Tom Huddlestone

[JoeDerby]

7 minutes ago, Ram8 said:

I’ve been saying for ages that Huddlestone is a Rolls Royce of a player, who doesn’t need ‘pace’ ..

Like Chris Martin, he’s so far ahead of everyone else in his reading of the game and his ‘skill set’ that his value to the team is incalculable ..

The idiots who can’t see this glaringly obvious fact need to look more closely at what he does in tight situations, receives the ball with opposition players breathing down his neck and 99% of the time lays it off to a colleague or threads a through ball to a forward player. With him in the team we don’t need Cocu’s ultra cautious tactic of playing TWO defensive mids ! 

 

Completely agree. He's 2 steps ahead than everyone else.

He's a joy to watch at times. I think the real football fans appreciate Huddlestone. 

I understand why people don't like him, he's slow, doesn't take people on but for people that know the game, he's a pleasure to watch.

[JoeDerby]

21 minutes ago, Srg said:

He can't screen anything when he can't move. 

I get it, you love him, I don't. Is what it is. Fortunately for you, he has naked pictures of Cocu so i'm sure you'll see him again.

Tell me who you would like in the CDM role then? a realistic player too from this division.

[RamontheMoor]

1 hour ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Anya - Injured vs Rangers 28/07/19. No return date.

Completely forgot about him......have we ever had a signing that was such a waste of money....I know we've had worse, but at least they played.

[Srg]

8 minutes ago, JoeDerby said:

Tell me who you would like in the CDM role then? a realistic player too from this division.

Not sure what that has to do with the characteristics of what I'd like in my midfield. But you're looking for a Kalvin Phillips type. Good enough with it at his feet, but can cover ground, tackle and set the tone. I was a big admirer of Danny Williams whilst he was at Reading, which earned him that move to Huddersfield. Semedo at Forest with his range is someone I'd have in a heartbeat. Bristol have two good ones in Massengo and Nagy. None of this matters because we can't go and get any of these, we need to look at these characteristics and find someone we can get with them.

 

Quite enjoying your holier than thou footballing vitriol in this thread though for anyone who dares offer another opinion.

[Ram8]

It’s a waste of time trying to enlighten them (JoeDerby), they can’t see the finer points of either the whole game, or of a particular player.

Look at how many were saying Chris Martin was ‘over the hill’, or not a patch on Waghorn, etc. .

Martin and Huddlestone are indeed a pleasure to watch for their sublime skills and superior footballing brain, but also for what they bring to the team, and how they can lift other players to a higher level around them ..

[JoeDerby]

4 minutes ago, Srg said:

Not sure what that has to do with the characteristics of what I'd like in my midfield. But you're looking for a Kalvin Phillips type. Good enough with it at his feet, but can cover ground, tackle and set the tone. I was a big admirer of Danny Williams whilst he was at Reading, which earned him that move to Huddersfield. Semedo at Forest with his range is someone I'd have in a heartbeat. Bristol have two good ones in Massengo and Nagy. None of this matters because we can't go and get any of these, we need to look at these characteristics and find someone we can get with them.

 

Quite enjoying your holier than thou footballing vitriol in this thread though for anyone who dares offer another opinion.

Kalvin Phillips, yes, brilliant player, tipped to play for England. 

The rest NO. if you watched Semedo last Friday he couldn't run a bath never mind a game of football.

I still think Huddlestones experience is more important than anything else here.

[Alph]

I think he's just another player not good enough.

Whether he makes this team better or not I don't know. But it's the difference between slow, crap, negative football and slow, crap, negative football with a bit more accuracy. 

['Rambe33]

27 minutes ago, Srg said:

Not sure what that has to do with the characteristics of what I'd like in my midfield. But you're looking for a Kalvin Phillips type. Good enough with it at his feet, but can cover ground, tackle and set the tone. I was a big admirer of Danny Williams whilst he was at Reading, which earned him that move to Huddersfield. Semedo at Forest with his range is someone I'd have in a heartbeat. Bristol have two good ones in Massengo and Nagy. None of this matters because we can't go and get any of these, we need to look at these characteristics and find someone we can get with them.

 

Quite enjoying your holier than thou footballing vitriol in this thread though for anyone who dares offer another opinion.

Some decent players there. I've been really surprised how poor/lack of progression we've seen with Ryan Woods at Forest. In the Brentford side with Dean Smith as his manager he was a superb little player in front of the back four. Always loved his aggression, even when he decided that Wisdom would be someone to pick a fight with when we played under Rowett.

I always thought he'd be a perfect side kick for someone like Huddlestone in a two man holding midfield 4-2-3-1. 

 

[ollycutts1982]

I like THudd but for me he isn’t the answer. Bielik it’s the future in the holding role. Too ponderous in possession and not mobile enough to do the dirty side of it when we don’t have the ball. Maybe against a weaker team at home he could play a quarterback role with his passing range, doesn’t do it often enough. If our squad was fully fit I can’t see him in the team. 

[Gaspode]

So according to the "experts" on here, anyone who doesn't think Hudds should be in the side is either an idiot; not a "real football fan"; or someone who doesn't "know the game" - good grief.....

[JoeDerby]

52 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

So according to the "experts" on here, anyone who doesn't think Hudds should be in the side is either an idiot; not a "real football fan"; or someone who doesn't "know the game" - good grief.....

No, we are strongly disagreeing that you can be slow and still control a game of football. Just because he's slow and doesn't run around like some of the others doesn't mean he isn't influential.

How can anyone not appreciate what Hudds brings when he plays?? If you don't fancy him in your team, that's absolutely fair enough but to say he's useless and passed it is laughable. 

[JoeDerby]

1 hour ago, 'Rambe33 said:

Some decent players there. I've been really surprised how poor/lack of progression we've seen with Ryan Woods at Forest. In the Brentford side with Dean Smith as his manager he was a superb little player in front of the back four. Always loved his aggression, even when he decided that Wisdom would be someone to pick a fight with when we played under Rowett.

I always thought he'd be a perfect side kick for someone like Huddlestone in a two man holding midfield 4-2-3-1. 

 

Ryan Woods is playing for Stoke this year mate, maybe a typo. 

I quite like him as a player, he looked good against us at Stoke this year, I think he got the man of the match if my memory is correct.

He likes to pass the ball side wards though, a very safe option but keeps the ball moving well.

[Andicis]

2 minutes ago, JoeDerby said:

How can anyone not appreciate what Hudds brings when he plays?

Because I honestly don't have a clue what he's meant to bring. Slowing the ball down? Doing the same chipped diagonal ball that always gets snuffed out? Getting outpaced by 30 year olds? He doesn't even have good positioning to justify his lack of pace. He provides almost no defensive screening whatsoever. 

[JoeDerby]

4 minutes ago, Andicis said:

Because I honestly don't have a clue what he's meant to bring. Slowing the ball down? Doing the same chipped diagonal ball that always gets snuffed out? Getting outpaced by 30 year olds? He doesn't even have good positioning to justify his lack of pace. He provides almost no defensive screening whatsoever. 

He controls the game, he's our outlet. What other player creates angles to play out from the back like he does? Who else organises the midfield in and out of possession. He often gets man marked in games which creates more space for our other midfielders. The reason he is man marked is because other Managers understand he can control the game. He makes everyone around him a better player. The whole back 4 look more comfortable when they have him in front of them.

I'll admit he isn't the best defensively but for everything else he brings; it's a no brainer for me. 

[Andicis]

Just now, JoeDerby said:

He controls the game, he's our outlet. What other player creates angles to play out from the back like he does? Who else organises the midfield in and out of possession. He often gets man marked in games which creates more space for our other midfielders. The reason he is man marked is because other Managers understand he can control the game. He makes everyone around him a better player. The whole back 4 look more comfortable when they have him in front of them.

I'll admit he isn't the best defensively but for everything else he brings; it's a no brainer for me. 

How does he control the game? I don't see how he's organising any midfield, when he himself has pretty poor positioning a lot of the time. He gets the ball and then usually gives it straight back to the person who gave it him initially, or he'll knock a ball long that will sail out of play. I honestly don't think we're watching the same game on Huddlestone. I think the back four looks more nervy with him there. His short passing isn't good, and he gets caught in possession quite a lot and he's never in the right place/quick enough to get back and help the defenders.

I think Bielik is levels above him. I think Eustace and Thorne were both levels above him. Midfielders should keep the game ticking over, all he does it slow it down. Maybe that's why people say he controls it? He kills our quick breaks immediately because it takes him 5 seconds to decide what to do when he gets it.

[Gaspode]

2 minutes ago, JoeDerby said:

No, we are strongly disagreeing that you can be slow and still control a game of football. Just because he's slow and doesn't run around like some of the others doesn't mean he isn't influential.

How can anyone not appreciate what Hudds brings when he plays?? If you don't fancy him in your team, that's absolutely fair enough but to say he's useless and passed it is laughable. 

I quoted your own words (along with the 'idiots' comment from @Ram8 ) - now you're claiming that you didn't say those things? And where did you find me saying he was "useless and passed it"?

You won't change peoples opinions by insulting them or claiming that you're a real football fan or know more about football so have a more valid opinion than anyone else - so perhaps you should calm down before you post any more attacks on other posters and their opinions (made up or otherwise)....

[goldstar]

Typical case of player injured becomes a hero. He spent more time slowly lunging for the ball as the opposition whipped past him than he spent making these precise passes people talk of. Get rid. 

[JoeDerby]

3 minutes ago, Andicis said:

How does he control the game? I don't see how he's organising any midfield, when he himself has pretty poor positioning a lot of the time. He gets the ball and then usually gives it straight back to the person who gave it him initially, or he'll knock a ball long that will sail out of play. I honestly don't think we're watching the same game on Huddlestone. I think the back four looks more nervy with him there. His short passing isn't good, and he gets caught in possession quite a lot and he's never in the right place/quick enough to get back and help the defenders.

I think Bielik is levels above him. I think Eustace and Thorne were both levels above him. Midfielders should keep the game ticking over, all he does it slow it down. Maybe that's why people say he controls it? He kills our quick breaks immediately because it takes him 5 seconds to decide what to do when he gets it.

I really do think the opposite. This is of course all about opinions. In possession, his positioning is really the best I've seen at this level. He's ALWAYS available to receive the ball, even in tight positions. How can this make the back four feel more nervy when he's always available?

He's the dictator to whether we go left, right or through the middle. He also has the knack to play the killer pass over the top. When he gets the balls the forwards are always looking to make the runs because they know he has the ability to find them. Which also gives the team confidence.

 

Let's agree to disagree but I do think we have looked a sloppy mess as a unit since he's been out the team, Preston aside.

[JoeDerby]

16 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

I quoted your own words (along with the 'idiots' comment from @Ram8 ) - now you're claiming that you didn't say those things? And where did you find me saying he was "useless and passed it"?

You won't change peoples opinions by insulting them or claiming that you're a real football fan or know more about football so have a more valid opinion than anyone else - so perhaps you should calm down before you post any more attacks on other posters and their opinions (made up or otherwise)....

Who have I insulted please?

[MuespachRam]

It’s amazing how much better people get (in the minds of fans) when they are missing..... he had a poor season last season, wasn’t doing anything this season either.