Strikers.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,589]

[quote user="Ruddy Marvelous"]Franco Di Santo anyone!?!?!?!?[/quote]

Decent player, but with less than 10 goals in over 100 professional games he isn''t the goal scorer Norwich would need should the worst happen.

[HerefordCanary 0]

If Holt goes we have to get Hooper in, he will score at least 15 in the prem I am sure of it. Also a great bloke with a great attitude.

[mrdi 373]

I fancy Markus Rosenberg from Werder Bremen. Sweden international. Out of contract, I think. Could carry on from where Mattias Jonson left off.

[SnakepitCanary 0]

[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

John Guidetti

[/quote]

 

Great shout. He''s been setting the dutch top league alight with some of his performances, scoring nearly 1 goal a game and I think he scored a hat trick against Ajax. Would love it if we went for him on loan, but if he was made available some big clubs would look at him.

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="chicken"]

Two other younger names to throw into the hat.

First of Chris Wood of West Brom. 6''3" and only 20 but with quite a bit of experienc already. He has played 18 games for the senior Kiwi team already. Ok so he doesn''t have the greatest scoring record but from what I have seen he has the potential to do so. He has the work rate and strength and technical ability. At his age he also offers a bit more pace than Holt. The only problem is that he needs time. Right now can we afford that.

Much in the same way I would say the same thing about Sam Vokes. Thought he looked good whilst on loan to us although we didn''t get to see a lot of him. Certainly no slouch and again likes to work hard for the team. At 22 he is older than Wood but offers many of the same prospects. At 6''2" he has height but as I''m sure most of you will have seen him.

They would be my two suggestions if you wanted to go young and hungry. Rodriguez is a far better option mind you but you asked for ideas and other than those mentioned these are mine.

[/quote]

Woods is an interesting shout. A frustrating player in many ways. I''d imagine that West Brom would want to hold on to him.

Interesting that he achieved his best form when working under a good manager (Hughton).

I like Sam Vokes. 100% Commitment; 100% Application; 100% Honesty. He''s also technically good. Is he ready for the Premier League yet?

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]

Some lovely names on that list, but the best two players are totally out of Norwich''s league.

 

Firstly Dzyuba would never get a work permit in England - I have been told there are several English clubs interested in him, but have all given up because of his work permit and also because of the frankly ridiculous wages players in Russia get. Average players at clubs in Russia are on around £40,000k a week (although much of it is done slightly less than legally) - Arsharvin famously had to take a pay cut to move to Arsenal.

 

I really like Aubameyang - but he only sealed a permanant move to St Etienne last December and after an excellent performance at the African Cup of Nations he''s become fairly hot property. Milan ditched him because of his attitude problems, and for a club that has Ibra and Cassano that''s a big deal.

 

I feel after Newcastle''s success this year a lot of Premier League clubs will be looking at Ligue 1 for potential transfer targets and prices will start to spiral up - PSG already set this trend with some crazy spending. Interesting to see who gets the next Cabaye and who gets the next Stephane Guivarc''h.

[/quote]

Agreed about Dzyuba (sob).

I only found out about Aubameyang''s contract at St Etienne last night- he was loaned there before signing permanently in December. Won''t go for peanuts when he is eventually sold. I think his attitude has improved, but it would still probably be an issue. Quite a player, though, on current form.

Increasingly, I''m thinking that Kevin Berigaud would be a good shout. Despite only making 9 starts (injuries, I think), he has 6 goals in his first season in the top division. Not unimpressive.

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="HerefordCanary"]If Holt goes we have to get Hooper in, he will score at least 15 in the prem I am sure of it. Also a great bloke with a great attitude.[/quote]

I''m really not sure about Hooper. Happy to be proved wrong should we sign him, of course.

[Syteanric 1]

i still think we should go for Rhodes... he has no pace but is a fox in the box.. very Inzaghi like and thats what we need.someone to pounce on rebounds, arrive in the 6 yard box ahead of defenders or score with his backside....every goal counts.

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="mrdi"]I fancy Markus Rosenberg from Werder Bremen. Sweden international. Out of contract, I think. Could carry on from where Mattias Jonson left off. [/quote]

Clever shout with Rosenberg. One I didn''t think of. 29 years old, but still has plenty to give.

The Mattias Jonson case in mind:- surely you take a risk with any signing, foreign or domestic.

[Militant Canary 0]

Just so you know, I have a list of other suggestions for other positions, which I will post (hopefully) later today- provided I have time.

[mrdi 373]

Werder Bremen are a team I''ve (sort of) followed for about 4 years now after watching them on TV while playing a tour in Germany. Like the way they played, not dissimilar to us. Rosenberg is a good, intelligent player. Would fit our mould and is out of contract too. I''d also like Aaron Hunt too, but that''s both unrealistic and unnecessary as we already have Pilkington (younger, similar kind of player).

[Militant Canary 0]

As I said, another list. I think the other positions we need to concentrate on are wingers, holding midfielder and the defence.

Wingers:

Matt Phillips- Blackpool left-winger. Young, hungry and fast as fluid lightning. He''s also tall with an imposing physique. In my opinion, the guy needs work... a lot of work. His crossing, for example, is pretty poor. Yet, of all the wingers I''ve included in this list, he is probably the most likely, if only for the fact that Lambert and him have previous- Lambert gave him his professional début at Wycombe.

Craig Noone- Brighton right-sided winger. Has been described by our very own Elliot Bennett as one of the most technically gifted footballers he''s ever played alongside- second only to Wessi. From what I''ve seen of him, he''s good. Still young with a good cross. May be worth considering.

Andy Najar- Been linked to us in various sources and has been mentioned as a good buy by some on here. Don''t know much about him, but from what I have seen he is talented- typically Honduran in his natural creativity. Any more info on him would be welcome.

Tom Ince- Blackpool again. Still only 20 years old, he''s a quick footballer who can play at either left-wing or as an attacking midfielder. He certainly has plenty of technical ability, vision and eye for goal. Excelled for Blackpool during the Play-Offs, but sadly it wasn''t enough. Could be one for the future, but again could probably work on his crossing (the number of wingers who can''t cross is annoying- I blame C. Ronaldo!)

Ultimately, I still believe that another winger is a necessary purchase this summer. Not just for cover, but for tactical versatility. The problem with the above wingers is that they are too similar to Pilks and Benno. Therefore, I stand by my belief (populist though it may be) that Snodgrass would be best. He''s a superb footballer who can (I think) play either wing or as an attacking midfielder. He is different to Benno and Pilks in that he isn''t particularly fast (Benno)or strong (Pilks). He is technical. His game is about movement, passing and intelligence- sort of a weird mix of Surman, Pilks/Benno and Wessi.

Holding Midfielder:

Casemiro- Hell of a player to pick up, even on loan. Not a physical, powerful player, but so gifted he can do just about anything. He''s versatile too, as he can play the holding role, as well as a box-to-box or attacking role. He''s only 20, but is one of the future prospects for the Brazil team- in fact, I think he''s already earned a senior cap. Never be able to buy him. Another one of my dream purchases.

Victor Wanyama- 20 years old Celtic midfielder. Serves as their midfield enforcer, with excellent passing ability (which can turn defence into attack), with an excellent engine. He''s what you want in a holding midfielder- consistent, reliable, calm and technically very good. He''s also a powerhouse. I believe that the only element missing from our midfield is power, and he''s got that base covered. Unfortunately, he has 3 years left on his contract. Nonetheless, of those mentioned, he''s definitely my top choice.

Gelson Fernandes- A veteran and well travelled footballer (including stints at Man City and Liecester) at the ripe old age of 25 and been linked to us. He has the potential to be an excellent footballer, but seems unable to settle. Currently contracted to St Etienne, he has been loaned out consistently since signing for them- he is currently on loan at Udinese. At the best of times he is what you want from a holding midfielder and has tremendous quality, but I''m not sure about him. He is a Swizz international, so there is an Ottmar Hitzveld link...

Deivid Willian da Silva (Deivid)- Another Brazilian wonder kid, but outside consideration for the National team. 23 years old and currently playing for Atletico Paranaense, I have no idea when his contract runs too. He definitely isn''t bad. Not a powerhouse, nor fast, but energetic and consistent. He looks to protect the defence, win the tackle and look for the short pass.

Just for the record, I believe that the ideal acquisition is available at Coventry- I''ve gone on about him enough. He''s only 18, strong, powerful, fast, consistent and technically superb. Sign him up!

Defenders:

Angelo Ogbonna- Italian centre-back. Definitely one for the future. At 23 he''s already made three appearances for the full Italian National team, despite playing for Serie B club, Torino. Would be a bit of a coup and may be possible provided we get in quick. Counting against us is the fact that Torino have just been promoted and he is one of Italy''s higher profile young players.

Luca Caldirola- Another Italian who has been plying his trade predominantly in the second division at Brescia, on loan from Inter. 21 years old, he is also an experienced Italian youth international. Signing on a permanent basis may be a little difficult, but he''s definitely worth considering for a loan. He is very good and will only get better.

Matt Mills- The great Matt Mills has been linked to us consistently for about a year now. Isn''t he wonderful?! No thanks.

Luke Chambers- 26 years old. Quite experienced Championship centre-back who can also play at right-back. Seems solid enough. Also a fair amount of discord and troubles at Forrest, so we may be able to get him if we wanted. Not sure, though. I think there are younger and better out there. Basically what I''m saying is, “meh!”.

Scott Doe- Dagenham and Redbridge defender. He plays principally as a Centre-back but can also deputise at Right-back. An interesting player as he is not quick. Instead he is strong with excellent defensive vision and positioning- a bit like John Terry (according to John Terry''s PR department), only I don''t think he''s a complete imbecile/racist/womanising/a**ehole. Its very possible that he can make the step up and would be a replacement for Ward, in my opinion.

Fabio Daprelà- Another Brescia defender, only he''s a left-back and I think we might actually be able to get him. He''s another Swizz footballer, though he hasn''t quite made the jump from the youth to senior international team yet. Had a less than successful stint at West Ham, which wasn''t entirely his fault, and was considered surplus by Avram Grant (which makes him go up in my estimation). I think he''s good and he''s got plenty of potential (still only 21). He is monstrously quick and great going forward. His crossing needs some work, but he is obviously improving. He represents a very different option to Tierney or Drury- like a left-sided Naughton.

Lionel Carole- French youth international left-back. Spent this season at Ligue 2 side Sedan, but is contracted to Benfica. Not sure how far down the pecking order he is, but might be worth a look. Bit of an all-rounder: solid and consistent in defence; good in attack. Another one for the future, I think.

Adam Mathews- Another Celtic player. 20 year old Welsh international right-back. Another one who''s solid as a rock, and pretty quick to boot. I think its safe to say that he''s a bit more defensive minded than Naughton, but that offers a bit of diversity. He''s good, young and only going to get better. However, he still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract and he''s a Swansea boy.

John Brayford- Right-back for Derby County. Similar to Matthews, he is a little more defensive minded than Naughton. He also has less pace, but is stronger and physically bigger. Because of this, he is also able to play at centre-back. He might be worth considering.

Luis Pedro Cavanda- 21 year old Belgium youth international right-back for Lazio. Definitely has all the attributes to be a great player. He can be deadly going forward as he is very quick and surprisingly big and powerful for a right-back. However, there are a number of question marks over him. He may be low down the pecking order at Lazio and was loaned out twice (and very unsuccessfully) to two Serie B clubs last season. Unfortunately, my information is sketchy- I think he may have an attitude problem. If that were not the case, I would say definitely worth looking to bring in on loan.

There were others, but I now lack the energy.

[chicken 0]

Biggest problem with Italian players is their national team''s reluctance to select players playing outside of the Italian top flight. That''s not to say it hasn''t happened, its just that''s how they prefer to do things.

It means young Italian players are likely to go to good Italian clubs. Juve, Roma, Milan, Inter will all get in first even if they are not first in the que to other nations clubs.

[the bristol nest 0]

I like post season discussions like this . It''s fantasy football time! Thanks MC for researching this as I generally can''t be arsed to look beyond the obvious such as Snodgrass and Rhodes.

However I mistrust the international element as the best go to the big clubs and the rest can be expensive with no guarantee of adaption to the Premier League . I remain open minded but suspect that PL already knows his targets and will be Championship or thereabouts.Last season tended to be the best of league one and lower Championship with an emphasis on British born players.I think that we can cherry pick a bit more this time. I will be constructive - we need five players,

Winger

Striker Rhodes or Rodriguez

Left back - Naughton

Two centre backs preferably one who can cover right back.

Good post.

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="chicken"]

Biggest problem with Italian players is their national team''s reluctance to select players playing outside of the Italian top flight. That''s not to say it hasn''t happened, its just that''s how they prefer to do things.

It means young Italian players are likely to go to good Italian clubs. Juve, Roma, Milan, Inter will all get in first even if they are not first in the que to other nations clubs.

[/quote]

Frequently the case, Chicken. However, a year long loan for a young player might be another matter.

[Militant Canary 0]

[quote user="the bristol nest"]I like post season discussions like this . It''s fantasy football time! Thanks MC for researching this as I generally can''t be arsed to look beyond the obvious such as Snodgrass and Rhodes.

However I mistrust the international element as the best go to the big clubs and the rest can be expensive with no guarantee of adaption to the Premier League . I remain open minded but suspect that PL already knows his targets and will be Championship or thereabouts.Last season tended to be the best of league one and lower Championship with an emphasis on British born players.I think that we can cherry pick a bit more this time. I will be constructive - we need five players,

Winger

Striker Rhodes or Rodriguez

Left back - Naughton

Two centre backs preferably one who can cover right back.

Good post.[/quote]

Absolutely, TBN. But, I think you take a risk bringing anyone into the club. While this may be very true of players from foreign leagues, it is no the case when considering bringing players like Rhodes.

What I will say is that certain players on the list, like Fabio Daprelà, I have watched and like. I''m willing to stake my reputation (if I have one) on someone like him adapting to and becoming a success in the English leagues- has to be the right club, of course. Someone like Fabio Daprelà is very much a Lambert signing: young, hungry, a little unlucky in the past and inexplicably seeming to fly just under the radar.

Just my opinion, of course.

On other news, just heard that Rodriguez to Everton rumours are picking up. Would fit him, as he is very much a north-western lad through-and-through. A shame, if true.