Return of Benno

[KeiranShikari 1,409]

The team and Bassong were good that year, certainly wasn't a Lee Croft/Tim Krull season for the BB.

[Capt. Pants 4,195]

Bizarre that when we were in the EPL and needed players we didn't sign anyone. Now we're relegated there's suddenly money to pay a Premier League salary. Benno hasn't been relegated so he won't/doesn't need to take a pay cut.

As a player he would be an upgrade on Klose, which maybe suggests Klose might be leaving.

[KeiranShikari 1,409]

Our wage bill is dramatically smaller this season after the relegation clauses. We're not paying for training ground this season. We're not paying for the promotion bonuses this season. It really isn't Bizarre. Also if we were to sign Bennett (I'm doubtful) it's not like we'd automatically be paying him the same as Wolves are now.

 

[Paul101 93]

4 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

How's it going down on Twitter and Insta?

Is the clock ticking on Tik Tok?

they cant understand that his contract expired and he left because we couldnt afford to keep him

 

its lots of OMG we released him ect ect   club should have just kept him

[sonyc 5,491]

1 hour ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

We certainly don't regret signing Nelson though. If he gets us up, then we deal with the fact that he might not make the step up.

We didn't regret it Wacky and that was the point I was making. Yet, our strategy has been about players who may develop and increase in value... Hence, the Everton lad Dowell. He has experience, is hardened through loans and has acquitted himself well at Champs level. You'd imagine his value will increase.

I can see the point in Bennett as a free ...he involves less risk financially. He still watches our matches and can only assume he lives locally. 

If we signed him it would mark a change in recruitment approach.

[Midlands Yellow 3,934]

23 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

Bizarre that when we were in the EPL and needed players we didn't sign anyone. Now we're relegated there's suddenly money to pay a Premier League salary. Benno hasn't been relegated so he won't/doesn't need to take a pay cut.

As a player he would be an upgrade on Klose, which maybe suggests Klose might be leaving.

It’s got to be that the hierarchy already know about pending sales. 1 big sell would probably cover all incoming players and wages for at least a season. 

[lappinitup 629]

4 hours ago, cornish sam said:

When I saw the title I thought you meant Elliot...which i would be more pleased with

Rather have Albert....

[sonyc 5,491]

Just now, lappinitup said:

Rather have Albert....

Surely Gordon?

[DanTheMan 2]

Don’t see him as any improvement on Zimbo/Hanley & imagine his wages will make him too expensive to just be a back up.

[king canary 7,578]

32 minutes ago, sonyc said:

We didn't regret it Wacky and that was the point I was making. Yet, our strategy has been about players who may develop and increase in value... Hence, the Everton lad Dowell. He has experience, is hardened through loans and has acquitted himself well at Champs level. You'd imagine his value will increase.

I can see the point in Bennett as a free ...he involves less risk financially. He still watches our matches and can only assume he lives locally. 

If we signed him it would mark a change in recruitment approach.

Our strategy may be largely about players like Dowell but not exclusively. We signed a 29 year old midfielder in January remember. 

[The Bristol Nest 513]

He's 30 and a good centre half. Ignore the previous Peterbrough,  Norwich history. Would you sign him based on his experience and availability?

[Drazen Muzinic 1,444]

This is the type of EDP sentence that pi55es me off - probably because it brings into focus what our biggest stumbling block apart from money actually is.

"The defender has family in Norfolk and is thought to still have a house in the county."

Therefore, he's a player who wouldn't need to be dragged kicking and screaming here so lets consider him.

 

 

[HazzaJet 252]

When Bennett was with us I always rated him as an average player. Yes he was common in the CB partnership, but he was no superstar. I don’t follow players’ careers once they leave us but from what I’ve been reading it sounds like there’s a lot of pros and cons about him. I think we need to sign an experienced CB at Championship/Premiership level, who isn’t injury prone. Sounds like he’s done well for Wolves in both the Championship and Premiership. I don’t think 30 is too old for a CB provided that we don’t sign them on any longer than a 3 year contract - Klose’s 32, but being at a PL club he’ll probably want high wages.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

He's an actual centre back and he isn't injury prone.

That will do me after the events of this season. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

8 hours ago, ged in the onion bag said:

what on earth is wrong with some of you lot out there!

Martin, Rhodes, Bennett, ..... have you no ambition!  

I'd swap Drmic, Rupp and Leitner for those three in a heartbeat. 

Perhaps we need a bit of old fashioned British hustle and bustle mixed in with some continental flair. 

Even Liverpool have room for a James Milner. 

Edited August 4, 2020 by TeemuVanBasten

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

7 hours ago, ron obvious said:

Just don' t see him as a Farke type player.

You are taking about the manager who signed Grant Hanley and Sean Raggett here.

And who tried to sign Jordan Rhodes. 

 

[Capt. Pants 4,195]

10 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

Our wage bill is dramatically smaller this season after the relegation clauses. We're not paying for training ground this season. We're not paying for the promotion bonuses this season. It really isn't Bizarre. Also if we were to sign Bennett (I'm doubtful) it's not like we'd automatically be paying him the same as Wolves are now.

 

Bennett is still under contract at Wolves and I can't see him taking a wage cut to come here. With the relegation clauses of others in the squad he would probably become our highest paid player. I have no issue with that but to me it seems strange that the club couldn't foresee the financial savings last season and gambled on a similar signing then.

[ZLF 271]

slow on the turn, a couple of years too old,  poor distribution (apart from the occasional success with the overused diagonal long ball from right to left) and only shone with wolves in a 3 while we use a pair.

 

undoubtedly there are better options out there.

[Six Pack 91]

10 hours ago, The Bristol Nest said:

He's 30 and a good centre half. Ignore the previous Peterbrough,  Norwich history. Would you sign him based on his experience and availability?

I'm afraid I can't ignore his previous history with us - I still get nightmares - his ability to change 3 pts to 1 pt and 1 pt to his

[Six Pack 91]

I'm afraid I can't ignore his previous history with us - I still get nightmares - his ability to change 3 pts to 1 pt and 1 pt to zero pts is something I can never get out of my head ! 

[Dean Coneys boots 1,398]

We might get a decent season out of him but will then get an ageing player soaking up wages. He is exactly the sort of signing you DON'T want in the champs. The league is stuffed full of decent players on their way down. What works best is good players on the way up. Of course experience is also helpful - but I would want someone in the 26-27 year old category for that. Eg..likely to remain decent until contract expires 

[ncfcstar 287]

Would be very interested to compare and contrast some of the comments made by posters here to when Bennett left the first time.

Webber would have been involved in the decision to release him in 2017, so aside from the fact we need a CB, what would have changed in Webber's mind over the past 3 years?

[jaberry2 550]

I think Bennett would improve our defence without question (probably not hard to do), however I wouldn't want to break the bank paying his wages. He's quite assured on the ball which might be appealing to Farke. Plus is Godfrey is sold we'll have money to spend.

Edited August 4, 2020 by jaberry2

[BigFish 1,986]

3 minutes ago, ncfcstar said:

Would be very interested to compare and contrast some of the comments made by posters here to when Bennett left the first time.

Webber would have been involved in the decision to release him in 2017, so aside from the fact we need a CB, what would have changed in Webber's mind over the past 3 years?

Probably explained by the dodgy player analysis some show on here. A lack of football knowledge magnified by social media and the wisdom of crowds. Outcome is some players get horribly overrated and others get slated when neither is warranted. Fact is he is a good pro for top end Champs or lower Prem. But he is 30, on Premiership wages and Woles reportedly want £5 million for him. Better to spend the money on a player who will have resale value in 3/4 years rather than sink this cost.

[pearsos 56]

At least Bennett is good in the air and would probably help us to concede less goals from corners and set pieces, which has been a big problem for the last 2 seasons.

[Harry53 207]

I never saw him play as wasn't a fan then but why on earth would we want an older player? Yes we need experience but not someone who is over 25.

Just enjoy your memories when he played for City. We need new blood now. 

Ps. Having said all that I would have Wes on the bench every game!!

[Bonzo 198]

Bennett is a legend but one cannot stand in the same river twice.

Time marches on.

We have enough old experienced centre backs. My guess is that this is very unlikely to come to pass and that the story is agent talk. 

Mawson would be good or someone like Matthew Clarke at Brighton or Salter-Clarke at Chelsea if we can afford any either of them.

All three have experience in the Championship and potential to improve.

Mawson has good pass completion numbers and is good in the air assuming Godfrey goes which he may not. 

Either way we need to plan for the inevitable succession of Klose who has another season in him but perhaps not much more.

 

[......and Smith must score. 1,334]

17 hours ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Returning players of yesteryear....(excluding loans)

Paddon, O'Neill, Fleck, Cureton, Russell, McVeigh, Dublin? ....seldom happens...not always successfully. 

This.

Decent player but returns often end in disappointment. Would cost a lot overall too. Got involved in a bit of social media nonsense while he was here and left under a bit of a cloud.

Probaly best avoided.

[Well b back 3,190]

20 hours ago, TheGoogler said:

Surprised by this response.

Here's a player who on leaving us went to Wolves, achieving promotion in a side playing great football. He then played regularly for the same side, commonly considered an underrated part of it. He got a move to Leicester making five starts (admittedly, not many) in a side chasing European football.

I think there is a habit we might have our judgement clouded by the player he was. I think he's moved on and developed since then. 

He knows and loves the club. At 30 he would be younger than both Hanley and Klose. For me, Godfrey plays his best when alongside Zimmermann - if Zimbo could be a similarly influential partner for Bennett, it would be a fantastic move. 

Just to add at Wolves I believe he played as part of a back 5 ( or 3 whichever way you look at it ) where he excelled and retained his place first season in the EPL. A system surely we would have used last year had we had enough fit central defenders and a system that as shown by Wolves allows your full backs to push forward and the team still able to defend. In my view 3 centre halves suit free flowing attacking football.

[ncfcstar 287]

1 hour ago, Bonzo said:

Bennett is a legend

 

No, he is not.

This word gets bandied about so much now, it's ridiculous.  He had an OK five or so years with us but that's it.