Hoolahan

[Simon Lappin, King Of Spain 0]

[quote user="wrathsajoke"]goes missing when needed most-too lightweight? remember last year? cant play 4 4 2 with him in the side and we wont get away with the diamond next season[/quote]

Actually his tracking back has been one of the things i have been most impressed with this season particularly since christmas, added to that he has 11 goals and the 2nd highest number of assists in the league...... yeah that''s just the kind of player we don''t need in the team!!

[Evil Monkey 52]

It astounds me that people are assuming the diamond ''won''t work'' in a higher league, and even more so that people would consider ditching one of our better players just because of their concerns over the formation.For my money, Hoolahan needs to stay where he is - no matter what league - but what we need to improve are the other 3 points of the diamond (maybe 2 depending on how Korey does)... Lappin and Rusty have been good servants this year but I fear they''ve found their level.  For the diamond to work we need strong players in these positions so personally I''d be looking to improve in these areas instead of ditching Hoolahan for the sake of it...

[can u sit down please 0]

Some people are absolutely clueless.

When he got injured last year was the day we got relegated. In the games following, we created very little.

We missed him like a sore thumb on Monday, nobody was able to make "that" ass that we have seen produce goals....Wycombe away and Huddersfield & millwall at home being the best 3 passes I have seen all season.

Yes he is small, but you rarely see him get barged off of the ball.

The guy is by a country mile, the best player in this division who HAS done it at the level above with Blackpool and will do it with us again.

In Lambert I trust.

[big dick sanchez 0]

[quote user="wrathsajoke"]he wont be missed[/quote]

Hi Selwyn

[Jack Barak 46]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]

[quote user="wrathsajoke"]goes missing when needed most-too lightweight? remember last year? cant play 4 4 2 with him in the side and we wont get away with the diamond next season[/quote]

Why won''t we "get away with" playing the diamond next season? Chelsea seem to "get away with" it in the Premier League, Milan "got away with" it when they won the Champions League last. Although the diamond was born out of using the player Lambert had to hand at the time, it has been successful at the highest level. Italy reverted to it occasionally when they won the World Cup, and Barcelona have been known to use it at times this season. I guess when we get into the summer transfer window we will see what formation Lambert is thinking of for next season, but there is nothing wrong with a diamond, just needs certain players in certain areas.

[/quote]Come on now, if youare going to use logic and football knowledge then there is just no point discussing this! 4-4-2 is the only formation to ever work.

[singing canary 0]

clearly you don''t know a talented footballer when you see one then .

he has been one of our top players this season .....or did you miss his skill-full play-making most of the season .

[Evil Monkey 52]

[quote user="can u sit down please"]Wycombe away and Huddersfield & millwall at home being the best 3 passes I have seen all season. [/quote]Don''t forget his through-ball which set Macca free to cross for Holty against Oldham... absolute class.  Although I won''t pretend he''s in the same class, if he happened to be playing in the Champions League then ITV1 would be creaming themselves over some of his movement and passing...

[can u sit down please 0]

How could I forget EM!

People keep talking about Abdou at Millwall......don''t they remember boxing day, when Hooley embarrassed him?

And yes I remember Millwall away but having Holt out affected Hooley big time. As we saw in The other 2 games against Hrtlepool and Walsall.

They are both the perfect foil for one another.

[Lambo 0]

As mentioned, I fail to see how people can have doubts about Hoolahan''s ability in The Championship, he had half the league after him when we signed him and had tore teams to shreds at Blackpool.

Some people really are daft at times.

[Yellow Rider 0]

[quote user="can u sit down please"]Some people are absolutely clueless. When he got injured last year was the day we got relegated. In the games following, we created very little. We missed him like a sore thumb on Monday, nobody was able to make "that" ass that we have seen produce goals....Wycombe away and Huddersfield & millwall at home being the best 3 passes I have seen all season. Yes he is small, but you rarely see him get barged off of the ball. The guy is by a country mile, the best player in this division who HAS done it at the level above with Blackpool and will do it with us again. In Lambert I trust.[/quote]

Best post I''ve read on the boy Wes for a long time - you are spot on!

One day when I have some spare time I will trawl back through the posts and find the one at start of the season where a poster called him ..........''one of the worst players ever to pull on a Norwich shirt''. Don''t know who the poster was but I wonder if he''s, er, ''revised'' his opinion during the season!!! 

 

[CDMullins 441]

[quote user="Yellow Rider"]

[quote user="can u sit down please"]Some people are absolutely clueless. When he got injured last year was the day we got relegated. In the games following, we created very little. We missed him like a sore thumb on Monday, nobody was able to make "that" ass that we have seen produce goals....Wycombe away and Huddersfield & millwall at home being the best 3 passes I have seen all season. Yes he is small, but you rarely see him get barged off of the ball. The guy is by a country mile, the best player in this division who HAS done it at the level above with Blackpool and will do it with us again. In Lambert I trust.[/quote]

Best post I''ve read on the boy Wes for a long time - you are spot on!

One day when I have some spare time I will trawl back through the posts and find the one at start of the season where a poster called him ..........''one of the worst players ever to pull on a Norwich shirt''. Don''t know who the poster was but I wonder if he''s, er, ''revised'' his opinion during the season!!! 

 

[/quote]

 

I believe that was me and no my opinion hasnt changed!

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="Mook"]That Messi bloke? Too lightweight. And Barcelona will never get anywhere playing that pathetic 4-3-3 with a withdrawn striker, sometimes it''s as if they want to pass or dribble the ball into the net!! Have you ever heard the like? No big-man / little-man combination? Who''s going to win the knock-downs or the flick-ons? And did you see them trying to play the ball out from defence? Suicide, I tells you! They need to GET RID OF IT. Get it forward. Bloody Xavi Hernandes, with his CONSTANT sideways passing. Has he not heard of forward?? GET INTO THEM. GET IT FORWARD. GET STUCK IN. It''s a different league, Brian. They''d never prosper in the Championship, playing "football" or whatever you want to call it. Apart from Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom and Burnley. Get it up to the big man, knock it down to the wings, cross it in and BOSH. Goal. This football lark''s simple, surely they must have read the English Cliché book of football?[/quote]LOL- especially the bits in bold [:D]

[Mook 0]

[quote user="Title chasing CT "][quote user="Mook"]That Messi bloke? Too lightweight. And Barcelona will never get anywhere playing that pathetic 4-3-3 with a withdrawn striker, sometimes it''s as if they want to pass or dribble the ball into the net!! Have you ever heard the like? No big-man / little-man combination? Who''s going to win the knock-downs or the flick-ons? And did you see them trying to play the ball out from defence? Suicide, I tells you! They need to GET RID OF IT. Get it forward. Bloody Xavi Hernandes, with his CONSTANT sideways passing. Has he not heard of forward?? GET INTO THEM. GET IT FORWARD. GET STUCK IN. It''s a different league, Brian. They''d never prosper in the Championship, playing "football" or whatever you want to call it. Apart from Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom and Burnley. Get it up to the big man, knock it down to the wings, cross it in and BOSH. Goal. This football lark''s simple, surely they must have read the English Cliché book of football?[/quote]LOL- especially the bits in bold [:D][/quote]Ha! I''d forgotten about this rant. This "too lightweight" nonsense really gets on my bosoms. Luca Modric anyone?

[Dion Dublin=Legend 0]

[quote user="Evil Monkey"]It astounds me that people are assuming the diamond ''won''t work'' in a higher league, and even more so that people would consider ditching one of our better players just because of their concerns over the formation.

For my money, Hoolahan needs to stay where he is - no matter what league - but what we need to improve are the other 3 points of the diamond (maybe 2 depending on how Korey does)... Lappin and Rusty have been good servants this year but I fear they''ve found their level.  For the diamond to work we need strong players in these positions so personally I''d be looking to improve in these areas instead of ditching Hoolahan for the sake of it...
[/quote]

I do think we''ll have to adapt next season at times, particularly away from home. Part of the reason we''ve been able to play two strikers plus Hoolahan pushed up behind this season is that opposition teams haven''t been good enough to exploit the gaps this has created. This won''t always be the case in the Championship.

There are a number of things to do for me... one is to find better midfielders to sit behind Wes and challenge the Rusell/Lappin/Smith triumvirate... another is to pick and choose when to use the diamond... and the other is to play one up at times with Hoolahan tucked in behind him and move Martin to the wing or the bench.

Having said all that I firmly believe we should aim for the top six next year. It''s a better standard league but there are unlikely to be any outstanding teams, especially when you look what''s coming down from the Prem (Portsmouth, Burnley plus AN Other) compared to last year (Newcastle, West Brom, Middlesborough).

In Lambert I trust!

[Evil Monkey 52]

[quote user="Dion Dublin Legend"]I do think we''ll have to adapt next season at times, particularly away from home. Part of the reason we''ve been able to play two strikers plus Hoolahan pushed up behind this season is that opposition teams haven''t been good enough to exploit the gaps this has created. This won''t always be the case in the Championship.

There are a number of things to do for me... one is to find better midfielders to sit behind Wes and challenge the Rusell/Lappin/Smith triumvirate... another is to pick and choose when to use the diamond... and the other is to play one up at times with Hoolahan tucked in behind him and move Martin to the wing or the bench.

Having said all that I firmly believe we should aim for the top six next year. It''s a better standard league but there are unlikely to be any outstanding teams, especially when you look what''s coming down from the Prem (Portsmouth, Burnley plus AN Other) compared to last year (Newcastle, West Brom, Middlesborough).

In Lambert I trust![/quote]

I''d agree with that D-Dub, something like a 4-4-1-1 would provide a more solid base for Wes and Holty to work their magic, but would require someone coming in off the wings to join the play.  I don''t think Martin thrives particularly in this area (in terms of reducing their effectiveness, you may as well play Hoolahan there) so this could be McNamee but I''d expect Lambert to be looking for another quality winger in the close season, along with the aforementioned deep-sitting midfielders to provide a solid base to the diamond where necessary.

[Yobocop 1,105]

a good player, exciting player to watch....

but we won''t miss him drastically...he just makes us better!