praisedmambo Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Played some quality balls. I thought that was the most effective I've seen him play—as in I actually noticed him on Saturday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 I definitely think Bruce has harshly treated Hourihane. I could imagine benching Conor would send a bad precedent to the rest of the squad. Doesn't matter how well you play, if Bruce wants his guy, Bruce will play him. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Definitely hard done by under Bruce. Another quality player being hamstrung by the Wobbly one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 7, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 7, 2018 3 hours ago, Czechlad said: I definitely think Bruce has harshly treated Hourihane. I could imagine benching Conor would send a bad precedent to the rest of the squad. Doesn't matter how well you play, if Bruce wants his guy, Bruce will play him. I haven't seen all the games this season but McGinn seems to have been a really good signing and is playing well isn't he? Unfortunately he plays in Hourihane's position. Bruce got some good performances out of Hourihane last season but I'm not going to be upset if he's improved the position. Hourihane will still play plenty this season, and now he has competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 (edited) Limited.....has his good points, in scoring goals......lacks the ability to mix it with opposing players who provide intensity. shadow boxes too much.....drifts in to a passive role during a game as opposed to dominating the play. Edited September 7, 2018 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Stevo985 said: I haven't seen all the games this season but McGinn seems to have been a really good signing and is playing well isn't he? Unfortunately he plays in Hourihane's position. Bruce got some good performances out of Hourihane last season but I'm not going to be upset if he's improved the position. Hourihane will still play plenty this season, and now he has competition. Statistically he hasn't improved the position. Hourihane has a goal and 2 assists despite being a sub. McGinn also hasn't been very good the last couple matches. He started strong, but the last match he was really quite poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 7, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 7, 2018 14 minutes ago, Czechlad said: Statistically he hasn't improved the position. Hourihane has a goal and 2 assists despite being a sub. McGinn also hasn't been very good the last couple matches. He started strong, but the last match he was really quite poor. I don’t really buy that he’s been treated poorly. He played all the time last season. We signed a player in that position who has looked good and he took his starting place. He’s still getting game time. I’m sure if he performs better than McGinn then he’ll get his place back. It’s not like he’s been bombed out of the squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: I don’t really buy that he’s been treated poorly. He played all the time last season. We signed a player in that position who has looked good and he took his starting place. He’s still getting game time. I’m sure if he performs better than McGinn then he’ll get his place back. It’s not like he’s been bombed out of the squad. I just think it's strange that McGinn came in and immediately took Hourihane's spot. It wasn't a spot where I'd say we needed to improve, yet we signed McGinn, and a couple days later he was starting over Hourihane. To me it feels like signing a defender then having that player start over Chester. Extremely strange and unnecessary especially because imo McGinn hasn't been an improvement over Hourihane. Edited September 7, 2018 by Czechlad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 7, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Czechlad said: I just think it's strange that McGinn came in and immediately took Hourihane's spot. It wasn't a spot where I'd say we needed to improve, yet we signed McGinn, and a couple days later he was starting over Hourihane. To me it feels like signing a defender then having that player start over Chester. Extremely strange and unnecessary especially because imo McGinn hasn't been an improvement over Hourihane. I honestly think you're making too much of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 3 hours ago, Stevo985 said: I honestly think you're making too much of it. Possibly. I like Hourihane, and I think he has been unfairly dropped. Hourihane wasn’t even given a chance to fight for his spot. He was immediately dropped with I think is unfair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 5 hours ago, Czechlad said: I just think it's strange that McGinn came in and immediately took Hourihane's spot. It wasn't a spot where I'd say we needed to improve, yet we signed McGinn, and a couple days later he was starting over Hourihane. To me it feels like signing a defender then having that player start over Chester. Extremely strange and unnecessary especially because imo McGinn hasn't been an improvement over Hourihane. But you can’t find a McGin gem everytime you’d like. We’re not playing a proper football, its helping no one at the moment. McGin also helped us in our last win against Wigan and even his goal against Ipswich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted September 8, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2018 (edited) I do feel like we are quietly better off with Connor in the team. For me the only match which could be close to being described as “convincing” was the Hull game, it was also the only league match he’s played the full 90 minutes, with Connor getting an assist. Since then, it’s been cameos, in the league anyway. He got the assist for the winner against Wigan, scored the goal to save our blushes against Yeovil. I also thought we looked like having a bit more drive going forward when he came on for Jack against Reading. Thinking about it, perhaps rather basically, we’ve won three times this season and he’s played an important part in each one. I’d like to see us try McGinn alongside Hourihane with Grealish being allowed to push further forwards. This would also help make sure Kodjia/Abraham are not isolated. It would likely mean us having to not play with a holding player in front of the back four, but then having such a player hasn’t exactly helped our goals against column so far this season. Edited September 8, 2018 by Shropshire Lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted September 8, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2018 In a parallel universe Hourihane and Hogan would have been regulars (as they were in the spell of good football after xmas) and be fundamental parts of the side, along with Grealish. Hourihane is a big asset at this level if you ask me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer24 Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Drop the ridiculous need for a holding midfielder/5th defender at this level, and both Hourihane and McGinn fit in the same team with ease. Both are willing to track back and defend when needed, both are capable of bursting forward. But playing Whelen in front of an already slow defence isn't helping us at all. Elmo Chester Tuanzebe Hutton Bolasie McGinn Hourihane Kodjia Grealish Abrahams 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picicata Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 (edited) 8 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said: Drop the ridiculous need for a holding midfielder/5th defender at this level, and both Hourihane and McGinn fit in the same team with ease. Both are willing to track back and defend when needed, both are capable of bursting forward. But playing Whelen in front of an already slow defence isn't helping us at all. Elmo Chester Tuanzebe Hutton Bolasie McGinn Hourihane Kodjia Grealish Abrahams Your problem there is that you have too many players in their correct positions, it'll never work. Edited September 8, 2018 by picicata 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted September 8, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2018 7 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said: Drop the ridiculous need for a holding midfielder/5th defender at this level, and both Hourihane and McGinn fit in the same team with ease. Both are willing to track back and defend when needed, both are capable of bursting forward. But playing Whelen in front of an already slow defence isn't helping us at all. Elmo Chester Tuanzebe Hutton Bolasie McGinn Hourihane Kodjia Grealish Abrahams like this, not normally a fan of two flat banks of four, but this would turn into an attacking 4-2-3-1 really, with the 3 getting help from one of hourihane and mcginn... for round pegs in round holes all the way, Hutton at RB and Taylor at LB, Green or (an in form) Albert down the left and it's got nice balance all the way. Playing with no keeper is a risk though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilS Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 There is no denying Hourihane has been a decent player for us in the last twelve months, weighing in with goals and assists. McGinn from his brief time here looks a useful player as well, it is hard to say which one is better though as McGinn has not been here long enough for comparison. Hourihane has goals and assists on his record, who is to say McGinn won’t add goals to his assists in the coming months? I don’t think Conor has been treated badly, he had good games and bad games. The nature of football is that there is always someone competing with you, or looking to take your place in the team. All Bruce has done is add competition to that midfield spot. Now it is up to the two of them to prove which one is better for us. That can hopefully be good for the team, as they hopefully improve their games, with the added benefit that they can also rotate to keep fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weedman Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 11 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said: Drop the ridiculous need for a holding midfielder/5th defender at this level, and both Hourihane and McGinn fit in the same team with ease. Both are willing to track back and defend when needed, both are capable of bursting forward. But playing Whelen in front of an already slow defence isn't helping us at all. Elmo Chester Tuanzebe Hutton Bolasie McGinn Hourihane Kodjia Grealish Abrahams And what happens with that team when the opposition play the ball forward in the air? I don't see a single player in that team capable of consistently winning ariel duels (Chester would be the best, but he's not exactly amazing at heading) and at least 50% (most likely more, I haven't looked at the numbers) play considerably more long balls than we do, that teams getting bullied out of the game imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted September 8, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2018 7 hours ago, Czechlad said: Possibly. I like Hourihane, and I think he has been unfairly dropped. Hourihane wasn’t even given a chance to fight for his spot. He was immediately dropped with I think is unfair. He is being given a chance to fight for his spot - that's exactly the situation he's in now. Yes he was dropped to accommodate McGinn, but I think the latter's performances have justified that and it's not as though Hourihane has been told he's unwanted. It's good that we have depth in central midfield and there aren't any signs that players are unhappy to the extent that it's affecting squad morale or pushing people out the door. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer24 Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 2 minutes ago, weedman said: And what happens with that team when the opposition play the ball forward in the air? I don't see a single player in that team capable of consistently winning ariel duels (Chester would be the best, but he's not exactly amazing at heading) and at least 50% (most likely more, I haven't looked at the numbers) play considerably more long balls than we do, that teams getting bullied out of the game imo Does Whelen win that many headers then? Maybe playing to our strengths rather than poorly trying to defend against others strengths is the way to go? But then I'm not Bruce. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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