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Lewis Esquire

Gary Hooper

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Don''t take this the wrong way etc...

Brilliant Hat-Trick, well taken goals and so on.

But, did anyone else think he should have been subbed on Saturday at around the time of his penalty? The first 50 minutes he played well, but in my opinion, he look knakered before and after his penalty. When I saw Andreu warming up, I, like many around me thought it would be for Hooper. But no, he took off the ridiculously influential Hoolahan.

AN obviously rate Hooper to keep him on all game, even though i thought he looked worn out - I just thought it was strange.

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Maybe preferring to protect the ''ridiculously influential'' Hoolahan for the next game, with the points looking fairly secure and his apparent knock/injury?

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The impression I get is that AN wants to keep Hooper on his toes and not take his foot off the pedal. Taking him off would have given him the  message "you''ve done a good job son now have a rest".  Too soft an approach maybe for a player that maybe loses his sharpness too easily if allowed to. 

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I think you might have seen Hooper subbed had we not needed to use one in the first half for Bassong.I agree he was tiring, but I also think Grabbin is still working his way back to 100% match fitness having hardly been used over the last few months. So, that was probably the more important sub to make.

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AN has said that he is aware that both Wes and Grabban have not had much game time recently and need to be eased back into it, the Bassong change probably had an influence on the changes made on Saturday, said it before, to me it looks like good player management by AN.

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I agree with Lakey that AN wants to keep him on his toes.  He gave him credit for the hat trick but equally wanted to praise Grabban as well.  Its clear he likes players who put themselves about and Grabban is one of those when his confidence is up - as it was on Saturday and Hooper was doing his best to set him up in the second half, but it just didn''t come off.  We need Hooper - he''s a finisher, and we have to have him in the team if we are to get into the top six and stay there for the rest of the season.  For all his efforts on Saturday, and also at Birmingham, Grabban didn''t score.  That''s the difference.  Good that they both played well though and we haven''t missed Jerome too much.

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I think Hooper needs to start doing 90 minutes because you''re right, he does normally look tired towards the 60 minute mark. He isn''t accustomed to the work-rate he''s having to do. It''s making him a better all round player but at celtic was very much a poacher and in our Premier League season wasn''t doing half the work he is now.

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If AN can get the best out of Hoops then we''ve got a top striker on our hands, the full match fitness will come with playing....full matches.Obvious, i know but too many players are eased in, protected and cossetted ...even when not carrying injury. I reckon AN is a fairly straight talking guy, along the lines of'' you''re fit, playing in a strong team, now get out and put in a full shift, its what you''re paid for.

Hoops has looked on cruise control for much of his Norwich career, maybe NA knows where the Turbo button is. A fully firing Hoops is a very good goal getter at this level.

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I''m sure with the game already won at 3-0 most of the players had the mid week game on their minds, you can''t blame Hooper or anyone for taking their foot off the gas.

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For sure Scrappy, but i''d say keeping Hoops on was a way to say ,well done,fill your boots, get 90 mins under your belt, onwards and ipwards( see what i done there) from here. Sebs injury would definitely affected the later subs/game plan, so leaving Hoops on was wise, a player thats just scored a hat trick should have no trouble completing 90 mins if he''s not injured.

Good call Alex.....again, starting to like this Man.

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