New contract no problem! He returned from injury a better player. Maybe not the best, fastest or youngest, but he does the job well and I actually like how he goes about it.
I'd rather have Dudgeon too and though Dawson's been great for us, I don't think he will be for another three years, as Nick suggested yesterday.
I think it's great to have the experience Daws brings to the defence, I think he'll move onto the coaching staff when his playing days are up.
Has he signed a new deal? I don't rate him much to be honest. He was never really a favourite of mine but these days he just seems to be much easier to beat than the other defenders (including Dudgeon) and he's as frustrating as ever going forward. He's been a great servant, and I'd be happy for him to stick around for a year or two yet, but he isn't my first choice.
Would prefer to see Dudgeon start the matches. Dawson has been a good servant to the club, but he no longer as the legs.
We need Dawsons experience around the place, he's taken over Barmby's role doing this. I don't think he will be playing that many games either but he is smart enough to read the game well and cover for his lack of pace
several managers have now had dawson, looked at other options and ended up with him as there 1st choice so he must give something. i peronally rate him and dont understand a lot of the stick about his legs etc, there are some games, burnley away spring to mind where he was up and down all game and was at times our biggest threat going forward due to stewarts resistance to burst down the line, dawson ended up doing it for him most the game, and i think his experience in a fairly young defence is welcome
I think the 'legs' argument is used for any player of a certain age regardless of their fitness level and it's stupid. I haven't noticed it particularly in Dawson's case but IMO he has other weaknesses. For someone whose left foot is so handy from free kicks, I don't get why his crossing is so poor (and has been for years) it seems to be the areas he aims for that are the problem rather than the execution. He puts the ball so far from the goal that an attacker could never score with a header. I also think players get past him way too easily, any winger with a bit of pace knocks the ball on and immediately Dawson is seriously struggling and usually pulling his shirt. In a team that gets so many unfair bookings, it doesn't help that Dawson gets totally unnecessary ones most weeks. I don't find the experience argument particularly convincing either, all of our back four are pretty mature and show experience beyond their age.
Like Nicky said it's nice to have two players fighting for the shirt, no doubt Dudgeon will get his place back and will have learnt from watching Daws, and Daws is one of those that will help the lad develop, we are lucky to have such a good pro at the club
I think his timing is better now. Pace wise he is still on it against a player with the ball, he is capable of moving the play out wide at is not afraid of getting stuck in.
what irks me is that dudgeon lost his place without playing badly and in fact was looking solid defensively and positive going forward. I don't doubt that nick has hcafc's interests at heart but I believe this is a bit of the old boys club rearing it's head. Crawley is a great chance for dudgeon to have a run out but if he plays well then it makes it awkward for nick to start daws again. I know I sound cynical about this but this situation really pi**es me off. COYH
I know what you mean. He kept pretty much NP's same XI at first but then as soon as we lost a game Dudgeon was dropped, it was as though NB was waiting for a chance to drop him. But NB has done nothing to suggest we shouldn't trust his judgement.
other than his naivety in putting daws on infront of dudge during the burnley game which pretty much ar*ed the 3 points up for us (sorry, that still stings massively) I'm in the 'in nick we trust' gang and i love the kind of football he's trying to play but to me, starting dawson over dudgeon just doesn't seem to fit in with that. COYH