Wes Hoolahan’s exclusion at Anfield is depressing – thankfully Norwich fans appreciate him

Yeah, yeah, I know he’s our best player and I know he’s creating everything for us but we can’t take a chance against Liverpool.

We can’t be sure of the exact transcript but presumably that’s a little something like Alex Neil’s rationalisation on Sunday.

Norwich got a good point away from home at Liverpool at the weekend and it’s hard to argue with the job the manager is doing. But it’s even harder to stomach the idea that they could only do that by dropping their best player. At least their most effective player.

Norwich have scored nine goals in the league so far this season. Wes Hoolahan has been on the field for eight of them.

He’s played 334 minutes (of a potential 540), and he’s scored one, set up four.

In just 334 minutes, of the eight Norwich goals that Hoolahan has been on the field for, he has been directly responsible for five of them. 62.5%.

It’s what he does.

But still we don’t trust him.

It goes back to the question of culture on these islands – the puzzling question we were asking when he was whipped off for Ireland against Scotland when we needed a goal.

You see, when you go to play a good team, you can’t be taking a gamble on someone who’s going to play football.

This pretty much summed it up on Sunday when Norwich announced their starting 11 for the Liverpool game.

https://twitter.com/ewanwilson99/status/645599568080556033

It isn’t a game suited to Wes.

What does that even mean? Is it not a game of football? Because, the last time I checked, Wes Hoolahan was suited to that game perfectly and his stats would show you that he is suited to that game better than the rest of the Norwich team.

But that’s the mentality in Ireland and Britain. Footballers are a risk.

Wes Hoolahan has finished one match for Norwich this season – the first game against Crystal Palace. He’s been brought off in the rest of them and didn’t feature at all against Liverpool. He’s a victim of being a good player. The idiot.

When Norwich went a man down against Southampton, Hoolahan was subbed after half an hour. It wasn’t time to do anything flashy anymore – like pass the ball, play football. It was time to ‘roll up the sleeves’, ‘get stuck in’ and all that nonsense that people presume Wes can’t do because he’s creative.

In their second, third, fourth, and fifth games of the campaign, Hoolahan created or scored four of Norwich’s seven goals. He was brought off in every game. And they didn’t score without him.

Then, he got dropped. Completely.

TEAM: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Brady; Redmond, Dorrans, Tettey, Jarvis; Howson; Jerome. #ncfc

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) September 20, 2015

This wasn’t the game for Hoolahan, remember.

Thankfully, the reaction of the Norwich fans to that depressing announcement will restore your faith in the idea that there are still genuine football people in this part of the world. Because the attitude at the moment seems like it will never change.

But thanks be to God for Norwich fans.

@NorwichCityFC WHERES WES???

— Jack 🔰 (@TotallyTettey) September 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/GeorgiaNCFC/status/645599784494047233

@PullenNCFC @NorwichCityFC why why why do we do it to ourselves- no chance of winning now.

— John Woods (@JohnCalebWoods) September 20, 2015

@NorwichCityFC why no Wes?

— Matt Currey (@mattcurrey) September 20, 2015

@NorwichCityFC no

— Harry Discombe (@HarryDisco98) September 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/KeelanPywell/status/645600732448714752

@NorwichCityFC Solid line up, would swap Dorrans for Wes tho!!

— Henry Cugnoni (@henrycug) September 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/Harvey_Vincent9/status/645598577268523008

@NorwichCityFC @DopeyMont no Wes Hoolahan, easy 3-0 Liverpool win

— Scotty (@ScottGamble03) September 20, 2015

@NorwichCityFC what!! No WES!! 😨 gotta trust Alex neil!! #NCFC 💚💛💚💛

— stevie Collins (@stevecol8) September 20, 2015

@NorwichCityFC Gone for a defending 11.. Not good.

— Matt Loveday 🔰 (@PhatRedDevil) September 20, 2015

@NorwichCityFC ummmm where is wes he much better than howson Ffs u Drop are best player and are only play inform #ncfc :/

— Thomas (@tommykerrison) September 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/Dan_16_Bird/status/645598542829105152

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10