Guru's Goat: Overall, we're better off now

The transfer window has now slammed shut and Norwich boss Glenn Roeder has seen a big turnover in his playing staff shipping out nine, adding one permanent and seven new or extended loan players to the Canary squad.

Those are some pretty big numbers but does it mean that the squad stronger now than it was way back at Christmas (which feels like a lifetime ago now)?

In the goalkeeping department we`ve seen no new arrivals but the departures of Paul Gallacher (released) and hot-prospect Joe Lewis to Peterborough United for £400,000 have left the squad two keepers down on this time last month.

There may be a lot of potential sitting in the academy but if just for sheer numbers alone I`d say that the position has been weakened. Any injury to David Marshall or Matthew Gilks could cause some big problems.

The Defence has seen the biggest overhaul and has been the centre of most attention. Ian Murray was released and Simon Lappin sent on loan to Motherwell, which made room for Mo Camara to extend his stay from Derby County until the end of the season, Ryan Bertrand to come in from Chelsea and Alex Pearce from Reading, also until the end of the season.

There`s also "emergency" loanee Matthew Bates from Middlesbrough who will be with the Canaries until 28th April - although Boro have a 24 hour recall option after the first month.

I think it`s fair to say the biggest talking point in the window was a certain Martin Taylor. Hours of talk and thousands of words have been spent on the pursuit of "Tiny". I was still confident he would sign until the Bates signing was announced and then a few short hours later it was revealed that Bolton had won the chase for Gary Cahill`s signature, leaving Alex McLeish short of defensive options of his own.

The much-improved form of Jason Shackell and Gary Doherty over the last few weeks may well have had a bearing on the final outcome, and Roeder has been quoted in the press as saying a deal could still be done in the summer. We`ll have to just wait and see on that one (Anyone else getting déjà vu?).

There can be no question as far as I am concerned that the defence is stronger now than it was a month ago. There is competition for places across the back four which should keep everyone on their toes - and hopefully ensure the only thing Doherty wraps himself round is his starting place.

It`s a similar story in midfield. The hapless Julien Brellier is now plying his trade elsewhere and Jimmy Smith`s loan deal has come to an end (which I have included in the "going out" column but maybe that`s a little unfair), but coming in is Matty Pattison from Newcastle on a permanent deal, James Henry from Reading and Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal on emergency loans until 28th April.

I spoke about Pattison in an earlier column (Guru`s Goat: The January transfer window), so I won`t go over old ground there.

Henry from Reading has been described on canaries.co.uk as "one of the brightest prospects to come out of the Reading academy" and is a right-winger, adding more options and giving the excellent Lee Croft something else to think about.

I see Kieran Gibbs as an ideal replacement for Smith, although according to myfootballwriter.com his best position is possibly wide left - adding yet more competition to a position where Ryan Bertrand has more often than not found himself occupying of late.

So what does that mean for Darren Huckerby? The talismanic front man has struggled to shake off a hip injury this season and coupled with a drop of form has been in and out of the team, and now has potentially three others to get passed if he is to reclaim his place in the side - assuming Roeder sticks with his "one winger" policy - and that the winger is not Croft of Henry bombing down the right hand side.

Hucks is out of contract in the summer and rumours of a move Stateside to join the MLS refuse to go away. He has been quoted in the past as saying Norwich will be his last English club, and I have no reason to doubt that. I just hope we get to see him somewhere near his best before he leaves in the summer, which I think he will.

In theory supplying chances for the front-line should no longer be a problem; however taking said chances is another story, which is why the attacking department still makes me nervous.

I think it is fair to say that we haven`t lost an awful lot of goals releasing David Strihavka, loaning Ryan Jarvis to Notts County and selling Chris Brown to Preston for £400,000, but with only Ched Evans coming in - albeit until the end of the season now - I can see us continuing to struggle for goals and our over-reliance on Dion Dublin continues to be a cause for concern.

Last season`s Championship top-scorer Jamie Cureton has been firing blanks as of late and like most City fans I`m hoping he can find the form he showed at the beginning of the season - and if he could stay onside a little more frequently all the better.

Overall I think the squad is stronger now than it was a month ago - however with all these emergency loanees due to return to their clubs on 28th April it does make you wonder who will actually be left to play the final game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday in the first week of May, but that`s for another time.

It`s also worth remembering that further emergency loans from the Premier League can be made in about another week`s time, so the excitement might not be over yet. Just let me catch my breath first.

OTBC

Do you think the squad is stronger now? Are you worried about the lack of goals? Where is Darren Huckerby is going to fit in between now and the end of the season? Let me know what you think…