Who will Norwich buy? And who's out?

[Jonzey 0]

We''ve got three definite premier class players in Green, Drury and Huckerby. And the other regulars this season should make the step up. But we will need to bolster the squad, so who''s coming to fortress Carrow Road?

Petit? Kanu? Crouch? Sutton? I''ve heard rumours on just about everybody.

And who''s out?

Definitey Rivers and Easton, but I''d like to see Iwan stay as a coach. But not as a player.

[joe Houghton 0]

I heard a rumour about us signing muarice ross from rangers fo £250k does anyone know anything about him?Is he any good?is there any truth in the rumour?

I hope that we have a clear out in the summer not of any of the first team regulars but those who are clearly surplus like rivers,easton,briggs.

Ps i cant believe were up its amazing.

Joe H.

[no1canary 0]

i''ve heard about john oster from sunderland is coming to norwich, and neil adams also mentioned him last night.

[bailojnr 0]

Obviously have no idea who we''ll get in for sure but I''d like to see:

- An attacking centre midfielder (playmaker)
- A right winger (with pace and a good cross)
- A centre defender with pace.

I think these three positions must be improved. We need to make sure that whoever we do buy will stay with us if we go down. We''ve been as good as we have cos of consistency and team spirit, we need to stick to that philosophy.
I know our defensive record is outstanding this year but we weren''t playing in the Premiership this year were we.
Any other editions should be long-term loans or young players with potential for the future.
As far as getting rid of people I''d like to see Rivers and Easton out this summer.

[Jonzey 0]

If Wolves can get a fading legend like Ince, and Portsmouth can get Sheringham and Berger then surely we can attract an older big name like Bergkamp. Or am I living in my own dream land?
Not sure about Oster, he''s always struck me as being highly average. I like the idea of poaching Koumas from West Brom, his contract is almost up.

On a completely different topic....how funny is it that Muscat is missing the FA Cup final?
The w****ker deserves it, what goes around comes around.

[Ayrton Twigge 0]

We must be careful about those nearing the end of their careers.
Ince and Irwin have shown that old legs and big wage packets don''t work.
And I bet Sheringham, although professional, is expensive - and what about the team spirit issue. Big fish can be a problem.

Stuart Pearce was a good example before his legs went.

With care they might be found.

But as suggested earlier, we really need mobility at the back and in midfield. Not generally associated with waning stars.

[Archie 0]

dont get oster,he was at loan at grimsby earlier in the season and that says it all.asode from that i wouldnt want kanu either,and it is a must that iwan stays,it really is

[ZLF 335]

I agree that the centre and right of midfield need strengthening. Oster was good against us at FCR b4 the thug in him came out - however I agree that he is not quite premier class. Koumas is another matter and I think his contract may be up at the baggies - can we buy him from under their noses instead of them pinching our signings?!

I would like to see a couple more talented youngsters come our way but also some experience - the likes of Djorkaeff would be ideal - hard working, enjoys his football and so much quality his age is irrelevant - obviously finding that person is the hard bit - for every Youri or JJ there is a Jardel - and they must fit in with the excellent team spirit we have.
Not sure about Bergkamp - he strikes me as being inconsistent in his effort lately.

As most of the squad are on relatively cheap wages & we dont have a large squad I dont see wholescale changes. The ones to go will be the ones who are too expensive, are not up to it or dont fancy sitting in reserves once a new face is signed in their position in the summer.

I cant predict the latter category but of the other I agree with Easton Rivers and Iwan being shown the (playing) door and suspect that Briggs & Sinclair may also be on their way.

But lets just secure the title first.

OTBC

[Saint Canary 0]

I really think that because the Premier League is less physically brutal than the Nationwide that Paul McVeigh and maybe even Mulryne could step up and be Premiership class. There will teams up there playing football and not just try and kick us off the park (Rotherham). I think in an more football minded league Mcveigh cleverness on the pitch could really impress some people. Also I would love to see Mullers lose some weight and show us that he is not wasting his talent.

Also Edworthy has played at that level, so has Svensson and I think we may have a few players who may suprise us all!

[MasterNagus 0]

Interesting points all.

Koumas i would go for, but with Brom virtually up with us, I can''t see Megson letting him go.

Oster, Kanu...can''t see either happening, and quite frankly, don''t want to. I also don''t advocate the buying of ''experienced'' (ie, past it) players, as done by Portsmouth and Wolves. Their buying of Stone, Sheringham, Irwin, Ince etc. The one exception would be Roy Keane - rumour has it Fergie wants rid, but I don''t think it''s a realistic target.

There was talk of Andy Reid from Forest at one point. Any thoughts on that?

I think the way to go is firstly to pick up players with Premier experience as we have done this year - Hucks, Svennson,Edworthy - who for what ever reason are out of favour at their clubs, and alongside that looking for bargains from lower division and / or struggling clubs and developing them - Mackenzie, Francis, Drury etc. That, alongside the invaluable youth policy - Hendo, Green, Shackell etc - is the way I would go.

But I''m not the manager, which you should all be very grateful for!

[Steve White 24]

We must strengthen in all areas, despite our 3 strikers doing well and Jarvis in the wings, we need a striker for the squad (Crouch?), and please, any talk about Roberts playing in the Premiership next year is really being sentimental - hopefully he can remain in a backroom job. A defender, centre midfield and right midfield must also be strengthened (Cooper)? Abbey, Rivers and Easton to be released, with Briggs and Sinclair, who have yet to be given a chance, to be loaned out. > Å

[FatMan Fat 0]

"Out" is easy...Easton and Rivers.
Iwan should stay in a coaching capacity.
The back 5 have to be given a chance to prove themselves; because of their style of play Holt and Francis should cause a few problems to other sides and Mullers could well be a pleasant surprise in the Premiership. I am not sure about McVeigh and Brennan. Up front all three could well be okay with McKenzie really coming through. Leon has showed some real class in his play and positioning over the last few games.
"In" is not so easy - the midfield needs strengthening on both flanks, but as to who I have no idea. The defence will need some cover as we only really have Shackell. Jolean Lescott seems to be out of favour with our "friends", and I would love to see Kenton back. For me that would give us a combination in defence of experience and youth.

[James Kent 0]

I think nigel will bring players in who will be great but not that well known but quality will be bought i''m sure. I''m not so sure that nigel will let anyone go cos he knows that he is going need a big squad for the prem and can''t afford to buy it so he may well not release but just buy what he can.

JIMBO

[YankeeCanary 0]

While it''s much more interesting to focus on what we want to do, let''s not forget that all other clubs are engaged in the same activity. Are we vulnerable on the goalkeeping front to either a) an offer we can''t refuse for Green b) an injury to him and, if so do we have the right quality backup in place c) if Green should leave young Joe is not yet of age?

[Peter 0]

I have been banging on about Koumas for ages, don''t you read my informed posts.

Jk not happy with Baggies refused contract extension, I think still has year on contract but Albion will need to cash in or lose him for nothing. Strict wage policy also will prevent Baggies from pinching any players.

We must be prudent whilst being realistic regarding new player contracts, I don''t think I need to remind the money men.

[Necton Canary 1]

Remember that man - Kevin Harper - one of the three loanees we had in the autumn - I note from at least one website that he might be looking to move on from Portsmouth as his first team opportunities are limited there - He would be an excellent acquisition.

I would love to see Peter Crouch back, as he seemed to fit in well with the Norwich setup - and I believe would improve even more with the guidance of Nigel and his team.

I am sure that Nigel has several others in the pipeline - not necessarily current premiership players.

What about cover for Robert Green - Joe Lewis is still very young but looks good for the future - is Paul Crighton able to deputise in the Premiership?

As for those leaving - I agree it looks like Easton and Rivers - though I would like to think that Briggs and Sinclair need to be given more of a chance to prove their worth. In any case we will need a bigger squad, we have been very fortunate this year with injuries and supensions, had this not been so, things may have been much different.

[Jonzey 0]

I like the idea of Kenton coming back, as well as Crouch coming in. We know they can definitely cut the mustard so no problem there. Back up for Greeno is important, as is the right side. Tricky, I feel the point about McVeigh being able to shine in a less physical environment is spot on so give him a run out down the right wing. But a highly creative attacking midfielder is important, but if Crouch was to come in why not allow Huckerby to drop back a little and operate as a classic left winger as I don''t think we would get away with 4-3-3 in the top flight. Two creative wingers who can both get good balls into the box. That would leave a choice of Mullers, Francis, Holt and hopefully Cooper (would be a superb permanant signing too, very solid) to fill the reamaining central two positions.
So there''s three signings who we know well already. And I''m sure Shackell is going to come through to further bolster the defence. It''s looking good.
Maybe just as cover we could get a few loan signings in to try them out if and when we need them.
There''s alot of dodgy agents out there hungry to drain anybody they can of money by offloading there s**t players.
Remember George Weahs cousin at Southampton?

[NMTD 0]

I know this is a bit bizarre but I had a dream - a few weeks ago now - that Jay-Jay Okocha was playing for us! I believe that JJ is out of contract in the summer - stranger things have happened.

On a more serious point. one aspect to think about when signing players is their ''market worth'' to Norwich.

It is said that Beckam may go to Chelsea - and despite the massive transfer fee and wages - Chelsea believe that the massive increase in merchandise (especially shirts) in the Far East makes it that he will practically pay for himself.

Now i''m not suggesting that we buy Beckham (although apparently he was once on trial with us as a teenager!) but this must be what Bolton are thinking about with their interest in Rivaldo. Their profile sky rockets and they sell more stuff making it possible to afford his wages.

The Malaysian connection I feel, has got a major part to play in our future as this gives us the entry into the massive Asian/Far East market where the spin offs may fund things we''d never contemplated.

I support the ''prudence with ambition'' route forward and to use Charlton as a model. We must never get back to the dark days where we nearly went out of existance, but maybe, just maybe, we''re going to get a big surprise next season.

Whatever happens, whoever we sign - or even if we don''t, I can''t wait. Roll on August!

[southstand rebel 0]

AS A RESERVE KEEPER THE BOY WHO PLAYED FOR WALSALL IS RATED AS A GOOD YOUNG KEEPER AND I AM SURE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SIGN FOR A PREMIERSHIP CLUB ( KNOW HE LET FIVE IN BUT HIS DEFENCE WERE C--- AND WE WERE ON FIRE)

I AGREE BRING BACK KENTON HE WILL BE A LOT HUMBLER NOW AND I AM SURE OTHER PLAYERS FROM NORWICH WOULD HAVE DONE EXACTLY THE SAME AS HIM HAD THEY BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY

[ZLF 335]

A bit ambitious maybe but what about Shaun Wright-Phillips for the right flank if Citeh get relegated?

He has apparently fallen out with Keegan - not hard is it? - and his current wgaes are not exhorbitant. On a one year contract would he be worth a punt?

OTBC

[skyecon 0]

How about Gary Speed who must be coming to the end of his newcastle days and with delias friendship with sir bobby there must be a chance there. Also i work with a derby fan who have had Leon Osman on loan from everton who they rate very highly hes 24 a midfielder and a bit of a paul gascoigne style palyer and everton keen to get rid of him but derby can''t afford him hes even being nominated as derby''s player of the season even though he''s only been there for three months.

If we manage to stay in the premiership next season then we have a better chance of signing the likes of sutton, bergkamp etc but i think its just pie in the sky at this stage.

Does anyone from the club ever look on these forums ??

[westoncanary. 0]

What about looking at the reserve teams from the likes of Arsena, Man utd, Liverpool & Chelsea? They must have loads of young,talented and hungry players, all desperate for first team football. NW can spot a bargain a mile away and they could probably be had for peanuts. I mean, Birmingham got Upson and thats how we got Mullers. There MUST be players to be had that way, rather than forking out for over-the-hill types who just want a pay day.

[Pyro Pete 2,353]

I''ve just heard Nigel Worthington on Radio Five. He said he''s after 3 to 5 new signings this summer. Plus maybe bringing in a couple of long-term loan signings. Rivaldo sadly is not one of them he said.

I think we need:

* A quality striker - If Huckerby gets injured we could be in trouble.
* A midfield playmaker - an Ian Crook style player to run the team.
* Two wingers - one for each flank.

* Two defenders - a centre back with pace, plus a better quality right back.

As our squad is small already I''d be surprised to see too many outgoing players, apart from those Worthy has clearly rejected this season like Rivers.

[Mackemlad 0]

As a Sunderland fan hearing you have been linkled with Oster makes my eyes happy, that boy could not cross his legs nevermind a football, total garbage !

[PremiershipYellows 0]

I think we''ll go down the 1 year loan singing route, look what Forsell''s done at Birmingham. The names I''ve heard mentioned (from an insider!) are Pennent and Bentley from Arsenal

[sheded 0]

Personally, I would take heed of the inference from Huckerby that its FAR too early to start making big changes to the team ! .......... dont fix what aint broke !! ....... the prem is NOT full of vastly superior teams who will make mincemeat out of upstarts like us , its certainly full of vast egos !! , lets go out there and bust ass !!!

[Snake Pit Rebel 0]

As for the Midfield situation what about the centre two for reading,James Harper and Steve Sidwell.Both are very highly rated and would''nt break the bank.

[Goss-pel 0]

I massively agree with the idea of Pennant as if Leeds don''t stay up I can''t see Arsenal offering him regular 1st team footy. If we want another striker I would go for Crouch or Bentley on Loan. As for a spare centre back do u think Boro have one spare out of Ehiough (hoe do you spell it) Southgate and Riggot? As for cover to Greeno maybe we should be looking at a loan signing as Lewis is promise for the future. Maybe Stur-Ellegard from Citeh. I also liked the idea of Read from Forest in the centre but apparently he is going to be 10million. I think we should avoid trying to sign those off form like Butt, but if we could land Izzet that would be a real Coup. However I reckon he is more likely to go to an established Premiership club. Is it worth raiding the sides going down???

[FatMan Fat 0]

Chris Riggot would be a real shrewd move if we could get him...best young defender in the country according to a lot of people.

[Archie 0]

ive heard leon osman is good but actually everton have told derby that they cant have him permenantly as they too rate him. the idea of pennant coming is great,depends on leeds though,but he would be such a good signing.i also think a couple of season long loans would be a good idea,but not stupid ones aka elvis hammond stlye,they have to have proved that they have premier quality