Ashton to Norwich.... Big mistake!

[Prenn]

What is Dean Ashton thinking by moving to Norwich? 3 months Premiership football then back to the CCC? A total lack of ambition really. As for the fee paid well Crewe must be laughing all the way to the bank.... £3 million? In this transfer market? ROFL. Norwich have over spent on a completely untested striker, what kind of stupid football club does that?

Bolton, Dean Holdsworth, £3.5 million.

Not untested but completely overpriced, we're still 'paying' for it now so to speak. :o

[sendorange]

The fee is large, but you have to bear in mind that his wages are more than likely low. I think they see him as much for being their striker for next season in the CCC, scoring the goals to take them back up to promotion, which he has proved he can do. From their perspective it's a great move, if he can score the goals to keep them up this season, so much the better.

However for Ashton it is a big mistake, he's now stuck at a club which is at best a yo yo club, but has enough money to price him even further out of the market than he was already.

[Colm]

The fee is large, but you have to bear in mind that his wages are more than likely low. I think they see him as much for being their striker for next season in the CCC, scoring the goals to take them back up to promotion, which he has proved he can do. From their perspective it's a great move, if he can score the goals to keep them up this season, so much the better.

However for Ashton it is a big mistake, he's now stuck at a club which is at best a yo yo club, but has enough money to price him even further out of the market than he was already.I agree, he could of waited for a bigger club to have come along because i reckon some bigger clubs would of wanted Ashton but you got to respect his desicison

[Suss]

Norwich are only 2 points away from getting out of the drop zone. Your talking about them like they have already been relegated. Maybe he is ambitious enough to think that he can score the goals to keep them up. And you don't know that any other Premiership clubs wanted him. He got a chance to play in the Premiership and he wasn't willing to pass it up.

[blackpool fc mark]

If any 'bigger' clubs wanted him, why didnt they make bids of there own after hearing of Norwich's bid being accepted, in my view Ashton has done himself a big favour. He had gone as far as he could with Crewe and with Crewe having virtually no chance of ever making the top flight anytime soon, this was probably the best way for him to further his career and play in the Prem.

[Prenn]

If any 'bigger' clubs wanted him, why didnt they make bids of there own after hearing of Norwich's bid being accepted

No club in their right mind would pay £3 million for a CCC striker. As soon as Norwich put that bid in it put everyone else out of the running.

in my view Ashton has done himself a big favour. He had gone as far as he could with Crewe and with Crewe having virtually no chance of ever making the top flight anytime soon, this was probably the best way for him to further his career and play in the Prem.

No, he's done a terrible thing for his career. He has 4 months to prove himself in the Premiership, if he doesn't score enough he'll be 'The New Bobby Zamora (TM)' Back to the CCC he will go and no Premiership club will take a second look at him. It could take him years to get back in contention for a move to the Prem (see Zamora).

[B Rock]

No, he's done a terrible thing for his career. He has 4 months to prove himself in the Premiership, if he doesn't score enough he'll be 'The New Bobby Zamora (TM)' Back to the CCC he will go and no Premiership club will take a second look at him. It could take him years to get back in contention for a move to the Prem (see Zamora).

Umm. The problem with Zamora is that he was incredibly overrated. He couldn't force his way into the team with Tottenham, and even back in the CCC he's been garbage for West Ham.

In fact Zamora's situation is an exact reason why a player SHOULDN'T go to an established Premiership club out of the CCC, Zamora got burried on Tottenham's bench and lost all self-confidence. Now he is struggling to make an impact in the CCC. Meanwhile Ashton will undoubtedly get a chance to play for Norwich whether they stay up or they go down.

I think its a great move for Ashton personally. If Norwich manage to stay up it will probably have a great deal to do with his ability to score goals, and if they go down he will be a catalyst to their drive to promotion next season. I really don't see how he loses in this scenario.

Where else would you like to see him go? What other squad with a chance of staying up would he walk into the team for?

[Prenn]

Umm. The problem with Zamora is that he was incredibly overrated. He couldn't force his way into the team with Tottenham, and even back in the CCC he's been garbage for West Ham.

Zamora is a very good player with a very good goalscoring record who did not exactly get a fair chance at Spurs and as a result his confidence has suffered. When it returns so will the goals.

In fact Zamora's situation is an exact reason why a player SHOULDN'T go to an established Premiership club out of the CCC, Zamora got burried on Tottenham's bench and lost all self-confidence.

It was a bad move if they weren't intending to play him, which they weren't.

Meanwhile Ashton will undoubtedly get a chance to play for Norwich whether they stay up or they go down.

Nothing looks worse than playing 15 games and scoring two goals. I'm jumping the gun there but that's the most likely outcome for Ashton this season/

If Norwich manage to stay up it will probably have a great deal to do with his ability to score goals,

And Norwich have one of the buys of the season.

and if they go down he will be a catalyst to their drive to promotion next season. I really don't see how he loses in this scenario.

Stuck in the CCC proving that he can score goals in one league but not make the step up... the comparisons with Zamora, Nathan Blake and loads of other strikers are just there waiting to be made.

Where else would you like to see him go? What other squad with a chance of staying up would he walk into the team for?

Villa could have done with him as could Bolton. We couldn't afford £3 let alone £3 million.

[sendorange]

Zamora was unlucky at Tottenham, he was only there for a few months as third striker behind two players who cost more than 4 times what he did. He was only transferred as Defoe was too good an opportunity to pass up and West Ham demanded Zamora specifically as part of the deal.

[superdave]

To those bashing the move...if I remind you of Jonathan Stead, going all the way up from Div. 3, and arguably keeping Blackburn up, would you change your mind?

[M]

To those bashing the move...if I remind you of Jonathan Stead, going all the way up from Div. 3, and arguably keeping Blackburn up, would you change your mind?

Yeh, that's a fair point. Unfortunately for Blackburn, he's been unable to sustain it this season. I don't think he's scored a single goal?

[Prenn]

Yeh, that's a fair point. Unfortunately for Blackburn, he's been unable to sustain it this season. I don't think he's scored a single goal?

Not a sausage. He's wanted by Sheffield United now.

To be fair Stead's a good player he just happens to be playing in a team which doesn't create many chances and he's not one of the first choice strikers.

[PAFC_79uk]

I definately think that Crewe got a very good price for the player, I have read too that the fee could rise by £500,000 and there is a 20% sell on clause aswell - so for that, well done Crewe. Then again, West Brom have paid the same for Earnshaw from Cardiff this season (no comment on the impact he has made).

As to whether it was the right move for the player, there have been rumours of top clubs looking at him for two or three years now, but how long do you wait to get a move where you are going to get regular football? As someone has said, Norwich are not dead and buried yet and I do think though that Ashton is a very good player with a lot of potential and it was a move that he really had to take.

I myself would be happy with the signing if I was a Norwich fan and I do feel that he has what it takes to make the step up - and if Norwich should go down Ashton will bounce back and not 'do a Zamora'.

[sendorange]

The point here is that Ashton is now stuck at Norwich, who are a significantly weaker and smaller club than Blackburn - which was a good move for Stead at that time as they had a greater chance of survival and he was playing for Huddersfield in League 2 and had not represented England at youth level. Ashton on the other hand was top scoring in the Championship and has played well for England U-21, he had a much higher profile.

I will gladly bet with anyone that Norwich are going down, they do not have the quality in the squad to survive and they were careful enough to say that they do not see Ashton as being bought for this purpose.

If Ashton scores and plays well then his value will shoot up, especially with that 20% sellon clause, making it even harder for other bigger clubs to buy him than it was when he was at Crewe. If he has a hard time at Norwich, he won't find it as easy as the likes of Stead and Zamora to get a move, as Norwich paid so much for him and would inevitably hang onto him for as long as possible or until they get an offer covering most of the club record fee they paid.

Ashton did have other decent bids for him at Crewe and is talented enough to make the breakthrough at a bigger Premiership club than Norwich. With a bit more patience either in this transfer window or to this summer followed by a transfer request, Crewe would have lowered their value enough to accept a bid from another better Premiership club. I'm sure someone like Birmingham or Aston Villa would have gone for him and I know Tottenham bid 2 million for him in the summer.

[sinner78]

Not a sausage. He's wanted by Sheffield United now.

To be fair Stead's a good player he just happens to be playing in a team which doesn't create many chances and he's not one of the first choice strikers.


Hughes is obsessed with the 4-5-1 formation so its no wonder that Stead hasnt done as well lately .Hughes is one of the most over-rated managers around .His whole reputation is based on one win over Italy .he got lucky wales suddenly had a batch of good players when he was in charge.

As for Ashton .It might not be such a bad move if he helps keep Norwich in the premiership .He is pretty much guaranteed a place in the starting 11 so at least he will be playing regularly .Which might not have been the case if he had joined a bigger club.

[PAFC_79uk]

Ashton did have other decent bids for him at Crewe and is talented enough to make the breakthrough at a bigger Premiership club than Norwich. With a bit more patience either in this transfer window or to this summer followed by a transfer request, Crewe would have lowered their value enough to accept a bid from another better Premiership club. I'm sure someone like Birmingham or Aston Villa would have gone for him and I know Tottenham bid 2 million for him in the summer.

It suprised me really that no other team came in with a serious offer when Norwich closed in on him. When it comes down to it, its upto the player where they go. If someone came in with a lower bid but Ashton wanted to go there I don't think Crewe could have stopped him. How much advice do you think that Ashton would have taken from Gradi about the move? I would imagine that when offers came in Gradi would have had a view on how it would develop the player career.

[God_Borat]

I dunno much about Ashton, but I do know the one thing Norwich needs to be on par with the other lower level premierleague clubs like Southhampton and Portsmoth is a consistent scorer, and if he can manage 1 goal every 3 games he'll be worth it.

[keller]

What is Dean Ashton thinking by moving to Norwich? 3 months Premiership football then back to the CCC? A total lack of ambition really. As for the fee paid well Crewe must be laughing all the way to the bank.... £3 million? In this transfer market? ROFL. Norwich have over spent on a completely untested striker, what kind of stupid football club does that?

Bolton, Dean Holdsworth, £3.5 million.

Not untested but completely overpriced, we're still 'paying' for it now so to speak. :o

I just love it when Bolton fans like yourself, who were if you can remember a "yo-yo" team also, who after managing to actually remain in the Prem for a couple of seasons become all high and mighty about teams like us. A lack of ambition on his part! its a step up for him mate. Since when do Bolton have this divine right to feel superior to us? a couple of years in the Prem and all of a sudden you think you have a divine right to be there and clubs like us should "go back to where we belong"

[sendorange]

Norwich are going down, no good having Ashton score goals when they leak 4 at the other end. No guarantee they'll be up against next season even if they keep Ashton.

Bad move on his part.

[Prenn]

I just love it when Bolton fans like yourself, who were if you can remember a "yo-yo" team also, who after managing to actually remain in the Prem for a couple of seasons become all high and mighty about teams like us. A lack of ambition on his part! its a step up for him mate. Since when do Bolton have this divine right to feel superior to us? a couple of years in the Prem and all of a sudden you think you have a divine right to be there and clubs like us should "go back to where we belong"

I remember signing a striker for £3.5 million then promptly getting relgated, it buggered us for years. Looks like NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARWICH are making the same mistake. You're a tad defensive maybe you're not to comfortable about your present league position?