What does the future hold for Norwich City?
It`s a question that we would all love to have the answer to.
Will the Canaries return to the top flight in the next year or two or will they become a fixture of the Championship? Languishing in mid-table or worse, flirting with relegation?
There`s no doubt that next summer`s transfer window is going to be another massively important time for the club. It will be Stuart Webber`s third since taking charge of all things football related and he`s trimmed the wage bill and lowered the average age of the squad, which is no mean feat.
Those older, high earning players have been moved out on loan, with both Naismith and Martin making noises in the Scottish press about wanting to stay with their loan clubs but Norwich City will have the final say. I think they can count on Mr Webber doing everything he can to make sure they leave permanently come the summer.
Yanic Wildschut was also loaned out and then replaced permanently by Onel Hernandez, whose ability to track back and defend already looks far ahead of the outgoing Dutchman. Fingers crossed that Cardiff want to take him in the summer.
There remain questions over the future of Alex Tettey and Wes Hoolahan, both of whom are likely to be on near Premier League wages. Tettey has been made an offer by the club but it`s going to be a greatly reduced financial package.
If he does decide to leave, he`ll have no shortage of offers and Norwich will have a ready made replacement in the shape of Ben Godfrey, currently tearing League One up with Shrewsbury and their surprise promotion challenge.
Wes is in a different situation because his career in in it’s final throes. He is now, sadly, reduced to being an impact player from the bench. I`d like to think that he could still do that for another year and having lived in Norfolk for so long, he may be more likely to want to stay with whatever reduced offer he is given – assuming he`s given one at all.
Football is rarely a sympathetic industry and with a hard nosed chap like Webber in charge, any offer for Wes will be business based with no sentimentality in sight.
The chances of keeping Angus Gunn look slim, more`s the pity, with recent speculation linking him with moves to Celtic and Stoke.
If I`m honest, I`d be surprised if Celtic would be his final destination due to there being so little competition in the SPL. Yes, they have Champions League football but is that enough to persuade Man City to sell him?
I`d doubt it. He`s so young that another loan move seems the most likely thing for Angus next season and Stoke City are currently staring at the Premier League relegation trap door. If they are relegated, then he may as well come back to Norfolk for another season but there`s much to be discussed between now and next August.
If he does move on to either of those two aforementioned clubs or somewhere else, and if the Premier League comes calling we have no chance, then Remi Matthews will return to Carrow Road and fancy a first team place.
He has reportedly been superb on loan at Plymouth this season and looks well placed to claim the number one jersey, should Angus Gunn move elsewhere.
I wouldn`t be surprised if Timm Klose leaves in the summer, great fan favourite that he is but he`s on big, big money and that money could be used elsewhere. Timm has become a good player for us but money talks.
Elsewhere, there remain questions around the future of Nelson Oliveira and James Maddison. Oliveira because he has been hit and miss this season, more miss really and he`ll be on a big salary and with Maddison because he`s the best English player in the league, as recently published by Sky Sports.
His goal scoring exploits, assist creation and near single handed saving of the Canary season mean that there will be plenty of suitors for him in the summer. His price tag should be huge and if Webber does decide to cash in, the money will hopefully give us another season of hope for a promotion challenge.
Goal scoring is of course the biggest problem Daniel Farke has struggled with this season. If he plays three at the back, his team is meaner in defence but struggles to score. If he plays four at the back then the team create more chances but are more open. That`s the conundrum that Farke has to solve.
The biggest thing I want to see addressed is the signing of one, preferably two goal scorers in the summer. Without goals, you don`t win games, so it`s imperative that this is addressed quickly.
The club have not replaced Grant Holt and his goal scoring impact, despite a couple of seasons of Cameron Jerome (relatively) freely scoring in the Championship. That is imperative and we cannot afford to let next season start without it being solved.
The remainder of the season sees us with little to fight for, other than to finish as high as possible and to look to finish above Ipswich, securing the title of “Pride of Anglia.” Next up are Fulham, the league`s in-form team. They will still be looking at automatic promotion but realistically they need to win 6 or 7 of their last 8 games and hope Cardiff slip up.
Their top six spot is almost assured, so good form heading into the play-offs will be critical and this will be no easy game for us and hopefully for them either.
The international break is always a dull time for the football fan, at least it is for me, anyway. I can`t wait to get back to watching Norwich City and I`m looking forward to seeing if we can finish the season on something of a high.
OTBC
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