I think Martin improved, but otherwise I agree with you. Martin's positioning was much better and he was caught out much less at right back than he had been under Lambert in the Prem. That's different to defensively, or an improvement in conceding, inasmuch as i genuinely think he approached attacking players much better and stood off at the right times, with fewer mistakes. not surprising, really, given that Hughton was a fullback, but the others you mention certainly didn't improve noticeably if at all.
On the contrary, I would say Ruddy, Hoolahan and Bennett (Ryan) have certainly improved over the season. In Hoolahan's case, not just when we are not in possession, but when he is in possession. People keep saying that Wes's "faults" are due to not having better players around him. While there is undoubtedly some truth in that, it doesn't excuse the player from constantly over-elaborating and causing breakdowns in consequence. I suppose people also think that Trappatoni starting with him recently is down to the coach suddenly seeing the light. I see it as a reflection of Wes having adjusted his play more to the demands of the team. I don't suppose discussion between the player and his club and international coach had anything at all to do with the outcome! As regards John Ruddy, people will also say that his increased authority, better positioning and greater domination of his box is down to having better defenders in front of him and being coached by Dave Watson. Again, true in part; but (1) he doesn't just have better defenders in front of him, he is now playing in a team which knows how to defend better, and (2) Dave Watson is our goalkeeping coach because Chris Hughton is our manager. I wouldn't imagine he would have followed CH from Birmingham to work with a manager who really hasn't a clue about what he is doing. As for Ryan Bennett, we saw the promise at the end of the 2011-2012 season; in the last few games of this season we were treated to far more mature and polished defending from a young man who has clearly been helped to improve. Of course, people who can't bring themselves to give CH any credit of any kind at all (except that he actually makes rather good signings -- though how someone who hasn't a clue what he is doing can make good signings rather escapes me) will simply see the improvement as nothing more than having Bassong alongside him and being one year older!
I see what you're saying but I suspect Carrabuh was talking about Elliott Bennett... As for Ruddy - I think he improved leaps and bounds last year, he hasn't improved much simply because he was pretty damn good by the beginning of last season, but had the big injury which was always going to hold him back. I see no significant difference in the Ruddy agains Man City v the Ruddy in August 2012. Hoolahan's a difficult one - I see where you're coming from. He has certainly become a little more adaptable. I don't think there has been a perceptible improvement in his level, though. I'd say he performed much the same as the 2011-2012 season - some games he ran the show, others went missing. I assumed Carrabuh's point was that the players haven't improved on their weaknesses, though. Hoolahan is one we could debate all summer on that! At times he is still shrugged off the ball or overcomplicates...
