Daniel Farke is hoping that he will be given funds to strengthen his Norwich City side in January but will it be too late by then? The Canaries brought in five new players over the summer but did not spend much money, with the £2.70m loan fee on goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann the biggest outlay by far.
Farke is hoping that the players who managed to get the club back into the Premier League will be able to hold their own until the possibility of new recruits arriving in the winter window.
A 4-1 home loss to Liverpool in their opening top-flight fixture of 2019-2020 was hardly the tonic needed but many teams will leave Anfield on the wrong end of a hiding and that should not be the result that the season is gauged on.
The East Anglians need to ensure their home form is strong against the teams in and around the bottom eight of the table to stand a chance of staving off the threat of relegation.
That test will come on Saturday when Steve Bruce brings his Newcastle United side to Carrow Road for what might already be considered the proverbial six-pointer.
Farke was hamstrung in his attempts to sign new players in the summer window but he feels it is essential to invest in the playing squad to give the club the best chance of staying up. “You can maybe survive for one year in the Premier League if you spend money but you can just as easy go down to League One,” he said.
“We wanted to invest in our academy and our infrastructure. “Hopefully (in January) it will be different. It is not like I am overly happy that we can’t spend more money. I would like to sign more quality players because I like to work with them but I totally buy into our philosophy.”
Norwich spent around £3.75m this summer, with fellow promoted teams Aston Villa and Sheffield United forking out £133.74m and £42.75m respectively.
Spending vast sums does not always work, with Fulham bringing in virtually a whole new team last summer before slipping straight back into the Championship.
It is what you do with those players that counts but, while team spirit and heart are a great commodity to have, it is class and talent that rises to the top in the Premier League and Farke will hope they are still in touch before the cavalry has a chance to arrive.
