Adam Idah F. Celtic b.2001

[John83]

He's no Robbie Keane, for sure. He could be a decent player yet in the mould of someone like Jonathan Walters, who had few appearances or goals at the same age.

[paul_oshea]

You might well be right (though he’s already a regular in the Championship after an unfortunate couple of injuries along the way) but let’s remember he just turned 22!

I know there’s a general sense from some that we’re far too positive on here (disillusioned even) about our young players but at the same time give the lad (and the other young fellas) a chance before consigning them to the junkyard!!

I dont think theres anything wrong with recognising a players ability. You see this often in other sports too like in GAA "oh he was a great minor", "he played minor back home for X, y, Z". Players just sometimes can't step up and can stand out at underage for various reasons. For example, pace can stand out at underage (which it did with Idah) but at Senior men's football it doesn't.

A Jon Walters type player would be grand!

[ifk101]

“I worked with a lot of talents, when I was in Dortmund, or in Hoffenheim as well and, to be fair, Adam is a real talent. I really like what I've seen. He is a fantastic age and obviously, yes, he has space to improve. This is the truth but I think he is everything to become a very good striker,” said Wagner, as reported by the Pink Un.
“He has more or less everything. He has pace, he's powerful, his technique is good, even if it's not perfect. He's good in the air as well. So obviously, as I said, he has a lot of space to improve.
“I've had a lot of conversations with him and he likes to learn, he likes to adapt, he's totally open minded. We have a clear plan what we like to do and I'm more than happy that myself and my backroom staff are able to support him and to help him come to the level which we all hope he can reach.”
https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/david-wagner-adam-idah-norwich-8121778


Quotes above from David Wagner, one month ago.

[Eirambler]

That's what's frustrating - but also leaves me hopeful - when it comes to Idah. He seems to have all the raw materials to be a very good centre forward. He just doesn't seem to know how to put it all together. But that's maybe something that can be taught or learned through a consistent run of first team football. He might be one that doesn't come good until his mid 20s, if injuries haven't ruined his career before then.

[Stuttgart88]

I really hope he succeeds but what frustrates me is an inability for the ball to find him in goalscoring positions. In contrast, the ball regularly seems to find Evan Ferguson in goalscoring positions.

Is it instinct or can it be learnt? Or is it how BHA play? Like Arsenal, they seem to manufacture "inside the full back" goalscoring positions a lot.

[Kingdom]

I really hope he succeeds but what frustrates me is an inability for the ball to find him in goalscoring positions. In contrast, the ball regularly seems to find Evan Ferguson in goalscoring positions.

Is it instinct or can it be learnt? Or is it how BHA play? Like Arsenal, they seem to manufacture "inside the full back" goalscoring positions a lot.

I think it's a bit of everything. When was underage, we both mentioned how many chances would fall his way, and how many he would need to score (i referred to Pippo Inzaghi in that regard) but he seems to have been playing less orthodox 9 and more utility attacker recently if what I've read is correct.

also, there is the aside that Ferguson could be a freak once-in-a-generation type player that we rarely have, and that Idah is just like any good Irish cf. I like him, I think he's got something about him and adds a bit to our frontline options.

[paul_oshea]

Quotes above from David Wagner, one month ago.

You'd hope the wagner group could pick out a good mercenary Striker when they see one. Hopefully he has that ability, it would be great if it were/turns out to be true.

[SkStu]

I dont think theres anything wrong with recognising a players ability. You see this often in other sports too like in GAA "oh he was a great minor", "he played minor back home for X, y, Z". Players just sometimes can't step up and can stand out at underage for various reasons. For example, pace can stand out at underage (which it did with Idah) but at Senior men's football it doesn't.

A Jon Walters type player would be grand!

Thats not a great analogy PaulO to be fair. I get the point you're making and it makes sense at a cursory level but GAA and Sacair are very different. The step from underage to senior isn't as linear as it is in GAA and its an amateur game at the parish/club level. For soccer, success so multi-factoral with high-stakes (career wise) at every age group. I'm not making my point clearly here, I'm just having a hard time putting Idah's career path into a GAA context.

At the end of the day, this guy is playing professionally, weekly, for Norwich - a fairly decent team and a fairly decent level. From that perspective, he's made the step up already. And he is still a very young lad who has at least 3-4 more years to develop and adjust. I was just saying give him a bit more time before calling it...

[paul_oshea]

Agree of course he should be given more time. I hope you dont expect as much time as COD got. Or do we still hold out hope for him? : P

Probably College BBall in America on a smaller scale, doesn't really matter the trajectory or the path to Senior football, the point being you can look good with fellow peers of your own age, when it comes to men's game its a whole different ballgame. It's a simple analogy because its a fairly simple point. The stats are always going to be stacked against you. And if he doesn't start to deliver in the next year or so, even with a long contract, the patience will grow thin at Norwich.

[Kingdom]

Adam Idah has never looked out of place in the way Scott Hogan has, or Paul Butler, or Alan O'Brien, or Will Keane, etc.

[Exgrad]

Idah has missed effectively 18 months with various injuries, all be it he has played for a couple of short periods in those 18 months. Convinced he will be a big player for us if he can stay injury free over next couple seasons (thats a big if going on record so far).

[Razors left peg]

Idah is basically playing on the wing for Norwich in recent games, Id love for him to be getting more goals but he is playing pretty well. Any talk of writing him off at this stage is nonsense.

Harry Kane and Didier Drogba werent much at Idahs age.

[pineapple stu]

He's kind of like Kelleher in that you feel he could have done with a loan move at some stage. Instead - don't know whether by virtue of that Cup hat-trick or just a shortage of options up front for Norwich - he's been a bit of a utility sub option for the last couple of years without ever really staking a place for a first-team spot. And of course injury hasn't helped, but them's the breaks at times unfortunately.

[Razors left peg]

He's kind of like Kelleher in that you feel he could have done with a loan move at some stage. Instead - don't know whether by virtue of that Cup hat-trick or just a shortage of options up front for Norwich - he's been a bit of a utility sub option for the last couple of years without ever really staking a place for a first-team spot. And of course injury hasn't helped, but them's the breaks at times unfortunately.

The injury came at a brutal time last season, but I dont see the point of a loan when hes in the starting line up. Hes played 72 times for Norwich and has just turned 22 last month. Thats a decent amount of football for any young player, especially when he has missed so much time with injuries.

[pineapple stu]

He's likely only in the starting lineup because of injuries to others though. Before that he was getting 20 minutes off the bench. Plus if he's being played out of position on the wing, it'd be another reason he could benefit from a loan

Those 72 games total how many minutes? I think he'd get more game-time in a season-long League One loan

Edit - soccerway gives it as 2470 minutes. 27.5 full games, in his entire club career. You'd easily get that in a loan season

[Razors left peg]

Im sure he would have gotten loads more time playing in L1, L2, LOI or The Vauxhall Conference even... but instead he has 72 first team appearances at Premiership and Championship level where he is training and playing with better players! At the age of 22!!!

If he was 24 or 25 and had hardly played any football I'd understand, but Im genuinely baffled at the criticism he gets on here.

Hes a developing player whos played lots of football when hes fit, his fitness to me is the biggest concern. Not everyone is going to be Ferguson who immediately comes in and hits the ground running, some take a bit of development and Idahs has definitely been hindered to this point with injuries, but he is still young and getting plenty of game time

[Kingdom]

He's likely only in the starting lineup because of injuries to others though. Before that he was getting 20 minutes off the bench. Plus if he's being played out of position on the wing, it'd be another reason he could benefit from a loan

Those 72 games total how many minutes? I think he'd get more game-time in a season-long League One loan

Edit - soccerway gives it as 2470 minutes. 27.5 full games, in his entire club career. You'd easily get that in a loan season

Before, like when he was a teenager? Or before the injury?

[pineapple stu]

Or... Over four seasons, he's getting an average of 7 full games a season. Many of those out of position. Is that really the best way to develop?

Why not take a year to drop a division, be a regular starter in his most suited position, get more minutes than in his entire career so far, and then build on that back with Norwich the following season?

His inability to score (or to even be in the right place at the right time as Stutts has put it) is a bigger worry for me than his fitness.

[pineapple stu]

Before, like when he was a teenager? Or before the injury?
Before Pukki/Sargent got injured. Pretty much the entire of this season except the last month for example.

[Razors left peg]

Before Pukki/Sargent got injured. Pretty much the entire of this season except the last month for example.

Wasnt Idah injured for the first few months of this season?

[pineapple stu]

He was. But what games he played were by and large 20 minutes off the bench.

[Razors left peg]

So your logic is he should have played the games Pukki was injured for, even though he was injured himself... but when he got back from being injured for about 8 months he should have been playing 90 mins immediately.

[Demesne Lad]

Or... Over four seasons, he's getting an average of 7 full games a season. Many of those out of position. Is that really the best way to develop?

Why not take a year to drop a division, be a regular starter in his most suited position, get more minutes than in his entire career so far, and then build on that back with Norwich the following season?

His inability to score (or to even be in the right place at the right time as Stutts has put it) is a bigger worry for me than his fitness.

The expectations which some people have for Idah and Parrott as internationals surprise me. I would dearly love to see them score lots of goals for Ireland, but are they really goal-scorers at senior level? Watching the EFL highlights - I know, no way to judge any player's contribution during all his time on the pitch - I have been struck by how often Idah is in or around the box watching someone else score.

How do Idah and Parrott compare with other 20-22 year olds in the Championship? Before tonight's games:


20 year olds Appearances Goals

Amad Diallo 28 8

Tommy Conway 26 6

Aaron Ramsey 23 6

Charlie Cresswell 20 4

James McAtee 26 4

21 year olds

Joao Pedro 27 9

Ellis Simms 17 7

Cameron Archer 21 4

Tyrhys Dolan 30 4

Ian Maatsen 30 4

22 year olds:

Josh Sargent 30 11

Jack Clarke 34 7

Daryl Dike 18 6

Anass Zanoury 26 6

Michael Obafemi 24 5

Troy Parrott 22 2

Adam Idah 16 1

If I get the time, I'll try and replace 'Appearances' with 'Minutes Played'.

[paul_oshea]

The injury came at a brutal time last season, but I dont see the point of a loan when hes in the starting line up. Hes played 72 times for Norwich and has just turned 22 last month. Thats a decent amount of football for any young player, especially when he has missed so much time with injuries.

It's an awful lot of games. For a forward to be showing his worth

[pineapple stu]

So your logic is he should have played the games Pukki was injured for, even though he was injured himself... but when he got back from being injured for about 8 months he should have been playing 90 mins immediately.
Not sure how you read that into my post tbh

[Razors left peg]

Sargent returns to starting line up for Norwich tonight. Idah keeps his place with Pukki being dropped. Norwich manager obviously thinks more of him than some here.

[CraftyToePoke]

Sargent returns to starting line up for Norwich tonight. Idah keeps his place with Pukki being dropped. Norwich manager obviously thinks more of him than some here.

These clubs give out five year deals to academy lads like confetti, means nothing, they know nothing. It's the lad watching the odd highlights show & posting on here you need to pay attention to :) :)

[Razors left peg]

Hes playing on left wing and just got nice assist with good cross.

[tommy_c12000]

Yes good to see, hopefully he can build on it

[Razors left peg]

FFS gone off injured again. Looks like its his ankle

[tommy_c12000]

Terrible luck. At least Gibson injured too…

[elatedscum]

I wonder if that’ll change what happens to Cannon - or else does someone like Hogan get a nod as 4th striker

[Razors left peg]

I wonder if that’ll change what happens to Cannon - or else does someone like Hogan get a nod as 4th striker

You'd hope its Cannon....it'll probably be Conor Sammon

[tetsujin1979]

Not involved against Stoke this afternoon
1637091496888266753

[Demesne Lad]

Still crocked, I think, but Omobamidele got on for a half.

[Bielsa´s irish]

bring connor ronan for this fellow

[JR89]

1637788293776433159

[Razors left peg]

bring connor ronan for this fellow

I know I shouldnt but ..... how often have you watched Conor Ronan play?

[paul_oshea]

I think Adam needs to look after himself and what's best for him and his club at this stage. They've given him a big long contract with little to show for it other than injuries. Going against his manager and club isn't the most sensible idea given his injury history. He needs to focus on number 1 for now. We're well stocked in that position at his level/ability anyway

[Razors left peg]

I think Adam needs to look after himself and what's best for him and his club at this stage. They've given him a big long contract with little to show for it other than injuries. Going against his manager and club isn't the most sensible idea given his injury history. He needs to focus on number 1 for now. We're well stocked in that position at his level/ability anyway

I like players who actually want to turn up for us.

[Eirambler]

Me too, but I also like players that are fit. Adam is rarely fit these days, so should focus on that for now.

[Razors left peg]

Me too, but I also like players that are fit. Adam is rarely fit these days, so should focus on that for now.

He himself must think hes fit enough to have a chance to make it. I'd much rather a player have that attitude than miss the International window only to play a couple days later for the club. He may still very well end up going back to Norwich after a couple of days because it becomes obvious that hes not gonna make it, but Jesus, how is anyone giving a lad anything but praise for turning up for us even when hes in doubt. Plenty of players have been hammered over the years for missing games too easily.

He will be intensely focused on getting fit over the next few days, I hope it works out because I think hes an asset for us.

[pineapple stu]

Teemu Pukki leaving Norwich at the end of the season. Be interesting to see what they do now. General view on the Norwich forum is there trying to shoehorn too many similar players (Pukki, Idah, Sargent) into the team together, including all three last week, even they only had one shot on target. General view too is Idah isn't up to top Championship level really and could benefit from a loan.

Looking like they'll miss out on the playoffs this season so they may opt for a rebuild to get promoted before their parachute payments run out

Time will tell of course

[pineapple stu]

And dropped to the bench today, along with Pukki

[Demesne Lad]

Came on as a sub v Rotherham after 66 minutes.

[tetsujin1979]

Interviewed on the beautiful game podcast. Touches on some of the issues his constant injuries have had on him.
Zq7vMFTJ-UM

[Demesne Lad]

Replaced Pukki after 57 minutes, away at Middlesbrough. After the 5-1 thrashing by Boro, Idah was given Norwich's highest rating (6) in The Pink Un; Omobamidele (captain) was rated the lowest (3).

[pineapple stu]

Actually scores a goal! On the end of a scramble with a minute of coming on as a sub

[tommy_c12000]

Great! Push on now Idah!! Strong finish to the season please

[pineapple stu]

Started last week but was subbed off before halftime as Norwich went down to ten. Back on the bench today. Norwich have the feel of a side who simply don't know their starting lineup at all. An awful lot of changes lately