to bring Martin/Wisdom into the CB position, we''d be back to being defensively weak, which could be the difference between survival and relegation. It just reminds me of the Bryan Gunn situation back in ''95 when he was injured and we got relegated. So for me signing a decent CB is the make or break thing for this window - if we do, I will be ok with it (given the business done already); if we don''t, I''ll be disappointed even if we sign Naismith etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,317 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="......and Smith must score."][quote user="can u sit down please"]Outgoings to fund any incomings. Said it a month ago. That''s not a moan btw as £8m for Grabban is outstanding. The books will be very well balanced come tenendnof the window.[/quote]That''s what''s so depressing about Norwich City sometimes.If a club like Bournemouth can splash out £16m on two players why can''t we show a bit more ambition ? Yes, I know Bournemouth have a wealthy Russian but surely we can be a teeny bit more adventurous ?Yes, I know we came close to administration in 2009 but haven''t we moved on ? We''ve had Premier League cash coming in for four out of the last five seasons.This obsession with balancing the books at all costs is likely to end with one thing and that''s relegation.[/quote]Agree Smithy - unfortunately its no longer compatible with top flight success unless you have a top notch academy and thus are making money from selling your own youth products.Its not a problem for a top flight club to carry some debt provided its structured/you have saleable assets if relegation does happen. This is the season where a small gamble would seem appropriate given the financial rewards for staying up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkngood 1,086 Posted January 12, 2016 I have this horrible feeling that we are going to spend the 8 million grabban money on gayle I really hope I am wrong !!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tetteys Jig 830 Posted January 12, 2016 Gayle wouldn''t be ideal, but he''s a damn sight better than Grabban. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,557 Posted January 12, 2016 [quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="norfolkngood"]edit button should of read !I hope you are right purple as that''s what I would like to see otherwise we must be close to setting a record of LEAST net spend by any promoted team ever !![/quote]To be cleaer, my predictions are what the board intends to do, based on my fag-packet reading of our finances. We could be banking on spending £10m on a striker and the deal falls through at the last moment. So far, for this winter, going by not very trustworthy headline figures, we have spent £4m-£5m and received £7m-£8m. And we have are only in the 11th day of the window, with 20 to go after this.[/quote]Just to add the summer balance sheet (again going on headline figures, which may not be accurate but if not their inaccuracies probably cancel each other out) we sold Johnson for £6m and spent around £11m or £12m on Brady (£7m), Dorrans (£3m or £4m) and (a wild guess) £1m for the year-long loan of Mbokani. So we spent £5m-plus more in the summer than we got in. And so far, taking both windows into account we have spent £15m-£16m and received £14m. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites