Wes Hoolahan (M Cambridge Utd b.1982)

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I think it stems from that too, in fact I've no issue with him otherwise. I felt he lost the run of himself during the Trap era, constantly asking the same questions that Trap had attempted to answer over and over. Just because it wasn't the answer that most of us wanted to hear doesn't mean he should have been harassed about it at every opportunity. Trapattoni was getting paid to do what he thought was best, not what Dunphy and even the fans thought was best. I remember him asking Trap if he would consider his position after the gut wrenching game at home to Austria as well, which I felt was uncalled for in its timing at the very least.

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Why not? Of course it is? Do we want some sort of investigative interviews or just simply banal mundane keep-him-happy questions? I know what we should be looking for, everyone complains about footballers and managers giving the same run of the mill answers. TOD spices that up with his line and tone of questioning.

Part of O'Neills salary, and I don't normally agree with dunphy on anything, is to answer to the media, conduct media duties. It's no one else fault but his if he takes things personally.

If you aren't getting the answers you dont want, but honestly believe in your questions, then keep going. Just ask Andrew Jennings.

Except he doesn't ask interesting questions, he's just the fall guy for the RTÉ panel. He's met his match in Marty though.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

I think that Tony O'Donoghue gets a very bad rap on here. I don't think there is more than once or twice I've ever considered him to have been over the top with his questions.

It all seems to stem from him asking Trap some tough questions (but reasonable questions, I felt - obviously others don't) when we were going through a horrible phase.

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I'd agree with that. Post-match interviews are a complete waste of time if they're just letting the manager say whatever he wants. O'Donoghue does push things a little bit - which is exactly what you want.

I think the main controversial TOD interview was the one with Trap after the Kazakhstan game away, and to be honest, the questions he put to Trap were exactly the ones I was thinking myself. So that's just TOD doing a good job, in my book.

He mayn't be perfect in his interviewing, but he's a lot better than some are saying here. It's similar to the difference between BBC/Sky and RTÉ punditry.

..or the broadsheets and the tabloids.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Except he doesn't ask interesting questions, he's just the fall guy for the RTÉ panel. He's met his match in Marty though.

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In your Very Humble opinion.

Obviously.

it seems to be getting out of hand though.

Fans here have been clamouring for his inclusion for a decade but while its great to have him, there is no future in it, sadly. All the posturing from the media is too late and seems a bit silly and over blown. Sure, he played well, he contributed and its a nicer style but if Martin included him every game and he didnt live up to that hype we/the media would complain about our aging squad.

Almost all blame for Hoolohans short intl career lies with Trap really. Criticism of MON for not starting a 34 year old in every game is nonsense. However, if his body can take it, he is definitely still good enough to start and influence almost all games.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Almost all blame for Hoolohans short intl career lies with Trap really. Criticism of MON for not starting a 34 year old in every game is nonsense. However, if his body can take it, he is definitely still good enough to start and influence almost all games.

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I know - why on earth did Trap not see the potential in a 27-year-old League One player in 2009-2010 and stubbornly persist with picking Premier League players like Damien Duff, Stephen Hunt, Glenn Whelan, Liam Lawrence, Darron Gibson and Keith Andrews along with that hoofer Aiden McGeady? And why didn't he bring him into the squad for the crucial autumn qualifiers on the basis of a few Championship appearances?

OK, more seriously, I know he could have given him more of a chance over Paul Green, Martin Rowlands or Liam Miller, but it's not like they were central to our plans at the time. And yes, during Hoolahan's first Premier League season he could have given him a chance to prove himself in the pre-Euro 2012 friendlies but I guess he was more impressed with James McClean. Look, Trap was obviously a bit conservative in bringing in players (he admitted as much himself when talking about Seamus Coleman) but it's not like Hoolahan would have had 100 caps if Trap had never been our manager - after all, he was playing during the tenures of McCarthy, Kerr and Staunton and they never picked him.

Woah, settle down there! It's just an opinion.

Obviously I was not a fan of Trap and his conservative selection policy was something that drove me crazy but Hoolohan was excelling at that stage of his career and would have been worthy of many more caps than he got under Trap anywhere along the way - he didn't get that. I don't think Trap gave him a fair shot. 27 is not old. Here we are 7 years later and he's still going well.

I never said he'd have 100 caps but he deserved more genuine opportunities from Trap during his tenure. Traps conservative game plans, approach to squad selection and general laziness cost Hoolohan some well deserved caps. That's all.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Póg Mo Goal - Mythbusters: O’Neill Doesn’t Trust Hoolahan


I thought Duff's comments were a bit inaccurate myself and disappointing because they carry more weight than Dunphy's, or at least they generally should.

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I heard Giles on Newstalk last night when driving home and guess what, he said "O'Neill doesn't trust Hoolahan". Now where had I seen that before? Oh, yes Dunphy said it in the article above.

scored what looks like a lovely goal today - https://twitter.com/ReadNorwich/stat...11730649096192
video's not great quality

Slightly better quality. Looking forward to seeing some different angles.

https://mobile.twitter.com/pritchxrd...505536/video/1

Yea, say that today on TV, a wonderful goal,a delight to watch, cool as a cucumber, a little dummy puts the defender and keeper on
their backside and he has the whole of an open goal to pass the ball into.

Reminds me of this Marez v WEst Ham, same trick buts three defenders on their arses.


https://youtu.be/Mp_AF0lV8Dk?t=1m4s

Same Wes goal on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yWEwARTStE

Look at the defender on the right of the goal, he just stopped playing, he could have been in coving the right side of the goal of if he was awake.

Trap didn't play Wes for the same reason he didn't play Andy Reid. It suited Trap to have a row with Reid and banish him. He would never have done the same with Robbie Keane.
Both were seen by Trap as luxury players and not the type of player a country like Ireland could afford to accommodate when they need mullickers to grind out results.
6 defenders and 4 attackers was Trap's approach. And ne'er shall any of those attackers ever be playing in centre midfield.
I remember Wes scoring a great goal V Poland in a friendly and Trap looked absolutely raging.

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Originally Posted by tricky_colour

Same Wes goal on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yWEwARTStE

Look at the defender on the right of the goal, he just stopped playing, he could have been in coving the right side of the goal of if he was awake.

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Bang on. I hadn't noticed that. That has to infuriate a manager seeing a player just give up so easily like that.

did some research on player appearances under O'Neill this weekend, came up with this: https://twitter.com/irish_abroad/sta...24294331322368

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Only @ShaneLong7(31) & James McClean(30) have earned more caps under Martin O'Neill than Wes Hoolahan(28) #trusted

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More to follow

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Woah, settle down there! It's just an opinion.

Obviously I was not a fan of Trap and his conservative selection policy was something that drove me crazy but Hoolohan was excelling at that stage of his career and would have been worthy of many more caps than he got under Trap anywhere along the way - he didn't get that. I don't think Trap gave him a fair shot. 27 is not old. Here we are 7 years later and he's still going well.

I never said he'd have 100 caps but he deserved more genuine opportunities from Trap during his tenure. Traps conservative game plans, approach to squad selection and general laziness cost Hoolohan some well deserved caps. That's all.

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I remember a game (Slovakia away?) where Brady was named in the starting 11 and replaced with Walters before kick off.

Frustrating to begin with and wouldn't happen only for his insistence on naming the team 24 hours before kick off.

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Bang on. I hadn't noticed that. That has to infuriate a manager seeing a player just give up so easily like that.

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It is shocking really considering the level they are palying at.

Now sure who he is, hope he is not one of ours!!