Are you Maria Bailey coz ya sound full of the Baileys !Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathalsmart
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Are you Maria Bailey coz ya sound full of the Baileys !Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathalsmart
Atleast I don’t make false accusations... just because I can’t find one in the comment of the person I want to accuse...Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
There's that wonderful attitude again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathalsmart
Now, Conor Hourihane is a great player isn't he? Good to see him in Premiership next year.
John McGinn too. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
He plays for that flop nation right?Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
From what I saw, he was playing a lot deeper, almost in the Whelan role. Worth thinking about as an option there as Whelan wont be around for ever, and we may want to accommodate Connell or Crowley.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
Yes he was and played well there too. Dean Smith was asked if it was a difficult choice between the two afterwards. He complimented both players but said Hourihane's influence in turning the semi final in Villa's direction swung it for him.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
I was watching the other playoff final and Josh Cullen seemed to be doing a good deep/central role too. Nothing flash, but keeping the ball moving always. I’d say he might look better suited to that position than Hourihane. Hourihane looked lost when played deep by O’Neill and I think he has something more positive to offer in the opponent’s half.
Hourihane definitely played deeper yesterday and did nothing wrong but he was less obviously impressive than in the semi-final and at other times this season when he played higher up the pitch. A UK paper (The Times?) did a tactical analysis of Smith’s management at the weekend and they showed a picture of 6 players ahead of the ball as an example of their commitment to positive football. I’d say Smith thought being more conservative yesterday was a better approach.
Thought of Hourihane as an average to slightly above avearage player. But I have to say he played wonderfully well for Villa at Wembley yesterday. He broke up more than a couple of Derby attacks and distributed the ball brilliantly. Top marks to him.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Surprised that Hourihane's own thread hasn't been commented on since May. Seems to be really enjoying the Carabao Cup, scoring his third in two games tonight: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49736853
Hes a nice player but like so many Irish midfielders before him he seems to hide too often rather than demanding the ball. Doesnt generate much excitement so that probably why this thread is a bit quietQuote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr
Connolly was obviously the big news today and rightly so, but Hourihane is hitting some form at the right time for us, a goal, an assist and won a penalty against Norwich today in a 5-1 win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heQQxIee_W4
Goal and assist v the Slovak keeper I think?
Should have had a second assist really.
He was really good last night. Set piece deliveries were excellent but he was good in open play too. Villa’s second was from a ball that was whipped straight across the 6 yard box (the corridor of uncertainty as Crafty likes to call it) and it was attached by a Villa player. Very similar to a ball against Denmark that nobody from either team got a touch to. Villa were nicely balanced. Grealish involved in everything. If he could shoot he’d have had 3 on the night. He was a big loss to us, bigger than Rice by a long way I’d say (© SkStu).
Let's start a Bring Back Jack campaign! Lobby FIFA for an amendment to the one-switch rule, so that those who make a dumb switch, just because the media and international manager of the team they go to get all dizzy about a few impressive performances, but then spend years without making their senior debut, can return to the international set-up they played underage for.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Could be set for a run in the Villa first team with McGinn out with a broken ankle for three months
Excellent finish for his third league goal of the season and seventh overall - great time for him to be settling in at Premier League level - let's hope he can carry his form into the play-off games in March
Starts again today, can be a real game changer with another excellent goal mid week, an essential player to have in the squad
Another Hourihane delivery leading to the winning goal for Villa tonight. Three vital assists in three from him as their unlikely Lazarus act gathers seven points from the last nine.
Lovely delivery and deserved an assist but the Premier League's site has credited Tyrone Mings with it. Still, he's on five assists for the season, just one behind Grealish, and has those three league goals, just four behind top scorer Grealish. Let's hope Villa can stay up because, overall, that's a reasonable first season for a player who spent nine seasons climbing the ladder all the way from League Two and I'd love to see him get a second season there. If he can up his game a couple of notches at international level, as he keeps managing to do at club level, he'll be a handy asset for the next couple of campaigns.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
To be fair to him the eight contributions (5 assists, 3 goals) makes him the best performing Irish player in that respect in the Premier League this season. Impressive considering where Villa are in the table. For me he's still a starter for Ireland because, unless Brady finds form again, we need him in the team for his set piece delivery.
I wish he could get a foothold in games and contribute more. He was actually good in the home Georgia match, his set piece goal aside. I do think that he suffers a little at Villa for being left footed and Grealish being on his left. He is effectively bypassed a lot there.
He actually sitting in midfield with Luiz .. two of them protecting the back four allowing Grealish, McGinn and Trezeguet to support the striker (Sammatta or Davis) when they can - Villa are hanging in there but they played a poor brand of football!
Scored the second and assisted the third against Fulham. 25 minutes still to go so maybe he can grab another.
I feel the same way. He flashes in games but he's nothing more than a passenger for Ireland for long periods.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
That's the problem with him. He is stylish and elegant, but sometimes just utterly ineffective in real play. If all we saw was the best of him he'd be a superstar.
He offers something none of our other central midfielders offer at the moment though, a goal threat. I agree though he's one of those players that can go missing for large parts of the game, particularly when his team is not having the lion's share of possession.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Yes, which is why he's a hard guy to leave out.
Barring injury, I assume it will be McCarthy, Hendrick and Hourihane as the midfield three. Hopefully one or both of Hendrick/Hourihane bring their "one in every three or four" good games out for this one to get us past Slovakia.
The issue with Hourihane and Hendrick both being in the same midfield is that they can both look really good at times but disappear too. It would be one or the other for me I dont think you can play both at same time.
A midfield of Arter, McCarthy and Hourihane would probably be my preference going into these games
I generally have not been an Arter fan but I think he showed in his last appearance that he can impose himself on a game in a way that Hourihane/Hendrick often don't. Hourihane and Hendrick technically better but don't always get stuck in/engaged.
Yeah Id agree with that. I wouldn't be McCarthys biggest fan either but you would feel that McCarthy and Arter would be pretty solid and all Hourihane to be a bit more creativeQuote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
doherty mccarthy arter for me
hendrick and hourihane as reserves
Ok I'll bite..... Doherty is not and has never been a center midfielder but you want him to play there in a knockout game? Should we play Duffy upfront too since he is good in the air?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bielsa´s irish
Doherty played centre mid for the 21s (long time ago I know). Not sure you could stick him in there for a big game like this but he does have the capability to move there I think (same with Coleman).Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
We tried that sort of logic with Cyrus Christie under O'Neill, it didn't work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
wasn't as bad as people said and was just used as another stick to hit MON with. At least MON recognised that we needed a bit of pace in our ctre mid and tried something out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Come on now, it was ridiculous.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Doherty at least is a good footballer, Christie was awful in midfield. He pretty awful anywhere on pitch to be fair.
Just because Lahm was able to play both positions doesn't mean other fullbacks can