Tom can be class....thankfully Jol is the kind of chap who won't let him become a big head.

hope this means jol wont drop him the second jenas is fit again.

I think Jol is planning to play Jenas with the Hudd

I think you're right, Jol mentioned after the Liverpool game that Zokora & Hudd are both good players but neither is the best at going forward or in the final 3rd. That is where jenas comes in, I suppose.

Think you could be right there. We have missed the option of Jenas recently. You only miss it when it's gone and all that.

Yeah i think your right, i hope this makes zokora open his eyes and take his chance when he gets back in the team.

There are couple of themes emerging recently when MJ talks in public:

1. Huddlestone is now central to his plans. I think we'll see plenty of all three (Zokora, Jenas and Huddlestone) when all three are fit, but at the beginning of the season, there would have been no question that the first choice CM partnership was Zokora and Jenas. That's no longer true and Tom has played himself into having an equal status, with Tainio and Ghaly favoured more for playing in wider positions.

I don't find this at all surprising. Jol's very first act as manager was to haul Carrick off the bench and point him at the centre circle. He obviously prefers to play a controlling, possession game, based on a distributing holding midfielder who can pass as well as tackle, but he now only has one player whose skill-set actually predisposes him to fulfilling that role: Tom H.

Having lost his first choice playmaker last Summer, he thus ensured that the club got Huddlestone's signature on a nice long contract, within weeks of witnessing the speed of his improvement.

2. Jol obviously thinks our squad contains enough skill, enough pace and enough physical strength to compete with the "top 4" clubs. Just as obviously, he thinks our squad is still too weak mentally and that many of our players aren't ruthless enough on the pitch.

Again and again, we are hearing references to toughness, fighting for a result, being physical and the need to change the way we play when we do not have the ball. I would expect that these are also the themes that are being played out on the training pitch. I hope to see the results, injuries permitting, in the second half of this season and, more so, next season.

I think we must have a different strategy for Home and Away matches e.g at home play Hudd with Jenas,Steed and Lennon but away maybe we need to sacrifice one of Jenas/Steed/Lennon for Zokora.
I am optimistic for the second half of the season as half our team should be fresh (Jenas, Keane,Lennon,King,Mido) and with Berby and Zokora quickly learning the English game it looks good in my opinion.

Away from home you need players who are able to retain the ball for you for long periods of time. I am afraid that on present form Zokora looks unable to do this

In my view, we seemed a more balanced team with Tom H is in the middle of the park. For whatever reason, I always feel a degree of confidence when i see TH's name on starting eleven irrespective of who is paired with him.

I would love the idea of TH and JJ as the central pairing duo. The consensus agreement appeared to be the same. Whether or not this is our best combination in the middle of the park is obviously down to MJ and Chrissy H.

I would throw Jenas in with Hudd and untill one of them is off form, let them play together and form a partnership, for me they are both miles above Zokora right now. And with Malbranque really beginning to show his class, and Lennon to return on the other side, we may well have a good first choice midfield four. I'm also content with Zokora and Ghaly as back up in the middle for Jenas and Huddlestone (so long as they both improve their glaring mental deficiancies), but i to tell you the truth, maybe not right now but at least at the end of the season i would happily discard davids, murphy and tainio, and promote Ohara to more 1st team duties. Four first team central players and a young fifth choice is enough. Hopefully Taarbat and Routledge can evolve into good back up for Lennon and Malbranue, but i have more hope for Taarbat than Routledge who seems doomed, as does ziegler unfortunately, so we should see which side Taarbat prefers and sign a young player of similar mould who prefers the other side.

Zokora is far better than a back up and with time will prove us all wrong but i must admit that on current form you are completely right.

I have read many articales of late.... But I feel many of you are failing to get past your pride and admit how much the team is missing Jenas. IMO carrick has been replaced alread, but JJ loss has hurt the team. Maybe now we can see that he does more for the team.

Jenas is a must start and the choice between the Hud and Zokora depends on who else Jol decides to play.

Zokora hassles and has presence but can't do much with the ball - hardly does anything constructive.

Hudd distributes well but lacks the pace, movement and positional sense to defend.

Imagine playing Malbranque, Jenas, Hudd and Lennon - lots of pace, great to watch but only 2 of the 4 are defensively reliable. You can't do that against a half-decent opposition, and especially on away.

So if anything Zokora's the saver bet of the 2 to start.

But this can be remedied if you play Ghaly or/and Tainio with either the Hudd or Lennon..

Just went bowling in Nottingham and met Tom Huddlestone, seemed a bit like a lost teenager, but brand new Bentley with T Hud number plate outside. Just hope it doesn't go to his head. Was at the Liverpool gave at the weekend and watched him very closely for the first time, his control and passing are immaculate most of the time and i thought he ran the game. Hopefully when he gets used tyo it he'll cut out the mistakes, has the potential to be world class. Against him I thought Gerrard looked anonymous. Would like to see him with Jenas.

What we should do is build the team, around Huddlestone, yes, we know he as not got no pace, but I do not want him trying to win the ball or running past defenders on the wing, we have Zokora/jenas who are ball winners, and Lennon is the one who plays on the wing,but his passing is out of this world, he reminds me when I was young of a certain Glenn Hoddle, he would open up defences with one pass. and on top Huddlestone can tackle as well

Hoddle had better speed and quicker feet though.

Hoddle had better speed and quicker feet though. What we wouldnt do for another one of him

Huddlestone is a quality player and hopefully will become a LEGEND at the lane, just hope he gets a good run of games and proves what he can do...COYS COYS