Alex Neil said in his latest interview that striker Lewis Grabban could be side-lined until the end of the season, that being backed up by BBC Sport who says it will be unlikely that he will feature again this season after Thursday’s operation. This is sure to be a massive blow for the Canaries in their promotion chase due to Grabban’s recent form.
Grabban has been in clinical form over the past few games and he showed no signs of fizzling out. News that he may not feature again this season is worrying, with a Grabban shaped hole up top to fill but I’m confident we have the resources to do so. As far as I see it, we have two options. We could stick with what we have, which is definitely strong enough. With forwards like Hooper and Jerome both playing well, and playing with an extra midfielder. I’m confident we could rough it. Option two would be to sign someone on loan. That someone would need to have experience in late season promotion battles and a player that would link well with Jerome or Hooper. Below I look at both options in depth and see which one would suit the yellows better.
Option 1 – Stick to the squad.
We have a vast squad with loads of depth. Enough to see us through the season, but would it be enough to see us to promotion? Below, I have put what I think is our best team without Grabban, just using the players we have.
Alan Cole, one of my fellow writers at TCC, had this to say on the yellows potential new look X1: “The team suggested above would prove that we may not need to loan anyone. This formation keeps the leading goal scorer Jerome up top, with Wes Hoolahan behind him. The pace of Redmond on the wings is there, and we don’t need to say much more about how vital Bradley Johnson is in that midfield. The bench remains strong with this team as well as Hooper who can come on in one of the two attacking positions. This sorts out the attack and keeps the in-form midfield intact. Is this the way to go without Grabban?”
Option 2 – Loaning
If Alex Neil doesn’t fancy taking his chances with being a forward down, he could look to bring a loanee in. Someone with experience, someone who knows how to power through the final games of a promotion hunt but most of all, someone who can do what Grabban did so well, score goals. Who could we loan? I spoke to TCC contributor Ollie Baines about who he thought could cover for Lewis. “With Grabban now keeping the physios busy, will Alex Neil be dipping his toes into the loan market for a striker? Quite possibly. With the race for the title firmly in the balance, Norwich will need every helping hand they can get. The Canaries may well need to bring in someone to fill the void of Grabban. Could that man be Celtic’s Kris Commons? A player of undoubted quality, would the former Forest man be the missing piece of the jig-saw?”
If you were Alex Neil, what would you do. Stick to the squad, or sign a loanee. I would personally stick with the squad as I feel we have more than enough depth and quality of players to pull us up to the dreamland of the premier league. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinion, leave a comment below.
