Barnsley have signed 31-year-old James Norwood, the oldest player Barnsley have signed since 2014. Previously, any player over the age of 27 was a no-go for Barnsley. But Michael Duff's arrival and the board's reformation seems to have brought a change to this policy, much wanted by Reds fans.
Under the control of Paul Conway, Barnsley would only sign young and promising players who would later have a high sell-on value. This policy clearly favored off-the-pitch profit, as opposed to on-the-pitch results. This left a lack of experience on the field, when young players were struggling they didn't have an experienced head to turn to. The lack of experience was clearly part of the Tyke's downfall last season and was evident to Barnsley fans but no action was taken to fix that. Norwood would be a signing immediately disregarded by Paul Conway because signing a 31-year-old on a 1-year contract doesn't have the potential for profit.
Paul Conway's complete disregard for experience was an evident sign of foolishness and incompetence. Conway & Co's plan was to buy many young players, develop them, and then sell them for a profit. Signing young players and selling them for a profit is a wise idea and can work effectively if done right. A success story of this is Brentford, they have a similar philosophy however went about it with much more intelligence.
Brentford's signing of experienced players helped not only with on-the-field results but also helped develop the young players and rise their value. An example of this is when Brentford signed Pontus Jansson from Leeds. At the time of signing Pontus had played 239 games - 115 of which were in the Championship, Brentford's level at the time. Brentford also signed promising CB Ethan Pinnock (from Barnsley) to play alongside Jannson. Pinnock playing alongside Jansson helped develop him from a £3 million signing to an elegant defender with an estimated market value of £10 million.
The above is an example of how experienced players can help develop young players. Something Conway greatly disregarded. But now, under the new board, we seem more likely to more sign experienced players. James Norwood is the first example of that.
Norwood will undoubtedly be a valuable person to have in the changing room and will share invaluable experience to the younger reds players. We can expect the development of young strikers such as Aiden Marsh and Jack Aitchison to be boosted as a result of Norwood's expertise. James could also teach Devante Cole a thing or two.
Norwood's impact won't end with the striker and will have an impact on the overall squad. He knows League One and can pass on his expertise and use his leadership to help Barnsley form a strong promotion charge.
A signing like Norwood is one Barnsley's fans have been crying out for for years. This signing shows the new board are scouting with intelligence. The signing of Norwood is a symbol of Barnsley changing ways.
All that's been mentioned so far is the off-the-field impact Norwood will have but his individual impact on-field can't be underestimated. He brings a natural goal-scoring touch and has proven himself at this level. His goals should help Barnsley fashion an exciting promotion chase.
Norwood's career so far:
451 games 168 goals
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