Timm Klose has lost his way at Norwich City after a promising start. Deputy head of sport MARK ARMSTRONG looks at if there is any way back for the Swiss international
Almost a year on from when Timm Klose signed for Norwich City it's safe to say it hasn't quite panned out how he would have wanted.
Feted as the man to bring a bit of defensive class to a failing Premier League campaign, the £7m signing from Wolfsburg commendably hit the ground running.
His adjustment to the cut and thrust of the top flight was impressive and many saw his injury against Crystal Palace, which ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign, as the final nail in the Canaries' Premier League coffin.
Klose had done enough to show he can compete at the top level and the fear was he would be plucked away just six months after his arrival at Carrow Road.
Alex Neil held discussions in the summer and the manager reported the player was willing to fight on in the Championship as fans rejoiced at the commitment shown by a player, whose use of social media has created something of a cult following among the Norwich fanbase.
However, the Championship and Klose hasn't proved to be an ideal mix so far. The warning signs were there in the East Anglian derby when the big defender was physically dominated by Daryl Murphy, who never gave the 28-year-old a moment's peace.
Neil insisted afterwards that his star defender could cope with the prospect of that kind of physicality week in, week out, but subsequent games have suggested otherwise.
It's perhaps unfair to single out Klose's performance in the 5-0 defeat at Brighton when so many of his team-mates also produced displays in the 'woeful' category.
But it was a big, physical presence again that caused him problems again as Glenn Murray ran riot for the promotion hopefuls. Three more goals conceded in the home defeat to Leeds gave Neil no option but to shake things up at the back and Klose was a casualty.
Enough was enough – Klose was taken out of the firing line and drafted in Ryan Bennett and Sebastien Bassong. Neither instils confidence that they can provide the defensive foundations Norwich so desperately need in the Championship battles ahead. However, the pair helped City keep a clean sheet in the 5-0 win at Brentford and you would expected them to start again this weekend when Norwich head to Barnsley.
Meanwhile, Klose finds himself playing in front of 785 fans in the Checkatrade Trophy in a bid to maintain match fitness. This isn't what a player used to playing in the Champions League signed up for and it certainly isn't why Norwich parted with a club record fee for a defender for him last January.
If City are to mount a promotion assault, they need the Klose that settled so well in his all too brief Premier League outings.
Remember this is a player that prompted widespread panic amongst City supporters when he turned his ankle on international duty for Switzerland in October.
Norwich can't afford to have a player of his stature on the bench. His chance will surely come again before the end of the year and he must take it or fans might not be seeing a lot more of Klose in a City shirt.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here