Jim Smith 2,314 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="hogesar"][quote user="Highland Canary"]Wise words from Broadstairs. Last season we had a defence incapable of securing PL survival. We need to avoid another August fiasco this season. As things stand we have insufficient goals in the team to finish higher than mid-table.[/quote]Why? We have a 20 goal a season striker in Jerome.We have Hoolahan who chips in with a few.Howson who chips in with a few.Josh Murphy who scored 7 in this league last season (I think).Canos who scored a few in this league last season.We have attacking fullbacks in Olsson and Pinto.Heck, Russell Martin grabbed a few last time we were here.So, and I know this is hugely unlikely - after making a ridiculous comment, for the first time ever on this forum, are you going to back it up?[/quote]I think the reality of the position is we don''t have enough goals of Jerome gets injured or plays like he did last season so we need at least one other decent striker option. Re the other post above I don''t think our problem is creating chances, at least not when playing the high tempo attacking game I think we will play this season. We created and missed a lot of chances last season in the first and last third of the season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,314 Posted July 21, 2016 One thing I do think though is it would be stupid to write off Lafferty as potential back up to Jerome, especially if we are going to continue to play one up front. He has been excellent in that role for N.Ireland and never got a chance there for us. Jerome, Lafferty and a new striker with Naismith in the mix as well should be enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,314 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="hogesar"][quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]Norwich definitely need another striker, if not two, even if Jerome repeats his tally of 21 Norwich are missing Johnson who scored 15, Grabban who scored 12 and Hooper who also scored 12.Jerome was only a ''20 goal a season striker'' because of the extra play-off games. I still wouldn''t spend £10m of McCormack though. He''s on big wages and it''s not like signing him suddenly propelled Fulham into the Premier League. Not to mention the fact I really can''t see him working in an AN team.[/quote]My point isn''t that we don''t need a striker - we obviously do.But Jerome is constantly criticised on here like he''s an irrelevant part of our squad next season but even if we sign another I''d be surprised if whoever it is plays more than Jerome does for us.And your caveat for why Jerome was a 20 goal a season striker is irrelevant. It''s like saying *enter players name* only scored in the FA Cup final because the team won the semi-final. He scored goals, that''s the point.We''re not going to have another midfielder net 15 goals, however.[/quote]Could see Howson scoring more than he did last time though if he can carry on his form of last season. Surely Naismith good for seven or eight over a season as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Diane 500 Posted July 21, 2016 I honestly think Jerome will get 15 this season but we deperately do need another experienced striker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lappinitup 629 Posted July 21, 2016 "Norwich City are leading the race to sign Fulham striker Ross McCormack, sources have told TEAMtalk."http://www.teamtalk.com/news/norwich-lead-chase-for-fulham-striker-mccormackSeems like it''s still on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cantiaci Canary 556 Posted July 21, 2016 Please make this happen. A proven goal machine that will be worth every single penny if we go up this season or next. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tetteys Jig 830 Posted July 21, 2016 Seems a lot of money but if we pay it, we can clearly afford it. We can get at least 3 good seasons out of him and surely in one of them if he gets his expected 25+ goals we''d go up?Give ''em what they paid Leeds for him and it seems a fair deal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can u sit down please 0 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="lappinitup"]"Norwich City are leading the race to sign Fulham striker Ross McCormack, sources have told TEAMtalk."http://www.teamtalk.com/news/norwich-lead-chase-for-fulham-striker-mccormackSeems like it''s still on.[/quote]It is on Mick, talks are happening but the price is a stumbling block. Good player and probably the going rate now, if you look at Rhodes, Gray...still amazes me we took £3m for Hoops. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samwam27 519 Posted July 21, 2016 Astonished we let Hoops go for peanuts. Grave mistake by the club.With Laffs stil here (whether he stays or not) always wondered whether we should go for Griggs, as a NI player. Mccormack will score us goals, but feel we need AT LEAST two, before we consider letting Laffs, or RVW go. Thinks Laffs could do a good job for us coming on late in games. Think RVW needs to be moved on whatever the price, or just sever his contract to free up his wages Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lappinitup 629 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="can u sit down please"][quote user="lappinitup"]"Norwich City are leading the race to sign Fulham striker Ross McCormack, sources have told TEAMtalk."http://www.teamtalk.com/news/norwich-lead-chase-for-fulham-striker-mccormackSeems like it''s still on.[/quote]It is on Mick, talks are happening but the price is a stumbling block. Good player and probably the going rate now, if you look at Rhodes, Gray...still amazes me we took £3m for Hoops.[/quote]I hope you''re right Danny. It will be a real show of ambition if we get him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lappinitup 629 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="Samwam27"].....or just sever his contract to free up his wages[/quote]Unfortunately it doesn''t work like that. His contract would have to be paid up in full which means he would get another years wages for nothing.Nothing to gain from that.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stowcanary 0 Posted July 21, 2016 If he does join this has to mean a change in system Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horse Renoir 1 Posted July 21, 2016 Care to explain why? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,314 Posted July 21, 2016 He has not gone on Fulhams pre season tour which could suggest something is happening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yelloow Since 72 54 Posted July 21, 2016 I doubt that AN would go for him if it meant a change in system. The bookies certainly see him coming to us with odds of 4/9 compared to 20/1 for West Brom. I don''t think that this is a case of a ''young, hungry player'' option. We need a proven goalscorer who can hit the ground running. Holt may have been hungry, but he wasn''t young and I think a McCormack/Naismith combo could produce the goals we need alongside the goals Jerome can provide. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norfolk Mustard 94 Posted July 21, 2016 £ price-wise, is Ross McCormack really worth 4 Gary Hoopers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morty 0 Posted July 21, 2016 Few things on twitter saying we have agreed a fee.Nothing I would class as reliable though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morty 0 Posted July 21, 2016 [quote user="Norfolk Mustard "]£ price-wise, is Ross McCormack really worth 4 Gary Hoopers?[/quote]Depends if you are selling him for pie filling, or not, I guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hogesar 9,615 Posted July 21, 2016 I hate the price tag on him but at the same time if we did sign him, it''s the closest we''d get to guaranteed goals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GJP 79 Posted July 21, 2016 Very good player. Scores and plays others in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Branston Pickle 3,633 Posted July 21, 2016 Agree with hogesar, not too keen on the fee but IMO his record suggests if we can afford him it''s a no-brainier Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Essjayess 307 Posted July 21, 2016 Fulham have never moved away from their insistence on wanting 15 mill for McCormack, can hardly blame them, given they paid 11 mill for him, hes contracted until 2020, hes a proven 20 goals a season striker plus theyve already lost Dembele. So City have no alternative, they are going to have to fork out the 13-15 mill, wether we think its good value or no. If this did happen, id imagine that much money would pretty much eat up all Citys kitty for new signings, unless Brady does depart. In which case would seem unlikely us affording another striker, so maybe one from Laffs / RVW would have to suffice, along with an expected ratio of goals from Naismith, Howson and the like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted July 21, 2016 Well, someone is confident. Latest odds - 4/9 on, next in line are West Brom at 20/1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duncan Edwards 2,218 Posted July 22, 2016 I think McCormack really depends on your outlook. Yes, at the age he is it looks expensive. He wouldn''t be a signing from which we''d recover our outlay in a sale situation...but...if he scores the goals that help us to promotion then it''s a "win" situation for the club. If we fail in that respect then the "should''ve kept Hooper" element might rightfully feel that we''ve shot ourselves in the foot. Hooper though didn''t really "fit" under any manager and though he scored pretty healthily at Championship level, he probably didn''t offer enough in terms of all round play for our favoured systems; he didn''t work hard enough.McCormack has never done it at Prem level though and despite decent seasons nobody has taken the gamble. Maybe he''d do ok but as it stands it looks like he''d be a buy for now rather than the future.That''s all fine if he does what we''re paying for, but, even if that''s the case it might look strange to pay, potentially, an eight figure sum for a player that we''d probably be looking to replace next summer should we make the jump back. Calculated gamble?Definitely. If we don''t make it back in our first bite of the cherry he''s probably got at least two more years of being good enough to get us there with the right support. Of course Wolfie might come good.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katie Borkins 1 Posted July 22, 2016 [quote user="Norfolk Mustard "]£ price-wise, is Ross McCormack really worth 4 Gary Hoopers?[/quote]Is that two Ricky Van Wolfswinkels, or one fifth of a Raheem Sterling? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katie Borkins 1 Posted July 22, 2016 a) Hooper was shartb) Don''t start me on Rickyc) For years we have been derided by our own supporters as a club lacking ambition. If we are prepared to pay a little over the odds with the aim of boosting our chances of an immediate promotion back to the Premier League, can''t we just enjoy the rarity of a bold gamble by our club''s board of directors instead of moaning about a few million pounds here or there? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BroadstairsR 2,138 Posted July 22, 2016 The bookies do now have us as very strong favourites to land McCormack.We remain second favourites for promotion. Newcastle are strong favourites for automatics.Other interested parties ie. Aston Villa and Newcastle have either gone lukewarm on the player or something has made us more attractive to him. May be it''s Alex Neil being Scottish and/or there has been some connection, one way or the other, in the past.The Mail are reporting that he has a £12m release clause which contradicts reports that Fulham intend holding out for more. This is news to me.In the best of all possible worlds perhaps we could persuade Fulham that Kyle Lafferty has a future in the Championship in order to take a few bob off the headline price? Should this signing come about it would be a real sign of intent from NCFC, make for the continuance of a decent summer and get my money behind the Club. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,314 Posted July 22, 2016 [quote user="Norfolk Mustard "]£ price-wise, is Ross McCormack really worth 4 Gary Hoopers?[/quote]Nope. McCormack is over priced and we let Hooper go on the cheap. I would still sign him though because if we don''t one of our rivals will and it''s a position that for us is a priority. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735 Posted July 22, 2016 I know I''m jumping the gun here but should we sign him it does raise the question of how we will set up the team to accomodate him?. There is of course the possibility of him replacing Jerome rather than partnering him but the current personnel at the club (assuming that Brady will leave at some stage) might suggest that a midfield diamond might look favourite?.............Tettey..............Howson.......Dorrans.............Naismith/Hoolahan........Jerome......McCormack...with Canos and the Murphys on the bench to providemore width as a plan B ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Highland Canary 76 Posted July 22, 2016 Let''s hope this one happens. Goes a long way to solving our biggest weakness in the team. That with the upgrade of Ruddy puts us in a much better position and means that much of the no doubt forthcoming Brady sale proceeds will have been reinvested. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites