Much has been said about the Canaries leaky defence last term and it certainly appears that Messrs Webber and Farke have swiftly gone about adding reinforcements to the battalion at the back.
Midfield is well accounted with a glut of defensively minded individuals backing up the generals and odd flair players – so that leaves us with the front line to consider.
With five goals in five pre-season games Oliviera seems nailed on for the starting berth but Nelson will need at least three back up strikers capable of wading in with 10+ goals this season.
Now, unless the aforementioned Webarke (I’m going to use this term to describe Webber and Farke together aka Brangelina) have some outrageous plans it is unlikely they will sell Jerome to Fulham, so I’m guessing he’ll be our first choice sub at the start of the season.
Jerome is still running hard and certainly Naismith’s goal against Arminia Bielefeld owed a lot to his pace and endeavour. He’ll probably hit double figures – maybe 15 which will be a decent return – but what options if either he or Lord N get injured?
Interestingly, despite every other source on the inter-web labelling him as a midfielder, Marley Watkins has been listed as a ‘forward’ on canaries.co.uk. Are they just clutching at straws?
The only other forward in the first team squad is Carlton Morris – who is on loan to Shrewsbury for the season.
So – what is the plan?
The only transfer gossip at the moment seems to be for other defenders.
At the fans forum Webarke suggested that it was time to give youth the chance – but that the academy players needed time to develop. This time could be covered with some clever loans – so that seems the likely route.
Frustratingly though Bernard Ashley-Seal, one of only a handful of promising academy (and a striker) seems Chelsea bound.
So with no academy players likely to be ready for at least three years we need a permanent signing. Someone capable of scoring goals for fun in a team that will continue to carve out multiple chances every game.
Who is that player? Who can we realistically afford?
Come on Webarke….time to invest some of that £12,000,000
OTBC
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