Conor Hourihane - thanks and farewell

[GarTomas]

 Not a premier league player.
We could afford to carry him in the championship with the quality of Grealish and McGinn either side of him but in reality I don’t think he’s any more than any average championship player.
His set piece ability is superb though I will say.

[ChicagoLion]

Not a premier league player.
We could afford to carry him in the championship with the quality of Grealish and McGinn either side of him but in reality I don’t think he’s any more than any average championship player.
His set piece ability is superb though I will say.

He is ok to come on when we are dominant and he does not need to defend
I just cannot understand why Smith plays him in situations where it is obvious he will be exposed.

[GarTomas]

Not a premier league player.
We could afford to carry him in the championship with the quality of Grealish and McGinn either side of him but in reality I don’t think he’s any more than any average championship player.
His set piece ability is superb though I will say.

He is ok to come on when we are dominant and he does not need to defend
I just cannot understand why Smith plays him in situations where it is obvious he will be exposed.

I think it will be at least another season (assuming we stay up!) before we’ve invested the squad to a level where we can do this in the top flight.

[danno]

I like him but last year a 35 year old Glenn Whelan was keeping him out of the team. I'm sure he can do a job for us when we're playing sides mid table or lower but against the best teams you hardly notice he's playing.

[supertom]

He was piss but I'd still start him in the next two league games. We need wins, which require goals and there are too few goal threats in our side to leave him out. Particularly as alternatives in the center like Nakamba and Doug are doubly piss. You play Conor, just as we used to with Westwood, knowing he'll be absolutely no use defensively. Against teams we might have at least a passing share of the ball, he's too much of a threat with set pieces and his finishing to leave out. If sign a couple of strikers, by all means, you can then drop him if he's poor. But we haven't, so we can't.

[ChicagoLion]

Fine Supertom, but Smith sets it up where he has to defend and he can’t.
TheN the only solution is to play him in an attacking role which means having a defensive midfield set up behind him.
Then the choice is 2 from Conor Trez AEG.

[supertom]

Fine Supertom, but Smith sets it up where he has to defend and he can’t.
TheN the only solution is to play him in an attacking role which means having a defensive midfield set up behind him.
Then the choice is 2 from Conor Trez AEG.

With 3 CH's, I'd only be playing one of Douglas or Nakamba. We're so light in attack right now, I don't think we've much option but to playing Jack, Trez and AEG up as a three either. None of our midfielders at the moment seem very aggressive defensively either. It's a bit powderpuff.

[brontebilly]

Fine Supertom, but Smith sets it up where he has to defend and he can’t.
TheN the only solution is to play him in an attacking role which means having a defensive midfield set up behind him.
Then the choice is 2 from Conor Trez AEG.

Yeah that's where I'd play him. I thought towards the end of last season he had hardened up physically quite a bit. Playoff final as an example or even that game v Leeds. Nothing more than a passenger without the ball all season though and you can't get away with that in this division as a midfielder. Whether it's lack of self belief, heart, pace or a combination of all three I'm not sure. Unfortunately Luiz is as bad without the goal or set piece threat.

[olaftab]

This man is an enigma. Only useful going forward. He sleeps the rest of the game.

[ChicagoLion]

Fine Supertom, but Smith sets it up where he has to defend and he can’t.
TheN the only solution is to play him in an attacking role which means having a defensive midfield set up behind him.
Then the choice is 2 from Conor Trez AEG.

With 3 CH's, I'd only be playing one of Douglas or Nakamba. We're so light in attack right now, I don't think we've much option but to playing Jack, Trez and AEG up as a three either. None of our midfielders at the moment seem very aggressive defensively either. It's a bit powderpuff.

it would be like the Aliomo.

[Clark W Griswold]

He was piss but I'd still start him in the next two league games. We need wins, which require goals and there are too few goal threats in our side to leave him out. Particularly as alternatives in the center like Nakamba and Doug are doubly piss. You play Conor, just as we used to with Westwood, knowing he'll be absolutely no use defensively. Against teams we might have at least a passing share of the ball, he's too much of a threat with set pieces and his finishing to leave out. If sign a couple of strikers, by all means, you can then drop him if he's poor. But we haven't, so we can't.

Agreed. If we're likely to be on the front foot, he plays. If we're backs against the wall he doesn't. As shit as Trez and AEG are most of the time they do at least offer an outlet in those circumstances. They give the ball away far too much but even then they're slightly more use than Connor who is just invisible in that type of game. His use on set pieces though, that's a different story.

[Toronto Villa]

I don’t always get what people expect of Conor at this level. He’s a solid Championship level player and a decent squad player for a lower level PL club which is precisely what we are. In the right circumstances he will prove valuable which he has done on a few occasions this season. But to think he’s going to stand out against top teams is asking way too much of him. We need much better midfield player than the ones we have so the CH isn’t being relied on in games vs Man City where he disappears. He’s simply not at that level.

[old man villa fan]

The match yesterday showed him up for what he is, a Championship player at best. He has spent his entire career in the lower leagues and he cannot step up to Premier League level. It is not as if he is a young inexperienced player that could develop. The speed of the game finds players out and he cannot cope with the constant movement of the opposition players.

[SoccerHQ]

Will still contribute greatly to at least one six pointer win in the run in.

[Drummond]

He works hard, has a good shot on him and is a useful squad player but wouldn't/shouldn't be in the starting 11 in my view.