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Author Topic: Conor Hourihane - thanks and farewell  (Read 299883 times)

Offline paul_e

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1545 on: March 02, 2020, 04:09:30 PM »
That was down to their press more than our midfielders not looking for the ball though, there were plenty of times that Jack and Luiz in particular were moving but couldn't seem to find any space.

Offline john e

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1546 on: March 02, 2020, 04:12:46 PM »
Absolutely agree when we didn’t have the ball, but they were bypassed most of the time when we did (haven’t checked the possession stats but it wasn’t a lot).

Edit:
Possession: 30% < 70%
Passes: 285 < 669

I know I wasn’t imagining it when we kept losing possession or the ball was lumped long from the back towards Samatta time and time again.

sorry mate but right now we are never going to out pass Man City
 going toe to toe on a possession competition there will only be one winner

you have to find other ways of competing and we did
for a lot less possession we caused them some trouble and they were hanging on in the end by the width of a goal post so we must have been doing something right
« Last Edit: March 02, 2020, 04:27:19 PM by john e »

Offline David_Nab

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1547 on: March 02, 2020, 06:41:44 PM »
Pretty much all of our midfield were invisible yesterday when we had the ball as we kept bypassing them by hoofing it long and giving away possession cheaply.

Which is why I think we may be better with 2 strikers ...a flat 3 MF then Jack behind 2 strikers .Be a bit more direct have Davis and Samatta closer to each other to occupy the CB's

Online brontebilly

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1548 on: March 02, 2020, 07:43:17 PM »
I hardly noticed him when he came on to be honest, not really his sort of game when we don't have much possession.

It was his delivery that Engels forced the big save from. Thought he got on the ball a bit in dangerous areas, failing to make the most of those two crosses but at least got into those positions. 

Doubt he won a tackle, mind or involved much in developing play from the back. We know his strengths and weaknesses by now. Still a decent option for us off the bench. Unlike Trez who seems to be getting worse by the game.

Offline john e

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1549 on: March 02, 2020, 08:17:07 PM »
I hardly noticed him when he came on to be honest, not really his sort of game when we don't have much possession.

It was his delivery that Engels forced the big save from. Thought he got on the ball a bit in dangerous areas, failing to make the most of those two crosses but at least got into those positions. 

Doubt he won a tackle, mind or involved much in developing play from the back. We know his strengths and weaknesses by now. Still a decent option for us off the bench. Unlike Trez who seems to be getting worse by the game.

He’d be a great player if we played to those America Football type rules
where you can bring players on and off at will depending on what’s doing

least that’s what I think they do I actually know fuck all about American Football 

Offline ChicagoLion

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1550 on: June 20, 2020, 05:32:38 AM »
Other than taking some decent corners he was anonymous Wednesday.
A useful player off the bench but should not start.

Offline Steve67

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1551 on: June 20, 2020, 06:40:42 AM »
I agree Chicago.  Hourihane was neat and tidy but didn't influence the game one iota.  We really are desperate for someone to disrupt the oppo.  Sadly, the only other options is Nakamba, who goes from average to terrible in one pass.   I wish we'd addressed this in the January window.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1552 on: June 20, 2020, 08:43:48 AM »
I like Hourihane. I think he's technically very good and for some strange reason I'm a sucker for a good left footer - Alan Wright and Stan Staunton were class in my eyes too!

But at this level Hourihane just doesn't do enough. Like others have said, he's helpful as an option off the bench but having players starring who aren't good enough for the league is what got us relegated last time and this time will be no different.

When you think back to some of the central midfielders we've had in the past - even the ones that seemed bang average at the time like Sidwell, McCann, etc would be streets ahead of our current lot.

Offline Luke8

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1553 on: June 20, 2020, 10:54:16 AM »
Connor is like a lot of our players in that he has some decent attributes for this level but also some very clear deficiencies.

For me, the team looks better balanced with him in it. He links well with Jack and does a good job covering the space that he leaves when he drifts inside.

He also looks one of our better bets to get a goal through his finishing or set pieces.

Offline Olof's Beard

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1554 on: June 20, 2020, 11:10:06 AM »
He created 7 chances on Wednesday. Only Jack has done that this season, and then only in one game. Yes, plenty were from set pieces but they are an important part of the game. If Hause and Davis hadn't got their 50p heads on, then he might have had a couple of assists.

It looked like we specifically played to earn corners. We used the channels much better than we were and tried to turn the Sheffield United defence to either create chances directly or earn a set piece. This might explain why Conor got a start and I think he had a decent enough game. We all know he has limitations but I think he did enough to earn another start.

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1555 on: June 20, 2020, 11:57:21 AM »
He created 7 chances on Wednesday. Only Jack has done that this season, and then only in one game. Yes, plenty were from set pieces but they are an important part of the game. If Hause and Davis hadn't got their 50p heads on, then he might have had a couple of assists.

It looked like we specifically played to earn corners. We used the channels much better than we were and tried to turn the Sheffield United defence to either create chances directly or earn a set piece. This might explain why Conor got a start and I think he had a decent enough game. We all know he has limitations but I think he did enough to earn another start.

Yes. This.

Offline hilts_coolerking

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1556 on: June 20, 2020, 12:09:41 PM »
He's decent without being brilliant and he's limited without being shite.  The problem is that at the moment we really don't have anything better.

Offline Olof's Beard

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1557 on: June 20, 2020, 01:24:02 PM »
He created 7 chances on Wednesday. Only Jack has done that this season, and then only in one game. Yes, plenty were from set pieces but they are an important part of the game. If Hause and Davis hadn't got their 50p heads on, then he might have had a couple of assists.

It looked like we specifically played to earn corners. We used the channels much better than we were and tried to turn the Sheffield United defence to either create chances directly or earn a set piece. This might explain why Conor got a start and I think he had a decent enough game. We all know he has limitations but I think he did enough to earn another start.

We didn't play for corners !!!
Corners came in part to  Sheffield Utd good defence and villa unable to get past so they conceded corners.
We were trying to score goals!
Dean Smith tactics mean He has a game plan each macth . What he did target was the space behind baldock and Mings played the ball left channel a lot .
It resulted in several corners .
I believe villa were trying to play in those areas and lesser extent down the right.

The space behind their wing backs is what was the tactical play not let's get corners!

Villa de particularly strong on left side and we like to attack down that side



Yep, as I said, we were looking to create chances directly first and foremost but by getting in behind their wing backs and crossing from much closer to the byline that we have been, corners were a decent consolation prize.

We've spent most of the season crossing from deep while easily allowing the opposition to hit our byline. This drove me mad in games like Southampton at home. It looked like these are both aspects of our play that we have worked on during the break. It's a fair supposition that this change will lead to more corners, and it looked like we'd worked on those too and mixed them up, sharing duties between Hourihane and Grealish, floating some and driving others, hitting both the near post and far post. Conor's presence makes us more dangerous in these areas.

It was obvious to me what we'd been working on during the break, despite some commentators' claims to the contrary.

Offline kippaxvilla2

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1558 on: June 20, 2020, 03:36:04 PM »
At least if we go down we know he’s good enough for the Championship.  And I like his song.

Offline sid1964

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Re: Conor Hourihane - SIGNED
« Reply #1559 on: June 22, 2020, 12:32:54 PM »
Maybe we could just bring him for corners and the odd free kick because for me he does nothing else, he was awful yesterday along with a fair few others.

 


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