Ryan Manning (QPR)

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 The O'Shea wrote:

 Maccatacca wrote:

 The O'Shea wrote:

Any person who uses the term "luxury player" doesn't understand football. There are different types of midfielders; some are constantly involved, they look for the ball, move it on quickly, and essentially keep things ticking over without doing anything too special. Guys like Arter, Williams, and Meyler probably fit that bill for us.
Then you have midfielders who flit in and out of games, but who come up with genuine moments of quality. That would be Hendrick and Hourihane; Hendrick in the form of penetrating runs and clever flicks, and Hourihane in terms of goals and good deliveries.

For what it's worth, I don't think Manning has shown himself to be anything more than decent at Championship level, Hourihane has been far, far more inpressive over the past few years. He hasn't been great in his small number of appearances for us, but it's worth noting that there are some extenuating circumstances (such as being played in defensive midfield which is not his natural position; and our overall disjointed style of play which doesn't flatter any of our midfielders).

We're never going to play the style of football needed to fit Hourihane into the team, in the unlikely event we ever do, he is possibly behind both Hendrick and Browne in the pecking order.

Hourihane hasn't really been impressive since signing for Villa and realistically we don't have the space in our squad to fit all three of Hourihane, Hendrick and Browne into the squad, when all midfielders are fit.

Now I'm not saying Manning should be starting games, but he does look like he could be half decent and is still only a young lad. 

When you consider that McCarthy (injury) and Meyler are both short of playing time, Harry Arter doesn't want to play for us and Shaun Williams has only just emerged, there is undoubtedly a slot up for grabs in defensive midfield and Manning is not a million miles off any of those players, considering he's playing regularly at the moment.

Hourihane has been given his chance and has done next to nothing with it, and that seems to be how things are going for him at Villa right now too.

How has he not been impressive for Villa? He's started basically every game since signing bar the last 3/4, and has continued his excellent goalscoring record. You act as if his being dropped by Villa for the past few games proves that he's not up to it, but lest we forgot that Manning struggled to get onto the bench at times for a useless QPR side last season, and was shipped out on loan to newly-promoted Rotherham this term. That is hardly the track record of a youngster on the up, and it's certainly nowhere near the form Hourihane has produced in the Championship. 

When Conor Hourihane was Ryan Manning's age he was playing for Plymouth in League 2. 

Manning has only played about 40 Championship games and has only just turned 22, he has shown flashes of his talent in those games.

If he can play regularly at Championship level, then there's a decent chance that he'll improve further. 

I'd be very surprised if Hourihane improves at this stage of his club career, and with the competition of Browne and Hendrick I'm not sure if there will be many more chances at international level either. Nothing in any of his six international appearances suggest that he has much to offer at this level.

He deserves another chance or two, because as you said he has done well on occasion in the Championship, but for me personally, if he does not impress soon his squad place should be given to a younger player. 

Certain Championship players do not suit international football, and even if Hourihane managed to score 10/15 goals from midfield this season, I wouldn't be sold on him. 