The future for Norwich City

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

So what does the future hold? Relegation would seem unavoidable. But what then? Does the club implode like Portsmouth and Wolves? Do we see what happened last time we went down to the championship? Our assets sold off on the cheap and replaced with substandard players, well below the standard needed to mount a title challenge. Are we stuck with expensive players like RvW, who we cant get rid of, burdens our wage bill and remains sh*te, or do those players who have underperformed and that remain suddenly excel at a lower level? Does the club remain financially in control and mount an aggressive promotion campaign, or do we become crippled financially again and list endlessly in championship mediocrity? My impression of the club is that relegation will be a financial blow, but not a disaster, but thats just my impression, its not based on anything.

So what do we do? Aggressively retain our assets in the way we did with Hoolahan and keep unhappy players? Do this, but only to ensure a good transfer fee? Or panic and start a firesale?

What do people think?

[Canary_Dave 0]

If we go down, then next season will be our best chance of maintaining what he have whilst bringing in some players that are on the verge of championship and premier league quality and mount an all might promotion challenge. This way, we can utilise the parachute payments and be able to keep a core group of players and still manage the wages etc.

Will people want to though? I doubt it. Snodgrass has taken every possible opportunity to speak to the press, building a profile and essentially having a contingency plan if Norwich go down. Redmond will get bids, as will Hooper, Tettey, Fer and the likes, so it is going to be a tough struggle to keep the essential players.

There is no real answer to exactly what they should do but I think if they go down, next season is the best chance we have to go right back up without getting sucked into the abyss of the championship.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

We should only retain the employee''s at the club  who are and remain wholly committed to NCFC......No freeloaders or the just going through the motion members, glass backs, lightweights or happy to be bench warmers......etc, etc......

 

If a clear-out is required from top to bottom, then so be it..... 

[Guest]

I don''t believe we ought to keep many of the current team if we go down.

If we manage to get any money for them will show the hypocrisy of todays football.

For the most part, Bassong, Turner, Whittaker, Garrido, Fer, RVW, Hooper and Hoolahan have shown little and looked far short of the quality needed to get us back to 3 seasons ago.

From what I have seen, we have possibly the best crop of youngsters since 1985 and believe the Murphy''s. Lozar, McGeehan etc are the future for NCFC. They, coupled with some good bargain buys, is the way forward. Not the misbelief that NCFC should be looking to bring in expensive stars who let us down time and time again.

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

We will go down in a far healthier financial position than we were when we last sat in the 2nd tier. The Board have been very shrewd with the purse strings.

We will lose a fair few (Ruddy, Bassong, Snodgrass, Pilkington, Fer, Hoolahan, RWV & Becchio), replace them with decent Championship standard faces but keep most of the squad together.

... And then we will find ourselves scrapping about with similar sized clubs in the Premier League grave yard (Birmingham, Forest, Leeds, Wednesday, Derby, Ipswich, Boro, Rovers, Bolton, Wigan etc) depending again on a better than good manager and some good fortune to give us a chance of bouncing back.

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

Next season in the championship,

Need to try and keep Hooper, Becchio, Wes, Howson, Redmond, Tettey, Olsson, E. Bennet, R. Bennett, Martin and ruddy. We also need to get Surman back.

The rest can go.

We need to add a classy centre midfielder and a pacy centre half. With the above, and the youngsters we should be strong.

Ruddy

Martin R. Bennett ???? Olsson

E. Bennett Howson tettey Redmond

Becchio Hooper.

[pete 371]

Believe me we are stuck with Bassong for the length of the extended contract he was given by Hughton. Noone will want him as signing Seb is the precursor to relegation.

Redmond will also not get a move to another Prem team has done little to make himself a saleable asset needs to create not shoot wildly at each opportunity.

[pete 371]

Believe me we are stuck with Bassong for the length of the extended contract he was given by Hughton. Noone will want him as signing Seb is the precursor to relegation.

Redmond will also not get a move to another Prem team has done little to make himself a saleable asset needs to create not shoot wildly at each opportunity.

[kingsway 101]

The club has been well run since messrs McNally and Bowkett came to the club in 2009.

Keeping these two has to be a priority. And before the pantwetters start on about Hughton should have been gone sooner - remember he got us to 11th last season somehow admittedly and deserved another chance. This season we''ve been out of the bottom 3 since October and still are. Most of the must wins at homes we''ve won and its not all Hughtons fault the players haven''t been good enough. I''ve also long advocated this season has been one where things haven''t run for us and its been a case of scrambling over the line!

The club has budgeted for a relegation after just one season in the top flight so after 3 the club will be in a good financial position.

I still believe all our squad have relegation clauses which means their wages drop if relegated.

As for the squad, Ruddy would leave which would be for a decent fee and Rudd will comeback from Preston a better player than we last saw.

I''m sure others would leave as well, but we''d be able to keep enough of the squad together to have a good nucleus and we''d be able to improve it by using the parachute money and money gained from selling the likes of Ruddy!

Anyway we''re not down yet and despite our tough run in, I think theres twists to come yet and its possible that the bottom 3 won''t get to 32 points!

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

Life goes on regardless. The club will be dusting down that seven year plan, cutting costs and preparing for one season in the Championship as we are a yoyo club.

Going straight up again will be our best opportunity as it will get harder after that as we sink back to the same financial level of other clubs.

The silver lining is the younger youth team players now have a good chance to make the breakthrough and get experience at a lower lever.

I think the Murphy''s will be a revelation in the Championship and there are some other gooduns in there too

[Dubai Mark 0]

I''m thinking kinsway just about nails it, relegation, should it happen will be manageable and we will certainly be one of the teams favorite to go straight back ugp. There will be several squad changes even if we stay up, so changes should we go down will be expected and no more than you would expect for a different challenge. I am actually more confident that we would come straight back up should we be relegated than I am about us staying up, and there is still a chance that could happen.  

[Mr Jenkins 0]

"Favourites to go baxk up". That brings back some sad memories, we have never been any good with the favourites tag.

My fear is if we go down, that fans will expect an instant return, just like last time, whoever is managing the team will be given veey little chance to build a new squad and we will be in for another season of grief.

If we go down, and I dont think we will, we need a big clearout and a season to build and consolidate a new young squad, i cant see many fans settling for that though.

[Rufus Smalls 0]

If we go down (and it''s still a big if - admittedly it looks bleak but the fat lady hasn''t sung just yet) we need to move forward with a youngish, hungry squad that will fight and scrap for points. 46 games is a long and hard season and we won''t make progress in it with players not prepared to put their bodies on the line. If that means selling our ''better'' players and using players that might not be as good but want to play for the team in the second tier then so be it.

I can envisage a clearout - I can''t see the likes of Bassong or RVW having any motivation to play in the Championship. Same with Hoolahan, Pilkington and Whittaker, not that they''ve showed any desire to fight this season. Garrido would do a good job but with previous clubs including Man City and Lazio I think he''d wish he was elsewhere, so we can sell him too.

If we can keep hold of Olsson, Howson, Tettey and Hooper that would be massive. I would like them to stay but can see Ruddy, Fer, Snodgrass and possibly Turner sadly being sold as they are too good for the Championship.

I think it''ll be players like the Bennetts that will be key for us next season - if we go down.