Norwich City : Fantasy Football Potential?

Guest Post Provided by @Jonathan_W00d

Norwich City are back in the Premier League. After being relegated in the 2013/14 season, they have come back strong and have returned to England’s top flight at the first time of asking. For myself and many others this, in all honesty, did not come as a huge surprise. They were well equipped for the Championship as their big name players remained at the club. Despite a few hiccups in the first half of the season, they attained promotion via the play-offs and deserve to be in the Premier League.

The Canaries have a solid team that you would tip to stay up this year given the additions they have made and the future ones they may make. One of their most recent summer additions, Youseff Mulumbu, is a quality signing. He has been an unsung hero for West Brom for a number of seasons now, but his hard work has not gone unnoticed. With the likes of Raheem Sterling and Christian Benteke signing for Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, signings like Mulumbu often go unrecognised, but he could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer, especially considering that they acquired him for free. In truth, manager Alex Neil does not have to make a great number of additions to his squad, as he already has a plethora of talent at his disposal. Players such as Cameron Jerome, Nathan Redmond and Alexander Tettey were all superb in the Championship, and will no doubt want to show what they can do in the Premier League. However, it is no secret that adapting to the level required to stay in the top tier of English football is tricky, even when you have only been absent from the league for one season, like Norwich have. It will undoubtedly be a tough season, but Norwich look like a top flight team and have some brilliant players.

For me, Cameron Jerome is a must in a fantasy team. He netted twenty-one times in all competitions last season, alongside a fair number of assists. He is big, powerful and sure to put defences through their paces. Other Norwich players to also consider would be the likes of Nathan Redmond, who contributes well to general play, along with good pace and skill. With this he is likely to get a number of assists. Michael Turner could also be an option. The towering centre-half is always an aerial threat from corners but may be a risk given the calibre of players he and his defensive team mates will be facing.

There are however, a few players from Norwich who I would certainly avoid selecting. While no doubt a solid keeper, John Ruddy will be under a lot of pressure. With newly promoted teams, a lot of the time it is down to the goal keeper to keep their side in the game. While Ruddy is certainly capable of this, he is unlikely to keep many clean sheets and therefore is not a good selection for a fantasy team. Another player to avoid is Louis Grabban. Although he scored a respectable twelve goals last season in all competitions, he may not be played a great deal this season. He may either not be picked or may be sent out on loan at some point, so Jerome would definitely be the better option here. When choosing a squad, look out for those Norwich players, there are a few hidden gems in that side.

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