Carl Sagan Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I went onto the Squawka Championship summary and spotted that, not only is Will top of the tackles made column, he's made over 14% more tackles this season than the second most prolific tackler in the division (Brentford defender Maxime Colin). It's one of the more ridiculous things on here (out of many ridiculous things) when posters claim Will is lightweight and needs to add physicality to his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 He's certainly got the knack of doing a fake body swerve to kid the player into running his way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringerBell Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Are tackling and being physical the same thing then? News to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 I just can't believe how tough will has got since his injury. He doesn't seem will o the wisp any more. Physically he is the finished article now. At 21 that's great because he is going to be a better player as each week goes by and he gains experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Ram Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Hughes isnt particularly strong, physically, which some people mistake for not being strong defensively, which is completely wrong. He's not particularly physical in the same way that Bradley Johnson is. You'll never see Hughes win the header that Johnson won for an assist on Saturday, nor will you see him muscle players off the ball like Johnson or have the sheer athleticism of someone like Christie. In that regard, he's not a physical player. However, it's blindingly obvious that the reason he isn't physical like Johnson is because he's so nimble and balanced. He could bulk up but he'd lose his edge when changing direction with the ball and staying balanced at all times, which is why you rarely see him lose the ball. He's also a technically very good tackler, particularly with slide tackles from behind and nipping the ball off anyone dallying on possession (something he NEVER does). He's an almost perfect CM for possession based football. Hughes is just brilliant, only thing he doesn't have is consistent shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Sagan Posted November 20, 2016 Author Share Posted November 20, 2016 19 minutes ago, StringerBell said: Are tackling and being physical the same thing then? News to me. You can't measure everything, but I'd suggest there's a strong correlation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needles Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Only thing missing with Will is finishing. I'd be having an extra 20 minutes a day with Kevin Phillips if I was him. He's never going to have a sledgehammer, but with his technique he should be able to hit the target far more than he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irobinson Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Needs to score more - bit of shooting practice me feels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringerBell Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 2 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said: You can't measure everything, but I'd suggest there's a strong correlation. Not always though, and Hughes isn't particularly physical. Nor was Makalele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsy Ram Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 2 minutes ago, needles said: Only thing missing with Will is finishing. I'd be having an extra 20 minutes a day with Kevin Phillips if I was him. He's never going to have a sledgehammer, but with his technique he should be able to hit the target far more than he does. Just now, irobinson said: Needs to score more - bit of shooting practice me feels You guys are just repeating what ramage said on radio Derby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needles Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Not rocket science is it? Three shooting chances yesterday, didn't test the keeper once did he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kernow Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 If he adds goals to his game he'll be gone pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Not surprised at all. He's never been just a pretty passer. He's excellent at reading the opponent and he even covers a lot of ground (for all those that love a grafter). And yeah, if he scored goals then he wouldn't be here. We all know what he's great at. Giving the best ball at the best possible time. Taking pressure off the team and by hitting the right pass he often unleashes our best moves. The "but" is that he's not the actual person winning the points. He's not a headline grabber. He doesn't want to take glory. His instinct is to play for others and bring out the best in them Many teams above us are aware of him. But a lot will always be more drawn to a player who knows how to turn losses to draws and draws to wins by themselves. Players that more frequently show moments of individual brilliance to win points. Hughes doesn't. And we don't need him to. To other teams though they're looking for a significant boost rather than a buff for other players. If he does become more "individual" then he'll be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Hobhead Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 2 hours ago, Carl Sagan said: I went onto the Squawka Championship summary and spotted that, not only is Will top of the tackles made column, he's made over 14% more tackles this season than the second most prolific tackler in the division (Brentford defender Maxime Colin). It's one of the more ridiculous things on here (out of many ridiculous things) when posters claim Will is lightweight and needs to add physicality to his game. On WhoScored, Hughes has made 52 successful tackles. Second best in the division behind Hourihane (fellow left-footed midfielder) at Barnsley. Whether you trust that site or Squawka, it shows he's more than just a playmaker. But physical he isn't. Twice yesterday he was muscled off the ball in good areas. He's quick of mind. I think that helps him win tackles. Not strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irobinson Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 7 hours ago, Gypsy Ram said: You guys are just repeating what ramage said on radio Derby. don't listen to that mate - said it when he ballooned two over the bar on Sat.....and his record speaks for itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninos Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 He's just damn brilliant - hopefully we can keep him in Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostyn6 Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Hughes' tackles are from speed of thought and reading of the opponent. A lot of his tackles are nicking the ball off the toe of the opponent and involve absolutely no aggression, strength or physical prowess whatsoever! People call him 'lightweight' cos he's easy to shove off the ball, but that isn't something to hold against him IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarity Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Hopefully he adds goals. Wilshere hasn't, and that's what's held him back along with injuries. To use another Arsenal example, Ozil has added them, taking him to the next level. Regardless, his retention of possession, positioning, tackling and creativity makes him more than good enough for us and this league. We'll do well to keep him regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tombo Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 On 21/11/2016 at 07:19, Mostyn6 said: Hughes' tackles are from speed of thought and reading of the opponent. A lot of his tackles are nicking the ball off the toe of the opponent and involve absolutely no aggression, strength or physical prowess whatsoever! People call him 'lightweight' cos he's easy to shove off the ball, but that isn't something to hold against him IMO. 5th most fouled player in the league according to whoscored. He's obviously not the biggest guy in the world so this makes sense, but if there was an "easy" way to shove him off the ball, I think they'd take it rather than fouling him all the time. Hughes doesn't have strength, but he has great control and he's tenacious - he HATES to lose the ball. How often does he actually lose it from being shoved off the ball? 26 times this season is the answer. Same amount as Knockaert and 1 less than Jonathan Kodjia. 35th in the league for it. So I guess there's some truth in it, but what I'm getting at is he doesn't get knocked off the ball as often as you'd think for a player who gets as many touches as he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninos Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 He's damn brilliant. Only his finishing is not up to speed. Everything else he's a godsend. Liverpool will prob grab him in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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