Marseille target Jon Rowe has plenty of making up to do with Norwich City fans, admitted head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup, after the fallout from his Oxford absence.
Rowe will again be missing for Saturday’s Championship game against Blackburn, following his demotion to the Under-21s this week.
The England Under-21 international indicated to Thorup he was not ‘motivated’ to feature for the league kick-off, after an initial offer from the French giants submitted 24 hours before the game.
OM have since followed up with a loan bid, containing an obligation to buy, for a fee still below City’s valuation.
But Thorup indicated at Colney on Thursday Rowe’s City status may change from next week.
“It's been tough for him. I think that's fair to say,” he said. “We knew that, of course, when we took that decision. There's a big fan base, and we really have to respect that. It's a fantastic fan base around this club.
"But of course, when something like this happens then fans will be affected by it. And I think also, to be fair to Jonny, he was too.
“So we support him, and we support him the best possible way. And I spoke with him this morning (Thursday), and I think the plan for him is that he, at some point, will want to especially talk to his team mates, because at end of the day that is what it is all about.
"No matter where you play as a football player, you need to have the support from your team mates, otherwise you have no chance, no matter who you are. I think he will be with us in one of the meetings soon, and then we can sit down and see what the next step is.”
Rowe was a terrace idol before his Oxford antics.
“It can change in a second. And as a player and also as a coach, you have to be aware that it only takes one sentence, and then you can change so many years of history,” said Thorup. “You really have to be aware. That's why you need to support yourself with people that you can trust, whether it's family or friends or whatever it is.
"You need someone that's there to support you, and also makes you reflect about your decisions and stuff like this, because it is important as a football player, and it's important that you think about your behaviour and what you do, because if you lose the support, then at the end of the day, it's a difficult, difficult business to be on your own.”
City’s Under-21s are at home to West Brom in Premier League 2 on Friday night, but Rowe looks unlikely to be under consideration.
“It depends a little bit,” said Thorup. “When we play these games, it's always important for us to look at minutes, look at players, look at potential future players for the first team and how many minutes will they get?
"It's more like a puzzle when it's academy games. It's fair to say we have to plan, and take the right decisions. It's not just for our first team players to go and play for the 21s, because then you take minutes from other guys that are on their way through.”
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