But it's the lynchpin of our system, as we found out last season when Alfie and Richie were injured and we tried playing Doc there. Trying to crowbar Tom in there doesn't make sense. In hindsight, bringing Cannon on for his energy might have been the better option tonight. Regardless, what tonight emphasised was that we need a DM, or another CB so we can play Alfie there.
I don’t remember Smallwood doing anything tonight that I would say “that’s why he’s in the team” other than he’s a dm. I’d rather have a tom in there that can play at this level, he won’t win many tackles but he’ll do other things well.
Wilks or KLP in the centre of a front three are less effective because they're playing as a target-man with two wingers supporting them. Wilks or KLP in a front two alongside a target-man like Magennis is completely different because they'll be playing as a second-striker.
So we have half the posession for Tom to do his magic and are probably 2 down before one of his passes causes a problem? It's a balancing act, I would say based on a player's form and the nature of the opposition.
The whole *point* of Hudd is that he brings things to the game that others don’t. Looking at our bench tonight, he was the only option we had to try and change things up. I watched him too - he made football look effortless, he kept and controlled the ball, made some great passes. Admittedly sometimes the passes didn’t find their mark because the mark wasn’t quick enough to realise what Hudd was doing - hopefully some work on the training ground will sort that out. Criticising him because he’s not quick or can’t jump is like criticising Ingram for not scoring goals. It’s not his role in the team. I was only joking on the other thread when I asked how soon it would be before people started moaning about Hudd’s lack of pace, bloody hell.
Fair point, but they do that getting in close support in the area from out wide anyway. And you have 2 of them.
Exactly the same things people have said about Huddlestone. Even a half fit, out of match practice 34 year old who was only on the pitch for 20 minutes, was our best player by an absolute mile.
Given KLP's crossing against QPR and tonight against Derby, I don't even think playing out wide is his strongest position anyway. Yes he makes great runs on the wing and can cut inside but he could easily make those same runs through the centre without having to try and beat a full-back. And Wilks was a striker before McCann made him into an inverted winger at Doncaster. I wouldn't play KLP centrally in a front three because he lacks the physicality for it and would be isolated. I would play him or Wilks as a second-striker alongside Magennis or another target-man in a 3-5-2 like Bruce used Aluko in 2012-13.
Just look at tonight. KLP tried (and failed) to whip in crosses and beat their right-back to make some space for himself to cut inside. Had he been playing closer to Magennis in a 3-5-2 he could've fed off of Magennis' knock-downs and run in behind Grandad Jagielka and Grandad Davies for some 1-on-1s and and maybe score.
Magennis knock downs. Did he manage one ? Daft crossed balls into players who can defend against them in there sleep
I was sick of watching those aimless punts up front for Jagielka and Davies to lap up. When the one thing neither of them would have wanted is someone with pace running at them - we failed to even attempt the latter. Will Jagielka and Davies have an easier game this season? Probably not.
