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nwcanary
Active Member
Crucial to get some experienced Championship players in to help the youngsters. Knapper still thinks he is buying potential for Arsenal reserves.
Fenway Frank
Well-Known Member
Just noticed that Saxon Earley has been released by Plymouth, grass isn't always greener
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nwcanary
Active Member
Great name
morty
Moderator
Staff member
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GJP
Well-Known Member
Jack off?
morty
Moderator
Staff member
Yes...
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Sonyc
Well-Known Member
Interesting comments by BK. Says what we all felt...the squad should have been good enough for top 6. And I'm pleased he has come to his senses and not appointed Wilshere. Knapper needs to have a more solid option than someone with limited experience. I was lukewarm on Wilshere and would have supported the choice if it had to be him even if I thought it would have been a poor decision.
Really looking forward to the summer now. Wright looks like he will sign (and possible captain material ahead). I thought he and Dobbin were great loans. Hope we hear within two weeks so we get the transfer season off to a flying start and then good pre season.
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Fen Canary
Active Member
I’m certainly not sad that Wilshere has been ruled out, I think there are better and less risky options out there. However I do think the situation has been poorly handled.
If Knapper had no intention of giving Wilshere the job then he shouldn’t have put him in charge of those matches. Letting him think he had a chance then taking it away again has now resulted in us losing one of our (seemingly quite highly rated) coaches. The lack of communication and mixed messaging has now been cited by Thorup and Gunn a d seems to be an ongoing issue
morty
Moderator
Staff member
Agree and disagree here. At the end of the day this is just a job to players and staff, and while Angus is a fan, would we have signed him if he wasn't connected with the club? Would we be bothered about Jack Wilshere if his name was one we didn't know?
The point I am driving at is that sometimes we are a bit too cuddly. This is a hard, results driven business, and we need to stop being so soft. There is no "loyalty" just results and contracts.
The long and skinny of it is that Wilshere was part of a coaching team that ultimately failed, and Angus' stats this season have been terrible.
The point I am driving at is that sometimes we are a bit too cuddly. This is a hard, results driven business, and we need to stop being so soft. There is no "loyalty" just results and contracts.
The long and skinny of it is that Wilshere was part of a coaching team that ultimately failed, and Angus' stats this season have been terrible.
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Fen Canary
Active Member
I disagree a touch. I’m not too worried about Wilshere as I don’t pretend to know how good a coach he is, my point was that the whole situation seems to have been poorly handled. If Knapper believed Wilshere was a good coach and viable future choice as manager then giving him the caretaker managers job, getting his hopes up then ripping it away again causing him to leave is incredibly poor man management.
Also I think we’ll miss Gunn more than people realise. I’ll admit I don’t have much faith in the stats, I think xG is the biggest load of bollocks going. I trust my own eyes and I don’t remember any out and out howlers from Gunn, and coupled with the piss poor defending and the suicidal tendencies of trying to play out from the back I think even Buffon would have had an average season for us this year. If we find somebody better then fine, I’ve no issues with releasing him but I’ve a feeling it will be harder than people realise. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest to see him finish higher up the football pyramid than us next year
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Sonyc
Well-Known Member
Agree with the gist of this. The conversations about Knapper feel to me like conjecture and a desire to criticise him. Yet, I think it's better to judge him on his actions rather than feelings. He has lowered the age of the team, he appears to have had an idea of how he wants Norwich City to play and brought in a coach with that mindset. Some passages of play gave me glimpses of what we could be and yet ultimately I had the sense that we weren't quite a 'team'. I think it was probably the right decision to relieve Thorup of his position too. As I was about Wagner. Knapper made those calls. I also think it is near impossible to get all your recruitment decisions right. You just don't know how new players will adapt. It took a while before Vrancic and Steipemann settled for example under Farke. Initially I was unsure about both. Even Emi took a while to settle before we saw what he could do. So, I don't blame Knapper. Yet, that's not to say he doesn't deserve some negative marks.
I'm pleased he hasn't seen Wilshere as the solution. Do we know he was a 'friend' of his? What do we really know about his coaching of our first team? I saw no improvement and arguably we went backwards ever since he joined.
It IS a results business and you have to be ruthless and so far Knapper appears to have made the decisions and timely ones. He knows he has to deliver though. Younger players do need a season and maybe next year one or two will flourish (like Aarons did). We also need some tougher midfielders and leadership. I think this has been lacking in recent years. I'm often half glass full as a supporter anyway. I'm looking forward to a new manager and some very good recruitment in the summer. Knapper's words gave me comfort on this score. But the proof is in the pudding!
Fenway Frank
Well-Known Member
Agree, I can expect an night out with Nicole Kidman, doesn't mean it will happen
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GJP
Well-Known Member
Exactly.
This is why I have found JHT's comments a bit naive.
Like, how did he think it would go if he didn't get results??
Though, I'll assume that really he isn't that naive and is just trying to save face.
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GJP
Well-Known Member
What I find a little interesting is how people were seemingly more open to JHT than to JW.
JW has considerably more exposure and experience in top level football.
I bet it's crossed Knappers mind if he should have gone straight to JW and never gone down the road with JHT.
JW has considerably more exposure and experience in top level football.
I bet it's crossed Knappers mind if he should have gone straight to JW and never gone down the road with JHT.
morty
Moderator
Staff member
Club confirm full released and retained list
Norwich City have confirmed the list of players to be retained or released following the 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season.
Fenway Frank
Well-Known Member
Is Ogwuru the lad we got from Man City a couple of years ago?
morty
Moderator
Staff member
We have signed Jacob Wright, apparently.
Happy with that.
Happy with that.
Fenway Frank
Well-Known Member
If it's the reported £2.3m then we've done really well, although I'm sure they'll be add ones and a sell on clause
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GJP
Well-Known Member
A step in the Wright direction.
morty
Moderator
Staff member