I know Hudd is injured at the moment, but do people see a long term future for him at Spurs when he returns? With the acquisitions of Sandro and Parker over the last couple of seasons we now have two extremely reliable and effective defensive midfielders. Tommy isn't strictly a defensive midfielder, but he doesn't seem to fit into any other midfield role either given the system we play. While Hudd has proved to be an exceptional passer of the ball in his time with us, I don't believe he has the ball skills or mobility to play in the Modric role, and similarly I don't think he has the tackling ability or mobility to play as a lone defensive midfielder. The only formation I can see him in is as part of a three man midfield with one defensive (Parker/Sandro) and one creative/attacking midfielder (Modric/Kranjcar). This might be an option for when Van der Vaart isn't playing, but how often is that really going to be? I love Hudd and would hate to see him leave, but I can't say I see a future for him at the club with the quality we have in midfield, I can't see him being willing to sit on the bench for too long...
Huddlestone can play comfortably alongside any of our other 3 main central midfielders, in my opinion. He already formed a working partnership with Modric towards the end of the season before last and I think that he'd actually work better with either of the other two, especially Sandro. The Brazilian's movement and mobility would complement him superbly. Stick Kranjcar in van der Vaart's role and I think that we have two exceptional central midfield trios to choose from.
Hudd can't do Parkers game as good as him, he can't do Sandro's as good as him, he's hopeless at bursting forward and going past people (why he compliments Mod...then again who doesn't!), but those two can't pick a pass like him. I see that as a conundrum PNP.
Huddlestone's game is virtually entirely about his distribution, Notso. Playing alongside either Parker or Sandro would see us setting up like Liverpool did a few years ago, with Alonso and Mascherano. He's already shown that he can work well alongside Modric, though I thought it wouldn't work before it was used. The run to the end of the season before last, when we beat Arsenal and Chelsea in the space of 3 days and then beat City at Eastlands proved that. They were the central pairing throughout.
Couldn't have put it better. I must admit I've written Hudd off twice since he joined us and I'm not going to do it again.
If Spurs achieve their short term aim and we become an established top 4 side as we are very close to doing IMO, then we are going to need the strong squad with many options. Huddlestone has quality sides to his game, as has been mentioned, that are complementary to players like Sandro and Modric not forgetting Adebayor. We need to keep players like this and if we are more successful they will want to stay anyway. So let's not give away riches when they have taken so long to accumulate.
Precisely, Spurf. If given the choice between Huddlestone and Charlie Adam, I know which one I'd take.
Totally agree. Around this time last year I was sure our whole team didn't work quite right without Hudd. Having more quality than we need at any one point is a good problem to have. Good problems are good.
I understand the point about the need for squad depth, but do people think Hudd is going to hang around to play a bit part? We have generally failed to keep our decent, but peripheral squad players happy in the past, O'Hara for example...
But we weren't as successful then. It's one thing being on the periphery of a 7th, 8th team who aren't in Europe - another being periphery for a CL team who have a genuine chance of winning things. Plus Hudd has had his way back into the team blocked before but then still got back in and kept his place when given a chance. In the back of his mind he'll know that. O Hara never had a reason to think he would ever get a good chance and be able to keep his place. Remember that he's been injured too - if he wasn't he would have had plenty of run-out so far this year. And the FA Cup hasn't even started yet.
Two things... 1.) All will be well when the Huddlefro is unleashed 2.) Huddlestone plays Huddlestone's game better than anyone else, which means he deserves to keep his place On the subject of O'Hara, Sandro played O'Hara's game better than him, Parker now plays O'Hara's game better than him, and Livermore plays O'Hara's game as equal as him - whilst I wasn't sure of letting him go at the time, I think his departure has been covered. As for dropping him from my Fantasy team and his recent scoring streak as soon as I did so...
Gutted. O Hara was the first name in my team. Quickly decided to change him for the (cheaper I think) Jarvis. Bloody hopeless. I also had Ba for the first three or four weeks of the season til it became obvious that I HAD to sell him... I hope O Hara's appreciated at Wolves. I confidently predicted in August that £5m for him would look like one of the bargains of the season. He has a lot to offer as a player I think.
On the plus side, I switched him for Ramsey - I saved some cash by dumping Bosingwa for Steven Taylor... O'Hara would be great for a team like Fulham or Villa, to be frank - he's one of those players who performs below just below the radar, but he gets the job done.
THudd is sheer quality. He holds the ball up well, has a great first touch, and can make all the slick one-touch passing moves that we need in order to shift up through the gears when we need to dictate the pace of the game. It would be sheer madness to even think about getting rid of him. Plus, let's not forget that he and Bale were our key players, when we finished 4th, two seasons ago.
It's a squad game, if he's fit and ready he'll get his chances. I'll just be delighted, as will he of course, when he gets fit again, that's the key thing.
Hudd started at Derby as a centre half, he made 95 appearances. That is a lot of experience in that position. Gallas has maybe one more season in him, Ledley; Well Ledley is Ledley. TH as a footballing centre half, with a bit of timber off him, partnering Kaboul or Dawson...? Just a thought...
I can't see Hudd making it as a CB - if only he was good with his head, that would make a difference, but alas he isn't.
I hope he has the fight in him to try and win a place back when fit. Having 4 top quality centre mids would be a fantastic headache for Redknapp.
He isn't now LDL, I agree. Sandro and Parker offer more defensively, while VDV is a class above as an attacking mid.
Quite right there PNP, and thats my worry, only shone with Modric, did great in that trio of run-in games, I'm not questioning that at all, but that was then. So in Hudds absence who's 'distributing' now? This is my point, Hudd may well have been 1st choice then, not now imo. Used for rotation and cup purposes? if he's ok with that, don't get me wrong, I'd want to keep him. He's been unlucky with injury, but our side hasn't half evolved since he was an integral part thats all.
