Adam Idah F. Celtic (loan from Norwich City) b.2001

**John83** · 14/03/2023, 12:46 AM

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** · 14/03/2023, 9:17 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

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** · 14/03/2023, 9:34 AM

“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/...orwich-8121778

Quotes above from David Wagner, one month ago.

**Eirambler** · 14/03/2023, 10:49 AM

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** · 14/03/2023, 10:57 AM

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** · 14/03/2023, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 14/03/2023, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by ifk101

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** · 14/03/2023, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

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** · 14/03/2023, 12:37 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 12:39 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 4:20 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 4:53 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 5:08 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 14/03/2023, 5:36 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 6:00 PM

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** · 14/03/2023, 6:04 PM

Originally Posted by 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

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

**pineapple stu** · 14/03/2023, 6:12 PM

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.