NORWICH SET TO SPLASH THE CASH NOW
Instant promotion vindicates Canaries’ call to limit spending... now boss Farke is ready to build for a top-flight future
DSurridge 50 Danjuma 57 Kelly 76 ON’T you just love it when a plan comes together? Manager Daniel Farke, sporting director Stuart Webber and co-owner Delia Smith would have been forgiven if they were smugly asking each other that very question in the Carrow Road corridors amid the promotion party.
There was plenty of scoffing about Norwich’s failure to have a real go at staying up last season, when they finished bottom in the Premier League and took relegation in their stride.
But it was simply what they had prepared for and almost expected — with the end goal that they would be better-placed to return instantly and in a much healthier position.
Rather than spend a fraction of what would be sufficient on a half-hearted, token attempt to survive, Norwich opted to instead spend their previous Premier League riches on stabilising the club.
They secured the long-term future of some of their players, improved the training ground and infrastructure and were able to pay for some of the financial sins of the past.
Norwich knew spending a mere £1.5million on permanent signings would not be enough, but better than frittering away £50m and still failing. If they went down, so be it. The thinking was that they would be stronger in the long term.
Norwich lost just two key players — Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis — retained the rest for this season, shrewdly added where they could and have made it back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Bournemouth tried to play party poopers on Saturday after earlier results ensured the Canaries would be going back up, taking advantage of Dimitris Giannoulis’s early red card to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 win that boosted their own play-off hopes.
But nothing could dampen Norwich’s celebratory mood or deny them the chance to indulge in some well-deserved back-slapping.
‘Now we have returned to the Premier League this is another proof why the decisions two years ago were right,’ said Farke.
‘For the mid and long-term future of the club it was unbelievably important.
‘As head coach it was not the easiest decision. I would have loved it if the club bought a defender or striker for £10m.
‘But it was important not to be selfish and to back the club.’
The hope now will be that Norwich can retain their Premier League status next term. Their previous two stays have lasted only the one season.
Emi Buendia and Max Aarons are two who are likely to be prised away this summer after staying loyal following last season’s relegation to help Norwich back up.
But Farke returns for a second shot at the top flight with a squad significantly more experienced than the one he had the last time.
Their improved academy will continue to produce gems for him and promising centre back Andrew Omobamidele looks like another.
Farke added: ‘Now we can invest and spend a bit more in order to be competitive
‘Two years ago we needed a miracle to stay there. We will still be the big underdogs but we are much better prepared.’