Conor Hourihane

Hendrick has been enough of a bystander (bar one moment against Wales) during the last campaign to give Hourihane a chance in that role. He needs to take his opportunities during the friendlies though if he gets them.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?a=&feature=youtu.be&v=-PKgHJV5few

Lovely strike. He’s a waif, but he can hit them. Would rather him as a 10 than Hendrick

8 league goals from midfield this season now.

Hourihane should have done enough to play himself into contention for starting the March friendlies, with a view to expanding his role in future competitive games.

The O'Shea wrote: Technically, Hourihane is a good footballer. He badly lacks pace though which would worry me a bit when he steps up a level. I wouldn't see him as a replacement for Wes at 10, he lacks the agility and speed off the mark. He's best as part of a midfield 2/3.

As opposed to Wes’s blistering pace

daithi wrote: The O'Shea wrote: Technically, Hourihane is a good footballer. He badly lacks pace though which would worry me a bit when he steps up a level. I wouldn't see him as a replacement for Wes at 10, he lacks the agility and speed off the mark. He's best as part of a midfield 2/3. As opposed to Wes’s blistering pace

This is a fair point

Do think for the sake of getting the best out of everybody and not 1 player Hendrick should be a #10 and Conor a #8.
It doesnt work the other way round unfortunately we’ve just had a full campaign of Jeff as an #8 and playing players out of position is part of the reason we didn’t qualify!

coyne wrote: daithi wrote: The O'Shea wrote: Technically, Hourihane is a good footballer. He badly lacks pace though which would worry me a bit when he steps up a level. I wouldn't see him as a replacement for Wes at 10, he lacks the agility and speed off the mark. He's best as part of a midfield 2/3. As opposed to Wes’s blistering pace This is a fair point Do think for the sake of getting the best out of everybody and not 1 player Hendrick should be a #10 and Conor a #8. It doesnt work the other way round unfortunately we’ve just had a full campaign of Jeff as an #8 and playing players out of position is part of the reason we didn’t qualify!

Hendrick is not a creator, unfortunately. His physical qualities far outweigh his technical ones.

DeclanDaly wrote: coyne wrote: daithi wrote: The O'Shea wrote: Technically, Hourihane is a good footballer. He badly lacks pace though which would worry me a bit when he steps up a level. I wouldn't see him as a replacement for Wes at 10, he lacks the agility and speed off the mark. He's best as part of a midfield 2/3. As opposed to Wes’s blistering pace This is a fair point Do think for the sake of getting the best out of everybody and not 1 player Hendrick should be a #10 and Conor a #8. It doesnt work the other way round unfortunately we’ve just had a full campaign of Jeff as an #8 and playing players out of position is part of the reason we didn’t qualify! Hendrick is not a creator, unfortunately. His physical qualities far outweigh his technical ones.

I don’t think that Hendrick should be anywhere near our team at the moment.

He doesn’t do enough in any one position to warrant his squad place, be it at 8, or 10.

Similar could be said of Robbie Brady, but he needs to be played on the left wing, in place of James McClean. Brady’s poor form is entirely down to MON playing him out of posistion.

Hendrick’s poor form is down to him being a player who doesn’t know what his best posistion is. When he figures that out, then maybe he’ll start performing for Ireland again.

Perhaps we don’t need to replace Hoolahan as a number 10. By switching to a 4-3-3, Hourihane can get forward and can create goals and assists in his own way, he doesn’t need to emulate Hoolahan’s playing style, but if he can keep the ball, and chip in with a few goals and assists, then we’ll be on to something.