Wes Hoolahan (M Cambridge Utd b.1982) [Archive] - Page 2

Qwerty

27/05/2007, 5:40 PM

its a pity that he felt the need to move abroad, as some would say, too early, to too low a standard. considering the attention the eL and its players have had recently from english clubs its a safe bet to say he could've just gone straight to the championship or even premiership a la Bennett/Doyle/O'Donovan/O'Callaghan had he stayed in Ireland.

He actually moved to the SPL with Livingston, when they were relegated he moved to Blackpool. Paul Tierney had made the same move shortly before. There are a fair few decent teams in League One btw. It's nice to see the eL get some respect but some folks here seem to think it plays second fiddle only to La Liga. I read an article on Ciaran Martyn who is on loan to a team in Norway, he says the standard of play there is far higher then the eL.

GavinZac

27/05/2007, 5:42 PM

He actually moved to the SPL with Livingston, when they were relegated he moved to Blackpool. Paul Tierney had made the same move shortly before. There are a fair few decent teams in League One btw. It's nice to see the eL get some respect but some folks here seem to think it plays second fiddle only to La Liga.
If you think a team officially worse than gretna deserve respect then you have a fairly warped view on the eL.

pete

27/05/2007, 5:44 PM

I read an article on Ciaran Martyn who is on loan to a team in Norway, he says the standard of play there is far higher then the eL.

Not surprised to read that but in european games our top teams can give a very tough game. I think he was commenting more on the overall standard of play & facilities which would clearly be much higher.

BTW most people were very surprised with his Livingston move & he is much too good for League One.

Qwerty

27/05/2007, 6:13 PM

If you think a team officially worse than gretna deserve respect then you have a fairly warped view on the eL.

Are you talking about Livingston? If so they' weren't worse than Gretna when he moved there and they were actually very ambitious, and had a decent team but it didn't work out.

Qwerty

27/05/2007, 6:17 PM

Not surprised to read that but in european games our top teams can give a very tough game. I think he was commenting more on the overall standard of play & facilities which would clearly be much higher.

BTW most people were very surprised with his Livingston move & he is much too good for League One.

I know they can, but they can also lose badly. Besides there is a big difference betwen cup football and league football. I remember seeing Cork City give Bayern a tough game back in the early 90's but I don't think they would survive in the Bundesliga then or now :D

The eL is improving and I think it's great, if the kids can be converted and stop thinking England is the beallandendall of football that would be a great thing.

Seagull

27/05/2007, 8:08 PM

some of his passing was just amazing today. if parker was on his wavelength they might have got a few more. definitely good enough to play for a good championship side
He had a fantastic game today, best player on the pitch. Is he likely to stay with Blackpool or where does his future lie?
BTW, commentary for the first goal- 'Robbie Williams! Let me entertain you!' Oh dear...

onenilgameover

27/05/2007, 10:02 PM

always loved to watch him play...happy for him today...

monkey magic

27/05/2007, 10:27 PM

how good was weso today? cant see him being at blackpool for much longer tbh, as was said if he'd been paitent he probable could already be at a championship side, espically given shels collapse

Dodge

28/05/2007, 1:56 AM

I read an article on Ciaran Martyn who is on loan to a team in Norway, he says the standard of play there is far higher then the eL.

As borne out by the UEFA rankings. Not sure anyone here has ever claimed anything different

Doesn't matter to me how good/bad the league is compared to others. Its the ONLY league that metters to me.

Good Luck to Hoolahan.

OwlsFan

28/05/2007, 7:09 AM

Just to match the other Wes Hoolahan thread just started :rolleyes:. Perhaps they can be merged?

eirebhoy

28/05/2007, 12:56 PM

YOU know a player is a bit special when his team-mates can't stop talking about him.

And Wes Hoolahan has been the name on everyone's lips this season.
He's the man all the Seasiders players talk about, mainly because you can give the winger the ball in just about any situation and he's almost guaranteed to retain possession.

But Shaun Barker has gone one step further and has hailed Hoolahan as the best he's ever played with.
"If you go and watch him in training he is just unbelievable," said Barker. "He's without doubt the most talented player I have ever had the pleasure to play with.

"The one thing he does lack is that little bit of pace. If he had that extra bit of pace he could be playing at a much higher level at a much bigger club.

"But his skill, his ability and technique ... everything about him is fantastic.
"He can go as far as he wants to and fingers crossed that he does.
"All the boys want him to stay at Blackpool but that's a big decision that he has got to make."
Contract talks with Hoolahan have stepped up a gear this week.
His agent � his brother � has held discussions with Karl Oyston and the club is expected to make an announcement, one way or the other, next week.
http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/sports-news?articleid=2905787

Peadar

29/05/2007, 3:10 PM

Was at the game on Sunday.
Saw all his off the ball runs, which TV would have missed.
Keigan Parker failed to spot him on a number of occasions, where he was in a great position.
He got forward at every chance, tracked back well and made some very important tackles. The standing ovation would have been noticed on TV, but the comments from the fans around me, show that he's incredibly highly rated, at Blackpool.
I think he should reward the faith of Simon Grayson and spend at least one more season with the Seasiders. Ideally, he'd sign the 3 year deal that he was offered months ago.

eirebhoy

29/05/2007, 3:22 PM

He actually reminded me of Shaun Maloney on Sunday. He'll take a player on if needs be but first priority is to play the pass. Intelligent player.

reder

29/05/2007, 3:43 PM

I watched the game and didnt realise that Hoolahan was an ex-EL player. I was impressed with him, he has good vision and passing. What age is he? He did seem small in stature alright and The Championship is a very physical league and obviously the standard of football is higher than league 1 so he will take time to adjust to that. Given time he could most definitely play for a team in the middle tier of the PL.

I have only attended one EL game this season thus far (Cork City V Shamrock Rovers) but have to be honest and say that Blackpool v Yeovil game was a tad better in terms of football for me. Neither Blackpool or Yeovil would look out of place in the Championship but the EL game I saw was most definitely League One level.

(Before anyone attacks, I can only compare the games I have seen live. I have watched other EL games on tele but I tend only to use games I watch live when comparing leagues. I plan on seeing a few more EL games when I move back to Dublin next month, so I should be able to get a better picture of the standard of football here when I do so.)

Billsthoughts

29/05/2007, 4:18 PM

I have only attended one EL game this season thus far (Cork City V Shamrock Rovers) but have to be honest and say that Blackpool v Yeovil game was a tad better in terms of football for me. Neither Blackpool or Yeovil would look out of place in the Championship but the EL game I saw was most definitely League One level

I only watched one champions league game myself (Chelsea v Liverpool)but have to be honest and say the Blackpool v Yeovil game was a tad better in terms of football for me.Neither Blackpool or Yeovil would look out of place in the Championship but the Champions League game I saw was most definitely League One level.

Peadar

29/05/2007, 4:25 PM

I've been to countless Blackpool games and this is the first season that they've played good football, consitently. What was the consequence? They got promoted! I've seen so many bad games, I'd lost belief that Blackpool would ever get promoted.
Having watched Man U v Chelsea, in the FA Cup Final, I have to say, the game on Sunday was 10 times better.

ifk101

29/05/2007, 4:26 PM

I have only attended one EL game this season thus far (Cork City V Shamrock Rovers) but have to be honest and say that Blackpool v Yeovil game was a tad better in terms of football for me. Neither Blackpool or Yeovil would look out of place in the Championship but the EL game I saw was most definitely League One level.

Two different types of games - one is a league match where one team is content is sit back and hold out for a draw, the second is a cup match where the incentive to win is huge for both teams.

livehead1

29/05/2007, 4:38 PM

Two different types of games - one is a league match where one team is content is sit back and hold out for a draw, the second is a cup match where the incentive to win is huge for both teams.

yeh....but the likelihood is that the standard and quality of the play is going to be of a lower standard in the cup game where the stakes are so high where expectation and pressure is raised beyond belief.

Cymro

29/05/2007, 4:43 PM

I only watched one champions league game myself (Chelsea v Liverpool)but have to be honest and say the Blackpool v Yeovil game was a tad better in terms of football for me.Neither Blackpool or Yeovil would look out of place in the Championship but the Champions League game I saw was most definitely League One level.

Chelsea v Liverpool was a lot better than League One standard. It was also a lot more dull than your average League One game, but the standard was much higher.

The standard of defending was incredibly high as it usually is in those games. That's why they are generally dull and appear, to the untrained eye, a much lower standard. They aren't-both teams are just cancelling each other out.

endabob1

29/05/2007, 5:03 PM

Chelsea v Liverpool was a lot better than League One standard. It was also a lot more dull than your average League One game, but the standard was much higher.

The standard of defending was incredibly high as it usually is in those games. That's why they are generally dull and appear, to the untrained eye, a much lower standard. They aren't-both teams are just cancelling each other out.

I don't agree, I watched a Milan Derby (also a CL semi I think) from a few years back and it was a 0-0 and one of the best games I have ever seen, proper defending by 2 top class teams.
Liverpool & Chelsea just spent 90 minutes hoofing the ball to their respective donkey centre forwards. I don't doubt there are talented players in both sides but that game in particular did nothing to showcase them.

Cymro

29/05/2007, 6:02 PM

I don't agree, I watched a Milan Derby (also a CL semi I think) from a few years back and it was a 0-0 and one of the best games I have ever seen, proper defending by 2 top class teams.
Liverpool & Chelsea just spent 90 minutes hoofing the ball to their respective donkey centre forwards. I don't doubt there are talented players in both sides but that game in particular did nothing to showcase them.

The reason they were hoofing the ball to their respective donkey centre forwards was because their other attacking players were being marked out of the game.

Whereas with Crouch/Drogba it's a bit hard to mark them, since they're beanpoles who can beat everyone else in the air without even jumping. :)

reder

29/05/2007, 8:29 PM

The reason they were hoofing the ball to their respective donkey centre forwards was because their other attacking players were being marked out of the game.

Whereas with Crouch/Drogba it's a bit hard to mark them, since they're beanpoles who can beat everyone else in the air without even jumping. :)

As I said before, I only pass comments on games at which I was present when wanting to compare the levels of football. Luckily, I was at the 2nd CL semi at Anfield and have attended every liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield for many years, so I am in a position to pass comment.

Thankfully, Cymro has hit the nail on the head 100%. Putting aside the level of tension involved in a fixture like a CL semi 2nd leg completely, a game of that magnitude between Chelsea and Liverpool is exactly like a game of chess.

There was absolutely no option to pass through midfield for the duration of that game. Both sides are top class defensively, so both managers had no other option but to direct their players to by-pass midfield and target their respective beanpole centre forwards.

GavinZac

29/05/2007, 9:39 PM

There was absolutely no option to pass through midfield for the duration of that game. Both sides are top class defensively, so both managers had no other option but to direct their players to by-pass midfield and target their respective beanpole centre forwards.i think i've heard that one after a UCD-Longford game too.

DmanDmythDledge

29/05/2007, 10:56 PM

i think i've heard that one after a UCD-Longford game too.
Yeah that was a 0-0 borefest earlier in the season.:rolleyes:

Billsthoughts

29/05/2007, 11:35 PM

As I said before, I only pass comments on games at which I was present when wanting to compare the levels of football. Luckily, I was at the 2nd CL semi at Anfield and have attended every liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield for many years, so I am in a position to pass comment.

Thankfully, Cymro has hit the nail on the head 100%. Putting aside the level of tension involved in a fixture like a CL semi 2nd leg completely, a game of that magnitude between Chelsea and Liverpool is exactly like a game of chess.

There was absolutely no option to pass through midfield for the duration of that game. Both sides are top class defensively, so both managers had no other option but to direct their players to by-pass midfield and target their respective beanpole centre forwards.

This is were you lose me...both sides were in such tactical straitjackets that when plan a didnt work they had no plan b. neither coach having any faith in the ability of any of their players as individuals. as well as that some of the passing,crossing, attempts to beat players and attempts at goal were downright rubbish. the basic football ability on show was poor.I would say if any two sides would put me off watching football for life its chelsea and liverpool. I was just making a point about the double standards. watch a bad eircom league game and its cause the league is rubbish watch a bad premiership game(bout 80% of them btw) and it was just a bad game or laughably as above a great tactical battle.

Cymro

30/05/2007, 12:01 AM

This is were you lose me...both sides were in such tactical straitjackets that when plan a didnt work they had no plan b. neither coach having any faith in the ability of any of their players as individuals. as well as that some of the passing,crossing, attempts to beat players and attempts at goal were downright rubbish. the basic football ability on show was poor.I would say if any two sides would put me off watching football for life its chelsea and liverpool. I was just making a point about the double standards. watch a bad eircom league game and its cause the league is rubbish watch a bad premiership game(bout 80% of them btw) and it was just a bad game or laughably as above a great tactical battle.

I didn't say the eircom league was crap, and neither did reder. Of course, if you want to view League One as 'crap', maybe you might have interpreted that from reder's post.

Either way I was commenting on the Chelsea v Liverpool match. Have to admit it was poor but only because both teams did such a good job of stifling each other.

So the point I am making is that two teams (team A and team B) can serve up utter tedium one week while two other teams (team C and team D) can play free-flowing attacking stuff, yet put team A against team C and team B against team D and the previous games could well have no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of those later games.

GavinZac

30/05/2007, 12:03 AM

you're on to something there cymro! :p

although even with that knowledge you'd easily replace stan.

Cymro

30/05/2007, 12:12 AM

you're on to something there cymro! :p

although even with that knowledge you'd easily replace stan.

My managerial knowledge goes even further than that, believe it or not. :eek:

Few can match my brilliant records on Football Manager 2006. (ok I gave my team a �200m transfer budget but seriously why have an editor if you're not going to have some fun with it!) :D

Row Z

30/05/2007, 7:59 AM

back onto wes... played against on a number of occasions when he was a 15,16,17 year old when he was still playing schoolboy football for Belvedere.
Without doubt the best player ive ever played against.he was man marked in every game we played against and got kicked up and down the pitch and still got up and tried to nut meg the defenders!great low centre of gravity,suprising strenght and a dream of a dribbler.
apparently wouldnt go to England as a kid bcoz he didnt want to leave dublin so young.went to $helbourne and i think he always knew if he was good enough he'd get a move to the UK.
if he wasnt involved in the play offs would he have went to the States??
Id say so...

Manc Irish Wolf

30/05/2007, 9:03 AM

Watched him in the semis and finals and agree that he looks the business. Similar to the rise of Hunt, I can't see no reason why he couldn't cut it in the Premier. Know what you mean about his tricks and low centre of gravity - cuts inside and plays good balls down the channels as well. Read reports about lack of pace and size, but neither seemed to hamper Beckham or Maradona (obviously not creating a direct comparison). Could be a good option for us on the left with duff & reid being so injury prone. Read that McCarthy is after him - hope to God we get him - would love to see him on the left for us. Sack being loyal to Blackpool - if he's made the move to the UK, he should go for it - unless of course a top flight club comes in for him.

OwlsFan

30/05/2007, 9:19 AM

Andy Reid was a class act in the lower divisions. He was head and shoulders above everyone else but he found (not helped by injuries) the step up to the Premiership difficult. Thus, while hoping Wes has the ability, I wouldn't be too confident as yet.

Manc Irish Wolf

30/05/2007, 9:37 AM

Know what you're saying - but think it was more the step up in commitment than ability which was the problem with Reid. With his vision there is no reason why he shouldn't be playing at the top level (especially if Pennant is) - just fear that he is his own worst enemy.

paul_oshea

30/05/2007, 9:37 AM

reid looked really good for charlton until he got injured this season owlsfan. les reed was playing the team around him and said as much.

cavan_fan

30/05/2007, 10:42 AM

reid looked really good for charlton until he got injured this season owlsfan. les reed was playing the team around him and said as much.

Agree but he was the only manager more inept than Stan!

ifk101

30/05/2007, 10:44 AM

Hoolahan was included in a senior Irish squad before - Don Givens' match in charge against the Greeks a few years back. I remember Givens saying that Hoolahan was one of the most technically-gifted players he had ever come across but I suppose comments like that fall on deaf ears when you're plying your trade in the LOI.

pete

30/05/2007, 12:23 PM

Peadar

30/05/2007, 12:48 PM

Fair enough point. Rover - City game was terrible match & not just because we lost.

He's talking about the 0-0 draw, at the cross.

Raheny Red

31/05/2007, 2:55 PM

This was just posted on our forum by a Blackpool fan

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news-video?articleid=2918286

:eek::o

GavinZac

31/05/2007, 3:52 PM

This was just posted on our forum by a Blackpool fan

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news-video?articleid=2918286

:eek::o
oh dear.

paul_oshea

31/05/2007, 3:58 PM

is he a bit of a fairy? i wonder how many people knew he possessed these skills....

OwlsFan

02/06/2007, 7:12 AM

Why did Livinston let him go on loan?

Soper

02/06/2007, 11:05 AM

They were relegated, and whatever about what standard the Eircom League is at, he would have been far too good in the Scots first division

bitored

02/06/2007, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by Raheny Red
This was just posted on our forum by a Blackpool fan

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ne...icleid=2918286

That's classic stuff... I can see a new goal celebration next season :D

DmanDmythDledge

06/06/2007, 1:45 PM

From eleven-a-side.com (http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrossthewater/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=27989):

Livingston veto Hoolahan Blackpool deal

Scottish side Livingston have vetoed the proposed move of former Ireland under-21 international Wes Hoolahan to Blackpool because the Seasiders failed to comply with the terms of the loan agreement during the season.

Hoolahan, who helped �Pool to promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship, agreed a two-year deal at Bloomfield Road at the weekend after the club triggered a purchase clause in the loan agreement.

However, Livi are adamant that the agreement is void after the English outfit missed several deadlines for payments during the season.

A Livingston statement read: "Livingston notified Blackpool at the end of the season that as the club had repeatedly breached the terms of the loan agreement, namely in the payment of sums due to Livingston, that an option to sign the player permanently has therefore been lost to them.

"This follows repeated late payments of loan sums due throughout the period of the loan, 9 out of 10 of which were paid late despite our repeated efforts to ensure prompt payment within the original terms of the loan deal.

"We could have recalled the player to Livingston on these grounds during last season, but to do so would have meant he had no right to play for Blackpool or Livingston, because a recall would probably have taken place outside the transfer window. Blackpool were therefore informed about their breach of conditions formally at the end of the season, although their accounts department will have known for many months that their payments were late, in some cases way beyond the terms of the deal.

"Our new manager, Mark Proctor, wishes to consider Wes Hoolahan�s position meanwhile, but it is quite clear that the player remains with Livingston until and unless a settlement is reached. Wes had a successful year with Blackpool, helping them win promotion, but the club have only themselves to blame for the situation that has arisen.

"The situation is now being dealt with by the clubs as well as the Scottish Football Association and the Football Association in England.�