Why Norwood left?

I hope it’s not reduced don’t rate him.
The lad at Exeter will do but we might have to part with some cash.

 

How odd that someone his age and profession can’t drive.

 

He can drive, it's more to do with keeping the licence!

 

I see been a naughty boy.

 

Bin juice....

 

I have wondered whether he might‘ve been a naughty boy again in some form.

 

It wasn’t planned that Norwood was leaving, otherwise we wouldn’t have extended his contract and he wouldn’t have been playing in all the pre-season games*, or giving all the interviews he has given about looking forward to the new season. He also wouldn’t now be in the Conference. Something has certainly happened recently. I’ve been told a fallout with Khaled prompted the hasty departure. Norwood is no shrinking violet, as we know. If he has done or said something to upset Khaled and Khaled has confronted him about it, well, you can imagine the outcome.

As it was a hasty departure, Norwood took the opportunity to move closer to his Manchester home. He is currently banned from driving, so needs a club he can get to. I believe he has been getting a lift off a teammate to get to Oakwell. So I presume hasty telephone calls to Stockport and Oldham were made. The two year contract will have just been a bonus for him, just as the fact that we will now be playing a younger player with a resale value in his place will be a bonus for our board. On that subject, the fact that half the team last season were loanees or players coming to the end of their contract sort of goes against the idea that we only want to play younger players to put them in the shop window, doesn’t it?

I have no reason to disbelieve what I’ve been told, as none of the other theories make any sense, and neither does the move in its own right. Who gives up being the main striker for a club aiming to be fighting at the top of League One, and where he is popular amongst the fan base, to play for a team who spent most of last season in the bottom third of the Conference? There’s been a falling out. It happens, and players leaving because of a fallout with someone at the club happens a lot more often than you’d think. Just listen to the podcasts Jon Parkin does with ex-players…or read Jon Parkin’s book! It’s certainly been the reason for a lot of job changes I’ve made too, to the point that I once took a job on less than half the salary I was getting, cos I could no longer bear to be working for who I was working for. In fact, I got turned down for one job, where in the interview they couldn’t get their head around why I was prepared to cut my salary so much**!


*the fact we have been playing Callum Styles in pre-season and it is highly likely that he may move this month is a totally different thing. It is likely that the club are hoping someone will meet the price in his buyout clause. We weren’t exactly putting our main striker in the shop window hoping a non-league side would come along and offer us a couple of quid!

**although that wasn’t necessarily the main reason they didn’t give me the job! I imagine my lack of experience in that line of work counted for more than them just thinking I had a cavalier attitude to personal income. I did end up working there eventually though, at the third time of trying. Let nobody say I’m not persistent…

 

By who?

 

Couldn't Khaled have fallen out with Iseka instead?

 

Norwood's interview with Oldham's website. https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2023/august/04082023-james-norwood-interview/

Interviewer: "What was it about Oldham that swayed your decision to come here?"

Norwood: "I think it's that they're in a position and they wanted to win a league. I didn't feel like that was really the case for me at Barnsley this year. The club here is investing in players and it looks like they're giving it a go. So for me it was about finding a club that wanted to win and wanted to win a league."

Absolutely damning I'm afraid if his sentiments are valid.

The fallout could well have been about the type of player we're trying to recruit, ie those we can sell, rather than loans or a few ready made pros who can complement the younger players. Nothing to do with budget, but with the recruitment agenda.

 

It seems like Wrexham wanted a striker while theirs was laid up so they looked round and thought this Norwood looks decent let’s see if they will sell.Of course our lot thought we can make a bit of money here but there was no way Wrexham were going to give him a 2year contract plus when their striker was fit Norwood would be bench warming.Up steps Oldham and they offered him a 2yr contract plus an extra year add on.Lovely jublee just want he wanted so he accepted.He will be 36 37 and career done.No way we’re Barnsley going to extend his contract after this season don’t blame him really just a shame it’s worked out this way,Good luck to him.

 

Lol