The Return of the Wolf!

[SussexYellow]

Has there ever been a Norwich player that us supporters have wanted to succeed more, despite evidence to the contrary. And it seems we still do now!

As Salopian says he did get himself in good positions but was like a deer in the headlights whenever a good chance came along. He had enough good chances to have got more goals, and a couple of goals at the right time probably would have been enough to save us. In fairness on the occasions when he did get a decent shot away he came up against keepers in in spired form! I can remember one brilliant save by Tim Howard at Goodison and the look of disbelief on RvW's face.

I first saw him at the pre season friendly at Brighton and thought then there has got to be more than this. Then he scored on his debut and we all started seeing him through green and yellow specs. But there was that article after that game that said we would be disappoinred because he had touched the ball only something like 7 times all game and one of those was the kick off. But the alarm starting ringing for me at White Hart Lane when he decided he needed a touch from around 7 yards when he just needed to put his boot through it.

So whilst I would still like a fairy tale ending I realise that the reality is just that - "fairy tale". So it's a no for me. Get what money we can and move on.

 

[Yellow Fever]

I think it's fair to say that none of our strikers shook the world last season and I'm not sure any of our present strikers would necessarily do so in the PL next year. I would rate Jerome the highest, and then Hooper as Grabban needs so many chances to score. IMO, RvW would provide a different option and could do well with a fresh start, especially with AN style of play and our much stronger AM options now. 

 

[Canaryboy]

When Jozy Altidore can score 38 goals in 67 games in the Dutch league, but just 2 goals in 68 games in the Premier League, you just have to accept that the Premier League is the toughest league in the world for a striker and that buying a striker from the continent is difficult because the defending and pace of the game isn't of the same standard. Sometimes you get the real deal who can effortlessly adapt, sometimes you buy a dud who just isn't good enough. We bought a dud. 

We don't get many English players moving overseas in their prime, instead they tend to move overseas when they are past their best and choose a foreign club over dropping down a league, so we don't really have anything to measure in the opposite direction. If Gary Hooper or Cameron Jerome moved to the Eredivisie or Portugal we could probably expect them to score a lot of goals though? 

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

If we had any plans of keeping RvW it would have made sense to have kept him this season and given him yet further time to acclimatise to the English game and against poorer defenders and keepers. Yes we had to balance the books, but in the same way Becchio has no future (yet persists), I fear RvW may be in the same boat.

Can only really think that a Portuguese team would look at him (ie he will still have a reputation there)

 

[ZLF]

jerome has not been prolific there,  hooper was woefully poor (dropped more often than RvW DESPITE scoring a couple of goals shows how ineffective he really was) & grabban is untested so unknown.     RvW stands no better nor any worse than these imo.    I would not want to go with even 3 of these 4 next season;  

my preference would be for a squad of jerome, grabban + two new signings bought as probable starters.  

 

[Boyerboy]

The summer we bought him, the highly respected magazine World a Soccer included Ricky in its"Top Players Likely To Move in the Summer" feature so it wasn't just us who rated him at the time.

Look I've made the point before but we've got to stop thinking we are special here. Look at the other highly rated strikers who came to the Prem that summer and flopped: Cornelius, Osvaldo, Negredo, Jovetic, Helenius, the tall bloke beginning with K at Villa, Soldado and others.

There was nothing unique about City and Ricky. We were one of a number of clubs to buy a striker who didn't have what it takes for whatever reason.

 

[Canaryboy]

Yep, happens every year. In fact, I think there are more 'misses' than there are 'hits' when it comes to strikers in the Premier League. I'm saying this with hindsight but not signing a striker who was already playing and scoring in the Premier League was perhaps Hughton's downfall. 

Jelavic would possibly have been the obvious candidate as a Holt replacement, or Peter Crouch if we could push the boat out on wages.

 

[Canaryboy]

my preference would be for a squad of jerome, grabban + two new signings bought as probable starters.  

Hooper is doing alright when used in his deeper role though isn't he? Interesting that we've always seen Hooper as a poacher, but Alex Neil comes in and see's him as a man who can play deeper, almost like a number 10. 

I do think we'd need to spend big on a striker again though if we went up. 

 

[GJP]

 I would rate Jerome the highest, and then Hooper as Grabban needs so many chances to score. 

Jerome has missed quite a lot of good chances this season. Hooper has missed some too.

 

[Beauseant]

I really wanted him to go to France and make a case, but the fact that he can't hold down a place at St Etienne suggests that he has either totally lost his self belief or was massively overrated initially, or maybe a bit of both. He comes across as a lovely lad but we need to upgrade the strike force next season and I wouldn't see him as progress. I think Jerome could do a job and Grabban and Hooper would be handy from the bench if we go up, but agree with Zipper that we need starters who are naturally prolific.

 

[Killiecanary]

I agree with that Beau - but still deep down I hope he can come back and have a stonking season with us. My hope I think is based on how 'streaky' strikers often are, and how much their games are based on confidence...I can think of several strikers who have had bad seasons and then follows it up with good ones...I live in hope!

 

[Din]

Despite the fact that Jerome and Grabban have both scored more than him this season, I think that Hooper is a more natural striker than either of them, and I think would do best out of the 3 if we were to go up. If we go up I would like us to sign another striker anyway and sell Wolfie. If we don't go up though I wouldn't mind Ricky getting a chance, especially as I think Hooper will leave.

 

[Personal Trainer]

I must say I would be more likely to welcome Lafferty back than RVW.

I have watched a number of St Ettienne matches on BT and he has not impressed whereas Gradel looks quality at that level.

If we get promoted I think Lafferty is more likely to add something from the bench that RVW never will, a truly physical presence.

 

[Yellow Fever]

I think that we now have a mid-field which would suit RvW much more and that he could come good. 

 

[KeiranShikari]

Laffery was good in bursts but he never seemed to last the entire game. Of course he was playing out of position and perhaps covering more ground than he would as a target man.

If the rumours are true and he doesn't give it all in training then that would explain why he was shipped out. Perhaps AN will get through to him over the summer. Perhaps if we go up he'll have the motivation to work harder. He's 27 now and probably not going to get many shots at that division.

 

[morty]

Oh if we go up I'm sure Lafferty and Wolfie will be gagging to get back here!

 

[KeiranShikari]

To be honest I doubt Lafferty really wanted away.