Next Season/Transfers/Summer/Knapper

[The Dog 40]

Will be a big clear out in the summer and in some respects I don’t hold it against Knapper that we have been quiet in January so far, especially in regard to incomings. I hope he is just keeping his  powder dry for the summer, rather than being a rabbit in the headlights. Time will tell.

 I imagine we will see a striker come in on loan before the end of the window to facilitate Idah departing. I am led to believe that before Hwang got injured the plan was definitely to get Idah moved on. So I imagine assuming we get a loan striker in to facilitate his move to Italy. 
It’s sad that Adam has never kicked on as we all hoped. In a strange way I also think it makes it easier for the club hierarchy to make the decision  to let him go given he is on overinflated wages for the next 4 and a half years. £20k a week for that period of time is a huge burden for the club if he’s not going to develop into a hugely sellable asset as we had hoped. 

Sadly it appears to me Ashley Barnes has been a huge flop, he looks every bit the 34+ year old past it striker, who was never that prolific in the first place. The insistence on playing his as number 10 is even more baffling to me.  The fact Barnes is on huge wages and here for another year doesn’t help things either in regard to Idah staying as there is no chance we would be able to offload Barnes without paying him off as nobody is going to take on £30k a week wages for him. 

In regard to Rowe it seems quite clear to me that he will be off in the summer rather than January. Seems we will look for a bidding war in the summer and I imagine that Knapper and the club will a) be very much in need of the money and b) see Kamara as his replacement after his successful loan at Pompey. 

In a similar vain to Rowe I would not be surprised to see Gunn leave in the summer. I think he only has one year left on his contract after this one and with a father who is an agent and family based in the north west I  imagine they will be hoping for a big Euros with Scotland and to get a move on the back of that. 

Its going to be a huge summer for NCFC. We will know so much more about Knapper once next season starts. Fingers crossed he transforms the  playing squad and coaching staff, which in turn will hopefully breath fresh energy into a fan base that is downbeat and is (rightly IMO) highly sceptical of everything that is happening at the club at the moment both on and off the pitch. 
 

OTBC 

 

[yellowrider120 932]

3 minutes ago, The Dog said:

Will be a big clear out in the summer and in some respects I don’t hold it against Knapper that we have been quiet in January so far, especially in regard to incomings. I hope he is just keeping his  powder dry for the summer, rather than being a rabbit in the headlights. Time will tell.

 I imagine we will see a striker come in on loan before the end of the window to facilitate Idah departing. I am led to believe that before Hwang got injured the plan was definitely to get Idah moved on. So I imagine assuming we get a loan striker in to facilitate his move to Italy. 
It’s sad that Adam has never kicked on as we all hoped. In a strange way I also think it makes it easier for the club hierarchy to make the decision  to let him go given he is on overinflated wages for the next 4 and a half years. £20k a week for that period of time is a huge burden for the club if he’s not going to develop into a hugely sellable asset as we had hoped. 

Sadly it appears to me Ashley Barnes has been a huge flop, he looks every bit the 34+ year old past it striker, who was never that prolific in the first place. The insistence on playing his as number 10 is even more baffling to me.  The fact Barnes is on huge wages and here for another year doesn’t help things either in regard to Idah staying as there is no chance we would be able to offload Barnes without paying him off as nobody is going to take on £30k a week wages for him. 

In regard to Rowe it seems quite clear to me that he will be off in the summer rather than January. Seems we will look for a bidding war in the summer and I imagine that Knapper and the club will a) be very much in need of the money and b) see Kamara as his replacement after his successful loan at Pompey. 

In a similar vain to Rowe I would not be surprised to see Gunn leave in the summer. I think he only has one year left on his contract after this one and with a father who is an agent and family based in the north west I  imagine they will be hoping for a big Euros with Scotland and to get a move on the back of that. 

Its going to be a huge summer for NCFC. We will know so much more about Knapper once next season starts. Fingers crossed he transforms the  playing squad and coaching staff, which in turn will hopefully breath fresh energy into a fan base that is downbeat and is (rightly IMO) highly sceptical of everything that is happening at the club at the moment both on and off the pitch. 
 

OTBC 

 

Vey good post. The points highlighted have been well known for sometime. Still staggering that the owners worshipped at the feet of their beloved 'Stuart' who set up those appalling contracts.

[percy varco 254]

When does Knapper start?

You would never know if he has. 
Big Stu is running it from a mountain top. 

[ridgeman 156]

I don’t envy Knapper at all. He has arrived early at a club where the last Sporting Director (who was worshipped by the majority shareholders) is still working his Notice, his wife is on the board of directors and the footballing side is a mess. It would appear  that he has identified that the age of the squad is a problem, that Idah is not worth a five year contract. Let’s hope he continues working on  improvements to the footballing side of the club. I don’t think he can say too much while the Webbers are around and hope when Attansio completes his takeover he will shake p the board of directors.

[Chichcan 149]

I agree it's looking like a big change in the summer paid for by some Rowe money and maybe Sara too

My big question is what he does with Wagner. 

I can't see how he can really move the club in a different direction without a new manager 

My worry is he gives Wagner a go next season with a new squad and we stumble on with Wagner just doing enough to keep getting a bit longer 

He needs to bite the bullet at the end of the season and get a new coach in first before refreshing the squad 

[Capt. Pants 5,144]

I suppose the question re Wagner is would he do better with a Knapper squad than a Webber one? Did he have much input into the summer signings?

I can't see how we can really push forward until the takeover is complete, which probably isn't going to be by the summer. 

With all the injuries we've had to remain 2 pts off the play-offs, or say 4 or 5 to allow for us playing a game more, Wagner hasn't done that badly. I'm not totally convinced we'll see a change in Head Coach over the summer either.

[Google Bot 3,993]

I guess the question is whether you'd trade a few of the gems, such as Rowe and Sara, and invest that back into a better "sum of all parts" squad.

[canarybubbles 2,209]

6 hours ago, Google Bot said:

I guess the question is whether you'd trade a few of the gems, such as Rowe and Sara, and invest that back into a better "sum of all parts" squad.

I'll probably be slated for this, but IMO Rowe is a luxury player who will score goals out of nothing, but we cannot build a 'sum of all parts' team around him. Also, it seems as if he is very likely to leave anyway. He's a confident player and I get the feeling he believes he can snatch the moment and is ready for higher things. I hope for his sake he is and he doesn't end up just warming the bench at a PL club.

Sara, on the other hand, despite his recent performances being below his usual standard, is someone who could be the pivot of a 'sum of all parts' team. For me, he is the one we must try to keep, especially once Wagner has gone and we go back to playing with a midfield.

[RugbyCanary 107]

It cripples me, but, I think Wagner will be here next season . The takeover seems way off, the club is treading water. Needs a shake up from the top down, but, how long will it take? I for one don't know but I feel this will rumble on for some time

[City 2nd 193]

24 minutes ago, RugbyCanary said:

It cripples me, but, I think Wagner will be here next season . The takeover seems way off, the club is treading water. Needs a shake up from the top down, but, how long will it take? I for one don't know but I feel this will rumble on for some time

You are correct. Yes he will. And there won’t be a big clear out. NCFC don’t have the money due to the pauper owners and Webber.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

27 minutes ago, RugbyCanary said:

It cripples me, but, I think Wagner will be here next season . The takeover seems way off, the club is treading water. Needs a shake up from the top down, but, how long will it take? I for one don't know but I feel this will rumble on for some time

Not so sure. He must be well aware of the rumblings against him. His job has been under threat for so long now, and constant references in the press concern the fragility of his grip on the job.

He must feel the pressure and his Houdini act cannot go on forever as a run of bad results  always seems to be just around the corner. He is relying on the skill of certain individuals, imo, rather than clear tactical nous. 

On the surface look, he seems to have the players with him, this has helped his cause.

I suspect there will be a parting of the ways by so-called "mutual consent" rather than an out-and-out sacking.

I would prefer him gone asap, but am not so desperate for that as I once was as I fully realise the reason he hasn't been removed already. It's a results game, and he has turned those in his favour if nothing else.

Edited January 30, 2024 by BroadstairsR

[Sufyellow 250]

14 hours ago, Google Bot said:

I guess the question is whether you'd trade a few of the gems, such as Rowe and Sara, and invest that back into a better "sum of all parts" squad.

If no one puts money in , we will need to  raise 20 million in running costs. So don't get excited about having money if we sell Rowe and Sara.  

[norfolkngood 1,178]

13 minutes ago, Sufyellow said:

If no one puts money in , we will need to  raise 20 million in running costs. So don't get excited about having money if we sell Rowe and Sara.  

i am hoping MA might cover that for more Delia's shares ??? 

[pete 375]

Wagner on his way no movement in transfer window indicates will be gone in summer.

Another year in the Champs next season will see administration a likelihood.  Which will see back off Delia who will sell out to Mark A for a song if club too survive. 

[Robert N. LiM 6,419]

8 hours ago, canarybubbles said:

I'll probably be slated for this, but IMO Rowe is a luxury player who will score goals out of nothing, but we cannot build a 'sum of all parts' team around him. Also, it seems as if he is very likely to leave anyway. He's a confident player and I get the feeling he believes he can snatch the moment and is ready for higher things. I hope for his sake he is and he doesn't end up just warming the bench at a PL club.

Sara, on the other hand, despite his recent performances being below his usual standard, is someone who could be the pivot of a 'sum of all parts' team. For me, he is the one we must try to keep, especially once Wagner has gone and we go back to playing with a midfield.

I take the point but don't really see how you can call Rowe, who scores so many goals, a luxury player. As Don Howe said in my second-favourite football quote, "Hoddle a luxury? It's the bad players who are a luxury."

[norfolkngood 1,178]

bit disappointed with knapper to be honest he has had quite a while to prepare for this window and find targets ,

i thought with his stat led data he would of found the weaknesses and came out all guns blazing with at least one signing ,

we were told about player trading and exciting window etc Nothing has happened 

 

[The Dog 40]

1 hour ago, Sufyellow said:

If no one puts money in , we will need to  raise 20 million in running costs. So don't get excited about having money if we sell Rowe and Sara.  

Reduction in the wage budget thanks to players departing will help a little but you are 100% correct we will still need a big sale to balance the books. In regard to wages I imagine we will be losing approx. the following: 

Gibson £35k + a week 

Idah £20k a week 

Batth £25k a week 

Dimi G £25k a week 

Placheta £15k a week 

Sorensen £15k a week 

And probably a few more. 

above equates to over £7m a year. 

One thing is certain, we will be shopping in the bargain bin unless there is a big injection of cash from somewhere. 

[Sufyellow 250]

1 hour ago, The Dog said:

Reduction in the wage budget thanks to players departing will help a little but you are 100% correct we will still need a big sale to balance the books. In regard to wages I imagine we will be losing approx. the following: 

Gibson £35k + a week 

Idah £20k a week 

Batth £25k a week 

Dimi G £25k a week 

Placheta £15k a week 

Sorensen £15k a week 

And probably a few more. 

above equates to over £7m a year. 

One thing is certain, we will be shopping in the bargain bin unless there is a big injection of cash from somewhere. 

 

[canarybubbles 2,209]

18 hours ago, Robert N. LiM said:

I take the point but don't really see how you can call Rowe, who scores so many goals, a luxury player. As Don Howe said in my second-favourite football quote, "Hoddle a luxury? It's the bad players who are a luxury."

Obviously I'd like to keep both him and Sara if we can, but if we have to sell one, I would personally prefer it to be Rowe. That's my main point. 

[PurpleCanary 6,455]

What's interesting about the summer transfer window is that Knapper is trying to do business - in and out - in this winter window. I don't know what that means, but it means something.

[Soldier on 298]

Probably only one in .

at least he’s built a buy option in the deal if he performs well.

doesnt sound like the French lad will happen ?

[Move Klose 303]

Wouldn't suprise me to see all out of contract player let go, like summer of 2017.

Ruddy, Bennett, Whittaker, Turner, Lafferty, Bassong, Mulumbu.

Think I remember reading then that that saved us £7m in wages.

[JonnyJonnyRowe 1,036]

On 29/01/2024 at 20:52, The Dog said:

Will be a big clear out in the summer and in some respects I don’t hold it against Knapper that we have been quiet in January so far, especially in regard to incomings.

If there is no money in the pot for this window then the smart thing to do is to sign loans with an option to buy, which by the sounds of it is what we're doing.

Then you buy them if they pass their trial when we cash in on Rowe in the summer.

[Sufyellow 250]

1 hour ago, JonnyJonnyRowe said:

If there is no money in the pot for this window then the smart thing to do is to sign loans with an option to buy, which by the sounds of it is what we're doing.

Then you buy them if they pass their trial when we cash in on Rowe in the summer.

Unless the Americans invest,  you are going to be so disappointed to where selling our best players money end up. 

[JonnyJonnyRowe 1,036]

8 minutes ago, Sufyellow said:

Unless the Americans invest,  you are going to be so disappointed to where selling our best players money end up. 

Brighton and Brentford have done well at the player trading model. As did we when we sold Maddison, Murphy's, Pritchard to fund Farke's first promotion. Yes both backed financially alongside that, but a lot of that to do with new stadiums.

But Brentford sold Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma for about £55m combined in the summer before getting promoted, replacing with Ivan Toney for £5m.

The year before that they'd flogged Maupay for £15m and Konsa for £11m, and recruited Mbeumo for £5m.

Obviously I have serious concerns that this is 2005-2009 all over again with the continuous downgrading of personnel until we end up in League One and on the brink financially, I've still got PTSD from that era like most of us.

But I can hope that our recruitment under Knapper will be on point. That remains to be seen, but I'll remain glass half full for now and give him/them a chance.

Edited January 31, 2024 by JonnyJonnyRowe

[Sufyellow 250]

7 minutes ago, JonnyJonnyRowe said:

Brighton and Brentford have done well at the player trading model. As did we when we sold Maddison, Murphy's, Pritchard to fund Farke's first promotion. Yes both backed financially alongside that, but a lot of that to do with new stadiums.

But Brentford sold Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma for about £55m combined in the summer before getting promoted, replacing with Ivan Toney for £5m.

The year before that they'd flogged Maupay for £15m and Konsa for £11m, and recruited Mbeumo for £5m.

Obviously I have serious concerns that this is 2005-2009 all over again with the continuous downgrading of personnel until we end up in League One and on the brink financially, I've still got PTSD from that era like most of us.

But I can hope that our recruitment under Knapper will be on point. That remains to be seen, but I'll remain glass half full for now and give him/them a chance.

Just like the beginning of this season and farkes seasons , we will need to raise 20 million from player sales for running costs. As you said we sold Madison,  Murphy and Pritchard  to spend 7 or 8 million, we got lucky. Are you happy to sell Rowe, Sara and one other to spend 10 million and hope we get lucky again? 

[duke63 755]

17 minutes ago, JonnyJonnyRowe said:

Brighton and Brentford have done well at the player trading model. As did we when we sold Maddison, Murphy's, Pritchard to fund Farke's first promotion. Yes both backed financially alongside that, but a lot of that to do with new stadiums.

But Brentford sold Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma for about £55m combined in the summer before getting promoted, replacing with Ivan Toney for £5m.

The year before that they'd flogged Maupay for £15m and Konsa for £11m, and recruited Mbeumo for £5m.

Obviously I have serious concerns that this is 2005-2009 all over again with the continuous downgrading of personnel until we end up in League One and on the brink financially, I've still got PTSD from that era like most of us.

But I can hope that our recruitment under Knapper will be on point. That remains to be seen, but I'll remain glass half full for now and give him/them a chance.

Its interesting that since the EPL have sharpened their teeth on FFP and starting deducting points for breaking the rules, then even bigger clubs are running scared and talking about selling players they would rather not have to - Villa and Ramsay, Newcastle and Trippier, Bruno and Isaak. The issue they will have is there are very few clubs who can afford those players ( and may also be under pressure from FFP)  and would they want them anyway?

[JonnyJonnyRowe 1,036]

1 minute ago, Sufyellow said:

Just like the beginning of this season and farkes seasons , we will need to raise 20 million from player sales for running costs. As you said we sold Madison,  Murphy and Pritchard  to spend 7 or 8 million, we got lucky. Are you happy to sell Rowe, Sara and one other to spend 10 million and hope we get lucky again? 

I wouldn't say happy, but if I allowed it to make me too unhappy I'd be miserable all my life being a Norwich fan, we've always sold players to plug holes.

What I will point out though is that we didn't sell Maddison, Murphy and Pritchard in the same summer, we sold Pritchard and Murphy in the summer where we sold about £30m worth of players and spent about £14m.

Then sold Maddison the summer after.

So yes I always expect us to flog a player or two a year, as we always have. Wouldn't surprise me at all if we flogged Rowe for about £25m and then spent about £5m on replacements, that's the £20m you said we need, I personally can't see Mark A wanting to subsidise us by any more than £5m.

But even just £5m a year would mean that we're then doubling our subsequent transfer budget from £5m to £10m, and would be £5m more than Delia could inject.

Look, Knapper needs to work miracles. But we've worked miracles in the past, McNally had the midas touch for a few years, Webber had it for a couple. Lets hope Knapper pulls it out of the bag. What other option is there to take? Just to be miserable?

[Canario 268]

On 30/01/2024 at 07:54, The Dog said:

Reduction in the wage budget thanks to players departing will help a little but you are 100% correct we will still need a big sale to balance the books. In regard to wages I imagine we will be losing approx. the following: 

Gibson £35k + a week 

Idah £20k a week 

Batth £25k a week 

Dimi G £25k a week 

Placheta £15k a week 

Sorensen £15k a week 

And probably a few more. 

above equates to over £7m a year. 

One thing is certain, we will be shopping in the bargain bin unless there is a big injection of cash from somewhere. 

Placheta on 15k a week?? You could pick up a not quite fast enough 100m runner for 1k a week and get the same result. 

Football is completely mad. Amazed the bubble hasn't burst yet

[JonnyJonnyRowe 1,036]

On 30/01/2024 at 13:54, The Dog said:

Reduction in the wage budget thanks to players departing will help a little but you are 100% correct we will still need a big sale to balance the books. In regard to wages I imagine we will be losing approx. the following: 

Gibson £35k + a week 

Idah £20k a week 

Batth £25k a week 

Dimi G £25k a week 

Placheta £15k a week 

Sorensen £15k a week 

And probably a few more. 

above equates to over £7m a year.

One thing is certain, we will be shopping in the bargain bin unless there is a big injection of cash from somewhere. 

I highly doubt that Baath is on anywhere near that, signed for Sunderland in League One and then rejected their contract when they were clearly not willing to boost him to proper Championship money, and was always signed by us as a squad depth player.

We're both guessing of course but bet he's on more like £10k.