It’s been all or nothing for Norwich City and left-backs in recent years.
The line of players in the position is long and distinguished since the turn of the century, starting memorably with club legend Adam Drury and making its way through a variety of well-liked wide men.
Included in that list are promotion favourite Marc Tierney, who undoubtedly reached his best in yellow and green, once-Premier League stalwart Martin Olsson, sublime crosser of the ball Javier Garrido and title-winning academy graduate Jamal Lewis.
Even in the bad times there were highlights at left-back, with former Chelsea and Aston Villa left-back Ryan Bertrand joining City on loan amid their barren years of the late 2000s. Ajax’s Mitchell Dijks also became a cult hero on a temporary deal, his aggressively attacking style winning fans over in 2017.
Fast forward to the discombobulation of Dean Smith’s and David Wagner’s spells at the helm, and even then there were underrated options on the left side of defence. Both Sam McCallum and Dimitris Giannoulis received their fair share of criticism at Carrow Road, but the moves they’ve found after departing speak volumes.
But when the rich tapestry hasn’t been developed, there have certainly been dry patches. Daniel Farke’s dilemma of 2020 was chief among them, the German forced to use career midfielder Jacob Sorensen as a left-back due to Xavi Quintilla’s nagging injury.
That Norwich managed to secure the results to stay in the title race for so long was remarkable; opposition sides continually targeted Sorensen, and it was months before a replacement could be found in the transfer market.
Rarely before has such a gaping hole so obviously needed addressing by the City recruitment team, and yet four years later they face the same problem.
Of course, many of the faces are different, and the connection between both scenarios is more a twist of fate than long-term mismanagement, but in any case supporters are being made to wait for their latest left-back.
The aim is that Ben Knapper’s patient approach results in a signing as successful as those that went before him, replicating the consummate careers of the Canaries’ prior full-backs.
Part of the hold-up is Manchester City’s desire to keep Norwich target Callum Doyle in their USA tour squad, with a deal agreed between the clubs over a season-long loan. There are still fears that permanent interest from elsewhere could derail the move, but he’s still the most likely to fill the void.
Doyle’s pedigree is exciting, and he certainly knows the Championship after two seasons in it with Coventry and Leicester. Knapper knows better than most the complexities of loan negotiations with the Premier League’s biggest clubs, and he’s prepared to take his time over the England under-21.
A second left-back is also on the agenda, however, with various options and players of interest bandied about already. Often heralded stints come from understudy roles, as they did for Tierney behind Drury or Lewis and the ill-fated James Husband signing.
That second signing could even end up being at the club for longer than Doyle; permanent moves have been considered, but funds for them won’t arrive before a big-ticket sale.
Until one of those two eventualities can be exercised, head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup is left improvising. Kellen Fisher has played on the left in pre-season alongside a number of academy prospects, with Sorensen currently the most experienced senior player he has in the position.
Just two weeks away from the season opener at Oxford, it’s easy to see why some fans are concerned. But if Knapper is to add to the long line of left-backs already to have come up trumps for Norwich, he’ll have to make sure he gets the right player.
That’s why he’s taking his time this summer. As both the former Arsenal man and Thorup have reiterated time and again, quality takes priority over speed.
FOR MORE NEWS CLICK HERE
Leave a Reply