Huddlestone

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i think he may have fallen into the trap of playing too safe when we are so close to his points target .
Hudd has definitely been less effective since the new year but only Shearer would expect to see him in the hole behind Long/Jelavic
 
I agree he sat too deep instead of taking control of the midfield. His passing qualities are not in question. Ever since "that" hair cut!

petersaxton said:
Shearer was right about Huddlestone and I like how Boyd's running was highlighted. A lot of the passing was too safe. There's a chance for an early breakthrough but the players mess about doing easy passes while the opponent's defenders have time to get organised.
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Steve Gerrard spent a lot of today in between the centre backs as a sweeper.

No one complained...


Then, he did score two!
 
I haven't seen any stats on Thudds pass completion ratio yesterday but even though I'm watching from "out of the country" my estimate would be that it was far ahead of any other player on the field. I will have to watch the replay to see how many he missed but overall he was extraordinary. Brilliant performance in that respect. But he needs to push up more and get those powerful shots on goal.

However we clearly need more movement and creativity in CMF to provide openings for our two good strikers. Jelavic was very good yesterday, fighting for every ball and getting into good positions. Too bad Long overlooked him on the break when he was wide open in the box...he passed out wide instead. That should have been the equalizer. Long I thought was below par..didnt have his usual energy.

Meyler is better playing in the middle as he's the best of our three CMFs in making runs into the box and getting his head on the ball. Boyd really deserves to start on the LW in my opinion. He's like Elmo on the right...willing to take on his defender and get good crosses in. Gives us more balance.
 
CANADATIGER said:
I haven't seen any stats on Thudds pass completion ratio yesterday but even though I'm watching from "out of the country" my estimate would be that it was far ahead of any other player on the field. I will have to watch the replay to see how many he missed but overall he was extraordinary. Brilliant performance in that respect. But he needs to push up more and get those powerful shots on goal.

However we clearly need more movement and creativity in CMF to provide openings for our two good strikers. Jelavic was very good yesterday, fighting for every ball and getting into good positions. Too bad Long overlooked him on the break when he was wide open in the box...he passed out wide instead. That should have been the equalizer. Long I thought was below par..didnt have his usual energy.

Meyler is better playing in the middle as he's the best of our three CMFs in making runs into the box and getting his head on the ball. Boyd really deserves to start on the LW in my opinion. He's like Elmo on the right...willing to take on his defender and get good crosses in. Gives us more balance.
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I never take any notice of these "official" statistics. I am more impressed by passing that changes the game rather than the ProZone passes to somebody 5 yards away with no opponents within 15 yards.
 
CANADATIGER said:
I haven't seen any stats on Thudds pass completion ratio yesterday but even though I'm watching from "out of the country" my estimate would be that it was far ahead of any other player on the field. I will have to watch the replay to see how many he missed but overall he was extraordinary. Brilliant performance in that respect. But he needs to push up more and get those powerful shots on goal.

However we clearly need more movement and creativity in CMF to provide openings for our two good strikers. Jelavic was very good yesterday, fighting for every ball and getting into good positions. Too bad Long overlooked him on the break when he was wide open in the box...he passed out wide instead. That should have been the equalizer. Long I thought was below par..didnt have his usual energy.

Meyler is better playing in the middle as he's the best of our three CMFs in making runs into the box and getting his head on the ball. Boyd really deserves to start on the LW in my opinion. He's like Elmo on the right...willing to take on his defender and get good crosses in. Gives us more balance.
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I would prefer to see Boyd in the "Aluko role" just off the front two. Boyd really has good footballing imagination and is wasted out wide.

Elmo too often tries to beat the full backs and only does it 25% of the time whereas if he crossed deeper he would get a lot more crosses in that were nearly as effective.

Then we would only have to stop the silly "be offside" tactic! I know it gives you some space but you have to make sure you get back onside or you will waste attacks - and even goals - by being offside most of the time.
 
Spot on. Man City defended out out of their skins, our ball control was a thing that let us down, and we have to accept that they had a great plan B with ten men on the pitch.
CANADATIGER said:
I haven't seen any stats on Thudds pass completion ratio yesterday but even though I'm watching from "out of the country" my estimate would be that it was far ahead of any other player on the field. I will have to watch the replay to see how many he missed but overall he was extraordinary. Brilliant performance in that respect. But he needs to push up more and get those powerful shots on goal.

However we clearly need more movement and creativity in CMF to provide openings for our two good strikers. Jelavic was very good yesterday, fighting for every ball and getting into good positions. Too bad Long overlooked him on the break when he was wide open in the box...he passed out wide instead. That should have been the equalizer. Long I thought was below par..didnt have his usual energy.

Meyler is better playing in the middle as he's the best of our three CMFs in making runs into the box and getting his head on the ball. Boyd really deserves to start on the LW in my opinion. He's like Elmo on the right...willing to take on his defender and get good crosses in. Gives us more balance.
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petersaxton said:
I would prefer to see Boyd in the "Aluko role" just off the front two. Boyd really has good footballing imagination and is wasted out wide.

Elmo too often tries to beat the full backs and only does it 25% of the time whereas if he crossed deeper he would get a lot more crosses in that were nearly as effective.

Then we would only have to stop the silly "be offside" tactic! I know it gives you some space but you have to make sure you get back onside or you will waste attacks - and even goals - by being offside most of the time.
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I agree with you Peter on the standing in offside positions on free kicks which really backfired on us yesterday as Man City ran a very disciplined offside trap all day and we just failed to adjust. Incredible how many times we were caught offside in promising positions.

Of the various players SB has used in the LW position since Brady's injury I think Boyd has been by far the most effective. Unfortunately Bruce sees him as an impact sub rather than a starter. Meyler is far better in a CMF role, Sagbo seems wasted and ineffective out there, and Aluko apparently prefers to run across field. Boyd is very versatile though and could play as a striker, where he scored a lot of goals earlier in his career, in the cup games when JLo are cup tied.

As for Elmo he's been criticized earlier in the season for crossing from "too deep" rather than beating the full back and getting to the byline and cutting in or pulling the ball back. That's where he's most dangerous IMO. Jelavic is the type of one-touch finisher who can really benefit from this.
 
there's always the issue of whether to try to beat the man and get in a more effective cross when too many times he's stopped or the cross is blocked. Now with better strikers I think we can finish better with more crosses from deep.

Boyd is good on the wing but right now I think we need Boyd rather than Aluko to create through the middle. At least it's worth a try!
 
Stuart Blampey said:
Th Shearer comments were framed in the context of the 'Hudds to Brazil' debate and AS said no way on that display saying he exerted too little infleunce on proceedings when the one man advantage meant we might have expected to see him running the show......

Maybe Hudds is under orders from SB to play very deep, knowing he will draw opponents onto him (as he's seen as our 'threat') and thus free up players further forward?

He certainly needs to score a few in the remaining games to force himself ahead of the other potential WC larkers.
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I thought it was odd they posed the question this way - I dont know any City fans who seriously think he should be going to Brazil on form. It's only the media who talk about this cos he's a famous player they've heard of so he gets the credit for our good season. Pure media laziness and ignorance. The debate should be how does Davies not get a look-in when Chris Smalling does?
 
I think a lot of our creativity is pinned on Huddlestone because he can pass the ball so well, but he's not actually THAT creative. For me his perfect role is that of a "defensive" midfielder, who sits infront of the back 4 and controls the game from deep.

Because of his lack of mobility, he wont be that affective further forward.. If you look at best attacking midfielders, they're always the small, agile type, Tom is not that player.

Next season if we're still in the prem id love to see us buy a proper attacking midfielder, like your silva's, nasri, kagawa's etc.. obviously not as good and much cheaper.. but you know what i mean. Someone who can be creative and take a man on further up the pitch. Then I feel we'll see the best out of huddlestone, when he can relax a bit more and doesnt have the whole stadium's hopes pinned on his shoulders.
 
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