I agree Whelan is not a long term solution but he is a stopgap at least while James McCarthy waits to start playing first team football again. I don't think any of Hourihane, Arter or Hendrick have the discipline to play the holding role. Shaun Williams is really the only other ready-made solution to this problem position.
Fair points. But in terms of Whelan's restriction under previous managers, at what point does a player say to himself: "this is not working for me, I need to change what I'm doing in order for the team to get a result." We have all played the game and if plan a or b wasn't working, you tried something else. This idea that Whelan, and it doesn't just apply to him, is too restricted in his role under a certain manager, is valid, but valid only to a certain degree.
But the larger question is - are we all now hanging our hat on Glenn to lead the team to the quarter finals (hopefully) of Euro 2020?
I'd just be happy hanging my hat on Glenn to get us to the Euros. A year is a long time in football.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
It's more about having an anchor in midfield, than Glenn Whelan being that anchor. Think a fit James McCarthy can perform that role. Under Trapattoni and MON, the central midfielders were curtailed to sitting in front of the back four, and contributed little beyond covering space. Against Georgia, Hendrick and Hourihane were allowed to be more adventurous while Whelan brought balance and shape.
But it is good that Whelan is getting praise, and good there is a growing sense of positivity surrounding the team. And happy McCarthy is enthusiastic in approach to using what's available to him rather than lamenting what's not available.
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