Iwan Roberts on Man City loanee, Sara - and a short story

He’s good on the ball, has a lovely left foot and likes getting forward. I don't really know if he is a natural left back in a four. If you're playing five at the back, I think he'd be great on the left-hand side of three centre halves because he's a big specimen, he's a big, strong boy, has a great physique about him. He's comfortable, and he's brave.

He’s not the quickest, I think that's fair to say, but you can tell he's been brought up at a top club in Manchester City, and the way they play - they want their centre halves to come out with the ball.

I saw him play on the left of a three for Coventry and at left back for Leicester and that probably suited him better because the way Leicester played, it was basically a three because they had Ricardo Pereira going into midfield, the inverted midfielder, and he would just tuck in with Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes.

I think he's a better centre-half than he is a left back.

Callum Doyle - the man with the 'wand of a left foot' (Image: PA Images)

One thing he has got as well is really good delivery. He has a wand of a left foot, as they say.

He will put quality into forward areas, he'll put quality into Josh Sargent - it won't be one of those balls where he's got to battle with the centre half, he'll pick him out, he'll bend balls into whoever's playing down the left and he’s got the power in his left foot to quickly switch play from left to right, which catches the opposition out.

If Doyle does play left back he will have licence to get himself forward, because your full backs have to now, and when he gets into that final third, he will put good balls into that box and as a centre forward Sargent will be loving those crosses. That’s what's he thrives on, he's strong in the air, he's good in the, but he needs good service.

That's probably one criticism - I don't think they crossed enough balls into the back post area, for the likes of Josh Sargent last season when he was in the team.

If I am a centre forward and I see him pushing up, I'm already peeling off that centre half and getting to the back post because I know that he can ping it like he has a little five-iron to pick me out on the back post.

I think he's a really good signing – young lad, good age, but I think the biggest thing for me is you can tell he's trained and played with quality players.

And I think numerous clubs in the Championship, who are going to be fighting for those top six places, will have been knocking on Man City's door wanting his signature, so Norwich have done really well to get him. Credit to Ben Knapper and the head coach who between them must have sold the club, and the whole philosophy of how they want the team to play.

Man City wouldn't send him to just anywhere – they would see Norwich as a good footballing team, a good footballing club, with good support, sold out most weeks and know that he can thrive here.

Doyle joins Jose Cordoba and Ben Chrisene as the first three summer signings - all defenders, which perhaps proves what the big weakness was last season.

Only Rotherham, who finished bottom of the Championship last season, conceded more goals away from home than Norwich. To have any chance this season, that's got to improve.

I think there's goals in the team, I think there's goals from different areas if the new man's got the squad that he's got right now, maybe with one or two other new faces coming in. But if he can keep what he's got now I don't see why they can't emulate what they did last season.

Why Gala?

Gabriel Sara (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Gabriel Sara is a massive loss to City after his move to Galatasaray.

He could have played Premier League -I'm not privy to inside information, but I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a few Premier League clubs knocking on the door, especially for the price that he that he has gone for.

Don't get me wrong, Galatasaray is a massive club, Champions League, fanatical support and they'll be competing for the Turkish title and honours domestically, so you know he's going to win things.

I just think he should be playing Premier League football and it's a shame that, had Norwich got promoted he could have done that. He seemed a good, happy, just got on with his job. Did his training, played his games, scored his goals, and seemed a good member of the squad. I don’t think he was one of those who kicked up a fuss, or was a troublemaker.

You get the feeling that Norwich, like a lot of other clubs, had to sell one of their best players just to keep the financial side of the football club ticking along.

I think Norwich fans would accept the club selling one of its top assets and if it's just one, then I think they'll say, ‘it is what it is’. As long as it's just one of your main stars going out the exit door.

Norwich must keep Jonathan Rowe (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

I don't think they would accept Jonny Rowe or Josh Sargent being sold.

If you're going to be competitive, in that race to go up, if they start selling players they will be found. And that's when supporters will vent their frustration and their disappointment and their anger when they're having to pay support their team home and away. You have to give yourself a chance.

You need Jonathan Rowe to start the flying – most importantly you need him here on September 1.

Leeds sold Archie Gray to Spurs for £40m – and he’s a lad who still has a lot to prove – and then to put in a £7million bid for Jonathan Rowe – that’s derogatory.

Adam Idah is a different story, his head's been turned by his loan spell at Celtic, and I can't blame him. It is a massive football club, in Brendan Rodgers they have a top manager. I don’t think Adam Idah wants to play for Norwich next season, it's that simple.

I don't think you can keep an unhappy player in the dressing room. By all accounts, he's a really nice down-to-earth lad, but I think it'd be better for both parties if he left.

Long and the short of it...

Iwan Roberts does well to get a shot in after squeezing into a pair of Oxford shorts! (Image: Newsquest Library)

Norwich open the season this weekend at Oxford - I scored the last time they played there in a 4-2 win at their old Manor Ground … but it was an afternoon when we ‘came up short’ if you like.

We had our all blue kit that day, in April, 1999, what with Oxford playing in yellow as well. But when we were warming up the referee clocked that both sets of teams had the same colour shorts.

Of course, that can't happen, so we had to borrow their away shorts, which were yellow. Their chap brought the shorts into our dressing and left them in a big pile It was just a mad scramble – and the dressing room was really small as well.

You had big units like Malky and myself trying to get the double XL shorts - I think I ended up with mediums – I had cut a slit up the inside leg to get some movement. Paul McVeigh, meanwhile, has had to roll the waistband of his so they’d stay up!