Norwich City: What Will Ricky van Wolfswinkel Bring to the Canaries?

It has been a fun and frantic summer for Norwich City fans so far. And one of the more exciting signings that has come in the door is that of Ricky van Wolfswinkel. The Dutch striker certainly has plenty of quality and should do very well if he is supplied with the right service.

However, Norwich are still lacking the all-star attacking midfielder to play off him. How well he does in the coming season will depend a lot in manager Chris Hughton’s ability to recruit that player. But let’s focus on van Wolfswinkel for now and what he will bring to the Canaries.

It seems an obvious point, but the first thing he will bring to the club is goals.

And no one can say Norwich don’t need them after scoring only 41 times last season with a top scorer who managed only eight goals. The Dutch striker has proved what he can do both in Holland and Portugal. In fact, his last two seasons in Portugal have been very impressive since he has scored 45 goals over two seasons in all competitions.

If he can replicate a 20-25 goal return next season in England, then I’m sure Norwich City fans will be ecstatic. The player has also been part of the Dutch team since 2010, although he is yet to establish himself as a regular in the side.

I think it’s fair to say van Wolfswinkel is a fantastic player, and Norwich fans should be very optimistic about what he can achieve. It can surely only help him to have the presence of a fellow Dutchman in Leroy Fer, and the two of them together could prove to be key for the Canaries.

The key thing for Norwich is to adapt their game to accommodate the new signings and play in a way that will suit them and get the best out of van Wolfswinkel. I would expect the Dutch forward to be played as a lone striker, which means players will need to get close to him when attacking opportunities present themselves.

It’s also fair to say he will expect to be provided service in possession-style football, which may mean that Norwich have to change their style a bit. The Canaries were simply too direct last season, and they didn’t maintain possession enough. They simply must improve in these areas.

It’s all very well talking about what van Wolfswinkel can do for Norwich, but the club must also consider what it can do for him.

I also think Hughton will need to adapt his style to a more attacking mentality to make the most of the striker. If Norwich City can successfully do those things, then they will have a very good striker on their hands who should do some very good things.   

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