Why Norwood left?

On the surface this seems like an odd transfer for Barnsley to agree to so I've tried to look at it from a neutral viewpoint.

At Barnsley, Norwood has got 1yr left on his contract (extended before Watters and Dallas signed & Collins arrived). It's highly unlikely that he would be offered another contract next summer. Additionally, he's arguably not got the legs to consistently play 90 minutes at L1 level.

Nevertheless, Norwood is happy to stay and the club are happy to have him.

Then along come Oldham offering a 3yr contract to a 32yr old. This is a long contract at his age & especially at lower league level.
Additionally, Norwood is likely to be 1st choice there & has more chance of managing 90mins most weeks

As he's posted on Instagram, he's 'gutted to be leaving' but I do think it has been his choice to accept the Oldham offer and the security it offers.

In terms of Barnsley, it's certainly not ideal timing but they still have 4 senior strikers (I'm not counting Iseka!) plus Marsh, Jalo & Dyer hoping to break through as the 5th striker.
Can argue endlessly as to whether this will be enough firepower - I have my doubts it will be but the club will believe that all the strikers have the potential to improve.
Whether they do, we'll probably all find out soon enough?

 

I can understand your point but if he's not that good then what does it say for our other strikers? He's the only one that has looked half decent up front and had minutes in pre season.

Wev basically just got a player fit for another team whilst we have Iseka sat on the bench and overlooked with youngsters

 

Completely agree the board don’t care about the fans, everything is done on the cheap. The only thing they care about is trying to make money. No
long term strategic plan, lack of communication Connor Chaplin was right in what he said a few years ago when he’d left. The people I feel sorry for the most is the ones who can’t see it.

 

Aye - a kid who cost a million quid 18 months ago and a striker who got 15 goals last year. Not bad that.

 

I think it's obvious the sooner the Council buy the ground and these lovely people sell up the better.

Hope Khaled has been brokering a deal with perspective buyers and the Council will own the ground.

All eggs in two baskets with the key component being the ground in public ownership because we all know the club is worth f cuk all.

I just hope Khaled sells to the right people and not Tesco.

 

Norwood's value to the club even as a bit player would be much higher than any monetary value gained at 33.
Starting with Norwood/Cole up front would give us much needed continuity and God knows we need some of that.
So why break up a team that amassed so many points last season? Do we think we'll get even more points playing younger strikers, or is it just time to put someone else in the shop window?

 

You know what I mean.

I wouldn’t like it, but could understand a move to Wrexham or the champ. But to go non league, just really confuses me. Therefore has to be some kind of explanation from the club.

There’s a new thread there for when this calms down ‘Strangest transfer out in our history’ there’s been enough.

 

It’s just the way people are talking like we’ve lost Messi rather then the equivalent of Barry Conlon.

 

I agree that all the pre-season minutes doesn’t make sense.

 

Your post was a submission that we don't need a replacement for Norwood.

Yet we now have nobody who can mix it upfront in a league that practically demands it. No decent alternative when we need it, and we inevitably will need it from time to time.

Furthermore my opinions upon Cole and Watters come from watching them. They are players who can be good but they are not consistently good enough, and neither can play in the mould of Norwood.

 

And Norwood was consistently good enough? If he was half as good as folk are making out this evening then he would 100% not be going to a Conference team.

 

There is a difference between good and effective though, and for 60 minutes a match he was effective in this league. Unless the sports scientists/performance analysts are seeing a dramatic fall in his levels then why couldn’t he be effective for another season?

 

But Norwood wasn't consistently good enough either if he was he wouldn't have scored 11 goals in 45 games or be going to a national league side.

 

I agree on his effectiveness, I really liked him and would liked to have kept him. But the reaction is crackers. He's 33 years old in 6 weeks and going to a National League side. It's not Sam Winnall going to Wednesday whilst we're 7th in the Champ.

 

Hmm, was he though? I know you can do anything with stats but goals to games he seems very similar, and Barry could hold a ball up.

 

He was good for us last season. He was also very bright when he started last week and got our opening goal. That's what we're going on.

 

Is he the best striker in the league? Absolutely not. But you know what you'll get with him.

He'll get 10 or so a season, he'll come on and make an impact and up the tempo or he'll start and set the tone in the press.

He'll help link up the play and battle with defenders which our other players won't. He scored more than 3 of our other strikers combined at this level last season.

Dallas could be great and could go on to have a far better career and be a better player, but the fact is he isn't fit yet and we have zero idea how he's going to settle in this league.

Norwood was fit and scoring in pre season and was scoring at a fairly regular rate in this league last season.

Add to that how popular and well liked he was in the dressing room and the experience he brought. It's a massively rubbish decision imo.

 

Spot on