Huddle

[900triumph]

I slept on this overnight and expected to be posting in an existing thread rather than starting one - I'm a bit disappointed that THudd hasn't garnered more praise for his performance yesterday, and that there are still some iffy ratings and whinges surfacing in the rating thread. Huddlestone was our fulcrum yesterday, pulling the strings in midfield with vision and accuracy.

When will some of you guys realise that those match winning passes to Chimbonda and Bent have to have an element of risk of losing possession, that's part of their effectiveness - they hit where it hurts, turning and disrupting an otherwise organised defence? If the opposition get the ball as a result of an attempt to win the game rather than just play safe that's fine by me - the team as whole should be up to dealing with that.

There will by definition be times when these higher risk/ higher reward passes do not come off - sometimes because a Spurs player does not make or continue a run as Hudd anticipates, sometimes good defending and sometimes a mishit pass, but often his creativity produces a goal threat. A couple of his "pinged" passes to Berbatov and Keane yesterday really shook up Pompey with the help of the striker's excellent control, and showed that you do not need to have pace to inject pace into a move.

Admittedly Pompey standing off gave Hudd more time and space, but it's no coincidence that most of the quality sportswriters gave Hudd MOM in the Sundays.

The boy is a class act, better than many give him credit for, with a real football brain and genuine ability. He should be having an England team built around him in 4 years time, barring injury, providing we have a manager brave enough not to consign him to cameo performances as happened to Hoddle, Le Tissier, Currie and Marsh over the years. The way he strikes a ball is a joy to watch, as in the goal against Chelsea and many passes yesterday.

We are at last enjoying some class creative midfield play when we visit WHL, and with the exception of Carrick for one season, I don't think we've been particularly used to that since the sad demise of Gazza. I hope Hudd continues to perform to the high standard of yesterday and wins over those of you who still have doubts. I know he's still learning, but I feel he already has what it takes at Prem level - I'm looking forward to seeing him step up to International level over the next couple of years and hope that he stays at WHL for many years.

 

[Lilywhite_Bixo]

:clap: Great post and totally agree!

 

[chinaman]

Hoddle didn't have pace as well. If Hudd can train an hour a day skipping ropes to develop a quicker shuffle in his feet like what Hoddle had, he'll be a great player.

 

[usahotspur]

Absolutely, whole heartedly agree. Nice post mate

Next season, i would have the Hudd as first choice with Tainio/ Zokora/Jenas doing all the running and donkey work while he pulls the strings.

 

[gooch]

Admittedly Pompey standing off gave Hudd more time and space, but it's no coincidence that most of the quality sportswriters gave Hudd MOM in the Sundays.

for me that is the key. against the lesser teams that we will dominate in terms of possession, hudd will be awesome, but i cant help feel that his mobility issues and pace will leave him and us struggling against the top teams. maybe its something he will be able to change as he progresses but i'm not sure. theres no doubt he's a class act, but i dont know if he will ultimately be good enough. it depends who plays alongside him as well

 

[truespur]

I love Huddle

 

[usahotspur]

for me that is the key. against the lesser teams that we will dominate in terms of possession, hudd will be awesome, but i cant help feel that his mobility issues and pace will leave him and us struggling against the top teams. maybe its something he will be able to change as he progresses but i'm not sure. theres no doubt he's a class act, but i dont know if he will ultimately be good enough. it depends who plays alongside him as well

It didnt stop him being the best player on the park against Man Utd a few weeks back. That lazy and laidback style of his makes him looks less pacy than he actually is. More so in the last couple of weeks (Ramos's training) he has been able to be at the edge of the box in all of our attacks.

Admittedly he aint no speed demon and never will be, but i think he will make up for it in just sheer class. How many players these days are geniunely two-footed and can spot and ping a ball like he does. To find one that can and has genuine pace we have to spend a absolute fortune.

 

[paul_1979yid]

Hoddle didn't have pace as well. If Hudd can train an hour a day skipping ropes to develop a quicker shuffle in his feet like what Hoddle had, he'll be a great player.

Good thread but i dont think u can teach the above. Like trying to 'give' someone pace. Either quick or ya not :shrug:

 

[chinaman]

Pop Robson was a goal machine though he wasn't quick. But he had a quick shuffle which he attributed to playing table tennis which apparently his wife taught him as she was an English international at TT.

 

[paul_1979yid]

Pop Robson was a goal machine though he wasn't quick. But he had a quick shuffle which he attributed to playing table tennis which apparently his wife taught him as she was an English international at TT.

Give Tom a bat then quick!

 

[General Levy]

I slept on this overnight and expected to be posting in an existing thread rather than starting one - I'm a bit disappointed that THudd hasn't garnered more praise for his performance yesterday, and that there are still some iffy ratings and whinges surfacing in the rating thread. Huddlestone was our fulcrum yesterday, pulling the strings in midfield with vision and accuracy.

When will some of you guys realise that those match winning passes to Chimbonda and Bent have to have an element of risk of losing possession, that's part of their effectiveness - they hit where it hurts, turning and disrupting an otherwise organised defence? If the opposition get the ball as a result of an attempt to win the game rather than just play safe that's fine by me - the team as whole should be up to dealing with that.

There will by definition be times when these higher risk/ higher reward passes do not come off - sometimes because a Spurs player does not make or continue a run as Hudd anticipates, sometimes good defending and sometimes a mishit pass, but often his creativity produces a goal threat. A couple of his "pinged" passes to Berbatov and Keane yesterday really shook up Pompey with the help of the striker's excellent control, and showed that you do not need to have pace to inject pace into a move.

Admittedly Pompey standing off gave Hudd more time and space, but it's no coincidence that most of the quality sportswriters gave Hudd MOM in the Sundays.

The boy is a class act, better than many give him credit for, with a real football brain and genuine ability. He should be having an England team built around him in 4 years time, barring injury, providing we have a manager brave enough not to consign him to cameo performances as happened to Hoddle, Le Tissier, Currie and Marsh over the years. The way he strikes a ball is a joy to watch, as in the goal against Chelsea and many passes yesterday.

We are at last enjoying some class creative midfield play when we visit WHL, and with the exception of Carrick for one season, I don't think we've been particularly used to that since the sad demise of Gazza. I hope Hudd continues to perform to the high standard of yesterday and wins over those of you who still have doubts. I know he's still learning, but I feel he already has what it takes at Prem level - I'm looking forward to seeing him step up to International level over the next couple of years and hope that he stays at WHL for many years.

I'm sorry but come on!?! He isn't Fabregas and some fundamentals of his game are very weak indeed. Even Gerrard (who is a proven world class footballer ahead of Huddlestone in every department) doesn't have "an England team built around him".

A very biased post and you should show it to a non Spurs supporter and they'll laugh at you.

 

[paul_1979yid]

I'm sorry but come on!?! He isn't Fabregas and some fundamentals of his game are very weak indeed. Even Gerrard (who is a proven world class footballer ahead of Huddlestone in every department) doesn't have "an England team built around him".

A very biased post and you should show it to a non Spurs supporter and they'll laugh at you.

GL more and more of your posts i am now agree with (what the **** is this world coming too!!). :dance:
Its true. I am not knocking Tom and dont get me wrong i think he is a GOOD player but to have an England team built around him...............i dont see it sorry.

You have more chance of having an ENGLAND team being built around FABREGAS :up:

 

[900triumph]

I'm sorry but come on!?! He isn't Fabregas and some fundamentals of his game are very weak indeed. Even Gerrard (who is a proven world class footballer ahead of Huddlestone in every department) doesn't have "an England team built around him".

A very biased post and you should show it to a non Spurs supporter and they'll laugh at you.

You are right in some respects GL, I did get a bit carried away there, especially when you quote it in letters ten feet high!

However I genuinely think that Hudd could be a great player and think that England teams have failed internationally through an over reliance on the Lampard/Gerrard type midfielder as opposed to a mix including players with more flair and less reliance on graft and athleticism.

Top level games in European and International competitions often need that spark of creativity and imagination to break down defences. Gerrard and Cole have it, Lampard and Hargreaves do not - but you do need to "accomodate" a player like Huddlestone or Carrick. I wish I'd used that phrase rather than "build a team around" in retrospect.

I agree Gerrard is a top notch player, but a comparison is indirect. I'm sure Gerrard could play Hudd style better than Hudd could mimic Gerrard, but that doesn't mean he's better than Hudd at what Hudd does best. Gerrard is a completely different type of player. I'd love to see them play in the same team! (so long as it's England or Spurs!).

Anyway let's hope Huddlestone achieves my wildly optimistic expectations and becomes Englands answer to Zidane without the headbutting - it'll be great for Spurs and England if he does!

 

[General Levy]

You are right in some respects GL, I did get a bit carried away there, especially when you quote it in letters ten feet high!

However I genuinely think that Hudd could be a great player and think that England teams have failed internationally through an over reliance on the Lampard/Gerrard type midfielder as opposed to a mix including players with more flair and less reliance on graft and athleticism.

Top level games in European and International competitions often need that spark of creativity and imagination to break down defences. Gerrard and Cole have it, Lampard and Hargreaves do not - but you do need to "accomodate" a player like Huddlestone or Carrick. I wish I'd used that phrase rather than "build a team around" in retrospect.

I agree Gerrard is a top notch player, but a comparison is indirect. I'm sure Gerrard could play Hudd style better than Hudd could mimic Gerrard, but that doesn't mean he's better than Hudd at what Hudd does best. Gerrard is a completely different type of player. I'd love to see them play in the same team! (so long as it's England or Spurs!).

Anyway let's hope Huddlestone achieves my wildly optimistic expectations and becomes Englands answer to Zidane without the headbutting - it'll be great for Spurs and England if he does!

If the Hudd became half the player Zidane was; 'headbutts included' see Reading FA Cup at home this season. Then I would be a very happy chappy.:grin:

I just wish his movement off of the ball was better. I feel that his passing has done the work for him for so long and that he has developed some bad habits/fundamental weaknesses.

I would love it if the Hudd developed into something special ray:

 

[don1]

good post i gave him man of the match yesterday thought he controled the midfield and was unlucky not to score

 

[tottenham4life]

Always rated 'THE HUDD' and new he is capable of the performances he put in yesterday. I dont need convincing i have always said he is gonna be a brilliant player, when he hits mid twenties thats when we will see the best of him.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

He had an excellent game yesterday and is steadily improving.

No reason why the England side cant be built around him because he undoubtedly can become that good but still has a long way to go and has many areas of his game to improve.
He's certainly heading in the right direction.

 

[sloth]

Good post. I like Thudd in this new forward role. He's a kind-of Riquelme style midfielder, a bit slow but with great vision, a sweet pass and an abundance of time under pressure.

Watching him and Berbatov inter-change passes on Saturday I was struck by the fact that Thudd was the one player on the pitch with more natural ability with the ball at his feet than him. He doesn't have the X factor the Berbi does, but I wonder if Berbatov did at the same age?

The attacking midfield role gives him licence to be adventurous though and play his natural game and if he loses it or fucks up he still has half the team behind him to clear up. He also doesn't need to be as mobile as the DM position requires, just create himself space, receive the ball and move it on. On the secondary level he has bags more tackling ability and a work ethic that your average AM lacks. I know I'm in danger of going over-board but I'm genuinely excited by the prospect of Thudd as AM over the next few years.

 

[degoose]

GL more and more of your posts i am now agree with (what the **** is this world coming too!!). :dance:
Its true. I am not knocking Tom and dont get me wrong i think he is a GOOD player but to have an England team built around him...............i dont see it sorry.

You have more chance of having an ENGLAND team being built around FABREGAS :up:

lol im not, the more i read of GLs stuff the more i disagree with him. No offence GL you just seem a bit cruel with your reviews of players performances and concentrate heavily on 1 or 2 mistakes per game.

I have noticed a lot of people complaining about Hudd the same way they complained about carricks lack of pace, then in one season everyone said he was amazing, i can see hudd being a major player for us next season, who knows maybe he will be a key player in europe as there is more time on the ball than in the prem but i feel he will improve and be a great player for us.

 

[Kyras]

I love the hudd, we need to keep him and play him week in week out, let him get a few games with Bent as well as the other two strikers. Thought him and Zoko were quality yesterday, especialy playing against a 5 man midfield, and I can't see why Jenas should play if those two can forge a partnership like that. Hudd's natural ability to pick a pass is unreal.