Webber's Strategy

[Yellow and Green 334]

When Stewart Webber got hired, one of the first things that he said was that he intended to recruit players from Europe, loan players on the fringes of Premiership clubs and promote players from the academy. Any sales will get re-invested back into the recruitment cycle.

In light of selling the Murphy''s and the potential transfers of Maddison and Godfrey, have we seen the first glimpses of how the strategy will work? Will we have a maximum of one season before the decent players get sold? Is that going to help us build a squad good enough to challenge for promotion?

I would be interested to hear people''s thoughts. As I see it, the loan players will go back to their respective clubs and the youth players, if they''re any good, will get sold. All of which leaves us with is a reliance on exceptionally good scouting and recruitment of players from Europe.

As an after thought, did SW underestimate how long it would take him to ''get the squad right'' by saying that it would take 3 or 4 transfer windows? I know we have time before the start of the season but it seems like we have an awful long way to go before our squad looks anywhere near complete!

[Clint 221]

Would selling Godfrey be the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back?

We all expect Maddison to go, a large section of supporters are happy to see Murphy go but most were looking forward to seeing Godfrey take over the mantle from Tettey this season.

Amongst all the other likely departures, I think that would be one sale too many.

[Bill 1,788]

or

We still have remnants of PL contracts which are unaffordable on our present Championship budget. So they are slowly being moved on.

That same Championship budget is unlikely to afford the quality of players we need.

Therefore we can fill in the ''gaps'' with loanees who do not come with 3 year contracts.

Players from overseas who offer better value for money

And youth players who when ready will not cost a huge fee.

I think it is called cutting you cloth accordingly ..... though some, for their own reasons, will still spin it as some pantomime villainy on the part of the board

''twas ever thus

[hampton canary 24]

I think we have to be realistic and accept that some of our younger players need to go out on loan to get the experience of playing first team football, rather than at under 23 level. Not all of those players are guaranteed to play in the first team squad when they return.

Both the Murphy brothers went on loan, played well and then returned to play in the first team. The fact that we sold them both for around 20m is really good business for a club our size. Yes we could have kept both of them, but is it fair to stop them having a chance to play at a higher level.

Godfrey, Morris, Matthews and Cantwell have played well for their loan clubs this season and are now back at Norwich. If we ignore Morris because of his injury, how likely is it that the other three will be guaranteed regular first team football next season.

Godfrey will compete against Tettey, Trybul and Thompson for the defensive midfield slot, so if someone offered 3-5m should we let him go.

Matthews could be first choice keeper, but we are being linked with a number of other keepers, and we still have McGovern.

Cantwell could be used as a wide player alongside Hernandez, Buendia and Wildshutt.

I think Webber has the strategy right and the more players we sell for a good profit, might just give us a chance to buy the players we need to get us back in the Premiership.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I am all for the buying abroad strategy although the harsh reality is that we dont have enough domestic grown players at the moment to meet the squad rules without putting people on the bench just to meet them rather than on merit.

I would imagine we will loan at least 2 quality young players from the prem which leaves us needing 5.

Matthews, lewis, hanley, godfrey (unless sold) and then we are into players that are injured, not good enough or likely to be sold. Scenes when we leave Vrancic out of the 18 for Jarvis or Husband just to meet the quota.

[Yellow and Green 334]

It wasn''t a criticism of Webber - I think he''s doing really well under difficult circumstances. I am just getting other people''s views to see if they think that this is how it is going to be in the foreseeable future and if the strategy will be effective enough to get us promoted.

The outlook of my post depends on how people want to put a spin on it...

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="Yellow and Green"] .......... As I see it .......... the youth players, if they''re any good, will get sold.......... [/quote] There''s no reason at all to suppose that, as a general rule, youth players who are good enough to make the first team will be sold. Once the financially destabilising issues of zero parachute payments and hang-over PL contracts are resolved, normality will return. There are all sorts of reasons other than financial ones why players leave or are let go. 

[River End Canary 18]

I can''t make my mind up if there is no strategy or there is one that is being badly executed

Either way he is making a right pigs ear of it and will be found out very very soon

[king canary 7,643]

I''m sure if he had the option Webber wouldn''t want to sell Maddison or Murphy. The issue is that our situation means he has to try and replace £30m odd worth of players for less than 1/3rd of that.

[Mike 2]

[quote user="king canary"]I''m sure if he had the option Webber wouldn''t want to sell Maddison or Murphy. The issue is that our situation means he has to try and replace £30m odd worth of players for less than 1/3rd of that.[/quote]

Given the money we will have raised selling the family silver I am looking forward to us reinvesting £10m plus back into the side....

Pointless saying much more as the usual suspects will trot out the "any stick to beat the club with" nonsense..

[Mike 2]

[quote user="king canary"]I''m sure if he had the option Webber wouldn''t want to sell Maddison or Murphy. The issue is that our situation means he has to try and replace £30m odd worth of players for less than 1/3rd of that.[/quote]

Given the money we will have raised selling the family silver I am looking forward to us reinvesting £10m plus back into the side....

Pointless saying much more as the usual suspects will trot out the "any stick to beat the club with" nonsense..

[Yellowbeagle 0]

I''m not convinced by Webber. His signings have been ok but none have set the world on fire, pretty much all the players being touted with moves are players brought through by old regimes. Probably the most promising of the cheap foreign players has been Zimmermann and i would have thought he came more from Farkes endorsement than Webbers. Whatever I think, this transfer window is where Webber has to get it right, he talks a good game but he''s going to have to get a lot right or we are going to struggle. Key moment is on us as a club.

[TIL 1010 4,776]

I think i am right in saying that Marley Watkins was the first present from Webber waiting for Farke when he was appointed Head Coach.