The Connor debate

[Exiledvillan]

There seems to be a clamour for the return of CH to the team recently, well, everytime that he is dropped really. Why do discarded players’ stock always rise when they are out of the starting X1?

Now before people think that I’m a hater or something, I LIKE CH, I like that he seems to care more than the others, his Robson-like late runs into the box, scoring 9 last season. And when he gets it right, he has a demon of a left foot. But this is where I have an issue regarding his worth to the team.

Last season, against inferior opposition, CH made 48 appearances. He made 11 assists. Not bad I hear you say. But, considering that he takes every single set piece, the stats show a different story. Last season, and this is being a conservative guess, we would have had at least 8 set pieces per game. At least 4 corners and at least 4 free kicks per game. 48 x 8 = 384 opportunities to influence the score. How many assists?

Now not all of his assists and goals came from set pieces, in fact assists really are a dubious call. As the person who last touches the ball before the goalscorer, be it off his arse or an intentional pass gets an ‘assist’. So what would CH’s true conversion rate be with all this taken into consideration. We don’t seem to winning any corners anyway this season, so surely his effectiveness to the team is diminished again?

His tackling is, well, shocking. Always a candidate for giving away dangerous free kicks, whether diving in, or chasing a player from the halfway line, only to leg him up just outside our box.

He does bring something to our team from the bench, a wild card’s chance. But starting? Not for me.

I wish him no ill will, but as a few are finding out, this league is different gravy.

[westcountryvillain]

Interesting points Exiled, I agree the league is different gravy - in the Championship, being decent is enough for most games. In the Prem you have to be excellent and all of the investment into the team plus Deano coaching his own players is showing signs of bearing fruit. For the players he has inherited and retained, all have got better in my view - Taylor perhaps the one who has benefitted the most, generally I feel all of last season's regulars have challenged themselves to make the grade.

I thought CH was very good against Spurs and in the playoff final - did a good job of breaking up the play, in a midfield 3 with JG & SJM playing in front of Nakama or Luiz is the right space for him. All 3 of them can hit it well from distance and they're all clever enough to be in the right place at the right time, Lansbury another and I'd love him to get more game time to see what he's all about.

Corners - our wingers aren't beating full-backs so fewer crosses from the byline, Jota always comes inside but can play in strikers as he did vs Everton so he gets the nod ahead of AEG. I feel he's versatile enough to play across the pitch and build an attack on either flank in games, supported by JG in particular.

Good to have options

[samhubball]

I'd play Luiz, Hourihane, McGinn, Grealish, El Ghazi in midfield in some kind of formation to get the most of the hold up play from Wesley. I'd rotate between El Ghazi, Trez and Jota. But one of the first names on the team sheet is Conor for me. Don't know what it is about him but I rate him nearly as highly as Super John

[bongosdad]

Nothing against Hoerihane but he's simply not as good as the starting 11 midfielders. Grealish Luiz Mcginn and Trezeguet are better players.

[mondaze]

what he brings is a deadball option which has a chance of creating a goal... which we patently don't have at the moment! i'd play narrower with 442, accomodates connor and loses one of the poor trackers back. play trez or el ghazi closer to wesley, so he wouldn't be so isolated

[picasso]

I wouldn’t mind playing three at the back and using the two full backs as wing backs thus losing our ineffectual wingers and freeing up a midfield place for Hourihane or Lansbury. Problem is Taylor gets dizzy if he crosses the halfway line.

[westcountryvillain]

I think Taylor's reluctance to venture further forward is because he hasn't been backed up in the space behind him to hold up counter attacks when we lose possession. The likes of Nakamba will certainly help and Taylor in the last game started to venture further forward - I take your point though, he has to develop into an attacking FB.

I like the idea of a back 5 to accommodate Hourihane, who as mondaze has said has a goal in him from dead ball situations.

[Exiledvillan]

We all see things differently and have different expectations of what a Prem player should be doing. By no means higher or lower expectations, just different. I want 100% commitment for 90 odd minutes, which I could never accuse CH to be lacking. But inconsistency of skill levels would be my bugbear.
Heaton, Mings, Engels, Jack and SJM are consistent in utilising their skillsets. CH’s inconsistency in producing an acceptable success rate on set pieces, aligned with his tendency to give away cheap fouls around our box, leaves me thinking of starting him on the bench.
As I have said, I like CH, but just not a starter. He may well go on to improve on his consistency, and I for one would be delighted, but until then? Last half hour cameo. It’s a squad game and we do need a bench with impact after all.

[ozfan]

Still feel the same way EV?

[Exiledvillan]

Yes mate, I do, but over the course of the season? we’ll see. As I’ve said before, I do like him, it’s just his inconsistency. He did very well v Crewe, Brighton’s reserves and Norwich’s patched up X1.

I wish him well, but I think a cameo role (last half hour or so) suits both us and him, at this level.