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Huddlestone slows it down

beuller

Well-Known Member
May 10, 2005
1,533
2,353
Interesting post - About 10 years ago, we reckoned players 26-28 years old were in their prime - now with certain exceptions (eg Zola) players seem to be past it at 27.


I am 27 and am still dictating the Crawley Saturday Prem. Honestly, its like Hoddle with pace.............
 

scottadams40

New Member
Jan 9, 2007
28
0
Come on, your judging the guy as if he's a seasoned pro, he's 19 and it his first full season! Ok, hes not the quickest on the park, but we all know with the correct passing skill, you can make the ball move much faster than any player. I think he's got enough in his locker to see that as not being an issue. I know he's a long way from what Hoddle was at the moment, but there are certain elements in his game that you can atribute to Hoddle's style of play. Calmness on the ball, yes he doesn't dive in like a crazy loon, but he does holds the ball up well when challenged, he can pick a pass and he's striking of the ball is getting better and better with each game.

Given the right suppport and oppitunities i think he could be a great midfielder for both club and country.
 

mgrowe

New Member
Feb 3, 2005
3
0
Pace can be deceptive

Some of the great players looked almost asleep at times. Zidane for instance often looked slow but seemed to find the time to make the so called fast players on the other side look like snails.

Huddlestone has a lot to learn (He is only a young boy after all)

A certain Mr Hoddle was never exactly Jack Flash.

I for one think we have already done the best business we could this window by signing Huddlestone and Lennon to long contracts.

The future looks very good as even if we do have to let them go at some point soon the club will benefit with a large infux of cash. (I hope they stay as with them and the squad we have it is only time before we start to mount a serious challenge to the top 4).

Huddlestone will be a great great player if he stays and does his apprenticeship at the Lane. COYS :grin:
 

welshspurs

New Member
Jan 8, 2007
3
0
the hudd dont need pace for his job anyway a good brain and an eye for a pass does his job perfectley and he is only going to get better!!!!! COYS
 

adamsilver

New Member
Feb 11, 2005
216
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Excellent post and I agree with what has been said - I have always been weary of the hype surrounding Huddlestone - but at least he has time on his hands. He is very lathargic, but perhaps with the right players around him and the true experience of positional awareness he could still be very effective. Pace is SO DAMN important these days and Huddlestones lack of mobility shows. However he is a true baller, and has excellent football technique in his composure, passing and shooting. Only time will tell I guess.
 

Kurtzen

New Member
Jan 13, 2006
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Not sure, but i'm guessing if you lined Hudd, Mido, Daws & Murphy on the starting blocks you'd be able to throw a(large) napkin over the lot at 20 meters?
I'd even hazard a guess Hudd wouldn't be at the back of this (in part) mottley bunch.
If you want a 'slow moving target'.....Mu...
 

turboyid

New Member
Aug 31, 2006
8
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Agression!!

Apparently, Hudds lack of agression is down to the fact that when he was younger he was twice the size of anyone else and he kept breaking other peoples bones so naturally he stopped tackling quite so hard. If he does get more agressive i cant see anyone in the premiership going for a 50/50 tackle with him and not coming out the worst!
 

OrangeTHFC

Member
Dec 5, 2006
393
0
I prefer intelligence above speed. Otherwise football was a game of 11 Linford Christies.

You need more intelligence in a game then you need speed. What really matters is the speed of the ball, thát's what makes the real pace! Plus an intelligent player that can split open a defense with only one ball. Remember the ball is always faster than a player ever can be.

And within a team players have to complement eachother well. A goal is a teameffort... not from just one player.

Besides that: what actually is speed?
If I start running one second earlier I'm optical faster than my opponent.
It's about intelligence what really matters that makes me start earlier!

And I think Huddlestone is a very intelligent player who's still improving. Don't know if he will be a worldbeater, but it's clear he has the potentials. His positives outweigh his negatives by far.
At this stage of his career the others have to work their socks off, so he can improve as fast as he can.

So back to the trainingground and the rest is up to Jol!
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,105
47,061
just to add my tuppence worth, i think it would make a big difference to huddlestones game if we managed to sign a left winger/midfielder and actually get some shape into the team.

Firstly the balance in the midfield would create more space for thudd as we wont have four central midfielders clogging up the centre circle and subsequently we wont have four of the opposition midfielders in there marking them all.

secondly the amount of times that he picks the ball up in midfield and only has a backwards pass as an option is ridiculous. without lennon in the last few games we've had no width at all which means thudds options have been limited to a ball back to dawson, a killer pass forwards (which we all know can go wrong from any player) or an intricate little 2footer to *insert central midfielder here) who is actually standing on his left foot.

get some width and he'll flourish. if we continue with the current 'system' then maybe we'd be better off with the athleticism of zokora and jenas in there.
 

MidnightCaller

Life Long Spurs Supporter
Oct 22, 2006
378
6
pace has nothing to do with it, look at Man U, top of the premiership with who yes Carrick, yes and he is slow, Huddlestone to me, is miles a better player then Carrick and a younger version, If you look at Carrick what he has done for Man U, he has the ability to slow the pace down. and just look at the top european teams they have the same holding player to do the same, in time Huddlestone will be taught by other eg Davids, on how to do this and with is talent will be the best holding midfield in the world, just look at some of the passing he does.
 

Gardinho

New Member
Sep 5, 2006
1
0
Huddlestone has the world at his feet and at 20 he is more than capable of shedding a few pounds and adding to his pace slightly. Pace is an excellent asset within the modern game but all teams need balance and a player who can put his foot on the ball and dictate the game at the pace that he wants to play is wonderful asset too.

My main concern is Zakora he is not playing the way he & we want him to and for 10mil we need a lot more from him towards the end of what is promising to be a fantastic and memorable season.
 

laskoir

New Member
Jan 9, 2007
8
0
Whats wrong with Jenas?

Loses the ball - kind of the most important thing in the premiership not to do - looks scared under pressure - complete lack of ability to create space for himself
weak passes puts team mates in danger
Scuffs the ball wide as much as he scores - kind of defeats the object of the goal scoring midfielder idea which is the only thing he might ever be good at
only tackles if he feels like it and even then slides about like bambi on an ice rink
looks lost in the middle of the park - compare it to how comfortable hudd looks
puts pressure on others with all the above imcompetence
G*Y!!!!!
best CM pairing hudd + 1 (not Jenas)
When we bought him 2 Newcy fans said to me. "youll be sick of him in months, your welcome to him"
Nuff said.
 

Ali

New Member
May 16, 2004
468
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I prefer intelligence above speed. Otherwise football was a game of 11 Linford Christies.

I quite agree, and with the poster who pointed out Man U and Arsenal's respective league positions and midfield formations. Lennon is to Hudd what Ronaldo is to Carrick. And Berbatov isn't exactly a streak of lightning, but he uses his skill and technique to beat players.

And for the greatest example of all, you only have to look at the great Ted to see a player who even at 40, and who has never been blessed with pace, can still come off the bench and change a game. Just by thinking and positioning. It doesn't matter how fast you are, if you don't have any other skills you'll never be a good player. I was a very fast sprinter at youth level, but wasn't much good at playing team sports - too lazy! Sprinting was fine because it only took 12 or so seconds and it was over!
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
On another point, as much as I despise him. Ashley Cole is an easily superior leftback to Wayne Bridge.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
And, what's the point having pacey players like Lennon, Defoe and Jenas if you have nobody who can thread a through ball to them? Since Carrick has gone, the Hudd and Murphs are the only players at the club who can have this in their repertoire (Berbs too, but ideally he should be on the end of them), and Murphy is just to lethargic to play at center mid in the premiership these days.

No its got to be The Hudd with one of Jenas and Zokora in the middle.
 

OrangeTHFC

Member
Dec 5, 2006
393
0
I was a very fast sprinter at youth level, but wasn't much good at playing team sports - too lazy! Sprinting was fine because it only took 12 or so seconds and it was over!
LOL. That made me chuckle.:grin:

Nice and err... speedy!:wink:
 

green_nigel

New Member
Jan 28, 2005
74
0
Good post, Frozen Waffles.

Regarding pace, Huddlestone may not have an abundance of it, and Wenger may have employed it to great effect at Arsenal, but a look at football on the continent will make it clear that pace isn't everything. Our continental cousins place greater emphasis on ball retention...pass, pass, pass while probing for weaknesses.

Of course, there is an advantage to having explosive pace and power over, say, ten meters. But I think at Spurs we have players of that caliber: Zokora, Lennon and Defoe all spring to mind.

Lastly, I'll say this: Huddlestone has just turned, what, 20? Players generally reach their peak at 26, so let's not put too much pressure on those young shoulders. Routledge's injury last year allowed Lennon to take center stage. He was a little rough around the edges to begin with, but was altogether more polished during the World Cup. Similarly, the departure of Carrick has provided an opportunity to Huddlestone, probably earlier than he had reasonably hoped to expect. No he's there, let's give the lad time to grow (figuratively speaking, of course!). Taking up a crucial CM position, one could argue that he faces a lot more pressure than Lennon ever did.
 

laskoir

New Member
Jan 9, 2007
8
0
Sorry Daniel but Jenas has let us down too many times already. BTW people forget Malbranque is actually a Attacking CM. And the way hes been getting stuck in lately I think HUDD + MALBRANQUE is worth go.
 

easiman

Member
Nov 9, 2006
955
0
I agree with Ali, but its down to the overall balance (left to right) / speed / aggression on the pitch. I think Tom can be great with the correct balance around him. Getting and maintaining this is what MJ (and others) are striving to do.
 
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