Re: Caution

[ZLF 334]

2 good points well made Mook.

The posts on here are all around how we are suddenly capable of getting automatic promotion. Get real - Huckerby is OK but he is no world beater. He has proven himself at this level. The same issue as before remains - will we create enough chances for Crouch and Huckerby to convert?? As last year the I dont recall the strikers missing bucketfuls of chances each game!

However the signings are a big boost and assuming they fit into the squad and NW gets the tactics rights I can see the signings help the team progress up the table.

What happens in 95 days time is a different story though - our cash pot will have been seriously diminished and we will still have a further 5 months of the league to go...

OTBC

[rich 0]

I''d be the last person to say we could win the league, but I think these signings offer a chance of optimism we havent had for a while.
As for creating chances, i think Huckbery creates an awful lot for himself and with mcveigh probably dropping out wide then he can put in some wicked crosses for crouch, like he did agaisnt forest but had no-one on the end. Add to that francis runs from midfield and we look a lot more dangerous. We might not win the league, but least were back in the game again.

[chicken 0]

To understand what I am about to say I advise you all read the latest article on the two new loan signings, that would be the official unveiling one.

Firstly, it looks like Crouch may be here for the season, depending on his club and how good he proves to be.

Secondly towards the end Worthy mentions possibly raiding as many banks as possible to get Huckerby here, yet again if he proves to be good for us.

So is this another one of Worthies slick mind games with the board, or is this just the honest truth that they will really go to any ends to try and keep him if he is the bees knees as they say.

One other thing people seem to have forgotten is that it buys the club three months of time to search out a permanent striker. Think of all those players that are just about to hit peak and that could be in the last year of thier contract, come January and they might just be going on the cheap.

Finnaly, I did some digging and found that Easton can actually play on either wing, and McVeigh is actually right footed. Which means that McVeigh could take the right wing slot or Easton with McVeigh on the left with the new strikers up front. Or alternatively you could put Huckerby out on the right and give him the same sort of role as McVeigh had last season.

[ZLF 334]

Yes I too thought that Worthys comments were interesting reading.

My interpretation remains that both players are here for 3 months looking to boost their premiership ''appeal'' either for a starting place in their current team or, more likely, to boost the chances of a sale to another club.

With Crouch we will have to work with the player and his agent to extend the loan to the end of the season as that is a possibility IF no premier clubs show an interest.

With Huckerby I read Worthys comments slightly differently. Obviously he would like to sign Huckerby - he is a proven striker who has played at a higher level. However I think his ''rob the banks'' joke was not a mind game with the management but merely stating the obvious. The rules mean we cannot take him on loan to the end of the season. We will not be able to afford either his transfer fee or his wages and Huckerby will not be seeing Xmas or the New Year in in Norfolk - if Jason Roberts is valued at £2.25m, King over a million - then what is Huckerby worth at only 27 with years of proven ability? Its well out of our reach at the moment - and even on a free his wages are beyond our current means.

As you say it does mean that Worthy does now have 3 months to sniff around for other strikers with no immediate pressure. The last few days have given me renewed faith that this time will be well spent by Worthy & the scouting team to identify some potential replacements, either on a permanent or further loan basis hoepfully focusing on those players either languishing in premier reserves or coming to the end of their contract.

The article cleared a lot of issues and gave me the impression that there is a bit of planing around the transfer activity that is encouraging.

Roll on Saturday!

[usa nick 0]

Perhaps one idea might be the following: If Huckerby proves to be the second coming, and we are well up with the leaders at the end of the three months with a better than even shot at the playoffs, or even automatic promotion the board might be able to finance his purchase based on the premise that no one pays the full transfer fee up front and if we go up the payment and wages won''t be the issue they are in Div 1. If things go pear shaped and we miss out, we sell Huckerby on in the summer. It''s risky in that his value might drop or the transfer market go even further south but the alternative is to invest a good chunk of change short term and then with the team flying high let one of your best players leave at a critical juncture (Xmas and Norwich recent history anyone?!) - it also would probably be very demoralising to the rest of the team if this were to happen - and half the game is confidence.