WTF??

[horsefly 4,318]

Who knows! Personally I'm happy with the new loan who is more of a proper winger with speed and skill. I think Dowell suffered much by having Ramsey in the squad, who filled his more natural no10 role, with Dowell being stuck out wide right which doesn't suit him. No coincidence that Dowell has flourished since Ramsey departed.

[canarybubbles 1,952]

5 minutes ago, horsefly said:

Who knows! Personally I'm happy with the new loan who is more of a proper winger with speed and skill. I think Dowell suffered much by having Ramsey in the squad, who filled his more natural no10 role, with Dowell being stuck out wide right which doesn't suit him. No coincidence that Dowell has flourished since Ramsey departed.

I agree. I think Ramsey did well for us, but this was partly because he was given the plum job where it was easier for him to look good because he only had to do a couple of good things during the whole ninety minutes to get the plaudits. In contrast, Dowell, Cantwell etc had to work hard in positions that didn't suit them.

Smith's desire to accommodate Ramsey might also have been a reason why he declared that he wouldn't play Tzolis if he stayed, so he should be sent out on loan. 

[SwearyCanary 1,179]

Anyone calling him a snake needs to wind their necks in. He isn’t a NCFC player, he was on loan as part of his career development and did an ok job with us. If he is being told that he has no playing time for villa, assuming he wasn’t part of Wagner’s plans and was tempted to us because of the Smith connection, all of which are very plausible and logical, then going out on loan to as high as he can makes complete sense. Boro is probably about right.

I’m not that (at all) bothered because he was hardly prolific and without him we’ve played the best football we have had all season. Obviously more down to Wagner arriving (Smith leaving) than AJ being injured. Good luck to him, hope he does ok but also we need to look at ourselves if we are afraid to take on Middlesbrough just because they’ve acquired Aaron Ramsey. 

[Ulfotto 645]

The proof will be when Ramsay first appears for boro. If that is this weekend then the conspiracy theories can start. If it is late feb early march or beyond I think Norwich plan to send him back and get someone else is sound enough.

[Gordon Bennett 794]

1 hour ago, Branston Pickle said:

That’s not true - you can have numerous loans in the Champs, it’s in the PL where you’re more restricted 

 

58 minutes ago, PockthorpePete said:

We are allowed 5 loans, not 2

Yep apologies, I got the wrong end of a post on another thread the other day.

[It's Character Forming 1,167]

Maybe we'd rather spend the wages on someone who's not currently injured ?

[Google Bot 3,351]

21 minutes ago, SwearyCanary said:

Anyone calling him a snake needs to wind their necks in. He isn’t a NCFC player, he was on loan as part of his career development and did an ok job with us.

Agree, if he wanted to show loyalty to Smith by taking advantage of his current injury then I don't find any offence in that.  I mean, it's nothing against us as a club.  That said, with how things ended he probably think we're a bunch of *** now, anyway so...

I think it was nicely played by all parties to not let this spill over, and we've got a more suitable loan in at probably the same rate who is someone the current coach has picked out.

Win win for me.

[TheGoogler 324]

IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I am not a fan of loans or the current transfer windows. I couldn't care less where or who he plays for. 

[Captain Holt 522]

He was pretty bloody average. The fact he was our most successful attacking threat says everything about Dean Smith.

[Ulfotto 645]

My only thought would be a potential play off against Middlesbrough would be a bit weird if he was playing against a side he has made a good number of appearances for us.

[Mason 47 1,408]

1 minute ago, Ulfotto said:

My only thought would be a potential play off against Middlesbrough would be a bit weird if he was playing against a side he has made a good number of appearances for us.

On that note, I wonder if (as happened with Bassong once upon a time) he would have played enough games for both sides to guarantee a winners medal whichever side won at Wembley?

Though I can't think he'd cherish one quite as much as the other...

[Thirsty Lizard 3,184]

4 minutes ago, Ulfotto said:

My only thought would be a potential play off against Middlesbrough would be a bit weird if he was playing against a side he has made a good number of appearances for us.

Don't tell Jonny Howson....................

[Nexus_Canary 1,038]

Who cares, only player who was any good under Smith because he was Smith's boy.
Not our player never was not even a loan to remember like Lansbury or Pacheco. Fcuk him end of.

[nutty nigel 7,656]

Well I thought he was often our best attacking player earlier in the season. Very brave when attacking the box. Probably a player who would have suited Wagner but we have an improved version of Dowell now. 

 

 

 

[hogesar 9,786]

3 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

Well I thought he was often our best attacking player earlier in the season. Very brave when attacking the box. Probably a player who would have suited Wagner but we have an improved version of Dowell now. 

 

 

 

Yep. Always worked hard whilst here too. He got a lot of stick for being a Smith player (even when signing) but he threw that back in their faces with his performances.

[Unhinged Canary 375]

Nothing to worry about here.

He wasn't all that and the day that we consider those Teeside turds a 'direct rival' will be a very sad one indeed. 

Definitely file under 'Who Cares?'

👍

[Paul101 94]

to be fair he was a bit **** mostly

[Yobocop 1,105]

This happens a lot at champ level where a player will spend half a season at one club then go and play for another team 

it’s win win for parent club and player as they gain more experience with different set of coaches. 
 

He was ok for us but never pulled up any trees, good luck to the lad 

[Midlands Yellow 4,115]

Good luck to him, he was half decent in a brief spell here. 

[norfolkngood 1,095]

His Knee was touched by Saint in the hospital he jumped off his crutches and signed for Middlesboro shouting it's a Miracle 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

4 hours ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Again - he got injured on the club's tour to Tampa - this was well before Dean Smith was sacked. He missed the Swansea, Blackburn and Luton games - all of which occurred while Smith was still our manager. 

But we terminated his loan on 3rd January on the basis that he'd just had surgery on a "serious knee injury" and would be returning to Aston Villa to complete his rehabilitation.

It definitely feels like we weren't told the whole truth here.

[Leedscanary 352]

Quickest recovery since Grandpa Bucket…

[Google Bot 3,351]

44 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

It definitely feels like we weren't told the whole truth here.

"We" the club? or "We" the people? 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,184]

1 hour ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

But we terminated his loan on 3rd January on the basis that he'd just had surgery on a "serious knee injury" and would be returning to Aston Villa to complete his rehabilitation.

It definitely feels like we weren't told the whole truth here.

Who knows - as others have said it rather depends on when he is fit to play for Middlesbrough. And given how badly we've been burned recently by Idah and Hayden having recurrences of knees injuries which we thought they were over maybe we just didn't want to take the risk again. 

Edited January 31, 2023 by Thirsty Lizard

[AJ 1,235]

4 hours ago, It's Character Forming said:

Maybe we'd rather spend the wages on someone who's not currently injured ?

Yeah we've already had Byram take over from Jarvis, that physio bed is already occupied, don't need two players fighting over it 😂

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

12 hours ago, It's Character Forming said:

Maybe we'd rather spend the wages on someone who's not currently injured ?

But that would fly in the face of our model. 😅

[BroadstairsR 2,224]

I think that he was a verty good little player who shone at times, but he was hardly a superstar whose loss we should mourn.

I recall some posters on here who went to Carrow Road saying that he habitually faded a lot as the game progressed.

I'm happy to have another bite at the cherry with this Arsenal loanee, while 'Boro could have acquired a player with an injury problem.

[Newtopia 519]

8 hours ago, AJ said:

Yeah we've already had Byram take over from Jarvis, that physio bed is already occupied, don't need two players fighting over it 😂

Every club has players who are injured, I guess we critercise the club as either the physio assessment of the risk was not right or the cost benefit assessment done by the DoF was incorrect.  Unlike Jarvis we got Sam B at a very low cost, he has a put in some very good performances, yet missed massive periods of time.  I doubt he will stay, but he will find getting another long term contract difficult.  A real shame he is a top player.

[AJ 1,235]

17 minutes ago, Newtopia said:

Every club has players who are injured, I guess we critercise the club as either the physio assessment of the risk was not right or the cost benefit assessment done by the DoF was incorrect.  Unlike Jarvis we got Sam B at a very low cost, he has a put in some very good performances, yet missed massive periods of time.  I doubt he will stay, but he will find getting another long term contract difficult.  A real shame he is a top player.

I think it's different in the fact we snapped up a lot of players in the early stages that were huge injury risks/recovering from bad injuries. Some like Leitner worked out to a point, others like Byram have been a bit more limited. All players can get injured though, be sometimes it's just the luck of the draw.

All jokes aside I do agree Byram hasn't been bad business and arguably makes the team better when he's fit. He definitely has the ability of a PL player. Hayden is much more frustrating, signed as a marquee signing whilst still injured only to never be fully fit for the whole season.