I for one am hugely disappointed with our lack of interest in keeping Jack Hobbs. Under Pearson he shown so much potential and by playing him alongside an experienced centre half you can see the boys quality. I think itâs a bad piece of business letting Hobbs go, especially if weâre replacing him with Sol Bamba. Now Bamba is a bit of a fans favourite but he is not the answer to our problems, in all fairness this bloke will add to them. Yes heâs quick, yes heâs strong and yes heâll score the odd goal but defensively heâs naïve and a liability. His positional sense is poor, he makes attacking runs without thinking things through at the back and he needs a steady head next to him to reign him in! His last ditch tackles are applaud-able and made not only because of his good pace but because of his inability to defend in the first instance! Good defenders don't need to make late saving tackles, they eradicate the threat before it becomes one. Bamba doesn't read things well, Hobbs can. Hobbs v Bamba is a no brainer for me and weâre picking the wrong choice by a country mile. On a ligher noteâ¦. http://sportales.com/soccer/15-years-to-the-day/
I think it's fair to say Bamba can be erratic. However, as shaky as he was in his last 8 games, he was at the other end of the scale in his first 8. His performances, both defensively and on the ball, were top class. I agree he needs a steady head next to him to even it, maybe someone experienced like Tunchev. And yes, Sven maybe does need to have a word with him now and again about taking too many risks. I'm not particularly happy about Hobbs leaving, because he does have potential. In any case I'm sure Sven will be replacing him with someone else, not Bamba. I see Mee as more of a replacement for Hobbs, and to be fair he's more comfortable on the ball, is more versatile and definitely has potential as a defender. Besides, we will surely be acquiring another centre back this summer. So I don't think it's necessarily a case of Bamba vs Hobbs.
Hobbs is a good defender, but not a great footballer, so his potential is limited. Sol Bamba is a good footballer, but not always a great defender. Hmmm …. I think Sol Bamba needs a no nonsense CB to play with. I always thought he looked at his best with Ben Mee alongside him. If we have two flamboyant CB’s it might make for an interesting season. But Hobbs v Bamba …. that’s an interesting one ….
Emilio, I was responding at the same time as you, but it's nice to see that we appear to be watching the same team.
I would rather Hobbs then Bamba. Yes Bamba is better in the oppositions box but i would rather Hobbs as he is solid at the back
Hobbs was brilliant for us under Nigel Pearson, and I was absolutely delighted when we announced his permanent signature during the final game of the First Division season. I think he will have a great season at Hull when he signs. Unfortunately, I dont think he would have a great season for us. I believe that he feels much more comfortable playing a more direct game, whilst Sven wants a more passing game. Not sure about the comments about Hobbs positional sense. Have seen him going for balls with no chance of winning them and being hopelessly out of position - remember Man City away last season. I wish him all the best for his career, and thank him for what he has done for us. Think the time is right for him to leave.
That day against Man City he was marking Carlos Tevez. He doesnt have to manager players of that class in this league does he
I think sometimes people's judgement can be swayed by sentimentality. I too was chuffed to bits when Hobbs signed permanently but he struggled last season and did not seem to have any of the qualities which people think he has. He is a good young player and I always hate seeing them go but I do wonder how far he actually has the potential to go. Surely a player who needs a competent partner is a liability and he often seemed that at the beginning of last season. Bamba has some faults but he has something Hobbs doesn't...which is quality. I don't know why people started criticising Bamba because he seemed to do a good job for us. I would have more faith with Bamba starting a Premier League game for us than Hobbs and Prem managers who wanted to to spend decent money on him can't all be wrong. Hobbs fitted into a system and may be of little use in any other system. Bamba all the way for me.
Hobbs is one for the future and a great potential but guess we need "now" players and if Hobbs isnt prepared to sit in the reserves, play the odd first team match, or go out on loan then he needs to move on as Bamba is a far better player. Hobbs lost his way when that rascist twat brown left.....maybe if we think of Hobbs as Mussolini and Brown as Hitler, we'll get a better idea of there pairing. Even if Hobbs goes to Hull and plays very well it doesnt make it the wrong decision (unlike the letting of Gradel go, why we ever did that i'll never know!). sometimes in football players and clubs need to move on. hobbs falls between two stools - he's good enough enough to play 1st team football in the majority of the championship teams but not he's not given sven the confidence to play 1st team for a club with the expectation to gain promotion. Sven is looking for players that will be nailed on names for the teamsheet for a promotion winning side - the pressure is on for Sven!
We´ll see who finishes above the other one next season. Hull are leicester was & Leicester are going through change. I´d still rather be a Leicester fan
The problem with Hobbs is that he isn't comfortable in possesion of a football and for the style of football we play, it just doesn't work. Bamba on the other hand fits the Sven Goran Eriksson mould really. He can play the ball out of defence and start attacks and as a defender he's fast and he's strong so physically he can cope with this league as well - he just needs to be more consistent for me and become a bit wiser about when to come out of defence. I would like to see the coaching staff invest a bit more time with Hoobs to get him to Sven's required technical ability because he'd be a Premier League player if he was upto it technically. However, if Hobbs isn't willing to sit on the bench whilst he develops (which I doubt he will be) then there's no point keeping him and cashing in would be the best option. But I'd want at least £1 million for him.
sven doesnt have time to bring good youngsters on he has a brief and that brief is success not in 10 years time or five years time or even 2 years time but promotion to the promised land at the end of this season. q is hobbs with out a great partner to tell him what to do, a better defender than sol bamba? tbh he isnt the best defender we have let go in the past 3 seasons krisnorbo and mcauley did just as good a job
All this Hobbs is good enough in possestion rubbish. He is good enough, last season when the back 4 was the same every week all of them was brilliant. Weale, Morrison, Hobbs, Brown and Berner and this season Hobbs, Berner, Morrison and Weale havent hit the same standards. Its not because they arent good enough. Its because there was piss poor management under Paulo and not selection consistency under Sven. Last season we only used 3 centre halfs (Hobbs, Brown, Bruce). Then this season we used 9 and conceding goals for fun. My only complaint with Sven is he is too quick to cast off Nigels players (Weale, Morrison, Hobbs, Fryatt, Waghorn, Berner) Fair enough if you can get better players but having wasters like Ricardo, Vassell, Bednar, Kirkland ahead of our players. That is poor
My only complaint with Sven is he is too quick to cast off Nigels players (Weale, Morrison, Hobbs, Fryatt, Waghorn, Berner) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Any new manager will prefer his own players and all of the above have an obvious weakness. Weale is weak from distance, Hobbs can't pass a ball, Fryatt would miss 5 chances for every one he scored and Berner lacks a bit of pace.
Certainly hope not. But he left his position to go for a header, got nowhere near, the ball flicked on , and goal down. There does seem to be some obsession with certain players - we all have our favourites - and I can understand that. We also all have our own opinions. If we do win promotion this year, I am sure that the line up the following season will bear no resemblance to the one that finishes this coming season. Changes always need making to adjust to different styles and levels. Fryatt gone, Hobbs probably going. In a years time (hopefully) we will be looking at more of our favourites and seeing them transferred as we recruit for the Premiership.
Hobbs was definately a good enough defender under Pearson, there's no doubt about that. However, even then, he wasn't that good in possesion. Under Pearson, when Hobbs had the ball, he had two options. He could play route one to the striker or he could play it short to Wellens who would drop deep to collect the vall. If he chose to play it short to Wellens, then that ball would be a formality because no-one would press Wellens or Hobbs as the opposition would be expecting the long ball - therefore, Hobbs' distribution wasn't an issue. However, under Sven, teams know that we will try to play through midfield so they will press higher up the pitch and so that makes simple balls into Wellens that much harder which means Hobbs has to pick out passes better and they have to be more accurate. If they're not, that means we either lose possesion and are vulnerable on the break or the attack just stagnates as Hobbs will probably pass it sideways.
Hobbs is pants……….Sven get us a real centre back. My as well get a few quid for him better than him bumbling along in the reserves until his contract runs out. He will be OK with Pearson and a midfield that never cross the halfway line!!
I disagree with the Hobbs was poor on the ball, at times i can see where you are coming from but as he progressed towards the end of last season his ability on the ball improved remarkably. If he is given regularly football there is no doubt he is a top Championship centre half, but like many of you said does Sven have time to see that develop? Probably not Sven normally has a now attitude towards all of his signings, which if his brief is to win promotion then that is a good thing. I feel under Sven you will get promoted, but if you lose Hobbs it will be our gain as what i have seen of him this year is a top class centre half. Good luck for next season!
