Hourihane

I think that's fair, old mate.

 

Where did I say he was immune to criticism? I criticised him myself last weekend. And where did I say only assists/goals matter? I don't think I did. Using my logic, like.

My post was one of support for him. If someone had told me that we'd sign a nobody from Plymouth for 200k and he'd go on to score 13 times from midfield as well as creating just as many, I'd have been over the moon. So aye, I'm over the moon that we signed him. I'll leave others to wonder why he can't also defend like Taggart, run about like O'Connell or head a ball like Shipperley.

I've read all this stuff about Conor before, but aimed at Butterfield. If he wasn't banging a goal in or creating one, if he wasn't quite on his game, he'd be given stick on here, called 'weak', 'soft' etc. Apparently, he couldn't tackle, didn't get stuck in. The stats suggested otherwise back then, and even I'm surprised to say the stats say otherwise regards Hourihane too. Last weekend he made the most successful tackles of any BFC player. I knew that anyway, as I'd recalled him putting some challenges in early doors. But he wasn't great last weekend overall and I said as much.

Fact is, he's a lad who stepped up a division and has been a roaring success and I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the L1 team of the season. I would bet that every other L1 club would have him in their side. So I will defend him on here when I read utter ******** about him, because I appreciate talented footballers, especially when after Butterfield I had to sit and watch Dawson, Etuhu, Perkins, Mellis and other bang average laikers toiling away in the centre of the park.

Hourihane is no Butterfield. That's not what I'm saying. But he's as good as we'll get at this level, in terms of what he offers. And I believe with a couple of proper wingers to the sides of him and some proper cover alongside and behind, he'll be even more effective next term after a very good first season for Barnsley FC.

You supportive Reds.

 

From where I was, it looked like he lost the ball then 'slipped' to ease the embarrassment. We'll see if that's the case when the highlights go up, but it looked that way to me.

 

I understand what you're aiming to get at, but you can't honestly say Hourihane has been playing very well in recent months? I want to see him do well in a Barnsley shirt, and I don't agree with the reaction to him being substituted, but sadly he's been pretty sh*t for months. I guess this obviously means that I want to see Dawson back in our team.

 

To me Danny had him working on the defensive side of his game ararnd Nov/Dec and to be fair to him he is improving in that department despite him being easily knocked off the ball. If he took a leaf art of Pearsons book and got straight back up and tried to regain possession rather than remonstrating with arms in air or clutched to his face then he would also be making strides in the reight direction.

Still young and learning.

 

Glad i didnt light that particular blue touch paper, Andy. ..

 

Don't know what he was doing for there goal but,he gets booed/jeered/heckled every misplaced pass/missed tackle yet the likes of Smith gets clapped when miscontrolling the ball(which he seems to do quite abit) and attempting to play the ball (2nd half) it goes for there throw-in when anybody wi half a brain would've just let it go straight out

 

So not good enough to talk to today then eh?

 

He is wa.nk......waste of a shirt....fat dale tries as much.

Get shut a the pair

 

He's not been a stunning player in most games from open play. He's a dead ball specialist really. But you've to believe/hope that he can only improve? And no, I'm not going to suggest he's been playing very well recently. He was in great form early doors, when things were fresh (for all clubs). But as time goes on, managers do their homework, they get to know what each team can do, what certain players within that team can do etc. And, I've no doubt that he'll have been fatigued at times. He's played in every game, started all but one. He's not the finished article, but I think he's a very good player at this level and if we can recruit lads like JOS/Williams, basically, other threats, I think he'd flourish again. Right now, we've no real threat out wide, which limits the impact both Conor and Winnall can have on proceedings. When we had other threats, with Williams in the hole or JOS out wide, it frees up Conor etc.

 

The massive difference is Butterfield and Hourihane aren't in the same stratosphere when it comes to talent or workrate. Yes they play in a similar position but JB had dips in form of say a game or two. Not for weeks and weeks at a time. I'd sell my soul to have the likes of Butterfield, Hammill and Vaz Te back!

I've stated before I'm not a Hourihane fan. There is no doubting his contribution this season in terms of both goals and assists, however, I just can't see him scoring as many goals etc next year. Who is to say if Scowan takes corners/free kicks we won't score just as many. As many above have put, stick Berry in for the rest of the season. He deserves a go.

Oh and cheering/booing him off is lunacy and completely unfair on any player let alone one who's contributed a lot.

 

I'm not saying he's had a bad season, he hasnt by any stretch of the imagination, but I dont agree with saying "He's been involved with 30 goals this season" whenever anyone criticises him. Similarly when someone says he had a bad game, then someone replies with "he set up our only goal of the game" or the like, that doesn't mean he had a good game, it just means that he's good from a dead ball situation (which noone doubts).

He's a very frustrating player to watch, yet I'd still pick him more often than not, because he has that sweet left foot from a dead ball, and he has the ability to change the game in a second (like he nearly did just before he was subbed today). Doesn't mean i wont criticise him though online, he's not above that because he has potential, it just makes him more frustrating when he doesn't really use it.

I'm not one of these that wants him to track back every time we're on the defensive, nor would i rather see the likes of Etuhu or Dawson, but what does frustrate me is when he gets the ball and doesnt use it, or passes it to the opposition. I think it's mainly a confidence thing with him, which makes fans jeering him even more annoying. It's like he's afraid to shoot these days, or to make that killer pass.

 

I'm just glad (sort of) that I was working this afternoon and didn't get home until 2.45pm because I'd have felt embarrassed to hear anything like that aimed at one of our players, especially a lad who's done little wrong. I did though find a live stream of Huddersfield's game at Forest and watched Jacob absolutely boss the game from start to finish and create a goal with the sort of pass that had Fabregas done it, it would have been replayed all week, over and over. He did it last week too. If he doesn't get POTY at Huddersfield there's a pigeon in the matrix.

 

Great post. Agree with it all.

It's up to him to work on his game, and up to LJ to compliment him with similar quality threats alongside him.

I know everyone is saying it, but it's true - if we'd signed Ryan Williams in the summer and JOS, I think we'd have got at least 10 points more. Had Winnall not got injured for 4 months too.....

Fine margins.

Next season we'll see an improvement. LJ promises one, I believe him.

 

Thought that was a disgrace. No need for the Ponte End to react like this. It's not like he purposely gave them the ball in the build up to the goal and he should have been stopped after that anyway.

 

Yeah, that's fair, I agree. We know he's got the ability, it's just a shame he's gone so much off the boil recently.

 

I agree, I thought he was unlucky to lose his place in the team but on today's showing he seems to have forced his way back into LJ's plans.

 

The sort of pass I'd love to see us attempt but if it's not lumped in air to a bloke with his back to goal were simply not bothered

 

Ex ******* cactly


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I think considering.....

1) He's go an inexperienced kid like Pearson alongside him who doesn't chip in with assists and goals to take the pressure off him.
2) He's moved 300 plus miles away from home to somewhere he probably knew nobody or very few people in this area and had to settle into a new lifestyle.
3) Is playing at a level he's not played at before.

He's done very well this season.