Norwich City, Watford and AFC Bournemouth were the three clubs relegated from the Premier League last season.
Despite the drop to the Championship, the Canaries were successful in retaining majority of their players from last season and their manager, Daniel Farke.
The German has given an interview to Kicker and the outlet specifically asked Farke about Norwich holding on to the likes of Todd Cantwell, Emi Buendia and Max Aarons.
“Given the only two-week break that we had in the summer, it was important to be able to build on an axis. We needed the players you named because they know what it takes to win titles,” he said.
“But it was just as important to bring new energy and fresh blood into the team and to find the right balance. Because after a descent, you first have to rekindle a certain euphoria.”
Farke details why Cantwell and Buendia, who were linked with a move away from Carrow Road last summer, didn’t feature regularly at the start of this season.
“Basically, there was a certain amount of unrest around us until the end of October because there were repeated rumours about departures,” Farke explained
“With both players, there was a point where I felt like they hadn’t fully embraced the league yet. But you shouldn’t forget that such a change is not easy, especially for young guys like Emi and Todd.
“Until then, they only knew the way up and then had to deal with the fact that they had reached a certain limit in the Premier League. Both of them accepted the situation afterwards and are now again among our top performers.”
Norwich, however, were unable to hold on to Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis, who ended up at Everton and Newcastle United respectively.
It was not tempting to use the funds from the duo’s sale in making new signings and instead, the club used a different approach.
Farke said, “We took a different path from the start. Our club is entirely self-financed and has already paid the price in the past for trying to advance with all its might.”
“We deliberately wanted to do it differently this time; Especially since the corona pandemic also cost us a double-digit million amount. We have therefore operated very well financially. Which was quite easy for us because of the good reputation we now enjoy.”
When asked about the reputation, he further added: “We received a lot of praise for our Premier League year – despite the relegation – the top clubs now know that their talents are in good hands with us.”
“Sometimes I get a call asking if they could put player X in our hands. We have earned this status in recent years through our work with young players.”
Farke backed the aforementioned quoted by using the example of Tottenham Hotspur loanee Oliver Skipp’s development at Norwich this season.
“Yes, he’s only 20 years old and plays for us in a position that is often filled with more experienced players. And that in almost every game from the first to the last minute. He’s a typical transfer for us, if you will. We want to keep being brave,” the Norwich boss stressed.
The Canaries are second in the table with 57 points, trailing league leaders Brentford by two points. Farke can help his side return to the Premier League, a year after their relegation from the top flight.
