New manager Johannes Hoff Thorup has had an inconsistent start to the new Championship campaign, after bringing in eight new players to Carrow Road in the summer.
Nevertheless, there are solid foundations to build on, with the Canaries having beaten Coventry City already this season, while they also took a point off Sheffield United at home.
The Norwich squad has a lot of quality in it currently but there are questions that surround one player that has struggled to make a large impact in recent years – Onel Hernandez.
The 31-year-old has played just 45 minutes so far in 2024/25, coming across four different matches, a far cry from his first year in yellow and green.
Hernandez’s contract situation must be sorted
The Cuban’s contract is set to expire in the summer, after joining in January 2018. However, his recent involvement has not quite been what he had possibly hoped after returning from a loan at Birmingham City two years ago.
Hernandez played 35 times in all competitions last season, but there has already been a significant drop-off in the minutes that he looks like he will manage to get on the pitch this year.
However, with the majority of Norwich’s team relatively new, there is still a need to have those who know the club in and around the training ground in the coming years as they look to regroup after losing in the play-off semi-finals in 2023/24.
Football League World’s Norwich Fan Pundit, Zeke Downes, believes that Hernandez is still a useful player to have at the club, and when asked whether or not his deal should be renewed, he told FLW: “I personally would be happy to let Hernandez stay even longer because it’s not like he’s on massive wages.
“He loves the club; he’ll always give everything. Yeah, he’s not quite the level that we need, but we also need players that know the club and actually understand the fans, and he really does,” Zeke started.
“It’s not like he’s really old, he’s still got another two to three years in him, I reckon, and he knows that he’s not a starter. He knows that he’s a squad player at best, so I would be happy if we did give him another year or another two years just to help all the new guys fit in.
“Otherwise, it’s a lot of change all at once, and I do think that we need players that have been there and won it before. It’s only him, Hanley and McLean, I think, now who are left, so I would have him around for another year or two.”
| Onel Hernandez Norwich City Stats (TransferMarkt) * | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 190 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 23 |
| *Stats correct as of 17/09/2024 | |
Hernandez’s Carabao Cup performances have proven he is still useful
Although Hernandez’s league minutes have been limited, he played in both of Norwich’s Carabao Cup ties from start to finish.
The Canaries were well beaten in the second round of the competition by Premier League club Crystal Palace, but in the first round they played out an extremely entertaining affair against League One side Stevenage.
Hernandez was fantastic against Boro, scoring twice, as well as picking up the assist for Abu Kamara’s opener.
Even though the opposition was not the most difficult that he will face this season, the game was a good example of his talents that still remain, and a fantastic advert to Throup that the 31-year-old can be of use when called upon – something that could lead to another year at Carrow Road.
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