Thoughts on the Etuhu transfer

My boys

I do think some people are getting rather carried away with the transfer of Etuhu to Sunderland.

First up, some of our own supporters. It is not the case of our Board lacking ambition or us being a 'selling club'. Buy out clauses are in player's contacts everywhere from Chelsea to Carlisle.

Second, Rick Waghorn. Now unlike many contributors to this message board, I genuinely find his comments on the state of the modern game and where it leaves a club like Norwich to be pretty close to bang on the money. In his comments on Etuhu, however, I think he's wide of the mark. All this stuff about 'player power rules ok' and 'the wad is god' might be essentially true, but Dickson's departure is not an example of how today's game is morally corrupt and driven by an unscrupulous desire by evil agents to get rich quick. Norwich are a Championship club. Sunderland are a Premiership club with big gates (only now they're up there, granted), big piles of cash to splash and big ambition under one of the biggest names around. I don't wish to enter into a debate about who could potentially be a bigger club, but at the moment it's a no-brainer. It is a an opportunity to play at the highest level. And for all this stuff about it being an indication of where football is at now, that just isn't true. Football has, pretty much, always been like that.

Third, Peter Grant and his broadside about people being critical about Etuhu and now mourning his departure. For crying out loud, the vast majority of fans - with the possible exception of my father - do not indulge in criticism without good reason. Dickson is a talent, nobody doubts that. But he was only at the races when he felt like it, and there is nothing - absolutely nothing - more infuriating to an average fan who would lose a kidney for the cause than that. Etuhu showed up big style for the Chelsea game in front of the Match of the Day cameras, but there were far too many other occasions when, frankly, he couldn't be bothered. I would have thought that was the kind of attitude our manager could do without.

And lastly, those trying to claim we can't possibly replace him. I do think people are getting a bit carried away with the state of the transfer market, quite frankly. One week we pick up Brelier from Hearts for nothing and it's billed as coup - the next we are contemplating the nightmare scenario of being unable to replace someone we bought not that long ago for £450,000 from Preston North End. Please, spare me this nonsense.

In summary, Dickson Etuhu is a very talented footballer who may well excel himself in the Premiership. But, alas, I doubt he was likely to do that at Norwich while stuck with the midweek jaunts to Burnley.

Montague Withnail

Posted By: Uncle Monty, Jul 18, 04:28:28