I love Onel

[Dean Coneys boots 1,550]

That is it 

[ron obvious 1,734]

You forgot "& I want to have his babies" (join the queue ☺️)

[lake district canary 4,880]

Yep, well played today, making a difference, just what the team needed.

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,271]

Looks back to his best this season. I thought he'd lost a bit of pace after the last two years but somehow he's regained that explosiveness he had in his early years here. Might help that he's coming off the bench instead of starting and is playing higher up the pitch than he did under Smith and Wagner but it's good to see him doing what he does best. You want him getting on the ball 25-30 yards outside of goal with space to run into which he's getting in this system. Under Wagner and Smith he was often starting from our own half and had too much to do and under Farke often getting the ball too late up against a packed defence, this system suits him really well but I still wouldn't start him next game, he's most effective from the bench and a tired fullback will absolutely dread seeing him come on. 

[Satriales 1,052]

Me too. Marcondes also. 

[TheGunnShow 7,471]

1 minute ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

Looks back to his best this season. I thought he'd lost a bit of pace after the last two years but somehow he's regained that explosiveness he had in his early years here. Might help that he's coming off the bench instead of starting and is playing higher up the pitch than he did under Smith and Wagner but it's good to see him doing what he does best. You want him getting on the ball 25-30 yards outside of goal with space to run into which he's getting in this system. Under Wagner and Smith he was often starting from our own half and had too much to do and under Farke often getting the ball too late up against a packed defence, this system suits him really well but I still wouldn't start him next game, he's most effective from the bench and a tired fullback will absolutely dread seeing him come on. 

Exactly that. You want Onel to pin a tired full-back and even better, get one of their midfielders thinking they need to help out, or a centre-half coming across more.

[MORDENCANARY 85]

Argos is a managers dream off the bench in the last 15-20 mins . He provides an outlet if the team is under pressure especially away from home. Norwich would've won at Cardiff if Onel had been available. 

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,271]

10 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Exactly that. You want Onel to pin a tired full-back and even better, get one of their midfielders thinking they need to help out, or a centre-half coming across more.

Completely nullified Moses threat today when he came on who was getting forward a lot before hand. When Onel came on suddenly Moses was pinned back and we regained control of the game purely because they were worried about him, it's not like Onel started marking him, it was his threat that changed their approach and the pattern of the game. He's such a useful player to have at this level. 

Edited November 30, 2024 by Christoph Stiepermann

[The Great Mass Debater 1,276]

He can by himself another bag after today I think

[TheGunnShow 7,471]

2 minutes ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

Completely nullified Moses threat today when he came on who was getting forward a lot before hand. When Onel came on suddenly Moses was pinned back and we regained control of the game purely because they were worried about him, it's not like Onel started marking him, it was his threat that changed their approach and the pattern of the game. He's such a useful player to have at this level. 

Precisely. Our own express pace against a tiring defender makes them have to reshuffle.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,276]

Only 2 players been with the club longer

[The Great Mass Debater 1,276]

[hogesar 10,968]

Certainly a potential game changer off the bench at this level.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,276]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3552431/2022/08/31/hernandez-norwich-birmingham-tattoo/

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,712]

Thought Duffys run and pass for the third was quality. Not the first time he’s done that either.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 4,746]

2 minutes ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Thought Duffys run and pass for the third was quality. Not the first time he’s done that either.

The disguise on that pass was delicious.

[The Real Buh 3,806]

I love lamp

[BigFish 2,335]

Lovely man.......just not good enough for the first 11 at this level.

[hogesar 10,968]

4 minutes ago, BigFish said:

Lovely man.......just not good enough for the first 11 at this level.

Although he could quite easily start ahead of Forson right now and not weaken us.

[BigFish 2,335]

2 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Although he could quite easily start ahead of Forson right now and not weaken us.

Don't really think that actually stacks up, Forson was better today.

[Capt. Pants 5,161]

Way better than Forson imo. Wide right (Forson) isn't his position, the Luton LB immediately had to break sweat when Onel came on.

[hogesar 10,968]

31 minutes ago, BigFish said:

Don't really think that actually stacks up, Forson was better today.

He was OK today and playing where he is mitigates his weaknesses. And I'm sure he's building confidence.

I'm not saying I'd drop him, just that starting Onel ahead of him wouldn't make us any worse. Forson atm unfortunately gives the ball away and is too easily muscled off the ball, and for a midfielder has a consistently poor record of pass percentages in the 70s. Again, whilst he's building confidence I'd keep him in place.

 

[Canary Jedi 616]

3 hours ago, BigFish said:

Lovely man.......just not good enough for the first 11 at this level.

This has certainly been true in the past. I’m excited to see what the right coaching can do for him. We’ve already seen an uplift in other players such as Duffy and Crnac. 

[canarybubbles 2,212]

10 hours ago, hogesar said:

He was OK today and playing where he is mitigates his weaknesses. And I'm sure he's building confidence.

I'm not saying I'd drop him, just that starting Onel ahead of him wouldn't make us any worse. Forson atm unfortunately gives the ball away and is too easily muscled off the ball, and for a midfielder has a consistently poor record of pass percentages in the 70s. Again, whilst he's building confidence I'd keep him in place.

 

I disagree. I think in whole-game terms it would make us worse because we wouldn't be able to bring him on in the last 20 minutes when the game has begun to open up because players are tired, which is when he offers his greatest threat. The beginning of games tend to be cagey without the space that he needs so he uses up a lot of his energy for little reward.

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,712]

1 hour ago, canarybubbles said:

I disagree. I think in whole-game terms it would make us worse because we wouldn't be able to bring him on in the last 20 minutes when the game has begun to open up because players are tired, which is when he offers his greatest threat. The beginning of games tend to be cagey without the space that he needs so he uses up a lot of his energy for little reward.

My view too.

Hernandez is an impact player. Wether that’s from the bench, or even the first quarter of a match if/when he starts. He’s got 20-30 minutes of effectiveness. His style is just not sustainable across 90 minutes.

[Robert N. LiM 6,459]

3 hours ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Hernandez is an impact player. Wether that’s from the bench, or even the first quarter of a match if/when he starts. He’s got 20-30 minutes of effectiveness. His style is just not sustainable across 90 minutes.

Agreed.

On a wider note, I think football (or maybe football fans) is stuck in the dark ages when it comes to the distinction between starters and subs. You get five subs now, so you have the opportunity to change half your outfield team every game. Given that the game is so much more physically demanding than it used to be, coaches really should use their bench as much as they possibly can. In that light, it seems perfectly reasonable to me to work out which players are better suited to starting, and which to finishing, and, most importantly, that one should not be seen to be superior to the other.

I really thought this about Rowe last season. He was one of our most effective and threatening players, but was rarely able to play at his intensity for 90 minutes. He would have been better off coming off the bench, to use that explosiveness against tired players. So in his case, he was one of our best players and best used as a sub.

To me, Onel is an even more clear-cut case since he's not one of our best players. But he seems obviously to me more of a threat in the last 20 minutes than he is in the first 20. Unless we have an injury crisis, I would never start him: but that doesn't mean I don't think he's a valuable player for us.

I think Ashley Barnes can play a similar role. Hope he rarely starts; think he can do a very valuable job for us in the last third of games.

The challenge for the coach is psychological. Players naturally want to start. But there needs to be a mindset shift where players who regularly come off the bench to affect games late on see their role as just as important as those who start.

[Well b back 3,667]

Hernandez is a brilliant impact player. I can’t really recall a time when he has had the same impact starting.

For all our managers recently there is one thing in common that is at odds with some fans opinions, they all start McClean and they all use Hernandez as an impact sub.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,276]

I remember him coming on against Wolves I think and they'd just had their RB sent off. That flank was wide open and he just ran riot