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Huddlestone

I loved Hudd, he was different type of player and so gifted with two feet. BUT the game is about pace and he never had that and this season his contibution has diminished. Perhaps it was a legacy of AVB trying to shift him at the start of the season, resulting in Hudd being unmotivated. Either way AVB likes pacey/dynamic players - Hudd is not one. Happy to loan him if it helps him and jacks his value up a bit. (fulham sounds right all round)
 
unfortunately he didn't show enough in the 10 odd games he had at the start of this season, for whatever reason (not 100% fit etc.), think his long term chance with avb may have gone?
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
I loved Hudd, he was different type of player and so gifted with two feet. BUT the game is about pace and he never had that and this season his contibution has diminished. Perhaps it was a legacy of AVB trying to shift him at the start of the season, resulting in Hudd being unmotivated. Either way AVB likes pacey/dynamic players - Hudd is not one. Happy to loan him if it helps him and jacks his value up a bit. (fulham sounds right all round)
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Agree. In the modern PL midfield you need grafters. Hudd has never looked confident defending. Recently under AVB you could almost see how conscious he was of his own positioning - really trying to get in the right position. But looking clumsy. He doesn't seem to have that positional spatial awareness or quickness of mind to anticipate and close other players down.

But you look at our recent games, and also at manu's and Carrick you see where a Hudd type player is valuable. Manu's winning goal was made by a Carrick pass from midfield. 3 united players knew where the ball would go and Hernadez scored the winner from the pass. In our recent 3-4 games, we've missed someone who can open up teams with an incisive pass. In the few games Hudd played for AVB he has produced these kind of passes. That is what he does.

It looks like he will be sold - as he is not making the bench? - but I think he is a good player to have on the bench when we can't open teams up. And if he can relax and learn from the likes of Parker/ Sandro on how to defend in midfield then he'll be a massive asset to any team.
 
I think it would be a mistake to offload Thudd. Personally I think to be one of the best teams you need to think in terms of midfielders who can both attack and defend, rather than midfielders who are primarily defensive or attacking. Especially if they are playing more centrally. While we have Bale and Lennon who can do both playing wide, we lack all round midfielders in the centre. Sandro, Parker, Livermore are mainly defensive. Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Falque and Townsend are more forward minded. Although Dembele has played deep, he seems more of an attacking midfielder to me. Which leaves Carroll, who shapes up like he can do both, and Thudd, who, with games, could do both too.

Thudd is only 25/26 and coming back off a long lay off. Although he was off the pace in the first few games, I thought he looked progressively more mobile, and more comfortable. Of all the players we have -including Dembele - Hudd has the most natural eye for a telling pass. Whether that is short or long. And I think it is shame that Livermore, who is workmanlike, makes the squad over Thudd.
 
ringo said:
I think it would be a mistake to offload Thudd. Personally I think to be one of the best teams you need to think in terms of midfielders who can both attack and defend, rather than midfielders who are primarily defensive or attacking. Especially if they are playing more centrally. While we have Bale and Lennon who can do both playing wide, we lack all round midfielders in the centre. Sandro, Parker, Livermore are mainly defensive. Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Falque and Townsend are more forward minded. Although Dembele has played deep, he seems more of an attacking midfielder to me. Which leaves Carroll, who shapes up like he can do both, and Thudd, who, with games, could do both too.

Thudd is only 25/26 and coming back off a long lay off. Although he was off the pace in the first few games, I thought he looked progressively more mobile, and more comfortable. Of all the players we have -including Dembele - Hudd has the most natural eye for a telling pass. Whether that is short or long. And I think it is shame that Livermore, who is workmanlike, makes the squad over Thudd.
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Even so he was still some considerable way from his Rolls-Royce best before Dembele reclaimed his place and after that, when he came back in for the odd game, it looked like he'd regressed once again. It would seem he needs a really long spell in the side to get right back to his best but for as long as Dembele stays fit that prospect seems a long way off.

For this reason I am coming round to the idea that a six-month loan spell with a Premiership club that wants to make him their midfield maestro for the duration (QPR?) might be just the job. For all his talents, Dembele does also have his shortcomings, and a fully up-to-speed Thudd, purring once again like the cultured midfielder we know he can be, could yet return to give the former Fulham playmaker a run for his money.
 
Hudd is a very good player. Right now it seems we have better players so I am pleased about that.
The question for me is "Can Hudd force himself back into the reckoning?" A coupla weeks ago I would have said yes. Now I am not so sure.
 
Apparently he had a knee injury, reason why he has not been on the bench for our last two games. Maybe he's still in contention for the team.
 
Can I just say with Holtby's arrival hopefully we have seen the last of Hudd. He has been shocking this season. THink Livermore is far more useful option these days as backup.
 
Should sell for £2m plus add ons. Cannot see anyone paying much more than £3m, £4m tops.

Just not a good enough player, borderline Championship player, bottom half at best. Bae pass to set up Obi. could not have been played by Hudd, .

Hudd does not have that in his locker, [someone might find one he has done over the years], but that would be the real exception. BAE has done a few.

The sum of his parts have never added up to enough.

A stylish side ways passer in the positive side. cannot split a defense with a pass. Very poor shot, poor at corners, not good at free kicks, slow, not agile. Not a grafter. Should never have been mentioned within a week of Hoddle.
 
In desperate need of a fresh start, Fulham got a CM in though didn't they, can't remember who it was.

Him and Parker starting in the middle frightens me and am glad we won't see too much of that with Holtby coming in.

I do believe Huddlestone, Jenas and Bentley could be good players for clubs of varying levels, but instead they're draining the wage bill and not doing much for us at all. Who knows whether it's their reluctance to move to a club which will probably pay them less or we are unrealistic in our demands for them but it's a waste of talent and money having them here.
 
colin fishwick said:
Should sell for £2m plus add ons. Cannot see anyone paying much more than £3m, £4m tops.

Just not a good enough player, borderline Championship player, bottom half at best. Bae pass to set up Obi. could not have been played by Hudd, .

Hudd does not have that in his locker, [someone might find one he has done over the years], but that would be the real exception. BAE has done a few.

The sum of his parts have never added up to enough.

A stylish side ways passer in the positive side. cannot split a defense with a pass. Very poor shot, poor at corners, not good at free kicks, slow, not agile. Not a grafter. Should never have been mentioned within a week of Hoddle.
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disagree with a lot of this. cant understand how anyone can come to this kind of conclusion
 
am i right in thinking that Thudd was key and instrumental in us getting 4th in of of these recent years? and was defensively decent from a statistical stand point?

i dont think i imagined that year.

how anyone can can him a championship player or one that couldnt cut it in the right kind of side is amazing

i'll say this...in a 5 man midfield with him pulling strings at the base i think alot of people will have to choose a sauce to eat their words with
 
africanspurs said:
am i right in thinking that Thudd was key and instrumental in us getting 4th in of of these recent years? and was defensively decent from a statistical stand point?

i dont think i imagined that year.

how anyone can can him a championship player or one that couldnt cut it in the right kind of side is amazing

i'll say this...in a 5 man midfield with him pulling strings at the base i think alot of people will have to choose a sauce to eat their words with
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I agree with all of that, and he was good defensively not only from a statistical stand point. I particularly agree that some of the comments about him seem way out of place all things considered.

But at this point it's getting unlikely that we'll ever see the kind of performances that we got from Hudd at his best. AVB doesn't seem to play him in the position you mention or alongside players that would help him play the deep position effectively. The performances we've seen from him this season haven't been good enough for him to start games regularly and without regular games his performances are unlikely to improve and unlikely to convince AVB that he's a good option to have around long term.

Combine this with his physique being not exactly typical for the kind of players AVB seems keen to bring in it might be better for everyone if he got a fresh start elsewhere.
 
africanspurs said:
am i right in thinking that Thudd was key and instrumental in us getting 4th in of of these recent years? and was defensively decent from a statistical stand point?

i dont think i imagined that year.

how anyone can can him a championship player or one that couldnt cut it in the right kind of side is amazing

i'll say this...in a 5 man midfield with him pulling strings at the base i think alot of people will have to choose a sauce to eat their words with
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I don't think he is the player he was before that injury, although TBH he hasn't had the chance to get regular games in.
 
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