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.
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
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.
Goal and assist v the Slovak keeper I think?
Should have had a second assist really.
Last edited by tricky_colour; 25/11/2019 at 10:03 PM.
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.
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.
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