Thomas Buffel!!

[colneycanary 0]

Rangers midfielder attracts Norwich City interest

10:11 June, 15, 2008

Thomas Buffel is being linked with a move to Carrow Road

The 27-year-old Belgium international looks likely to leave Rangers ahead of the end of his contract after an injury-hit season at Ibrox.

Bruges have been trying to lure the player back to his homeland recently and agent Kees Ploegsma has said: "Rangers are willing to negotiate if a club comes in for Thomas."

[colneycanary 0]

Norwich are after Rangers midfielder Thomas Buffel. according to press reports.

This morning''s The People newspaper has a new name for Norwich fans to get excited about - Thomas Buffel.

Article continues below

Buffel, 27, joined Glasgow giants Rangers in 2005 in a £2.5million deal from Dutch side Feyenoord. The attacking midfielder had fallen out with coach Ruud Gullit after refusing to sign a new deal after three years at the club, during which time he scored 34 goals in 90 appearances.

The Belgian international, who has six goals in his 24 appearances for his country, hit five goals in his first season in Scotland despite only featuring 18 times, and helped Rangers to a League and League Cup double.

Buffel has been linked with moves to several clubs away from Ibrox, notably Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga. Since suffering a serious knee injury in February last year he has fund his first team appearances under Walter Smith limited.

Norwich boss Glenn Roeder is said to be keen on Buffel, who began his career with Excelsior, and he can be added to a lengthy list of proposed transfer targets, with nobody yet having been confirmed as the first new signing of the summer.

One of those, Newcastle''s young striker Andy Carroll, is said this morning to be interesting Derby County, whose manager Paul Jewell has completed seven signings already this summer.

Sunderland''s Ian Harte, available on a free transfer and twice linked with a switch to Carrow Road, is again said to be intersting East Anglian rivals Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys'' flirtation with Newcastle''s Shola Ameobi, also admired by Roeder, is looking likely to be hijacked by Premier League new boys Hull City.

The Tigers'' manager Phil Brown is said to be preparing a bid for the 26-year-old of around £2million. Toon chairman Mike Ahley is known to be keen to cash in on the striker, deemed surplus to requirements by Kevin Keegan.

[NCFC_Thain 0]

We seem to be linked with alot of midfielders, despite this being the position we need to attend to least. (Bar goalkeeper).

[Thecanaryfan 0]

[quote user="NCFC_Thain"]We seem to be linked with alot of midfielders, despite this being the position we need to attend to least. (Bar goalkeeper).
[/quote]

 

True, but we still need a midfielder who can pick a long pass and find the net. Buffel would be an amazing signing if he can stay fit.

[O.T.B.C 0]

I still feel we need to have a Damian Francis and an Ian Crook figure, that would complement Rusty and Fozzy. (Why is it, that all footballers have nicknames that end in Y)

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="canaries in Bed"](Why is it, that all footballers have nicknames that end in Y)[/quote]

Curo, Hucks, Chadders, Damo dont end in Y!

[silver fox 0]

[quote user="NCFC_Thain"]We seem to be linked with alot of midfielders, despite this being the position we need to attend to least. (Bar goalkeeper).
[/quote]You must have a lot of faith in a midfield comprising Pattison, Fotheringham and Russell.  I believe the midfield is one of the main areas we need to address.

[NCFC_Thain 0]

[quote user="silver fox"][quote user="NCFC_Thain"]We seem to be linked with alot of midfielders, despite this being the position we need to attend to least. (Bar goalkeeper). [/quote]You must have a lot of faith in a midfield comprising Pattison, Fotheringham and Russell.  I believe the midfield is one of the main areas we need to address.[/quote]I only rate Rusty out of them but, assuming the Doc doesn''t sign, we will have only 1 center back. We haven''t got a decent left winger. And we have two poor strikers in Martin and Cureton. I think we should try and address these before the central midfield which, whilst not being anything special, is adequete.

[colneycanary 0]

Scored 34 times in 90 games. Pretty good for a midfielder!

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,921]

The thing with Buffel is that he was one of Rangers'' best players a few years ago but has completely dropped off the radar it seems. Makes you wonder if his career has gone the same way as a couple of Northern Irish gentlemen we had.I do think we need another central midfielder. Pattison is woeful, and although Fozzy and Rusty are both decent players, we need to add someone who can get a few goals.

[O.T.B.C 0]

Fair enough, forgot about the highly original Hucks, Curo, Rusty etc.

 

Worth a punt, I would give him ago. Lets hope he is not a Murray.

[ncfclad 0]

I would be stunned if he signed for Norwich, just watched all his goals for Rangers, and providing he is over his long term injury he is definetly good enough for a team like Everton or Blackburn.

[O.T.B.C 0]

Problem is mate, that he has been a shadow of himself and has not cut it in a weaker league than the Prem. You never know, if he is injury free and can get some sort of form, then if signed, he would be a very good signing. I''m sure there will be a lot of other teams out there who want him. I have to say this season, every player has about 10 teams after him.

[Yellow Rider 0]

[quote user="canaries in Bed"]Problem is mate, that he has been a shadow of himself and has not cut it in a weaker league than the Prem. You never know, if he is injury free and can get some sort of form, then if signed, he would be a very good signing. I''m sure there will be a lot of other teams out there who want him. I have to say this season, every player has about 10 teams after him.[/quote]

I know nothing about this guy but have checked the stats. and it has to be said that he has virtually disappeared at Rangers since this ....''serious knee injury''. Forgive my pessimism but if he is uveiled today, tomorrow or whenever I will be distinctly underwhelmed. We''ve had too many foreign players here who have been inadequately researched before they arrived and have been expensive white elephants.  

[iluveadie 0]

[quote user="Yellow Rider"]

[quote user="canaries in Bed"]Problem is mate, that he has been a shadow of himself and has not cut it in a weaker league than the Prem. You never know, if he is injury free and can get some sort of form, then if signed, he would be a very good signing. I''m sure there will be a lot of other teams out there who want him. I have to say this season, every player has about 10 teams after him.[/quote]

I know nothing about this guy but have checked the stats. and it has to be said that he has virtually disappeared at Rangers since this ....''serious knee injury''. Forgive my pessimism but if he is uveiled today, tomorrow or whenever I will be distinctly underwhelmed. We''ve had too many foreign players here who have been inadequately researched before they arrived and have been expensive white elephants.  

[/quote]

You are right, unfortunately.

[TheCardinal 0]

[quote user="Yellow Rider"]

[quote user="canaries in Bed"]Problem is mate, that he has been a shadow of himself and has not cut it in a weaker league than the Prem. You never know, if he is injury free and can get some sort of form, then if signed, he would be a very good signing. I''m sure there will be a lot of other teams out there who want him. I have to say this season, every player has about 10 teams after him.[/quote]

I know nothing about this guy but have checked the stats. and it has to be said that he has virtually disappeared at Rangers since this ....''serious knee injury''. Forgive my pessimism but if he is uveiled today, tomorrow or whenever I will be distinctly underwhelmed. We''ve had too many foreign players here who have been inadequately researched before they arrived and have been expensive white elephants.  

[/quote]

I don''t know how you can distinctly underwhelmed - or form any opinion - by a guy you know nothing about beyond looking at the statistics. As I think most reasonable and non-judgemental NCFC fans, I would give the guy a chance before slating him.

[Yellow Rider 0]

Fair point MarshallowMan. If we sign him I will be support him 100%, it''s just that his fall from limelight at Rangers does (at first sight) give cause for concern. If he can resurrect his career to the previous highs then all well and good.  

[TheCardinal 0]

I think the fact he sounds so very much like Ian Murray (but in a different position) is worrying, and I agree - there is cause for doubt. But equally so we''ve had players come here in similar circumstances and do well. The most obvious example, of course, is Darren Huckerby who suffered an injury in Kevin Keegan''s Manchester City side and was never seen again. 

[Hog 0]

imo he is a much better player than Murray ever was or will be, has suffered with injury but on his day is definately a lower prem player.

[Yella_Forever 0]

We should get in quick on this one, get him down to Carrow road and show him around.... he is a good player, and one of the only ones we have been linked to and not a "string of clubs" have... 

I just read the Gary roberts article on the evening news site, it makes me laugh... as if we have a chance of competing with the clubs that keep tracking the same players we do, do we all have the same scouts?? or is there really limited players around with enough quality to help us at least stay up??

buffel''s record is good, his injury might be a problem, but if it has cleared up and he seems fit... sign him up...!!! goals from midfield, now theres a rare thing!!!!

[missing in action? 0]

[quote user="TheMarshmallowMan"][quote user="Yellow Rider"]

[quote user="canaries in Bed"]Problem is mate, that he has been a shadow of himself and has not cut it in a weaker league than the Prem. You never know, if he is injury free and can get some sort of form, then if signed, he would be a very good signing. I''m sure there will be a lot of other teams out there who want him. I have to say this season, every player has about 10 teams after him.[/quote]

I know nothing about this guy but have checked the stats. and it has to be said that he has virtually disappeared at Rangers since this ....''serious knee injury''. Forgive my pessimism but if he is uveiled today, tomorrow or whenever I will be distinctly underwhelmed. We''ve had too many foreign players here who have been inadequately researched before they arrived and have been expensive white elephants.  

[/quote]

I don''t know how you can distinctly underwhelmed - or form any opinion - by a guy you know nothing about beyond looking at the statistics. As I think most reasonable and non-judgemental NCFC fans, I would give the guy a chance before slating him.

[/quote]i have followed what he has achieved thru celtic following, and, well, he was always injured and had a bad attitude at times...

[King Beef 0]

By the sounds of things Buffel would be a great addition, sounds like he has an impact in the centre of the pitch and also knows where the net is, something we are desperate for.

On the same token, sounds a lot like Brellier...

 

[First Wizard 0]

Didn''t he have a terrible knee injury recently?...........hmm?