If you were Hoolahan

[Samwam27 606]

With more talk from Lambert explaining how he admires Hoolahan (read into that  what you will), if a bid is/has even been made,would you even consider a transfer to Villa, with the managers position there being so precarious?The manager "could" be gone before the end of the transfer window, if results continue going poorly, and as we normally see, managers want their own players.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Samwam27"]With more talk from Lambert explaining how he admires Hoolahan (read into that  what you will), if a bid is/has even been made,would you even consider a transfer to Villa, with the managers position there being so precarious?The manager "could" be gone before the end of the transfer window, if results continue going poorly, and as we normally see, managers want their own players.[/quote]

I dont think Hoolahan has much choice in the matter, to be honest.

But on the point you are making, I dont think it would be a wise move on his part, other than perhaps for financial reasons. I wouldnt be surprised if he gets another year on his contract before the month is out. That said, although an important squad member, he isnt in a very strong bargaining position.

[GJP 79]

Would I consider being reunited with the manager who got the best out of me and with a longer contract than I am on now?

Yes.

[lake district canary 4,830]

Lambert should just shut up.  Its tantamount to tapping up a player if he is heaping the praise on Hoolahan in public at a time when his club may be planning a bid.  As has been said, Hoolahan is our player and will likely stay our player - a player who is capable of that first half performance against MU and therefore an important player for us. 

[Juggy 0]

Hoolahan was born and raised in Ireland and had no prior affiliation with Norwich City before joining.

Was given his chance outside of Ireland by Paul Lambert who signed him for Livingston.

Had a horrible first year at this club and yet stayed, then probably had the most enjoyable three years of his career under Paul Lambert where he played his best football and gained two promotions.

He now plays for a manager that can''t fit him into his team, is only playing him now due to injuries (out of position) for a club that he owes nothing to.

He has the chance to go to a globally famous club, probably on an extended contract and just as much money, playing for the man who helped turn him into the revered player that he is today, who plays the type of football that Hoolahan suits.

Of course he wants to leave and so he should.

[stoke canary 0]

I wouldn''t be on nights Friday,Saturday and Sundayand I would be gotng to goodison Sat afternoon !!!!

[morty 0]

Perhaps you should start a whiney thread advising Hoolahan to leave, on the off chance he reads these forums.

Oh, wait......

[Dubai Mark 0]

I agree with you Le Juge, you sum it up nicely (other than Villa being a "globally famous club"), it seems harsh but is true and the only bit I will not like "if" he does go is if it is to Villa......oh, and if we havnt signed a replacement quality player for the squad.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Le Juge"]who plays the type of football that Hoolahan suits. [/quote]

I think ''played'' would be the most accurate. Whilst Lambert got the best out of Hoolahan at Norwich, it seems unlikely based on the current tactical plan at  that Villa suit Hoolahan at all. Villa currently have the 2nd least amount of possession per game (42.4%) and play the most 2nd long balls per games of any team (69). It seems that, at the moment, a player like Hoolahan who is at his best in a team that controls the ball and provides him with many touches is probably more suited to Norwich, who post better possession statistics and play less long balls. Signing Hoolahan might change Lambert''s tactical approach to the game but, on the evidence provided, it doesn''t look like the best fit.

[Buh 0]

We have some proper wet supporters don''t we

Proper "woe is me" negative idiots.

Why on earth would be stay at Norwich? We are so rubbish, right?

Villa are a dinosaur club clinging to relevance, a survivor amongst Huddersfield and Nottingham forest. A relic in a city rotten from the inside.

[Monty13 2,736]

Phillip didn''t we have similar long ball stats under lambert in the prem if i remember rightly? admittedly higher possession stats but that probably explains why he wants him.

Personally for me between le judge and dubai mark they have explained the situation pretty well.

I''m massive fan of Wes, we failed to get a replacement in the summer and so i''d still be playing him most games. That being said he isn''t and he owes us nothing, I''d be sad to see him go but I would not begrudge him going.

[Marchant 5]

" That being said he isn''t and he owes us nothing"

 

As he is currently under contract with us I think you''ll find that he does.

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

If I were Hoolihan?? I''d;1) Be about 3 inches shorter2) Be a lot better at football3) Be earning more money4) Be more attractive to the opposite sex (due to point 2 & 3 above, but not point 1)

But on topic, I''m pretty sure Wes is gone. He and the PR media team are in a holding pattern until a replacement is bought.Wes has been amazing. He owes us nothing.

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"]If I were Hoolihan?? I''d;1) Be about 3 inches shorter2) Be a lot better at football3) Be earning more money4) Be more attractive to the opposite sex (due to point 2 & 3 above, but not point 1)

But on topic, I''m pretty sure Wes is gone. He and the PR media team are in a holding pattern until a replacement is bought.Wes has been amazing. He owes us nothing.[/quote]5) I''d be better at spelling my own name.

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

[quote user="Marchant"]

" That being said he isn''t and he owes us nothing"

 

As he is currently under contract with us I think you''ll find that he does.

[/quote]Not true. We owe him the wage of the rest of his contract. He can be unmotivated, sit on the bench and collect, which is even worse for the club and squad morale.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Monty13"]Phillip didn''t we have similar long ball stats under lambert in the prem if i remember rightly? admittedly higher possession stats but that probably explains why he wants him.  [/quote]

We did have similar long ball statistics, the highest in the league in fact. But it wasn''t just the long ball statistics I was getting at. The possession statistics, long balls as a percentage of overall passing, passing accuracy and number of short passes per game were all higher. Was some of this down to Wes? Absolutely. But it''s important to note that our deeper midfielders (Fox, Johnson, Howson) also attempted (and completed) more passes, which obviously boosted our possession statistics and meant Hoolahan often saw alot of the ball (as the deeper midfielders could be expected to accurately pass to him. This is not the case for Villa, where there midfielders (the men who are supposed to supply Wes) often attempt less passes per game and with a worse passing accuracy meaning that Hoolahan is less likely to see the ball. 

It seems to me that Lambert has got more direct than when he managed Norwich and a more direct game plan does not suit Hoolahan''s attributes,

[whoareyou? 0]

I bet he would earn less money at Viler than he is on now. They are a cheapskate club.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,789]

I still  think Wes (and his agent) have a whiff of a final payday in his nostrils . Where he goes is less clear. 31 years old, generate a bit of a stir and see what happens . Looks like Villa would take him but not for huge money.  

[Samwam27 606]

My point is, whether he owes us anything, and whether Lambert got the best out of him, Villa''s performances have been woeful of late, and they are on an extremely poor run.We have already seen many a manager depart this season, and unless Villa improve, Lambert (Or Allardyce) could well be the next one to go.Whilst Hoolahan may have some affiliation with Lambert, he could end up in exactly the same boat as here, if Lambert was to depart 5 mins after Hools arrives! And he could then end up a bit part player at Villa too.As footballers have a short playing career (but if they couldn''t survive post playing on their wages) much would depend on the financial sideAs we lack creativity, it''s astonishing Hoolahan doesn''t play more often, but that''s already been done to death, and is the managers choice.