Robbie Brady: Bargain of the Season?

When it gradually became clear over the summer months that Alex Neil had outlined Hull winger Robbie Brady as his number one transfer target many Norwich City fans were somewhat underwhelmed. This general feeling was not least down to Hull’s obvious reluctance to sell; a figure of £7m was touted as the price it would take to prize him away. For many, this was overpriced and there was better value elsewhere. This was not the case for Alex Neil, however, as the club duly met the significant asking price and on 29th July Brady was made a Canary.

Upon his signing, Neil told the club website that the Republic of Ireland international would “be an absolutely perfect fit for us”. As if often the case with Alex Neil, he was spot on.

After just 12 games Brady has quickly emerged as a shoe in for the Barry Butler Player of the Season trophy, in doing so perfectly demonstrating why Neil was quite so desperate for his signature. Whether it be covering, and soon outperforming, the injured Martin Olsson or playing in his more natural left-wing berth, Brady has illustrated quality in abundance. His outstanding energy levels proved enough to win over the City faithful alone, but it has been more his ability with the ball at his feet that has seen Brady transform into one of City’s best players.

Whether it be as a result of a cross following a pursuit down the wing, a wicked set piece delivery, or even just an enterprising forward pass, goal-mouth action is never too far away when the ball is at Brady’s feet. His developing left-sided partnerships with both Matt Jarvis and Martin Olsson, whether he be playing full-back or more advanced, have been instrumental to our success.

It is strongly arguable that Brady’s best performances for Norwich to-date have actually, to the surprise of many, come when positioned in full-back, by all accounts his less natural position. Quickly developing a reputation for his last-ditch, goal-saving sliding tackles Brady has demonstrated a level of positional sense and defensive understanding unbefitting of a player who has played the vast majority of his career in midfield. If you add this to his eagerness to undertake marauding overlapping runs, usually capped by an inch-perfect final delivery Brady boasts all the credentials of a top Premier League full-back.

To save me saying anymore, as a part of the same Alex Neil interview that I touched upon earlier, his description of Brady was that, “He’s dynamic, he’s got good energy to get up and down the pitch, and he’s got a fantastic left foot which makes him a real danger at set-pieces.” And he couldn’t have been more right.

Should he continue to perform at anywhere near the same level for the rest of the season, what was once considered as an overpriced transfer will suddenly appear a profitable bargain, as City will be forced to try and stave off the interests of bigger and better clubs.

Either way, whether be it in the form of a substantial profit, or instead having the services of a hugely talented player for the next couple of seasons, Norwich are left in a hugely strong position and there is no doubt that supporters will be thankful that Alex Neil was more persistent than some of them would have been in the chase for Brady’s signature.