so we havent got a million to spend in Janaury then

[Mud Man 0]

I''m not one of the "Board Out" clamourers. I don''t get to go to Carrow Road regularly because I live abroad, so I just try and follow what is happening on this board and through a contact at Carrow Road. However, it seems to me that any decent sports team is built upon a core group of players. Martin Taylor changed a panicky defence that leaked goals, particularly towards the end of a game. He made whomever he played with look better, particularly Shackell. And he did what a Norwich defender hasn''t done in a long time, he scored goals. He is the sort of player you can build a team around. We have a good keeper in Marshall, who is international standard or just below. The midfield is now starting to gel with Fotheringham, Russel and Pattinson. We have Dion for a few more months in either defence or attack and Chad Evans for a while longer. And of course, we have Huckerby, who is a bit slower but can still do a big job for us. Now that is a good backbone of a team, and Taylor is a fundamental part of it.I''ve always liked Roeder. His teams play passing football, which is the Norwich way, and that style is begining to reassert itself as confidence grows amongst the players. He had the nous to get Taylor in from Birmingham in the first place. The Brummies have to look after their club and maximise what they can get for Taylor. However, if he won''t go to Crystal Palace because he doesn''t want to go to London then surely we are in the pound seats still. It sounds like we are only about 250,000 pounds out (just guessing) and that can be overcome. However, I''m really disappointed that the loan extension until the new Transfer window hasn''t been sorted out because a lot can go wrong over the Christmas period without him. He is a good fit for the club and sounds like he wanted to come when it became clear he had no future at Birmingham and no Premiership club came in for him.I understand that money is tight and that from a commercial point of view but sometimes circumstances conspire to offer an opportunity and think this is one where perhaps Norwich has to pay slightly over the odds to secure an important player. For those that say, get over Taylor, move on, I admire the pragmatism, but it is just wrong. Players of Taylor''s class just don''t come around that often and so it does rather signal a lack of ambition that we didn''t secure him. And it is complete bollocks saying that we could get four players for a million because that is exactly what Grant did and look at the problems that has caused (Fotheringham and Marshall being honourable exceptions). I would rather have two quality players (Taylor & Pattinson) than four journeymen. If we ship out Brown, Drury, Lappin, Murray, Croft and Strihavka, we will have a few more pennies, perhaps to make Mo Camara''s loan permanent as well. Then integrate and push Lewis, Cave-Brown,  Spillane, Martin, Eagle, Bexfield and Smart to challenge in this team. Although Grant looked at these youngsters, there is very little mentoring going on. These youngsters have to make it on their own, but a pro should be allocated and passing on their knowledge and encouring them. If these guys don''t make it, as they are the cream of the crop, then what is the point of the academy. We didn''t manage to manage Henderson''s transition from teenage prodigy to successful professional and we seem to be seeing the same failure with the Jarvises and, God Forbid, Chris Martin. I''ve heard whispers that the new regime is really focusing on the youngsters and would like to see hard evidence. I''ve followed most of these youngsters for five years and they can do a job for Norwich. They were a good academy team who played good one-touch passing football with intelligent running off the ball. That''s the Roeder way.

[ron obvious 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"][quote user="ron obvious"]

[quote user="The Drop"]You get what you pay for simple as that . .[/quote]

Wrong. The problem is you frequently don''t get what you pay for.

Also, you sometimes get more than you pay for. How much was Hux?

Life is a complex business.

[/quote]

Very good point. I think one of the reasons it`s all kicking off again is that we absolutely know what we could get with Taylor, he wants to come and yet once again the board don`t want to pay the going rate. I know if he signs in January this board will be full of "I told you so`s" but the fact that the board were prepared to lose him for the sake of a few £100k proves the point some of us are trying to make. Trying to do everything (except infrastructure) on the cheap has landed us with Jarrett, Thorne, Louis-Jean, Hughes etc. Wasted wages and false economy. Unless the supporters get this board to wake up you will get what you deserve-more of the same.

[/quote]

Agreed, Mr. Carrow, but we don''t know how far QPR were prepared to go, & they have the clout to go a long way. I''ve said before, there are dealers I just don''t bid against at auctions because if they want it, they''ll have it. Mind you, sometimes you get two such individuals bidding & it can be very entertaining. With regard to the duff players, I think this is where the appointment of a good manager & staff is all-important. Thus far, the Board seem to have (finally) got it right!

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="Mud Man"]

I understand that money is tight and that from a commercial point of view but sometimes circumstances conspire to offer an opportunity and think this is one where perhaps Norwich has to pay slightly over the odds to secure an important player. For those that say, get over Taylor, move on, I admire the pragmatism, but it is just wrong. Players of Taylor''s class just don''t come around that often and so it does rather signal a lack of ambition that we didn''t secure him. And it is complete bollocks saying that we could get four players for a million because that is exactly what Grant did and look at the problems that has caused (Fotheringham and Marshall being honourable exceptions).

I would rather have two quality players (Taylor & Pattinson) than four journeymen.
[/quote]

Absolutely, for the most part you get what you pay for.  In Taylor you have a solid central defender who has proven a genuine goal threat at set peices.  A class above the likes of Doherty and Shackell.