Are we at cross purposes here Jarrold? My comment about Rusty was in relation to CB, not FB as your mention of Whittaker would seem to imply.
Are we any nearer having a new skipper appointed yet ? I'm surprised that CH hasn't come out and named one.
At the moment City have 23 squad places filled plus Redmond who is under 21. That includes Ayala, who presumably would go out on loan again if a new CB comes in. That would allow for both an AM and a striker, so Nick Powell copuld be a good shout Supers. Quagliarella, Lopez or another for the striker?
I don't think nick Powell would be good enough yet. I'd give him a year in the championship before looking at him. Would be a Kane like loan at this time IMO. I think that unless Dempsey had his heart set on the MLS (which nothing implies he did that I've seen) we missed a trick there. Shame.
Don't know if this argument has finished now (I haven't tead ahead) and I certainly don't agree that Lansbury is the better player, but I find almost all your criticisms of Hoolahan to be absolutely bang on. He is without doubt the most overrated player in our squad, and, while he does have good qualities, he has many drawbacks e.g. all the ones you just mentioned.
Agree Hucks. Not sure why Hoolahan is on such a pedestal with many on here. Ridiculously over-rated. Although better than Lansbury lol.
I honestly don't understand it. Maybe it's because he offers something different. Maybe it's because he has been a terrific servant to the club. Either way I find that, while he is still good enough for a squad place, he is greatly frustrating, and not half as productive, or a quarter as incisive, as many believe him to be.
What ya talking about?, Hoolahan is a fantastic player, great movement, passing and provides good service. I think he had a few off days last season but I think now we are bringing new players in and changing tactics we will see less of those.
HFM, bear in mind that for a large amount of last season, he lost possession because he was so isolated that there was no obvious 'outlet' ball for him to play. Holt - and Morison earlier in the season were not particularly mobile or quick off the blocks. Ideally with the extra pace and movement of Hooper and RvW this year, Wes will take less touches (and get robbed / lose possession less frequently) because there will be someone with the pace to make space for themselves and offer him someone in a dangerous, goal-threatening position to pass to.
I agree with what you say but can you not see the negatives as well? The way he turns himself into corners, the amount he gives the ball away, the fact he can't out pace anyone? And yes, of course he can pass the ball but he barely ever produces a defense splitting ball that completely cuts out the opposition; barely ever if at all.
Sure but that is all based on last season, I personally think now that we have GH and RVW in we will see him perform to the best of his ability, I agree 100% with Cromer.
Hoolahan can be incredibly frustrating sometimes, but he is brilliant and pulling in the opposition players and creating space for team mates. He is clearly identified as a danger man by many other teams in this league so he tends to get closely marked, but I think with the likes of RvW and Hooper around him he will have far more options, and with Fer in the team, you'd not be so worried when he does lose the ball.
His performances in the Ireland squad, they showed what he is capable of and I've never said his performance last season was pants. All I did was give reasons for his performance not being 100%.
If the plan is to play both RvW and Hooper, where is Wes to play (and where would Lansbury play if we had him)? Who of Pilkington/Redmond or Snodgrass are they going to replace? The alternative is to play them as the more attacking of the two DMs, in place of e.g Howson (if Fer is playing) or in place of e.g. Fer (if Johnson is playing). On past showing, neither 4:4:2 nor the diamond give us enough solidity defensively.
We could always work on getting Toivonen in and the Lansbury love-child would then have to change the record?
I don't think Wes will be a regular starter this season due to both GH and RVW playing. Fer and Bradders CM with Snoddy and Pilks on the wings.
Sorry, don't agree - not unexpectedly He is so easy to dispossess and mark out of the game, that I don't think he scares anyone. Yes, maybe at Championship and Div 1 level, but Prem? Don't think so. As I said before, he runs around a lot (normally into blind alleys) but actually creates little - can't open up defences, has absolutely zero pace, can't tackle. His one undoubted strength is that he has quick feet, unfortunately, he doesn't have the quick footballing brain (a la Berbatov or even Sheringham / Beardsley in their days) to go with it. I don't see him playing much this year - where would he fit in? Hooper's natural style is to come into midfield to pick-up the ball (on the right hand side, in his Celtic days, invariably from Brown) and run with it. As I said previously, he is not an out and out striker - and I've seen him player dozens and dozens of times - he was played either slightly behind Samaras or alongside Stokes with Commons behind them, but even so, he still used to drop back into midfield (to pick up the ball from Brown) and he used to interchange with Commons. Obviously, subject to formation, I cannot see Hooper playing ahead of van Wolfswinkel - that would make no sense given the former's strengths - more likely is 1) behind RVW 2) Alongside 3) Interchangeable, a bit like RVP and Rooney play 4) We adopt 4-3-2-1. Option four is very unlikely, and of the other three, in all but the second scenario, we don't need a 'link' player but a creative midfield player, someone who can open up defences with his passing, bring Pilkington and Snodgrass into the game further up the pitch then Johnson and Tettey can but who can also score...and tackle. That isn't Hoolahan. If Hooper and RVW play alongside each other, I would much rather Snodgrass or Pilkington played behind them than Hoolahan, with Redmond brought in. But I just can't see Hughton playing three 'strikers' be in in a 1-2 or 2-1. If he did the 1 or one of the 2 (in the 1-2) would be expected to drop back into midfield when defending, Hoolahan would be next to useless doing that. As would E. Bennett, who has also played in that role once or twice. So where is Hoolahan going to play exactly? I believe his contract expires next year, I doubt he will still be at CR the following season.
Lansbury playing with Fer, would be a great combination Pilkington and Snodgrass on the wings, and Hopper and RVW interchanging...!
