How the hell do we replace Wes?

[Wiz]

He's not getting any younger but on his day he's still unplayable and a joy to watch.

I don't know how many playing years he's got left at this level. .  but it'll cost a hefty old wedge to replace him.

 

[KeiranShikari]

If he got suspended or injured we'd probably replace him with Dorrans.

 

[morty]

I don't think we would replace him, per say, with an absolute like for like.

I was assuming though that Andreu was pencilled in for a similar role though.

 

[Canaryboy]

I doubt Andreu will be good enough for this level, although open to being proven wrong. 

I guess the answer to what we'd do if Hoolahan got injured tomorrow is possibly play Redmond through the middle as a second striker / attacking midfielder, Brady and Jarvis now make that possible.

If Wes suddenly retired at the end of the season then I guess we'd have to either make a proper offer for Steven Naismith or Kris Commons (although he's not much younger than Wes), or sign an altogether different type of attacking midfielder, players like Kevin Nolan and Danny Murphy were a lot less elegant but posed a constant goal threat, and one criticism of Wes has always been that he doesn't score enough goals for a player in his position. 

 

[KeiranShikari]

Oh, God. The thought of Wes retiring and us replacing him with Commons just made me throw up in my mouth. Why would you even say that?

 

[morty]

Oh, God. The thought of Wes retiring and us replacing him with Commons just made me throw up in my mouth. Why would you even say that?

:lol:

 

[Dubai Mark]

Whilst he is playing the best I have seen him, much more decisive and less fuss, and even considering how excellent he was yesterday.  I am genuinely not over concerned,  as the club and manager will surely have it covered both short term in case of injury or suspension, probably by playing slightly differently tactically or longer term by splashing some cash. Right now I am seeing very few errors being made when it comes to the quality of our squad,  putting aside the CB sutuation.......I have never had so much faith as I do now in our management..........not bad for a "sh1tty little club"!

 

[dj161]

was thinking about this earlier, if he was 26 now instead of 33 in todays market surely he'd valued at about £15m quid, tough to replace without a doubt

 

[Killiecanary]

Yeah it's a fair question, but by the same token I am thinking of how often he hasn't been able to get into the team...for all The wee man can be unplayable, he has also had fairly long chunks of seasons in the past flattering to deceive.  Personally I think we are now benefiting from his experience, as he seems to me to be much more decisive now than sometimes in the past when he would drift out of games as soon as the opposition man marked him.

As for his replacement, no idea.  Would love to think Andreu could be it, but there's been no real sign of it so far.

But. Great as he is playing at the moment I wouldn't worry too much if he was injured / suspended...I think it would be more a case of a formation tweak than a straight replacement

 

[Jimmy smith]

Well if we stay up, we will have some money to buy a top class replacement. Perhaps Will Hughes could come in for cheap after a dodgy injury? There are plenty of diminutive playmakers around, its getting them on the same wavelength as their teammates that is the big thing. Look at Ben Arfas career. One day, he is one of the best players in France, the next he is rotting in the reserves at hull!

That quintero looked a decent bet.

Or... Perhaps Redmond will learn the role and Jarvis and Brady will man the wings?

 

[KeiranShikari]

Will Hughes hype was mostly football manager. Certainly no Wes replacement.

That being said I think Wes still has a couple of good years left yet. I'll not post any more on this topic until the time actually comes. 

 

[E2 Canary]

If you're answering the original question purely tactically, we won't replace him like-for-like. We'll play different tactics, just as we do when he's not in the team. If you're asking how we replace him sentimentally, the answer is that we can't. He's a part of NCFC folklore probably more than any other current player.

 

[hogesar]

We won't get a player identical to Wes. A player like him rarely comes along.

Regardless of others opinions I've always found him a joy to watch. I've always felt his limitations under us has been due to the players and tactics around him. This going round in circles *bleep* thrown at him was because we rarely had players running in and around him. Both our wingers coming narrower at times alongside a fluid midfield where Howson and Dorrans are happy to exchange quick passes has allowed him to really show what he's capable of.

He's the focal point of our team, thankfully I dont think we'll need to worry about replacing him for a couple years yet. It is important he has some genuine competition for his position though.

 

[It's Character Forming]

Aspects of his play remind me of Ian Crook in a lot of ways, another player that had outstanding ability and for various reasons we were lucky enough to keep at City.

When Crookie left, we never really were able to replace him.  And not by coincidence, we spent about 10 years in the 2nd tier.

 

[Personal Trainer]

Could Youssouf Mulumbu be the alternative?

 

[KeiranShikari]

Mulumbu behind the striker? Nope. If Wes were to miss a game I expect it would be Dorrans, Howson or even one of the wingers to fill his position.

Wouldn't be surprised if we see a 442 at some points during season, especially when Mulumbu is back. I'm actually half expecting us to use it in the Cup next week.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Can anyone think of a player who plays quite like him? He must be one of the smallest players in the division whose game does not rely on pace.

I cant really think of anyone we could purchase who would be a direct replacement for him. Yes there are plenty of players who could play his position and offer a lot, but the style in which Wes plays - is there anyone like him? This doesnt mean he is world-class, just one of a kind!

And dont say Messi, because a) its silly and b ) they're not that similar

 

[KeiranShikari]

David Silva plays in a similar fashion to Wes, probably closest player to him in the league in terms of style. 

 

[Canaryboy]

Samir Nasri? 

Nasri can do some things with the ball that I've never seen Hoolahan do, but if you could inject Hoolahan's composure into Nasri you'd have an incredible player. 

You say that the Messi comparison is silly, but its not a completely ridiculous comparison, because Hoolahan does seem to have that low centre of gravity advantage. He's the 'Norwich Messi' at least  :lol:

Crystal Palace have got a little player that I've watched a few times, and sometimes he looks Hoolahan-esque and other times he looks bloody useless, Johnny Williams, recently on loan at Ipswich! 

Not saying he is anywhere near Hoolahan's level, but he's only 21 and nobody outside of Ireland had heard of Wes Hoolahan until he was 24/25. 

 

[dj161]

I'd say he's somewhat a cross of David Silva and Juan Mata, not a couple of bad players in their own rights, but their not Wes