David Cameron had better call in the war council because there may soon be an attack aimed squarely at Norfolk. When it became clear that Norwich were in the market for Steven Naismith, there was one man in particular who had reason to fear for his starting spot. Now that the £8.5 million deal has gone through, Eamon Dunphy will be ready to dig up the arsenal and go into battle over Wes Hoolahan.
Leaving aside the Dunphy love for a moment, there is a serious point to be made here. Alex Neil obviously rates Naismith very highly and with the former Everton man doing his best work off a central striker, Hoolahan's position is very much in doubt. With Euro 2016 on the horizon, that's the last thing we needed to hear.
However, the reality of the situation is that Norwich are in a relegation scrap and the recent couple of performances would suggest that Hoolahan may not be the best man for the job. A 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth and a 3-0 defeat to Stoke has seen Norwich slip to 16th, just two points clear of the relegation zone and in both those games, Hoolahan was taken off after relatively anonymous performances.
With the Dubliner effectively playing as a number 10 behind Dieumerci Mbokani, it's understandable to see why Naismith's arrival has seen Hoolahan put under the spotlight to the extent that Sky Sports have even given it the Football Manager treatment.
.@NorwichCityFC have wrapped up the signing of Steven Naismith from @Everton: https://t.co/VOSymKy8Gr #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/JtzeJo0shr
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 19, 2016
And while that may seem rather flippant, the response from quite a few Norwich fans would suggest that Hoolahan is in a spot of bother when it comes to keeping his position in the months leading up to Euro 2016.
Naismith in for Hoolahan who has been too inconsistent for a while. Not enough to solve our problems up front though imo. #ncfc
— Jaz (@JazNCFC) January 18, 2016
Naismith deal has come at a good time too as I feel that Wes has been poor the last few weeks, much needed competition
— Danny (@craskey7) January 17, 2016
@philmcnulty Will expect Hoolahan to be "rested" for a while. Off form anyway. Naismith behind Mbokani can be fruitful #ncfc @TomFox87
— Rashica’s left peg (@jabbidabbadoo) January 19, 2016
@_thomasej I think Wes has had his time. Not been involved for a while. Would be interesting to see Ofoe for Wes and Naismith CM
— NCFC Nodge (@OTBCuk) January 17, 2016
During Norwich's promotion push last season, Alex Neil was more than willing to look past Hoolahan if he felt the game didn't suit him. In the away leg of the crunch play-off semi-final against Ipswich for example, Hoolahan was overlooked before returning for the home leg.
Irish fans aren't going to like hearing it but there's every possibility that Neil is less than confident of Hoolahan's ability to do his best work in a relegation dog fight. There's every possibility that Neil is looking to accommodate both Naismith and Hoolahan but, judging by the initial reaction from some Norwich fans, Martin O'Neill may have something else to worry about over the next couple of months.
