What is going on?

[Worthy Nigelton 1,058]

I know January is not always the best time to do business, but for a team chasing the play-offs with a few glaring holes in the squad, I would have thought we would have done some business by now. The fact we haven't is made especially odd by a new Sporting Director arriving in time for the window as well. What is going on? Not even a loan or two coming in? Will we get something over the line before month-end and if so why have we not had these players already in the building for the last three weeks?

Knapper has now been in the job two months and there's been no signing, no new staff, no infrastructure announcement, no board changes and not even an interview! Without wanting to go off the deep-end, what is he doing? What the hell is going on? What is the plan? Why hasn't anything happened? 

I know he's due to speak at the end of the window so maybe this post is premature and by then lots of stuff might have happened, but I'm starting to get annoyed with the lack of action.

Is anyone else feeling like this?

[Wimbledoncanary 8]

Forshaw , Hwang and Springett out … thats something. I think you’ll find we have to sell / discard before we can make any changes. Calm down and enjoy the game today.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,400]

You are not alone. The man was rushed home early from holiday seemingly to do nothing. Talk about mixed messaging from the club! 
 

I can accept he needs time, or wants to wait for the summer for a proper clear out, or the club is waiting for investment that is coming soon- or there is simply no money  - or anything really. But they don’t talk to us- and that is where the problem is. A total failure to communicate a vision for fans to buy into. 
 

We were also told knapper was a stats man. Yet all the dismal stats surrounding Wagner are ignored. The longer he does nothing and says nothing- the more he will lose the fan base. At present he doesn’t look like a great dynamic signing from Arsenal (as was suggested) but a silent yes man who is too timid to take action. That might be very unfair - but what has he or the club given us to judge otherwise? 
 

 

[dylanisabaddog 4,955]

1 minute ago, Wimbledoncanary said:

Forshaw , Hwang and Springett out … thats something. I think you’ll find we have to sell / discard before we can make any changes. Calm down and enjoy the game today.

Exactly! 

I would guess we are only looking for one player and it's easier said than done. There is no point bringing in a squad player, we need someone who is an automatic first choice. That sort of player is going to be difficult to find, especially in January. 

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,423]

Moaners gotta have something to moan about.

[The Real Buh 3,446]

In short it’s the slow creep on the destruction of this clubs standards and footing among its peers at the behest of an insane, drunk, irrelevant TV cook from the 1970s and at the permission of fans that Unironically bring boiled sweets and a personal FM radio to the ground on match days.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,756]

23 minutes ago, Wings of a Sparrow said:

Moaners gotta have something to moan about.

To be fair given our squad has been subpar and Injury ridden worrying why we are only sending players away halfway through the window is a valid concern

[nu_matik 167]

9 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

In short it’s the slow creep on the destruction of this clubs standards and footing among its peers at the behest of an insane, drunk, irrelevant TV cook from the 1970s and at the permission of fans that Unironically bring boiled sweets and a personal FM radio to the ground on match days.

It's pretty sad that you live in a world where boiled sweet radio person is somehow lesser than you. All fans should be welcome at our club. Not everyone is as hateful and egotistical as you. Your vision only ever shows you up to be quite an awful person, really.

All clubs have a broad range of fans seeking different experience and not all having a rabid desire to be angry at everything.

[Capt. Pants 4,263]

13 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

To be fair given our squad has been subpar and Injury ridden worrying why we are only sending players away halfway through the window is a valid concern

No it isn't, can't you see it's just moaning. You have no idea, no idea! 😉

The only positive I can deduce from this is that we are not developing the squad while Wagner is here = new Head Coach in the summer with their own requirements.

[Nik Vawn 131]

Has the window closed?

[Gordon Bennett 787]

The majority of January business gets done at the end of the month. Just how it is. Frustrating, annoying and baffling yes, but it is what it is. 

I'd be amazed if there aren't three or our new faces in by Feb 1st.

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

57 minutes ago, Dean Coneys boots said:

You are not alone. The man was rushed home early from holiday seemingly to do nothing. Talk about mixed messaging from the club! 
 

I can accept he needs time, or wants to wait for the summer for a proper clear out, or the club is waiting for investment that is coming soon- or there is simply no money  - or anything really. But they don’t talk to us- and that is where the problem is. A total failure to communicate a vision for fans to buy into. 
 

We were also told knapper was a stats man. Yet all the dismal stats surrounding Wagner are ignored. The longer he does nothing and says nothing- the more he will lose the fan base. At present he doesn’t look like a great dynamic signing from Arsenal (as was suggested) but a silent yes man who is too timid to take action. That might be very unfair - but what has he or the club given us to judge otherwise? 
 

 

Unlike you to be negative…

[JonnyJonnyRowe 451]

There hasn't been much business at all in the Championship in this window.

That's either an indication that all isn't well with the financial health of the clubs in the league following COVID, or an indication that a lot of business will be done late in the window.

I hope we bring one or two in, including a DM, there's plenty of time for that to still happen.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,827]

16 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

The only positive I can deduce from this is that we are not developing the squad while Wagner is here = new Head Coach in the summer with their own requirements.

Yes, this. 

Wagner will clearly not be Knapper's man long term so there's no point bringing in more Wagner signings like we did in the summer, unless they're on loan.

Edited January 20 by Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man

[The Real Buh 3,446]

24 minutes ago, nu_matik said:

It's pretty sad that you live in a world where boiled sweet radio person is somehow lesser than you. All fans should be welcome at our club. Not everyone is as hateful and egotistical as you. Your vision only ever shows you up to be quite an awful person, really.

All clubs have a broad range of fans seeking different experience and not all having a rabid desire to be angry at everything.

Is it hard to get your radio tuned inside the stadium? I’ve always wondered.

Edited January 20 by The Real Buh

[Nuff Said 5,153]

1 hour ago, Wings of a Sparrow said:

Moaners gotta have something to moan about.

 

39 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

In short it’s the slow creep on the destruction of this clubs standards and footing among its peers at the behest of an insane, drunk, irrelevant TV cook from the 1970s and at the permission of fans that Unironically bring boiled sweets and a personal FM radio to the ground on match days.

Including people who eat boiled sweets unironically. 😮‍💨 <- sighing emoji 

[nu_matik 167]

2 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

Is it hard to get your radio tuned inside the stadium? I’ve always wondered.

Yes, you're so funny. Everyone claps and cheers everything you say. Every hilarious comment you make edges the whole club closer to superstardom and ripple effects slowly but surely change us into the delusional Rolls Royce that lives in your head.

[The Real Buh 3,446]

Just now, nu_matik said:

Yes, you're so funny. Everyone claps and cheers everything you say. Every hilarious comment you make edges the whole club closer to superstardom and ripple effects slowly but surely change us into the delusional Rolls Royce that lives in your head.

Murray Mints today?

[A Load of Squit 5,197]

We're much like most of the other Championship clubs.

https://www.footballfancast.com/every-efl-championship-january-deal-all-transfers/

Edited January 20 by A Load of Squit

[nu_matik 167]

Just now, The Real Buh said:

Murray Mints today?

...and the Pinkun goes wild! Buh is really hilarious! 

Just so you can sleep well, I'm a pie and pint man. Sometimes Bovril. Real football stuff.

[DraytonBoy 159]

I don't expect any additions other than maybe a central midfielder on loan, the only likely movements will be a further shifting of the younger prospects to get game time.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,400]

17 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Unlike you to be negative…

Unlike you to passively accept anything without valid criticism…

[cambridgeshire canary 6,756]

24 minutes ago, nu_matik said:

Yes, you're so funny. Everyone claps and cheers everything you say. Every hilarious comment you make edges the whole club closer to superstardom and ripple effects slowly but surely change us into the delusional Rolls Royce that lives in your head.

Sounds like Buh has you rattled

[Mason 47 1,389]

The real question is, for those asking where the signings are, are there players available within our price bracket who could make an instant difference to our league position?

For example, to get a new centre half they would have to be: 

At least better than 3 of Batth, Hanley, Duffy & Gibson, under the age of about 27, probably left-footed, be of upper-Champ/ lower Prem capability and finally be willing to move to Norwich at short notice.

That makes finding someone in January for the money we could offer quite the task. Not to mention all 4 of the above are probably amongst our top earners. Not to mention that anyone you bring in will naturally knock Warner, Tomkinson, Hills and Adegboyega down a rank; all of whom are said to be reasonable shouts for a squad place next year.

I want signings as much as the next fan but I think (I hope) that given the size of the task that Knapper is taking a long-term view on things 

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

13 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Sounds like Buh has you rattled

I doubt it, the guy does seem to have a weird fixation about Bitty - my guess is an unhappy childhood.

[hogesar 9,709]

Looks like it's a difficult month to do business for most of the league, not just us.

[Worthy Nigelton 1,058]

3 minutes ago, Mason 47 said:

The real question is, for those asking where the signings are, are there players available within our price bracket who could make an instant difference to our league position?

For example, to get a new centre half they would have to be: 

At least better than 3 of Batth, Hanley, Duffy & Gibson, under the age of about 27, probably left-footed, be of upper-Champ/ lower Prem capability and finally be willing to move to Norwich at short notice.

That makes finding someone in January for the money we could offer quite the task. Not to mention all 4 of the above are probably amongst our top earners. Not to mention that anyone you bring in will naturally knock Warner, Tomkinson, Hills and Adegboyega down a rank; all of whom are said to be reasonable shouts for a squad place next year.

I want signings as much as the next fan but I think (I hope) that given the size of the task that Knapper is taking a long-term view on things 

That's all true, so what's the answer then? Don't sign people? Truth is, you don't know how good someone is until you get them in the door. We thought RvW was amazing until we saw him play. Most thought Pukki was a middling signing at best but he turned into one of our best ever. You have to do your homework and then roll the dice.

[Mason 47 1,389]

1 minute ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

That's all true, so what's the answer then? Don't sign people? Truth is, you don't know how good someone is until you get them in the door. We thought RvW was amazing until we saw him play. Most thought Pukki was a middling signing at best but he turned into one of our best ever. You have to do your homework and then roll the dice.

In this particular January window, maybe so.

The question for me is how likely are we to unearth a player that transforms the entire team and rockets us to the playoffs? And, given the stitched-together Wagnersteins Monster state of the squad, is pushing for the playoffs even the best plan of action anyway?

I guess I'm not advocating for not signing anyone, however I'm definitely advocating for not signing just anyone. Another Forshaw/Hayden/Hwang//Marquinhos isn't going to add anything.

[Robert N. LiM 4,429]

Just now, Mason 47 said:

The question for me is how likely are we to unearth a player that transforms the entire team and rockets us to the playoffs?

Very unlikely. That player would have to be a Skippish CDM. And we never sign them.

[Number9 272]

1 hour ago, The Real Buh said:

In short it’s the slow creep on the destruction of this clubs standards and footing among its peers at the behest of an insane, drunk, irrelevant TV cook from the 1970s and at the permission of fans that Unironically bring boiled sweets and a personal FM radio to the ground on match days.

I thought we weren't going to mention the personal electrical items ....