Wes Hoolahan

[WesHoolahansDefendant 0]

There is much discussion that it''s not possible for Wes to play while we''re playing two strikers.

I agree in the center, but what''s stopping him from playing on the left?

He''s not the paciest, but he''s certainly not slow. We see him beat players for fun when he''s on his game, often a couple of players at once. He''s arguably one of our best deliverer''s of the ball.....

Okay perhaps he doesn''t track back enough, but is that the reason?

I have a feeling he may have played there before, but I''m unsure?

[Move Klose 303]

What an awful idea. No way should he be on the left.

[jedi 0]

No, he played a whole season there and was ineffective. His position is behind the striker.

[Petriix 2,835]

Wow OP, you’ve got this totally backwards I’m afraid!

Wes was total pants out on the left - he doesn’t have the

right attributes for that role at all: lack of pace, crossing, tracking back,

general discipline at sticking to his position in the system. Think about how

much running Pilkington has to do in that role and now imagine Wes doing it!

On the other hand, he has proven to be extremely good

playing in the hole at the tip of a diamond midfield behind two strikers. We

played this system 90% of the time in league 1, about 66% of the time in the

championship and in maybe as many as half our games last season under Lambert.

[Howson is now! 0]

The biggest issue when Wes played on the left was his desire to retain the ball. When he turns three players in the heart of the opposition defence, it''s not too bad if he loses it as he has a midfield behind him to try and break up play. If he tries to keep the ball on the left, he leaves Garrido exposed if he loses the ball and we get hit on a counter if they have a pacey right side.

Hoolahan even used to try and beat three players from his own eighteen yard line and you would be screaming out to not try that cr@p that deep.

Also, I feel Hoolahan''s main strength is his short quick passes along the ground when he''s got a yard, not getting a yard and whipping in a cross. We have much more effective players at that. If you''re not going to play him in the hole, I feel you''re playing him for the sake of it when there are better players in those positions.

[? 20]

He can play there, he''s just not as effective.

 

Admittedly he was useless when Roeder and Gunn played him on the left, but the players around him were useless then too.

 

This is rather vague, as i can''t remember who it was against, but there was a game at Carrow Road earlier in the season (may even have been last season, now i think of it) when he played on the left after coming on as a sub. He was excellent.

[Jersey Canary 143]

[quote user="RenegadeSnare"]There is much discussion that it''s not possible for Wes to play while we''re playing two strikers.

I agree in the center, but what''s stopping him from playing on the left?

He''s not the paciest, but he''s certainly not slow. We see him beat players for fun when he''s on his game, often a couple of players at once. He''s arguably one of our best deliverer''s of the ball.....

Okay perhaps he doesn''t track back enough, but is that the reason?

I have a feeling he may have played there before, but I''m unsure?[/quote]

Hoolahan can only play as a second striker or at the tip of a diamond behind two strikers.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,164]

Wes just can''t play left wing. We did try it for a while, but he just wandered off all over the pitch totally destroying the team''s shape.

We need Wes playing high up the pitch in the middle making things happen and weighing in with some goals. I''ve been critical of him this season for not scoring or creating enough goals, but I was absolutely delighted to see him turn up in the right place at the right time against Spurs to put us into the lead. More of the same please Wes!

[Jacko 0]

Play him behind the front two or as a second striker. If you aren''t going to do that then don''t bother.

[Branston Pickle 3,657]

Actually, Wes played one of his best games as a straight m/f against Everton last season, i think Howson played off Holt and it worked well.

[Monty13 2,234]

It comes up on a regular cycle on here and it''s a complete myth he can''t play left midfield. Most trot out the line without actually checking the facts.

He started or ended up there when we changed shape on numerous occasions last year.

Is he better in the hole behind the strikers, I think most would agree yes, it is not however his only position.

Those harking back to the days of Roeder and Gunn are pretty out of date, he played there plenty of times in Lamberts successful 3 seasons.

If we were to change shape to a 442 I would play him as if not we lose the majority of our creativity. His work rate in recent seasons has been suberb, although admittedly he has less pace, is smaller and not as good defensively as Pilkington, but then he isn''t a winger.

Could he play there, yes, should he play there, maybe in a 442, but there will be a defensive risk to the creative gain and I just don''t see Hughton as as much of a gambler as Lambert.

[Salopian 1]

It''s not a bad idea to play him on the left, although I suspect that he will drift inside. I think it was Blackpool who played him wide left.

If we are to play two strikers, and we have the personnel to do so now, then there has to be some accommodation elsewhere in the team. Wes back into the central midfield, dropping Tettey or Johno? I think that CH is unlikely to do this because it will weaken the defensive shield. Dropping one winger, or playing Wes wide? We now have two very good headers of the ball in Holt and Becchio, and a third awaiting a work permit. We are weak constructively down the centre, and we need corsses into the box!

Certainly if we are chasing a game, why not do one of these things and play twio strikers? We have done this but rather late in the game each time.

[WesHoolahansDefendant 0]

I wouldn''t say I''ve got it completely backwards, considering he spent the majority of his playing career before Lambert on the left wing.....

He is also floating out to the wings a considerable amount currently and to say he can''t cross the ball is just absurd son.

The point which I do agree with is the tracking back and potentially leaving Garrido exposed, or losing the ball as we all know he is sometimes prone to.

Just a thought anyway, desperate for Holt to have a mate up there with him