Gary Medel, who cost them a mint.. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26224286 could be useful since midfield is where we've been weak recently.
Huddlestone could learn a thing or two from Medel, actually move for a start, drop off to pick up the ball from the defence, actually dictate possession, not just swan about in the middle of the pitch completely relaxed, doing sod all and taking his time about it. Basically all the things he did for us in 2013 and stopped doing in 2014.
Not just midfield that's looking weaker, but our defence is getting thinner by the week. injuries aren't helping.
Problem is without Chester there's only Davies in defence who can pass a ball, so Huddlestone has to come so deep to collect it from them that he can't influence play from further up. Play Chester and Davies in a 4 together and you see a different Huddlestone I reckon.
I find it very hard to believe it took managers at the highest level half a season to figure out how important a player he can be for us, in fact I'd say Mourinho probably had instructions for his players not to let him boss the midfield should he have come on on the first day.
In the games I've seen him play Medel has dropped so deep he's actually been behind the defence picking the ball up off the keeper!...I also think Tom should do this as it would give him more time to hit his passes and dictate the play... Team v Cardiff -----------McGregor--------- Chester----Bruce-----Davies ----------Huddlestone-------- Elmo--Livers---Aluko----Boyd --------Long----Jela-----------
This Huddlestone bashing is nonsense. Against Brighton he was pinging 50 yard passes across the pitch to release Elmo/Quinn time and time again. I don't understand how people could be disappointed with that. Are people expecting him to score a screamer every week or what? He still looks by far the most comfortable player on the ball in our team. I agree with Hat that the idea of teams 'finding him out' is stupid since everyone knew how good he was long before he signed for us, but I don't think he's really played poorly either.
Everyone seems to be expecting him to play like the Fulham game every week. Forgetting the fact that it was Fulham.
It's far from nonsense. Too many times recently the midfield haven't been giving the defence a safe option and we've been hoofing it. Huddlestone used to drop right back and take the ball off the defence, spread the ball about the park, just make us tick over and hit those pin point 50/60 yard balls to send people off in space. For too long he's just sat about in the middle of the pitch, waiting for the ball to be given to him rather than trying to get on it, he's been playing with very little intensity, in fact he looks so lazy he looks like he can't be arsed to play at all, he been giving possession away very cheaply, backing out of tackles, just being a total passenger. I appreciate some of that maybe Brucey telling him to get higher up the pitch (god knows why he'd want him do that so doubt it) but he's smack bang out of form and that doesn't look like changing at all. Meyler and Livermore have offered a lot more over the last month or so, they should be the midfield pair.
I agree with all of that apart from the last lines bob. Teams have pressed him more and he's knocked it off straight away usually to a defender who didnt want it and they have had to hoof it. The fans are then blaming AB Figgy for hoofing it. He needs to have the moral courage to get the ball and hold it and at least to draw his man and then lay it and show again for the ball. Hudd is the most gifted player in our team. His display against Fulham was 9/10. A great player which he can be should be at least a 7 and mostly an 8 every week when the whole team is built around you. He's been a 5 or 6/10 since Fulham. Jake's been poor too. Maybe its cos Hudd is 5 yards too deep and Jake is too deep also and isnt close enough to the ball when the opposition have it. But we need to press teams more and both of them definitely need to make a proper crunching midfield tackle now and again.
As well as Medel out, maybe of the same significance is that Jordan Mutch has got a hamstring problem and probably won't play. Our midfiled wil have lost its' bite from the one, and the probing skills of the other. Whitts has been poor this season (apart from his goal against you) so we may be starting the young Mats Daelhi, the 18 year old OGS brought from Molde. He is class and can do damage. Don Cowie will probably take Medel's place, with maybe Zaha and Noone left and right. Bellamy is suspended, so could be Kim in behind Fraizer or Kenwyne Jones up front.
I don't think his influence has changed all season. He's a great player in a team that isnt as good as him which doesnt help, but I really haven't seen any difference in his performances in 2014, and in fact people were saying what you're now saying in late November time when we lost to Palace. He's an easy target. We're hoofing it too much lately but that's more down to Figgy and Bruce having no composure. You rarely see Huddlestone not showing for a pass.
Chazz just noticed you addressed the Figgy hoofing in a different way to me. I have to disagree that it's Huddlestone's fault. We often play a few passes around our defence and midfield, keeping it well and starting to open up space in front of their defence, then it gets to Figueroa who iust clears it under no pressure. We lose it and Bruce goes mental. There's no defence for it. Until we can cut that out from the game people like Huddlestone will only be able to do so much.
Indeed. Plus Craig Bellamy is also out - serving his last of a 3 game suspension. Elmohamady - Huddlestone - Livermore - Meyler - Quinn should be more than enough for Cardiff imo.
Not stricltly true. Only Paul McShane should be missing very soon. Chester and Rosie could well be on the bench on saturday.
I think I'd prefer to see Boyd in over Quinn, not only do I think Boyd the better player he's also performed to higher levels of his own ability than Quinn has managed this season. Happy with either though.
