Conor Hourihane

[rodders0223]

1 hour ago, Sam-AVFC said:

Youth aren't always looked upon as not having physicality, individual youth players are. Have you watched any U23s games this season? They are, on the whole, clearly less developed than our first team so I'm not sure why you think it's better to play even 'softer' players! 

I agree but have you watched Conor play? He's got zero physicality.

I still remember him getting absolutely ragged when we lost to West Brom in the promotion season. Amusingly, when he was replaced by Ramsey and got booed off.

[Sam-AVFC]

3 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

I agree but have you watched Conor play? He's got zero physicality.

I still remember him getting absolutely ragged when we lost to West Brom in the promotion season. Amusingly, when he was replaced by Ramsey and got booed off.

Hence why I said on the whole! 

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

I agree but have you watched Conor play? He's got zero physicality.

I still remember him getting absolutely ragged when we lost to West Brom in the promotion season. Amusingly, when he was replaced by Ramsey and got booed off.

You have to respect Physicality, is not a revered attribute in some quarters.

[Tomaszk]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

Absolutely, right.....He has become the scapegoat, for the little luvvies, who dare not criticise their darlings.

He is no worse than some of the rest....or maybe marginally worse.

What an interesting point of view.

Who are the darlings who escape criticism? Plenty got it last night for a poor performance.

Conor is at the level of Elmo, El Ghazi, Hause etc. Players hardly good enough for the PL.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

I don't watch U23's football.....I only watch 1st Team football.......I leave that to the experts who understand Development of young players.

I am not sure Jacob is softer.....

However, I would expect players close to 23 to be developed...hence Christian Purslows response to playing them younger.

Gareth Barry was only c17/18 when he was introduced......If they are going to be good enough, they need games, even Cameo's.....and it needs to be established earlier than we sometimes do.

Get Jacob in the gym, you only have to look at the physical development of Jack, Ronaldo etc, Keinan Davis, as athletic teens with loads of testosterone if they put in the work they get results.

It then amplifies their best attributes imo.

Edited December 1, 2020 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[Villan_of_oz]

Sell him to a championship club and bring Ramsey back from loan. Neither good enough for the PL, but Jacob can and will improve whereas Conor won't. 

I won't disrespect him, he has been a decent player for us, however his time at Villa needs to be over soon for everyone's sake.

Last night was his chance to prove the neysayers wrong, I've always floated in the middle but he clearly isn't up to PL standard.

[Sam-AVFC]

57 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Sell him to a championship club and bring Ramsey back from loan. Neither good enough for the PL, but Jacob can and will improve whereas Conor won't. 

I won't disrespect him, he has been a decent player for us, however his time at Villa needs to be over soon for everyone's sake.

Last night was his chance to prove the neysayers wrong, I've always floated in the middle but he clearly isn't up to PL standard.

Ramsey isn't on loan. 

[barry'sboots]

6 hours ago, TRO said:

Absolutely, right.....He has become the scapegoat, for the little luvvies, who dare not criticise their darlings.

He is no worse than some of the rest....or maybe marginally worse.

We don't normally disagree but I have to here.  CH is miles away from our starting three.  SJM has been poor, by his standards, and inconsistent since he came back after lockdown BUT he is still much better than CH.

Hourihane is an elegant footballer with a lovely left foot but he just doesn't have the energy or dynamism to play/start in the PL. If you are going to play him he probably has to play as the base/pivot with legs all around him or as a "10" as he was when he played off Kienan and scored his hat trick against Norwich.  I don't understand why successive Villa managers have tried to play him as an "8"!

I remember watching a game last season early on when Bournemouth came to Villa Park and realising just how much the PL had moved on in our absence and how much quicker the game was and, unfortunately, it just passes CH by.

[AV82]

Cash in. He's not a Prem footballer.

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, AV82 said:

Cash in. He's not a Prem footballer.

we already signed Matty   

[Tomaszk]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

Apart from Jack, who is on a different planet to the rest......

I think he is weak too but, what exactly have the rest done in the last 4 games we have lost....tell me please?

They've tried to play football. All of them. Even Bertrand who is new to the PL and struggling to adjust.

It's led to us being the better side in the last two games. And led us to some pretty good wins this season.

Do you think we should win every game this season? You know we won't?

Do you think Hourihane is as good as Luiz? You seem to have decided Luiz isn't the man for you which is interesting.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, barry'sboots said:

We don't normally disagree but I have to here.  CH is miles away from our starting three.  SJM has been poor, by his standards, and inconsistent since he came back after lockdown BUT he is still much better than CH.

Hourihane is an elegant footballer with a lovely left foot but he just doesn't have the energy or dynamism to play/start in the PL. If you are going to play him he probably has to play as the base/pivot with legs all around him or as a "10" as he was when he played off Kienan and scored his hat trick against Norwich.  I don't understand why successive Villa managers have tried to play him as an "8"!

I remember watching a game last season early on when Bournemouth came to Villa Park and realising just how much the PL had moved on in our absence and how much quicker the game was and, unfortunately, it just passes CH by.

Barry, I don't disagree......but some of the others get away with it.

What we did in both boxes against West Ham was sloppy.....When it gets tight, like it does in boxes, we lack conviction & composure at times....these recent defeats have highlighted it.

Edited December 2, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

6 hours ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Sell him to a championship club and bring Ramsey back from loan. Neither good enough for the PL, but Jacob can and will improve whereas Conor won't. 

I won't disrespect him, he has been a decent player for us, however his time at Villa needs to be over soon for everyone's sake.

Last night was his chance to prove the neysayers wrong, I've always floated in the middle but he clearly isn't up to PL standard.

you are right.....my point is, he is not the only one responsible for these poor results.

Edited December 2, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

14 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

They've tried to play football. All of them. Even Bertrand who is new to the PL and struggling to adjust.

It's led to us being the better side in the last two games. And led us to some pretty good wins this season.

Do you think we should win every game this season? You know we won't?

Do you think Hourihane is as good as Luiz? You seem to have decided Luiz isn't the man for you which is interesting.

In that role, you are probably right.....I have already said in previous posts that he is not a bad player......but tell me what he did on Monday?, not picking on him, but what exactly did he do?, particularly in the first half.....not much different to what Ashley Westwood used to do, recycle the ball....which is ok, but we need dynamic players to make the difference.....Jack can't do it on his own.

It is clear you have a complete lack of comprehension of what I am saying to come out with that....."Do you think we should win every game"......I am merely picking up on some of the reasons why I think we have gone in to a tail spin of losing......can you give your reasons why we have suddenly gone from WINNING TO LOSING?

I watch the game mate... and I see the basic things that we are failing at, that denies us aspiring to build on that super start.......this isn't a fluttering of form......We have been beaten 4 times in the last 5 games on the back of a massive confidence boosting start.

The contrast in our form has been Stark since the Leeds game, with Arsenal the only respite......and when you analyse the goals we have gifted the opposition, there is cause for concern.

Some teams, will just let you play to your hearts content in the middle of the park, to make the point......they return to business in the danger area.

Graham Taylor used to say the same thing, don't wear yourselves out chasing rainbows, pick them up where it matters and conserve your energy......we all know there are so many ways of playing, and Dean clearly has his, which we all find acceptable on the eye.

But the naivety in defence is killing us......He has to stop it.

when a team like West Ham come out and say they played bad and led for most of the game, something is clearly wrong......despite the mitigating circumstances.

When do we get gifted the goals, that we give away?.....poor Jack has to work like Maradona to get one.

I can't tell anyone how to watch a game.....but we have clear issues IMO.

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by TRO

[Tomaszk]

8 hours ago, TRO said:

In that role, you are probably right.....I have already said in previous posts that he is not a bad player......but tell what he did on Monday, not picking on him, but what exactly did he do, particularly in the first half.....not much different to what Ashley Westwood used to do, recycle the ball....which is ok, but we need dynamic players to make the difference.....Jack can't do it on his own.

It is clear you have a complete lack of comprehension of what I am saying to come out with that....."Do you think we should win every game"......I am merely picking up on some of the reasons why I think we have gone in to a tail spin of losing......can you give your reasons why we have suddenly gone from WINNING TO LOSING?

I watch the game mate... and I see the basic things that we are failing at, that denies us aspiring to build on that super start.......this isn't a fluttering of form......We have been beaten 4 times in the last 5 games on the back of a massive confidence boosting start.

The contrast in our form has been Stark since the Leeds game, with Arsenal the only respite......and when you analyse the goals we have gifted the opposition, there is cause for concern.

Some teams, will just let you play to your hearts content in the middle of the park, to make the point......they return to business in the danger area.

Graham Taylor used to say the same thing, don't wear yourselves out chasing rainbows, pick them up where it matters and conserve your energy......we all know there are so many ways of playing, and Dean clearly has his, which we all find acceptable on the eye.

But the naivety in defence is killing us......He has to stop it.

when a team like West Ham come out and say they played bad and led for most of the game, something is clearly wrong......despite the mitigating circumstances.

When do we get gifted the goals, that we give away?.....poor Jack has to work like Maradona to get one.

I can't tell anyone how to watch a game.....but we have clear issues IMO.

 

Do you know why we have issues? We're a work in progress.

Because this our second season in the PL after years away. This is probably going to be our best season for 10 years.

Smith is doing a great job and if you think someone else would come in click their fingers and have this squad, hideously thin on quality, solid as a rock at the back and scoring loads of goals, you're wrong.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Do you know why we have issues? We're a work in progress.

Because this our second season in the PL after years away. This is probably going to be our best season for 10 years.

Smith is doing a great job and if you think someone else would come in click their fingers and have this squad, hideously thin on quality, solid as a rock at the back and scoring loads of goals, you're wrong.

We will be work in progress forever.......every team, is work in progress, that is the dynamics of football....some are just more advanced with a successful WIP than we are......Leeds have only just come up, but look at their performance against us....they are WIP too.

I think the main thrux of my comments have been why have we dipped to such a stark contrast in form in such a short space of time......and you have done nothing to give your explanation for it.....just quoting nebulous things like how lucky we are to be Villa Fans.....yeah we all know that.

I might be wrong.....but i am having a right good go, at being right.....Who has questioned Dean Smith?......every time anyone questions our perfomances/results, you respond by creating a Moat around the manager......There is no need, we are discussing the reasons why we are suddenly losing matches, not who should replace him.....you are trying to create a strawman.

[rodders0223]

Stevey Brucey would drop £10m on him.

Come on guys. You know it makes sense.

[barry'sboots]

3 hours ago, rodders0223 said:

Stevey Brucey would drop £10m on him.

Come on guys. You know it makes sense.

Yes please.  Not sure Mr Ashley would be that pleased.  Still probably looks cheap when you consider £40m for Joelinton!!!!

If he takes Elmo with him we could knock a couple of mill off!  That first touch from Jack's through ball on Monday night was the best defending we have seen from Elmo for ages ... if in doubt put it out! 

[barry'sboots]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

We will be work in progress forever.......every team, is work in progress, that is the dynamics of football....some are just more advanced with a successful WIP than we are......Leeds have only just come up, but look at their performance against us....they are WIP too.

I think the main thrux of my comments have been why have we dipped to such a stark contrast in form in such a short space of time......and you have done nothing to give your explanation for it.....just quoting nebulous things like how lucky we are to be Villa Fans.....yeah we all know that.

I might be wrong.....but i am having a right good go, at being right.....Who has questioned Dean Smith?......every time anyone questions our perfomances/results, you respond by creating a Moat around the manager......There is no need, we are discussing the reasons why we are suddenly losing matches, not who should replace him.....you are trying to create a strawman.

Completely agree.  I'm sure Smith, Shakespeare, Terry et all are also looking into it ... well probably not Terry as he will be looking for the Derbyshire equivalent of the Belfry.

I think Smith is too conservative and we have seen that a number of times.  Hourihane adds nothing and I would personally much rather see Ramsey blooded ... the kid can't do any worse and will benefit massively from proper minutes.  This also has the benefit that SJM cam stay at "8" where I personally think he is better, even despite his inconsistencies since the end of Lockdown 1.

I think Smith thinks that if he keeps trying things they will magically change where the more relevant saying to my mind is the definition of madness is to keep trying the same thing and expecting a different result.

Edited December 2, 2020 by barry'sboots

[WooJung]

I don't get all the hate, I thought he played all right, he was quite ivoleved in a very good first half and his set pieces were generally good, especially that ball to Konsa. 

Sure, he wasn't spectacular, but judging by the comments it looks like he cost us the game...