- Jun 7, 2007
- 4,295
- 9
Well guys.
They said King wasn't injured; so why didn't he play?
They said King wasn't injured; so why didn't he play?
Well guys.
They said King wasn't injured; so why didn't he play?
Woodgate done well, but for me the Hudd was outstanding!
The Hudd does have natural composure - something Dawson will never possess. We all know Big Tom's Achilles heel: his lack of pace and slowness on the turn. But Everton kept on trying to use Johnson's pace in behind him, and apart from the tangle of legs penalty claim, they had no success in this tactic.
I think the Hud'll need a run of games at CB to see if he can make it at the back at this level. But I applaud Ramos for giving him a chance at the back: it took cojones, and it hasn't backfired so far.
The Hudd does have natural composure - something Dawson will never possess. We all know Big Tom's Achilles heel: his lack of pace and slowness on the turn. But Everton kept on trying to use Johnson's pace in behind him, and apart from the tangle of legs penalty claim, they had no success in this tactic.
I think the Hud'll need a run of games at CB to see if he can make it at the back at this level. But I applaud Ramos for giving him a chance at the back: it took cojones, and it hasn't backfired so far.
I think hudd could play at the back alongside either one of Woodgate or King with quick full backs like Hutton & bale. In a 4 which has 3 players with pace the Hudd would mostly get away with his mobility.
he has real composure, he is also brave and seems to spot the danger early. Somewhat surprisingly he also bloody good in the air which has never shown itself when he has played in midfield.
Finally and especially at home we would score goals with the Hudd at centre back as he would opening teams up with what can only be described as his fantastic long range passing.
I agree with all of that. I also think Ramos is a super savvy game coach, and will know when and how best to utilize the Hud's specific skillset. So, he'll understand the players to play him with, to give him a bit of defensive cover, and he'll also recognize opportunities to use the Hud's creativity.
For instance, there are some European matches when his vision at the back could be devastating. Hell - Big Tom might even bring the best out of Darren Bent. We saw pre-season that the Hud had the vision to spot Bent's runs early and the technique to play him in.
I really can't wait for Ramos to have a pre-season with his squad of players, all super fit thanks to Alvarez and co. Then we'll see him devise even more specific game plans for each opposition and, hopefully, stuff 'em! :grin:
The yellow? No, the FA won't process it that quickly. It takes a week, I'm sure. He'll miss the Derby game.
Gus Poyet said:"I thought Jonathan Woodgate was absolutely fantastic. He was commanding the back four and winning everything in the air.
"He was tight when he needed to be and made great decisions. Sometimes the good players are the ones that make the best decisions and Woody does that. We were very pleased with him."