Norwich City fan Edward Seaman: Johnson a shock, but no need for City meltdown

It just wouldn’t be Norwich City if the road wasn’t rocky once in a while.

Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Southampton was really disappointing but when you take into consideration Steven Whittaker’s first half red card, it’s hard to be too harsh on the rest of the team despite the lackluster performance.

As expected the real drama unfolded late into Monday night and right through until Tuesday’s 6pm transfer deadline.

The only place to start is Bradley Johnson’s shock departure. Johnson was our best player last season and at times almost single handily dragged us up to the Premier League and despite a difficult start to the season, it is sad to see such a talismanic figure leave the club.

But when you take emotion out of the equation, City received a fantastic deal and if Alex Neil was willing to sanction the move, I have total faith in his decision.

The loan departures of Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe and Tony Andreu also make sense, both need football, especially the former who must use this chance to prove his long-term fitness.

The other man to depart on loan was Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Considering the circus surrounding Lewis Grabban over the last fortnight, I was disappointed to see Ricky leave just as he looked as if he was turning a corner.

We’ve replaced the beauty with a beast in Dieumerci Mbokani. I’m excited to see what his pace and power can bring to the side. Matt Jarvis has also signed giving both experience and width, the width that perhaps Johnson lacked.

It’s been upsetting to see the level of negativity towards City’s dealings, both in and out, and although we perhaps could have done more, we can’t dwell on the past.

This club needs the full support of the fans because that spirit is what makes it so great and can really make a difference on the pitch.

We still have a good squad, an even better manager and last season proved just what we can achieve when we’re all pulling in the same direction.