Blimey, I sincerely hope not as it was partly responsible for us getting relegated last time! So predictable, Elmo trundling down the wing occasionally, and Tom in particular but in fact most of midfield playing just in front of the centre backs. I really hope we don't go there again!
He's one I'd expect to go. Had some brilliant moments and some not so brilliant. He's done a good job overall for us imo, but he's better off at a mid table championship team for the rest of his career, and I'd wish him well.
Hull is what people in the rest of the country call us. He is from Nottingham, and probably doesn't follow Rugby League. Stop being an over-sensitive gaylord.
Had another look at this one. Looks like a journo for hire article to place Tom in the shop window. Free transfers are often agreed before a season has concluded so i'd imagine his agent is wanting to create a bit of buzz and get some offers on the table (For Hull to commit or fish for interest from other clubs). Tom warms our bench on reduced wages due to a relegation clause. I'm sure if we get promoted his agent will want him back on premier league £40/50k pw salary for the loyalty he has shown the club in taking this hit. The question if whether he is worth anything near that for our team. Add to that the fact Tom will be 30 three months into the next season with zero re-sale value. We've tied up deals for Meyler and McGregor's contracts. If we haven't even put an offer on the table is shows where our minds our with Tom. If he was in the plans we'd surely have given him something to chew over. We could easily have put forward X salary + Y performance bonus to maintain a low base salary (if he's a squad player like now) and reward him for when he plays. His agent will be looking for one last payday and i'd be surprised if it came from us.
You hit the nail on the head there in that he needs players around him to compensate for his lack of mobility or slowness, I always thought him and Hayden went well together but Bruce left Hayden out for months so they couldn't build a partnership. We might need him again in the top flight, Arsenal had bloody Flamini playing v Barcelona last night as a sub so theres still a role for Tom if he can adapt a bit and Bruce can use him in the right formation
I wouldn't argue with the need to have players who can run, work their bollox off when we haven't got the ball etc. BUT, we need at least one good ball player and the difference Hudds makes in games is very noticeable to me at least. There are times in games when you just need to keep hold of the ball and he is one player who can do help us do so.
I think it's a shame he's ended up in the position he has, no-one else's fault of course but the change in formation hasn't helped him. He's clearly our best passer of a ball who, when playing regularly, had a relatively high tackle count, yet he doesn't fit into our current formation - no argument with that as results and performances suggest we're more successful without him. There is a but for me though, if/when we do go up I think he'll be far more effective as a squad player in the Premier League as he'll tend to get more space and time on the ball. Is he worth a 3-4 year deal - probably not, but a 1 or 2 year extension should see us get the best out of him before he drops back down to the Championship with another team. If his legacy is to have played a part in getting us back up and staying up then I suspect he'll be looked back on with more affection that currently seems the case - a bit like Cairney.
In the Championship grafters are needed in midfield, that tends to be where games are won and lost, while Thudd has the passing range when on form, sadly it`s all too easy for these teams to close him down quickly and stop his flow, it happened regularly towards the end of our relegation season, and was happening this season when he was in the team, it`s alright having runners but his speed of thought must sharpen up a bit for him to be an asset again the Premier League. Just my opinion, and I`m sure people will disagree, but for me, Thudd needs to get back to where he was when he first joined us, commanding games, demanding the ball and having a quicker thought process, dare one suggest he became too comfortable.
Agents will be whizzing round doing their work privately. Do you think managers read newspapers to find out who's available?
I hope so also I much prefer us playing 442, but a lot will depend on the players we have what system will fit the players. IMO I don't think it was the system that got us relegated, it was more to do with the injury list we had.
If he's given you that license to play and express yourself, why havent you done it? Or did he put restrictions on it i.e don't pass the halfway line!!!! Between Thudd and Bruce they've managed to cock what should have been toms prime part of his career right up
“I’m 29 now and I don’t want to be out of contract trying to find a new club,” If we gave him another contract he'd just spend the next few years coasting.
He made some pinpoint passes when he came on at Ipswich - unfortunately for at least the first couple, he thought his team was playing in blue shirts.
