Ben Godfrey

[BobLoz3 609]

Story on the front page, as you''ll all have seen, about how a trio of Premier League clubs are being linked with a move for Ben Godfrey.Don''t know about you guys but I feel it''s a ridiculous story (and would be a crazy move) as he has barely even been seen in yellow and green yet, so I can''t see us letting him go.I think he''s back in Jan isn''t he? If so, it would be interesting to see how he performs in the holding midfield role. With Tettey''s contract up in the summer, could he be our new holding midfield general?

[shefcanary 2,950]

He has to be Tettey''s long term replacement surely - where else could we get someone of Tettey''s calibre without paying the earth for him? This lads agent needs shooting.

[Old Shuck 291]

If he joins a Premier League club, he''ll immediately be farmed back out on loan again and still be playing in the Championship as a ''hired hand'' until the end of the season with every chance they''d do the same again come August.Far better for all parties if he comes back here (ditto Raggett) and starts playing for us and bedding himself in as a Norwich player. Sure, if he is as good as he seems to be, he''ll get his move. But lets look to improve our team with our players and, by playing him for a year, eighteen months, see his value go up over that time. If he was to be sold now, the downpayment would be near to negligible in todays market. If Tettey leaves in the summer and Reed returns to Southampton, there''s his place, likewise if Klose is away next month.Second half of season ''back six'' of Gunn-Pinto-Raggett-Hanley-Lewis-Godfry (Vrancic-Pritchard-Maddison-Wildschut-Olivera?) doesn''t look too shabby and is an XI of players all playing in their best positions.

[ron obvious 1,711]

Louis Thompson back for next season (hopefully) as well.

[Jim Smith 2,608]

We could have done with having him around for the last 6 weeks or so to be honest. Its ironic that he will come back around the time that our other central midfielders are coming back to fitness so will probably find opportunities limited but in my view we should get him back and bedded into the squad ahead of next season where I suspect he will be a regular player for us.

If we are to go down the sustainable selling club route then lets at least get a season or two out of our talented youngsters before we sell them off!

[Big Vince 423]

If the boy is being tracked by 3 EPL clubs it surely begs the question why was he not considered good enough for the Championship this season?

It is another example of how the club does not trust the young players at its disposal and would rather go out and make someone else''s player a better player ie. the boy Reed. Where is the logic in that?

Delia out. Chase in.

[PurpleCanary 6,378]

[quote user="Big Vince"]If the boy is being tracked by 3 EPL clubs it surely begs the question why was he not considered good enough for the Championship this season?

It is another example of how the club does not trust the young players at its disposal and would rather go out and make someone else''s player a better player ie. the boy Reed. Where is the logic in that?

Delia out. Chase in.[/quote]No it doesn''t. If there is a question it begs it is how come these PL clubs didn''t buy him when they had the chance?

[Big Vince 423]

Well, the 3 EPL clubs have only started tracking him whilst he has been on loan at the Shrews and the latter have been top of their league. My point is we knew he was a decent player without him needing to go on loan to prove it. Why bring in Reed when you had Godfrey?

[cornish sam 1,039]

Because there''s a difference between being a decent player (which we knew) and knowing if he can do it week in week out in a competitive league. If a PL club did buy him he wouldn''t be walking straight into their first XI he would be loaned out for the rest of this season (to shrews or us) and then on most likely on the bench next season or loaned out again... PL clubs can afford to play a long game gamble on young players that we are not necessarily able to anymore.

[cornish sam 1,039]

And also, can people please stop saying EPL, we are in england (mostly), its just the PL for us...

[FenwayFrank 2,715]

I hate that too, we all know what country we’re in 😀

[norfolkngood 1,174]

That is also the problem we are going to have in the future

the good young players we have will be on low wages

Madison Godfrey Murphy they are our future but will be sold off to pay for the lesser overpaid players

i do not mind Norwich being a selling club we always have been but i like a few seasons out of the players first

[Badger 2,745]

A slightly different angle on this is the much derided ex-recruitment team - they purchased Madison and Godfrey - so there must have been someone who could spot a good prospect.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

It''s always the case Badger. I would love to be proved wrong but I reckon our new recruitment team will have successes and failures.

Back in January 2016 posters complaining about the players we are stuck with now were suggesting we should pay 4m for Charlie Austin and give him a 4.5 year contract on 80k per week. Apparently that would have been cheap IF he''d kept us up. What if he hadn''t....

[Duncan Edwards 2,424]

If he hadn’t the same people would have said it was a ridiculous contract and that it was another example of the board and their gross mismanagement and ineptitude holding us back.

No ambition. Buh.

[ZLF 334]

of the current loanees we have out Godfrey is the one I am truly excited about.

I think we have judge his development well; weekly football this season was exactly what he needed and the placement with Carlton was a shrewed pic; he has flourished in a position that is notoriously difficult for a youngster to impose himself.

I am very happy for morris, raggett etc to complete their loans away from here as we do have better options here already; but I hope Godfrey returns, is given and takes his chance to become our enforcer.

As for our recruitment strategy it seems to me we are no different to any other club; some disappointments, some successes, some that take time to settle. Thats the transfer tombola for you; you never really know what you are going to get.

[BobLoz3 609]

Has anyone watched him play at Shrewsbury? I have heard good reports but not actually seen any of his performances. Would be interesting to see how crucial to their team he has been and, more importantly, how he''s being played. Do they play a similar system to us? With two deeper lying midfielders and the attacking players supporting a lone striker?

[Rogue Baboon 0]

@Bob

I have just looked on Sky Sports website. It seems he plays as the ''1'' in a 4-1-4-1 system, which suggests he could be a long term replacement for Tettey.

If this is the case it makers sense to get him back into the squad in January, on the basis that if Tettey is leaving in the summer Godfrey may as well be blooded into the Championship ready to build for next season.

Also if he comes back into the Championship his value will be higher should a Prem team want to take a punt on him

[Woodman 92]

If the team are doing ok and Tettey, Reed, Vrancic and Trybull stay fit, I think he''ll go out on loan again - probably back to Shrewsbury, where Morris is staying for the full season.

The club have been canny with their loans of Raggett and Godfrey - with one eye on whether the 4 I mentioned above perform and the possibility of Tettey or Trybull not staying beyond this season.

If Klose goes in January, Raggett will stay.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

I’d be bringing him back in jan to be tetteys understudy/replacement. Tettey is injury prone and could do with a few games off over a crowded schedule. Godfrey is ideal foil for that. I’m quite excited about a midfield partnership of Godfrey and Thompson in the long run if Thompson can finally stay injury free.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

Whether Godfrey returns or not really depends on how much football Webber and Farke think he''ll get.

No point bringing him back if he will be 3rd or 4th in line after the likes of Tettey, Trybull, Reed etc. Better for Godfrey for him to play another 20 odd games at Shrewsbury and continue his development.

It is a balancing act, Norwich probably could have done with him when they had a few injuries, but now players are coming back he isn''t really needed as much. Could bring him back just in case there are a spate of 3 or 4 injuries at the same time again, but that seems like being over precautious.

It looks like he could be a great player, Shrewsbury fans have been saying he''s as good as any midfielder in League One. But he needs games and experience, won''t get that sitting on the bench (if he even makes it that far) at Norwich.

[norfolkngood 1,174]

i would have him back and put him in first team

my reason for this are players are less likely to move if they are a 1st teamer playing week in week out

if they are out on loan then they do not get the Norwich experience of living here etc

We know in the past players like areas get godfrey here and enjoying his football he may not want to move elsewhere

of course Money talks but some players will stay

[BobLoz3 609]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]Whether Godfrey returns or not really depends on how much football Webber and Farke think he''ll get.

No point bringing him back if he will be 3rd or 4th in line after the likes of Tettey, Trybull, Reed etc. Better for Godfrey for him to play another 20 odd games at Shrewsbury and continue his development.

It is a balancing act, Norwich probably could have done with him when they had a few injuries, but now players are coming back he isn''t really needed as much. Could bring him back just in case there are a spate of 3 or 4 injuries at the same time again, but that seems like being over precautious.

It looks like he could be a great player, Shrewsbury fans have been saying he''s as good as any midfielder in League One. But he needs games and experience, won''t get that sitting on the bench (if he even makes it that far) at Norwich.[/quote]I agree with that, I just don''t think we should consider selling him just yet until he''s had a full season with us. Reed will likely go back to Southamption next season, so perhaps Godfrey could be blooded for us then. Him and Trybull in those deeper lying roles could work well (this is, of course, assuming Tettey is off in the summer)

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 2,424]

I definitely wouldn''t sell him yet (depending on just how large an offer). It seems like he could be a really talented player, and very talented, English, Championship players can attract very big offers from Premier League clubs.

There is certainly scope for bringing him back and playing him. He probably isn''t at the level of Reed or Tettey yet, but those guys will be leaving in the summer (as could Trybull if Norwich don''t have that option in his contract). It would be a sign that Norwich are kind of writing off this season - which on the face of it is understandable - but if he steps up like Maddison did, then Norwich are laughing.

[Woodman 92]

I agree. Wes and Tettey are out of contract at the end of this season - can''t see either being offered new ones under the new financial constraints, especially with Naismith and Jarvis still under contract until the end of the 2018/19 season (alongside Klose, Pinto, Yanic, Jerome, Maddison, McGovern and Martin).

Realistically, only 2 or 3 of those will be here next season, unless we can find a way to sell/pay off Jarvis and Naismith.