Hoolahan's "best player I've played with" ?

[Canaryboy]

Fox was a very decent Championship quality midfielder who torpedoed his own career by choosing to sit on his lucrative City contract rather than push to go out on loan and put himself in the shop window or get a transfer.

That's actually a little unfair, as he did go out on loan to Barnsley in the Championship early last season and initially impressed before contracting mumps. Then he got mumps again in the summer when he should have been trying to earn a deal somewhere, should imagine it didn't actually leave his system if he was diagnosed with the same viral infection twice in 9 months. 

I live in a town full of Barnsley fans and they all thought he was excellent before he got ill. Not sure if you've ever had mumps but one of my cousins has and it is apparently a horrible experience and I suspect it would take a fair amount of time for a sports professional to get back to 100%. 

 

[Canaryboy]

Somebody didn't tell him that you need jabs before entering Barnsley. 

 

[Beauseant]

Fortunately I haven't !  I accept that he did eventually go out on loan but the issue was really the previous season. I have no issue with the lad personally, just telling you what I understand to be the case.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Saw an interesting stat a couple of years ago on the difference in our passing when Fox was in the team and when he wasnt. Players like Barnett who were very one-dimensional players would regularly use Fox as their default option to pass to - ie win the ball, give it to Fox. When he wasnt in the team these players didnt seem to know what to do with the ball, being uncomfortable in possession and would frequently default to a long punt up the pitch, which would more often than not see us lose possession and not begin to build the move.

I've seen the same happen with Wes a little with Tettey in particular - win the ball, give it to Wes. When you dont have all-rounders who can tackle and then pass themselves this tactic worked well, but without them things broke down

 

[Scott]

Will forever be remembered for the quality assist that got us promoted at Pompey, what a ball 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jIrua-A0AE