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Ola Toivonen

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"he''s a full international who starts regularly for a decent enough international team, scores 1 in 3 at international level and 1 in 2 at club level and was previously linked with Liverpool".

 

As you say, Jim, his pedigree looks very good. Sweden aren''t the worst team in the world and he has been a regular for them. And your point about the adaptability of Scandinavians to our game is well made.

 

He is also a type of player we do not really have: attacking midfielder with goals in him, and capable of playing as a striker.

 

I read through some comments on him in a Swedish online newspaper, and a couple thought he was no longer the same player as before injuries, but I''ve not been able to find out what injuries he is supposed to have had.

 

On balance, I''d be very happy with him based on available evidence.

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I think I read on transfermarkt.co.uk that he had a torn ligament. Probably a similar type injury to Ruddys, and we all saw how long that kept him out for.

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"I read through some comments on him in a Swedish online newspaper, and a couple thought he was no longer the same player as before injuries, but I''ve not been able to find out what injuries he is supposed to have had."

Torn tendon - came back for the last seven games of the season, scored three and made two.

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It is all about having a strong squad with quality in depth. This makes the difference later in the season when injuries and suspensions kick in. To me he looks a real handful both as a midfielder and striker at a very decent price. I hope we get him

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I feel if we pull this off we will have our own Michu on our hands. Someone a little unknown, with quality for a somewhat small fee.

   

I say good luck to McNally and Co. Go get him!

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[quote user="Jim Smith"]I think like several others I have been a bit underwhelmed by this potential signing, largely on the basis of some of the feedback from Swede''s and dutch fans indicting he may have a bit of an attitude.

However, having sat in the pub with a mate last night and analysed it he''s a full international who starts regularly for a decent enough international team, scores 1 in 3 at international level and 1 in 2 at club level and was previously linked with Liverpool for about £10m. Whichever way you dress it up this is clearly another signing who has a very decent pedigree. Ok a few swede''s don;t rate him as an international player but his goal record is good and frankly none of our current strikers get anywhere near their international teams (other than Jackson) and many England fans don;t rate strikers at international level that we would all love to see play for our club. The scandinaveans generally also seem to be able to adapt to English football without too much trouble. If it happens then i am therefore more optimistic about this signing than I was previously. Still not that confident it will happen though and feel Hooper may still be our no 1 target.[/quote]

 

Jim, I saw one comment on the PSV site which didn''t need any translating:Toivonen is een luie arrogante flikker.Although when I did it turned out "flikker" wasn''t the rude word beginning with "f" in English I had assumed. It was another rude word beginngng with "f"...His scoring record for Sweden is actually only six in 34 but he does often play in midfield, behind Ibrahimovic and Elmander. I looked up Euro 2012 record and he started the first game in midfield, didn''t feature in the second and started the third up front. Against that his record for PSV, presumably playing a  lot in midfeield, is very impressive.I wonder if he is at a stage where he wants to settle into one position - midfield or up front - and this might be a factor in which club he joins. Which raises the question of what Hughton sees him as. A midfielder, a utility player, or the replacement for Holt?

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]I think like several others I have been a bit underwhelmed by this potential signing, largely on the basis of some of the feedback from Swede''s and dutch fans indicting he may have a bit of an attitude.However, having sat in the pub with a mate last night and analysed it he''s a full international who starts regularly for a decent enough international team, scores 1 in 3 at international level and 1 in 2 at club level and was previously linked with Liverpool for about £10m. Whichever way you dress it up this is clearly another signing who has a very decent pedigree. Ok a few swede''s don;t rate him as an international player but his goal record is good and frankly none of our current strikers get anywhere near their international teams (other than Jackson) and many England fans don;t rate strikers at international level that we would all love to see play for our club. The scandinaveans generally also seem to be able to adapt to English football without too much trouble. If it happens then i am therefore more optimistic about this signing than I was previously. Still not that confident it will happen though and feel Hooper may still be our no 1 target.[/quote]

Jim, I saw one comment on the PSV site which didn''t need any translating:Toivonen is een luie arrogante flikker.Although when I did it turned out "flikker" wasn''t the rude word beginning with "f" in English I had assumed. It was another rude word beginngng with "f"...His scoring record for Sweden is actually only six in 34 but he does often play in midfield, behind Ibrahimovic and Elmander. I looked up Euro 2012 record and he started the first game in midfield, didn''t feature in the second and started the third up front. Against that his record for PSV, presumably playing a lot in midfeield, is very impressive.I wonder if he is at a stage where he wants to settle into one position - midfield or up front - and this might be a factor in which club he joins. Which raises the question of what Hughton sees him as. A midfielder, a utility player, or the replacement for Holt?

[/quote]

Given that Hughton likes his 4-4-1-1 formation, I suspected he''s the missing link between the midfield and the lone striker

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[quote user="Icecream Snow"][quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]I think like several others I have been a bit underwhelmed by this potential signing, largely on the basis of some of the feedback from Swede''s and dutch fans indicting he may have a bit of an attitude.However, having sat in the pub with a mate last night and analysed it he''s a full international who starts regularly for a decent enough international team, scores 1 in 3 at international level and 1 in 2 at club level and was previously linked with Liverpool for about £10m. Whichever way you dress it up this is clearly another signing who has a very decent pedigree. Ok a few swede''s don;t rate him as an international player but his goal record is good and frankly none of our current strikers get anywhere near their international teams (other than Jackson) and many England fans don;t rate strikers at international level that we would all love to see play for our club. The scandinaveans generally also seem to be able to adapt to English football without too much trouble. If it happens then i am therefore more optimistic about this signing than I was previously. Still not that confident it will happen though and feel Hooper may still be our no 1 target.[/quote]

Jim, I saw one comment on the PSV site which didn''t need any translating:Toivonen is een luie arrogante flikker.Although when I did it turned out "flikker" wasn''t the rude word beginning with "f" in English I had assumed. It was another rude word beginngng with "f"...His scoring record for Sweden is actually only six in 34 but he does often play in midfield, behind Ibrahimovic and Elmander. I looked up Euro 2012 record and he started the first game in midfield, didn''t feature in the second and started the third up front. Against that his record for PSV, presumably playing a lot in midfeield, is very impressive.I wonder if he is at a stage where he wants to settle into one position - midfield or up front - and this might be a factor in which club he joins. Which raises the question of what Hughton sees him as. A midfielder, a utility player, or the replacement for Holt?

[/quote]

Given that Hughton likes his 4-4-1-1 formation, I suspected he''s the missing link between the midfield and the lone striker

[/quote]

 

I don''t think he is that kind of highly-skilled link-up player. When he plays in midfield more of a powerful runner who bursts forward.

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[quote user="Jim Smith"]However, having sat in the pub with a mate last night and analysed it......[/quote]

 

LOL! [:D]

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PurpleCanary wrote - "I don''t think he is that kind of highly-skilled link-up player. When he plays in midfield more of a powerful runner who bursts forward."

Preferable to someone who meanders sideways then? At least he scores goals.

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This Dutch (Chrome translated) blog post made me chuckle -

"Ricky van Wolfswinkel, the cheerful new spire of Norwich, dropped this week shooting in the shirt of the Canaries. As proud as a peacock. Wish him you do a better strike partner than as pedantic as grumpy Swede."

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[quote user="judderman"]I know there''s been a few quotes from the people at PSV saying we''ve offered, etc, but I''m not sure we''ve seen this yet? Definite permission to speak to Ola

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/psv-grant-norwich-permission-toivonen-talks-3963141?utm_source=main_feed#.UbnD1-svtyp
[/quote]

Thats a good site, It still has Lambert down as our manager, still, only a season gone by

 

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Something to fill three minutes of downtime;

http://www.dutchfootball-league.com/transfer-rumours-whats-next-for-ola-toivonen/

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''On

the other hand, the depth in the Premier League would be more obvious than ever

if Toivonen and Ricky van Wolfswinkel lead the Norwich attack. Who would have

thought it just a few years ago?''
Exactly.Thanks Joanna, a pretty interesting piece. I wonder if Ola is currently making up his mind on some nice white beach in the Seychelles?

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I would really like us to sign this player for, despite all the little bits and pieces of doubt that have arisen, elsewhere (such as in this article to a limited degree) and on this Forum. I feel that he would be a good fit for us at the moment. A lot of his qualities tick our requirements box IMO and, like GH, feel he might,  just might, become a fan''s favourite.

 

The price seems about right too, but I wouldn''t wish us to push the boat out much further for him as things stand.

 

Him and RVW leading our attacking options seems quite mouth watering, especially with a rampant Grant Holt waiting in the wings should we need a Lambert style onslaught with twenty to go. 

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Yes a very interesting and fair article. The signing of RVW will do no harm at all in attracting/helping to persuade players in the Dutch league coming here. I hope we get the lad and also hope he is use mainly as an attacking midfielder which seems to be his preferred and most effective position.

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To be fair to him though, there are plenty of slower midfielders in the premier league.

The mistake that article appears to make is to suggest that the tempo of a game is dictated by the pace of the players.

This isn''t precisely true, although if you are passing the ball quickly it is handy to have players that can react and move quickly to take advantage of this.

But there are plenty of players that have done well in the Premier League without any form of astonishing pace. Scholes for example, never the quickest midfielder but one of the best we have seen. Throw Carrick into that bracket as well. And whilst your at it, Lampard has never been blisteringly quick.

If they mean how quickly the ball is moved around and the speed of thought, well now, that is a different thing altogether, and for me, the reason why Jackson was never going to cut it at this level. And yet he had the pace . . . .

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PSV and Norwich City have agreed on a €5.7m transfer fee on Toivonen. Toivonen: " I''ll talk with Norwich and see what comes out."

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He sounds a tad luke warm in his enthusiasm, but that can soon change and the prospect of coming to a side that finished 11th is probably going to  get about as good as it gets for him. No big guns after him WBA and Fulham probably no more attractive than us

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I see him as our Michu, he hardly has bags of pace. Similar goalscoring record. Arguably a better league, but Ola has far more experience.

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So he will talk with us while he is on holiday.

 

This could be condescending - "Alright I''ll give them a chat but..."

It could be an appeal to other clubs, "I''ve reached the talking stage - if you want to sign me, you''ll have to make it quick."

Or it could be genuine. He was playing football until a few days ago, his holiday is arranged/paid for, and he needs a rest, (and perhaps wife or girlfriend has put pressure on him. Perhaps he does want to keep his options open but he wants to maintain our interest while he discusses things with family and friends.

 

In less then two weeks he will have to begin training. Does he want to go back to PSV and be left out of the first team squad, as if he has leprosy? I think not. Unless there is a bigger offer from another club, there seems a good chance that he will want to come to CR. At the moment his options are CR or play in PSV reserves, and time is beginning to run out. We are not yet home and dry, but as each day passes the likelihood of him joining us is probably increasing. 

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[quote user="Yorkshire Canary"]He sounds a tad luke warm in his enthusiasm, but that can soon change and the prospect of coming to a side that finished 11th is probably going to  get about as good as it gets for him. No big guns after him WBA and Fulham probably no more attractive than us[/quote]

 

That has worried me too Yorkshire.

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People need to chill out!

I''m sure it''s a massive decision for him (as much as any other human) to move his whole family to another country and a club he knows very little about!

If he signs, great, if not we look again...

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Toivonen comes across as a sensible, realistic character. Maybe a tad arrogant, sure, but it''s not of a concerning or substantial magnitude.

If you ask me, he''s treating this like a normal worker would treat any offer to work abroad. Sure, it''s very appealing, probably more money and a better workplace, but it''s a complete new country. You need time to mull it over, discuss the move with family, find out how to adapt to the new surroundings.

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SYG and junojrs, you have both hit the nail on the head.

People need to get over themselves. NCFC are not Barcelona. Believe it or not most players won''t drop everything to sign for this holy club. We''re no longer a star attraction like we were in League 1, and to a certain extent the Championship. The game has changed, which means players lot Toivonen''s calibre will have a number of interesting options to look at. I''m sure he''s doing his research on us now and if he signs will be a committed player for us. He''s doing the right thing taking his time, moving to another country is a big deal.

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