Tom Huddlestone

[Khilari]

Any news when he may come back?

I think we're really missing him. A lot.

He doesn't have the defensive agility or guile JJ or WP have... but WP has been really disappointing in a lot of the games recently. Not tackling much, not contributing to attack. JJ has been magnificent one game, then decidedly average the next.

Hudd does manage to shield the back four reasonably but manages to give us something which takes the pressure off us for larger parts of the game - possession. He can keep possession and deliver a deadly ball from deep in our half, can mop up and has quick feet around players to keep the ball long enough to spread and switch play.

He also release Luka further up the pitch and the two of them can work wonders creating chances for us.

I think the loss of Hudd has been a big big blow for us in terms of prising teams open. Our creative play is almost exclusively wing-play now and we're ineffective creating down the middle.

Love The Hudd.

 

[kishman]

Losing the Hudd has been a huge blow, we are really missing him at the moment. I think one of the crucial things about the Hudd playing like you said is that he releases Luka further up the pitch. Even though he was awesome against United, I felt Luka was a bit restricted at times because of Palacios. The sooner Tom comes back the better.

 

[Lanh]

When asked, "r u fit for the Milan game?", he replied, "a week too soon I think, disappointing but can't do nothing about it I'm afraid".

 

[louisg]

When asked, "r u fit for the Milan game?", he replied, "a week too soon I think, disappointing but can't do nothing about it I'm afraid".

But he will be nice and sharp for the return leg, which is the most important:hump:

 

[Khilari]

awesome. hope he's back to his best when he does return

 

[LukaMotion]

He responded to someone's tweet before the newcastle game with "a month", he can't come back soon enough for me.

 

[gibbs131]

I don't rate Hudd. But he is a good option to have.

 

[GLUESODA]

The best we have in that position by a country mile...

Hope this Jenas insanity ends soon, the guys not a holding mid.

 

[NickHSpurs]

We've missed him for sure, especially his presence in the final third, he offers a completely different threat to Modric and gives people a lot more to think about than JJ or Wilson.

 

[Khilari]

I don't rate Hudd. But he is a good option to have.

I don't post here much, but when I do see your posts, they tend to be completely at odds with the majority of respected football opinion!

 

[Mr Pink]

I honestly cant wait untlil he's back...

 

[gibbs131]

I don't post here much, but when I do see your posts, they tend to be completely at odds with the majority of respected football opinion!

I'm not a kneejerker.

You won't find any "we need Hudd" threads during our unbeaten run this season that he missed.

We get 2 point from 3 games, and all of a sudden we need Hudd?

I know why we are dropping points. I even predicted it.

But it's not a very popular opinion.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Can you refresh my memory, gibbs?

 

[gibbs131]

Can you refresh my memory, gibbs?

http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=68760&highlight=everton+direction&page=2

This was before the Everton game:


"It can be aimed at him that it is part of his small time rep.

So called big managers have managed in more than one country, and have seen European teams every year via CL and have often managed International teams.

HR's usually selects transfers from a smaller pool of Prem players.

-------------Defoe------------
-------------VDV--------------
Bale--Modric--Hudd--Lennon
BAE----King---Daws--Hutton
-----------Gomes-------------

I think most (but not ole Gibbsy) would say this is the strongest team we can put out if fit.

Lets face it. HR's signings, only Defoe squeaks in. And he is by far the weakest link in that team.

Look at the other strikers he has signed: Keane, Crouch, Gud etc. Great for a team like Portsmouth, but I wish he would cast his net a little further than he has when it comes to transfers.

It's ole Gibbsy prediction time. After the Everton game, I can see us going on a topsy turvy run.

Not because HR is a bad manager, I think he is still learning being a big team manager. Post Everton until our second leg against AC, I can see us dropping points in the Prem.

I don't think HR has the experience to balance FA cup, CL and the Prem at the same time.

I started a thread a while back where I claimed HR could only focus in one direction, and when he does, he does a fantastic job. Case in point, our great Prem run with no other competitions to worry about.

I don't think we are going to go into freefall. I just think it will cost us CL football next season.

Fingers crossed another player will fall in our laps, because when you look at his track record, I doubt a HR target up front will do us much good. Just from trends alone.

For some reason, I like Corky, Kranj and Palacios more than HR does, and he signed them. haha. Stick to the midfielders and defenders Harry. Leave the strikers to your scouts."

(I got the Corky signing wrong)

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Yes, I remember reading that. And you made some fair points.

 

[Yorkshireyiddo]

I don't rate Hudd. But he is a good option to have.

If you don't rate him, how can he be a good option to have.
Is that not a contradiction gibbsy?

 

[nightgoat]

If only his passing stats were as good as Jenas'...

 

[Damian99]

http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=68760&highlight=everton+direction&page=2

This was before the Everton game:


"It can be aimed at him that it is part of his small time rep.

So called big managers have managed in more than one country, and have seen European teams every year via CL and have often managed International teams.

HR's usually selects transfers from a smaller pool of Prem players.

-------------Defoe------------
-------------VDV--------------
Bale--Modric--Hudd--Lennon
BAE----King---Daws--Hutton
-----------Gomes-------------

I think most (but not ole Gibbsy) would say this is the strongest team we can put out if fit.

Lets face it. HR's signings, only Defoe squeaks in. And he is by far the weakest link in that team.

Look at the other strikers he has signed: Keane, Crouch, Gud etc. Great for a team like Portsmouth, but I wish he would cast his net a little further than he has when it comes to transfers.

It's ole Gibbsy prediction time. After the Everton game, I can see us going on a topsy turvy run.

Not because HR is a bad manager, I think he is still learning being a big team manager. Post Everton until our second leg against AC, I can see us dropping points in the Prem.

I don't think HR has the experience to balance FA cup, CL and the Prem at the same time.

I started a thread a while back where I claimed HR could only focus in one direction, and when he does, he does a fantastic job. Case in point, our great Prem run with no other competitions to worry about.

I don't think we are going to go into freefall. I just think it will cost us CL football next season.

Fingers crossed another player will fall in our laps, because when you look at his track record, I doubt a HR target up front will do us much good. Just from trends alone.

For some reason, I like Corky, Kranj and Palacios more than HR does, and he signed them. haha. Stick to the midfielders and defenders Harry. Leave the strikers to your scouts."

(I got the Corky signing wrong)

So after Everton we play Man United at home and Newcastle away and you are saying you predicted we would lose points, well fuck me you really are a footballing genius. :duh:

By the way we finished fourth and Huddlestone played the majority of those game. I am willing to make a prediction for you now, when he's fit he will be back in the side and we will play better football and pick up more points, irrespective of the unbeaten run we went on, we also went on that run without Ledley king in the team aswell.

By the way we have lost ONE out of 14 games, two of those were in the CL and one of them the FA Cup, Thats not a bad balancing act if you ask me.

 

[Khilari]

I'm not a kneejerker.

You won't find any "we need Hudd" threads during our unbeaten run this season that he missed.

We get 2 point from 3 games, and all of a sudden we need Hudd?

I know why we are dropping points. I even predicted it.

But it's not a very popular opinion.

we don't "all of a sudden need Hudd"...

we've been missing him since his injury! you only need to have seen our home performances vs. Liverpool and Fulham to see that we were dominated in the centre of the park. I was shocked in the way Fulham had our backs to the wall for 15minutes at WHL.

Luka Modric was magnificent in both and just managed to get us some possession and get the ball out to the flanks, but we lacked possession and magic passing muscle.

 

[900triumph]

There are times where we certainly miss the incisiveness of Huds pinged pass to feet, especially to Lennon, which gave Aaron useable possession without allowing marking defender time to get set. So many times without this accuracy early after regaining possession Lennon is forced into tamely nudging the ball back to Hutton or back and inside because his marker is already set by the time the ball arrives. Bale suffers less because Modric tends to operate more towards his flank.

Hudds a proper footballer who will not only improve our team but will become a mainstay in the England team as well. With the aging of the uncomfortable Lampard Gerrard Barry era Tom will be ready to take on the challenge.

He is the most gifted English player around, and I cannot get my head around the disparity between my perception and that of the Hudd doubters.

It's all about opinion I suppose.