As each day goes by without any significant transfer news, anxiety starts to build amongst the Norwich faithful. Aside from the purchase of West Brom’s 2013 midfield – Dorrans and Mulumbu that is – there’s been little to get excited about.
Meanwhile our promotion companions have been busy. Watford have already made a string of purchases, including Tottenham’s Ettiene Capou for a club-record £6 million as well as the free transfers of Steaua Bucharest and Werder Bremen. Equally, Bournemouth seem to be buying anything that has legs and can kick a ball. They’ve been sniffing about like drug-detection dogs with contracts expiring left right and centre. The Cherries have made six signings to our two. Five of their signings have cost them nothing but a weekly wage. And all this action has brought about panic; “why on earth aren’t we signing so-and-so?!”
If only the Norwich fan base could instil in itself the same unerring self-assurance that Alex Neil oozes on a daily basis. Focused, yet controlled. Always thinking, always working.
There could not be a man more unlike some of our fans. The panic that often unfolds as one little thing disrupts, frustrates and agitates is quite remarkable. We Norwich fans love a good moan. Last week it was the kit, now it’s the lack of signings. But really, there’s no need.
The meticulous planning that Alex Neil puts in for each and every game is a transferable skill (no pun intended). Neil had watched practically every video of every Middlesbrough game before that final, and you have to think, if there’s a player he wants, he’ll have put in the hours of research, conversed with his scouts, and structured a list of transfer targets accordingly.
Neil is obviously not the only one involved. David McNally doesn’t have a hard-line reputation for nothing. He’s a businessman, and a good one. The general consensus is that Alex Neil was his man. His success story. His resurgence.
Questions were asked when he failed to chop Hughton at the appropriate time. More questions were asked when Neil Adams was appointed following a ‘European-wide search’ and even more were asked (perhaps in less savoury language) when it all started to go down hill. He responded to those questions and no doubt he’ll respond to the one on everyone’s lips right now: “when are we going to sign anyone?”
Of course the sooner you get your transfer business done, the better. Yet as I’ve said before, it’s very much a case of quality, not quantity, for Norwich City. We’ve got the skeleton of a decent squad. Yes – we need a new centre-back. Yes – the partnership of Martin and Whittaker isn’t good enough. And yes we need to avoid the same mistakes of two seasons ago.
I think the disaster last time around just makes people nervous. This season there’s been a bit of a shift towards wanting proven Premier League players. Rightly or wrongly, fans seems less open to ambitious overseas purchases. Fewer people want to go in search of the next Wilfried Bony in the fear that we might find another van Wolfswinkel.
But that’s where the value is, if you can find it. The value for money lies like a pot of gold, with the rainbow arching over the channel and into Europe. Let’s not moan that we haven’t signed anyone; let’s instead be glad we haven’t splashed £8 million on a player who looked profoundly average on not three but four occasions against us last season.
We’ve also got to take a moment and think, ‘would QPR buy this player?’. If the answer is yes then then the following response is generally ‘no – please don’t buy them’. We don’t want mercenaries like Fer. It goes against Neil’s ethos. Hard work is paramount to him; quality comes later and will shine through in those who give their all.
With van Wolfswinkel’s departure hanging in the balance, the conversation over striking options has come to the forefront once again. In a post-McCormack market, there’s little chance of buying a striker, and a proven one at that, for any price cheap. Deals are therefore going to take time. Fans must be patient – it’s almost certainly in their best interest.
We don’t want more panic buys like Lafferty last season, and we don’t want players we don’t need. It’s all well and good signing freebie after freebie, but neither Bournemouth nor Watford have signed any world-beaters just yet. And to be honest, I don’t want five Mulumbus; one will be plenty.
Overall, our lack of transfer activity doesn’t bother me. It’s notable, but not an issue…yet. I have faith in Alex Neil on the pitch, I have faith in him off the pitch, and I believe that David McNally will do what David McNally does best: drive a hard bargain.
It will happen. Give it time.
