Stick or twist

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

Strikes me that WHEN (hurrah) we find ourselves back in the Premiership we arrive at a MAJOR crossroads. Not least given the almost certain departure of Buendia and Aarons. 

Do the club STICK with current vision or TWIST and adjust to a more usual style that lower teams adopt for survival. 

TO STICK with our policy of seeking out young guns with promise is risky given how light weight and easily bullied off the ball we were last time round. It doesn't matter if you win 70% of possession if the opposition shut up shop and when the defence can't cope when stretched. When we came up against the lumps of Palace etc we often looked like boys v men. To play these tactics at the next level would therefore require a major upgrade at CAM, CB and in CM I feel. But would be my preferred route. 

TO TWIST and adjust to normal lower prem tactic would be to ditch the young exciting future stars and bed in some experience Prem players instead- probably those nearing end of career. (We just can't afford or attract anything else) This would also be risky as bad signings of uninterested players after a payday has shown in the past. 

I only hope we wont AGAIN face a Premiership season with obvious gaps in recruitment which we never fill because our targets turn us down. Too late we signed Ashton and too late sorted out CB last time. 

[AJ 1,358]

Under Farke and Webber I doubt things will change (and for good reason, we play good football with exciting, talented youngsters), I think the key thing this time is we have a much better squad, more experienced players and better depth throughout. Would we have done better last time around with less injuries? Arguably yes I think we would have done. I have no doubt we will do better this time around, and I'm sure we'll also have a bit of money to invest this time too with the fallback of the assets we might sell should we come down. Risk and reward going hand in hand I guess.

[Norfolk Mustard 106]

So much depends on whether Aarons, Buendia & Cantwell stick around; if they don't, we'll need some serious recruitment - quantity AND quality-wise.

It's likely Kieran Scott & his team have been extra busy for the past few weeks! 

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

30 minutes ago, Norfolk Mustard said:

So much depends on whether Aarons, Buendia & Cantwell stick around; if they don't, we'll need some serious recruitment - quantity AND quality-wise.

It's likely Kieran Scott & his team have been extra busy for the past few weeks! 

I think we will need serious recruitment even if they all stay.

To be honest, and I don't mean this in any way derogatory, half our squad isn't really EPL standard, or enough to make a stab at staying up.

Our two current left backs, Alex, Onel, Placheta, Idah, Martin, Zimmermanm, Dowell, Mumba, Sitti are either not good enough or not ready yet.

But we cannot bring in so many EPL ready players so we will have to go with what we have. Just how things are.

[Ekoku: The Ambassador Of The People 125]

This is why its essential to get promotion sealed asap as it gives us the best possible chance of recruiting potential players and gives us an advantage over 2nd place and the play-off winners. We look as though we will be up to around £20m with the signings of Gibson, Giannoulis and possibly - a big if - a hefty loan signing of Skippy. 

[GenerationA47 864]

2 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

I think we will need serious recruitment even if they all stay.

To be honest, and I don't mean this in any way derogatory, half our squad isn't really EPL standard, or enough to make a stab at staying up.

Our two current left backs, Alex, Onel, Placheta, Idah, Martin, Zimmermanm, Dowell, Mumba, Sitti are either not good enough or not ready yet.

But we cannot bring in so many EPL ready players so we will have to go with what we have. Just how things are.

I’d put a question mark over including ‘Giannis’ in that list while he’s constantly improving.
Can’t honestly argue with the rest though.

DF could play a couple of them at any one time within a better/more experienced team. As someone said recently, lesser players can actually perform to a higher standard alongside superior team-mates. 

[Newtopia 573]

Stick, and let's strap ourselves in for the next set of exciting / promising kids.

[One Flew Over... 33]

5 hours ago, Dean Coneys boots said:

Strikes me that WHEN (hurrah) we find ourselves back in the Premiership we arrive at a MAJOR crossroads. Not least given the almost certain departure of Buendia and Aarons.

I may have missed something said by Farke or Delia, but is it almost certain they will both leave?

If a top 8 Premier League club come in for them with a big offer, or a European team in the Champions League then sure I guess they'd go. Otherwise why not stay at Norwich for another season - almost guaranteed a place in the team each week, and hopefully enough of a wage bump to compete with the lower-half.

Both leaving would mean a complete rebuild of the right-side, and the Premier League doesn't afford time for players to "bed-in".

[BigFish 2,282]

56 minutes ago, GenerationA47 said:

I’d put a question mark over including ‘Giannis’ in that list while he’s constantly improving.
Can’t honestly argue with the rest though.

 

4 minutes ago, One Flew Over... said:

I may have missed something said by Farke or Delia, but is it almost certain they will both leave?

If a top 8 Premier League club come in for them with a big offer, or a European team in the Champions League then sure I guess they'd go. Otherwise why not stay at Norwich for another season - almost guaranteed a place in the team each week, and hopefully enough of a wage bump to compete with the lower-half.

Both leaving would mean a complete rebuild of the right-side, and the Premier League doesn't afford time for players to "bed-in".

Clearly "Giannis" has been purchased as our EPL LB, or will be when we go up.

When it comes to Aarrons and Buendia, I wouldn't be totally surprised if either they were still here in August or both had gone. The nightmare is they move on just as the window shuts.

 

[RugbyCanary 106]

(First time poster, be kind!!)

Stick!! But does anyone think anyone of our loanees could be a gem we just haven't given time to (yet), eg sorenson, sinani, sotto........?

[Forestofdeancanary 24]

I feel Arrons will leave.  Only chance of keeping Buendia and Cantwell is to offer big money 80k plus contracts and make it clear to them this time we are having a real go with a 40-50mil  transfer kitty.... We can afford those wages if we're in the prem.  They won't stay if we go down again anyway...  Plus we need to show intent this time.  If I'm right webber has 2 seasons left in Norfolk.  Surely he will want his legacy to be having Norwich safe in the Premier for that fact I feel he may open the purse strings this time... I'm Ready to be shot down 🤣

[Mutley 167]

It sounds like Max is already gone by the comments made by Delia and what several media people are reporting. Emi is certainly a valuable talent but I still feel top clubs are being put off in signing him due to his disciplinary record. Even if we get a massive windfall from both of their sales I would be v surprised that we spend much more than what we are already committed too in signing Gibson and the LB by turning their loans into being our players. From previous promotions we have seen in the accounts the massive promotion bonus the squad gets and that is enormous in itself.  

To secure Skipp for another season on loan would be great and possible but beyond that I can’t see us doing too much more. The club like all others has lost so much money from the lockdown that for a self funding club really goes against us. 

On the plus side Farke and his coaching team now know what the rigours of the top league are all about and equally the vast majority of the players in our squad. That might mean we could keep up, after all when the lockdown kicked in there was a glimmer of hope that evaporated when we restarted. 

[shefcanary 2,950]

Stick.  Why?

The players, to refer to the OP saying our players were too lightweight for the EPL, are another year older and have acquitted themselves well in the Championship  so far - the defensive stats and the clean sheets underline this improvement. 

The big issue will be avoiding the injury crisis of our last visit to the EPL.  A relatively solid back line will give a base to allow relatively lightly used youngsters to come through. 

I'm also expecting lots of EU players outside the big 6 will return home next season as their contracts run out.  This will weaken many of the middle ranking teams.  It'll be a more level playing field next season as cash flows tighten.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

20 hours ago, AJ said:

Under Farke and Webber I doubt things will change (and for good reason, we play good football with exciting, talented youngsters), I think the key thing this time is we have a much better squad, more experienced players and better depth throughout. Would we have done better last time around with less injuries? Arguably yes I think we would have done. I have no doubt we will do better this time around, and I'm sure we'll also have a bit of money to invest this time too with the fallback of the assets we might sell should we come down. Risk and reward going hand in hand I guess.

My point was about tactics not players. But sticking with your point; you say we have a MUCH BETTER squad. Really? Who is better than last time? Skipp granted- but he is not ours. Gibson I will grant you.... then? Strikes me we have much the same squad but with our two best players almost certain to leave which will weaken us considerably. A few of the players have improved- like Cantwell- but others are declining due to age. 

The step up is significant. I take the point about having money to spend but actually spending it is another matter. We find it quite easy to recruit in champs because we are the big boys. Whenever we go up we really struggle to attract our targets and end up having little option but to gamble on loans- many of which don't work out. 

[The Bristol Nest 597]

We are a big fish in the Championship pond. I fear that we may drown in the Prem.😉

[ron obvious 1,711]

17 minutes ago, The Bristol Nest said:

We are a big fish in the Championship pond. I fear that we may drown in the Prem.😉

That's the spirit!

[hogesar 10,762]

4 hours ago, Dean Coneys boots said:

My point was about tactics not players. But sticking with your point; you say we have a MUCH BETTER squad. Really? Who is better than last time? Skipp granted- but he is not ours. Gibson I will grant you.... then? Strikes me we have much the same squad but with our two best players almost certain to leave which will weaken us considerably. A few of the players have improved- like Cantwell- but others are declining due to age. 

The step up is significant. I take the point about having money to spend but actually spending it is another matter. We find it quite easy to recruit in champs because we are the big boys. Whenever we go up we really struggle to attract our targets and end up having little option but to gamble on loans- many of which don't work out. 

1) You told everyone this in the summer, i.e - all our best young players were going to be sold of.

2) Who has declined this season who's been present in the first team regularly? Who's getting to an age where their performances are getting worse? Tettey isn't even in the starting 11. Krul is probably next oldest and I wouldn't say he's declined. Are you just making things up?

[Capt. Pants 5,008]

Twist. You only have to look at Farke's reliance on a very small number of players to get a feel for where he sees the talent. If they don't get game time now they sure as well won't next season.

I think this could be a summer of a lot of change amongst the playing staff. Lots of in and outs, permanents and loans.

Exciting times.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

12 minutes ago, hogesar said:

1) You told everyone this in the summer, i.e - all our best young players were going to be sold of.

2) Who has declined this season who's been present in the first team regularly? Who's getting to an age where their performances are getting worse? Tettey isn't even in the starting 11. Krul is probably next oldest and I wouldn't say he's declined. Are you just making things up?

It's so predictable. Like with his mate Keith Scott the Brentford result appears to have caused this change of tack😉