Why do you assume Norwich will buy anyone?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I will not be surprised if there are no new arrivals and youth is used along with others given an opportunity to improve, get back to form or finally make an appearence.

The impression the Club wants to give is that it is trying to bring new players in.

I expect all Clubs are always enquiring about players so why don''t Norwich just come clean and let the supporters know where they stand (or sit).

Would it be such a bad thing to pay off debt rather than let Worthington waste money on poor signings?

[Rotherhithe Canary 0]

i actually agree, i feel that with such a big catchment area for youth players, norwich should be capable of bringing through many players. the current crop of jarvis/ spillane / lewis should be used, the clubs current reported financial situation cannot afford any more pointless signings

[nh_ncfc 0]

Good point, and one i agree with to a certain extent. I think we should let them pay off debt rather than just wasting the money on players which are not going to contribute towards Norwich City just for the sake of signing them. But i do feel we should sign players we NEED. (We currently need atleast 2 new players, a left-back and a right-mid). As for the left back i wouldn''t mind seeing Spillane come through for us for that position. But we really do need to bring someone in who plays right-mid. We''ve had that slot open for so long and it never seems to be filled with a quality player. And with gaps like that in a team, the whole team as a whole are not going to perform well.

[Rotherhithe Canary 0]

good, point, with the current team we can acheive at leats a top 10 finish with the youth players, but yes some money must be spent on a long-term right winger, a vacant position since mark rivers, and he wasn''t loved when he was here

[Salopian 1]

The short answer is that last year''s squad was neither big enough nor good enough. This year''s will be no bigger, and one or two youngsters will not initially make much difference in quality. I assume that they Club recognises that not trying to sign players will reveal a low level of ambition and alienate further  the many supporters who are already angry and depressed.

You could be right, however, and management may be hoping to bring in a few bench-warming loanees as tokens of ambition.

My position has not changed. If we had a manager who could re-build the team from scratch over two or three years (Boothroyd?), accepting lower placings while we re-build would be just about tolerable. We have a manager who shows little interest and ability in re-building in a radical way, - merely grafting players into a pre-determined and inflexible method.

[First Wizard 0]

So if Earnshaw is injured...................................then what..........pray?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I feel my point has been missed somewhat.

I was not advocating no buys and the use of homegrowns to fill gaps.

The squad is too small and imbalanced even with the youth.

I was questioning why supporters may be labouring under the misapprehenion that the Club intends to make key purchases of players....wishful thinking perhaps?

[mystic megson 0]

Unfortunately, Rude Old, the transfer budget is so small that it would make little or no impression on the debt situation, were it to be used for that purpose.

In Friday''s paper, Hucks was quoted as saying that in 15 years in football he had never known a club not to sign anyone in the close season.  That includes Lincoln City.

New signings, apart from being a practical necessity, send out a statement of intent to the world of football as much as to our own supporters. 

Just over a year ago we were in the Premiership.  We made an operating profit of £7 million but still increased the overall level of debt.  We''ve had, or are due to receive, £12 million in parachute payments since then.  Our net spend on players (players in minus players out) has been close to zero.  Prudence?  Ambition?  No, and no.

[lucky green trainers 0]

its painfully obvious that worthy''s close season transfer budget was demolished by the injury to rob green - surely he was meant to be off, taking his large wage off the salary bill and giving worthy a wedge to play with - plan b?  wot plan B?in any event, if we are skint - why not follow the example of adie boothroyd?  he made the most of the squad he inherited and got some canny experienced players in on ''frees''  however, despite the arrival of hunter - is city viewed as dead end by potential new signings  - with worthy''s position with the fans unresolved are players unwilling to touch us with a barge pole - fearful of playing in poor atmospheres? despite all the ''its a tough league to get out of'' blather - last years league looks easier than this years from the claibre of the clubs that have dropped out of the prem - coupled with that, leeds look stronger each season - while preston and palace look certain to be knocking on the door.  also, not forgetting a resergent southampton under burley now that lowe has been shoved aside. relying on youngsters to fill a void is a risky gamble imo - ipswich''s youth did well, but they suffered from a poor end of season run that doomed to mid-table status and that saw royle ditched for a smooth talking ulsterman.the fact is, if we are ambitious to gain promotion, we must have the personnel to compete, and so we must get some players in- even if that means letting some go.

[mystic megson 0]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"]its painfully obvious that worthy''s close season transfer budget was demolished by the injury to rob green - surely he was meant to be off, taking his large wage off the salary bill and giving worthy a wedge to play with - plan b?  wot plan B?

in any event, if we are skint - why not follow the example of adie boothroyd?  he made the most of the squad he inherited and got some canny experienced players in on ''frees'' 

however, despite the arrival of hunter - is city viewed as dead end by potential new signings  - with worthy''s position with the fans unresolved are players unwilling to touch us with a barge pole - fearful of playing in poor atmospheres?

despite all the ''its a tough league to get out of'' blather - last years league looks easier than this years from the claibre of the clubs that have dropped out of the prem - coupled with that, leeds look stronger each season - while preston and palace look certain to be knocking on the door.  also, not forgetting a resergent southampton under burley now that lowe has been shoved aside.

relying on youngsters to fill a void is a risky gamble imo - ipswich''s youth did well, but they suffered from a poor end of season run that doomed to mid-table status and that saw royle ditched for a smooth talking ulsterman.

the fact is, if we are ambitious to gain promotion, we must have the personnel to compete, and so we must get some players in- even if that means letting some go.




[/quote]

"It''s a tough league to get out of" - IMO whilst there''s a degree of truth in that statement, in recent seasons the relegated clubs have made far too much of it.  Why?  Call me paranoid, but if a club stays down they get a £6 million ''reward'' in the form of the second year''s parachute payment.  If they go straight back up they don''t get the second payment, but still have to fork out for Prem wages and transfers the following season.  Since parachute payments were introduced, immediate repromotion, whilst never an everyday occurrence, has become a rarity. 

Call me very very paranoid, but IMO last season the situation took another twist.  Sunderland showed that if you fail to invest in a squad that has any chance at all of keeping you up, you still get a year''s Premiership income and have the consolation of a £6 million payout at the end of it.  Unless you''re like Wigan, who are fortunate enough to have a very football-focused chairman who is also filthy rich, it''s an easy option that would be difficult to ignore.

If someone offered you an absolute guarantee of £6 million for failing to achieve your objective, you''d think twice before turning it down, wouldn''t you?  Especially since even the most full-blooded financial commitment would not be an absolute guarantee of success.  At the very least, it is bound to act as a brake on ambition. 

 

[Delias Buns 0]

this is never going to happen - have you not forgotten whos in charge of this club? the only time he plays youth members is when theres nothing to play for. the idiots just gone and said how peter thorne is in our plans next year. for worthy, youth is a last resort for him, he wants experience, we''ll end up with a Howard instead of a Jarvis. He is ruining this club.

[Yellow Rages 0]

In answer to your question Hucker, I assume that the club will buy some new players because they tell us that they will buy some new players.

That''s not to say that they will but I will assume that they will. I think that makes sense.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

In response to your optimism: Rages; this is called ''spin.''

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]In response to your optimism: Rages; this is called ''spin.''[/quote]

''Spin'' or not Rude Old, I would bet my house that City will sign 1 or 2 players. 

[Yellow Rages 0]

I don''t agree Rudolf.

I don''t think you can call the clubs publically released objectives in terms of signings ''spin'' until they don''t happen.

Prior to this you are only making an assumption. I too am making an assumption but it''s based on what we are being told. We have nothing else to go on until further notice or the transfer window elapses.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

You know what: Rages? This is classic Yankee Canary territory. Perhaps he will enlighten us all on business-speak. If it isn''t spin, then what is it? And what is the definition of spin anyway? Is it spin when seen only in retrospect or spin if we think it is at the outset?

[Yellow Rages 0]

In my opinion it can only be classed as spin once you know it is.

Since we don''t know if what they say to be true or not then what they say can''t be classed as spin.

You can of course speculate that it is spin and that is fine.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Rages,

What is the threshold for knowing it was spin? Is there a cut-off point?

I think the Club has spun already in response to the supporters asking why they bought season tickets and the Club has bought no-one.

Surely, with such a poor season the re-build should have started months ago.

It will take something special now to remove the allegation that NCFC has spun itself into a pretty tight spot.

Good debate by the way. Shouldn''t we be insulting each other by now?

[Yellow Rages 0]

Youre quite right, we should be having a little dig by now but never mind ey?

I believe the cut off point is when it is no longer possible for them to live up to what they say. There is still time to buy players and until that time elapses, they have not failed to deliver.

If they do not deliver, then I will be fully behind you in accusing the club of adding spin to their responses.

What I think is more likely though is that they will sign players but not of the calibre that we would hope for. And so by that they will take it as delivering the goods. I will take it as lack of ambition.

Lets just wait and see what happens first before pointing our typing finger(s)

[Dean Coneys boots 1,400]

I cannot help but notice that a certain C.Sutton has not signed for anyone yet....he must surely be worth considering at this stage 

[Yellow Rages 0]

It would be nice if he would Vics but the problem is he''s not available.

My understanding there is that he has retired.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Saint Canary wrote: I would bet my house that City will sign 1 or 2 players. 

Have you called the Estate Agent yet, Saint?

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]Saint Canary wrote: I would bet my house that City will sign 1 or 2 players.  Have you called the Estate Agent yet, Saint?[/quote]

Not yet Rude Old but it has only been two days since I posted that.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Yet another dose of early realism from Hucker.....I thank you!

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote user="Linda Hucker"]Yet another dose of early realism from Hucker.....I thank you![/quote]

and another dose of modesty [:p]