The best Spurs team of all time - central midfield

[milo]

@parklane1 @jts1882 that was my thinking

 

[milo]

For those who never saw Hoddle play take a look at the videos about him. Most of his best passes were from within his own half, ask Crooks, Archibald etc and they will tell you it was his long balls/passes from deep that allowed them to score so many goals.

And Gascoigne would have been devastating in the modern #10 role but I cannot see many teams picking him deeper.

 

[parklane1]

And Gascoigne would have been devastating in the modern #10 role but I cannot see many teams picking him deeper.

Would agree, Gazza should be the middle of the three and Hoddle sitting in the two behind them and that would get the best out of them ( imo).

 

[the dza]

For those who never saw Hoddle play take a look at the videos about him. Most of his best passes were from within his own half, ask Crooks, Archibald etc and they will tell you it was his long balls/passes from deep that allowed them to score so many goals.

I grew up on stories of Hoddle putting backspin on his long passes, his passing was the main thing my dad goes on about, so it does make sense for him to be deep in that sense. But I'm just seeing all those goals and someone who would be very at home playing the number 10 role. He'd basically get a free role wouldn't he? Just get on the ball and go where you like. And if a talent was afforded a free role in the team, it'd be from the number 10 position imo. (with Blanchflower and Mackay controlling the game in the 'two').

 

[Modric THFC]

Pick three central midfielders and put Greaves upfront with two wingers.

 

[the dza]

Thought this would be worth posting here (Hoddle talking about playing for Wenger at Monaco):

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-playing-for-arsene-wenger-at-the-french-club

"Arsene was very positive with the way he set his teams up and got that across to me very quickly in our first meeting and that was what I was impressed with.

"I remember the first pre-season game we had and he just said to me 'you're coming too deep', because I used to come very deep at Tottenham on the right-hand side of the diamond formation.

"He played me behind the striker Mark Hateley and he said, 'I've got two players in midfield', which was an absolutely similar system to when he first went to Arsenal. He had two holding players that could really use the ball well. That was Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira at Arsenal. We had Marcel Dib and Jean-Philippe Rohr at Monaco. He said 'that's their job to defend. You defend from the front, organise, mark the wingers, but we need to get the ball to you'.

"That was something that was different for me straight away but I could understand it and it suited me as a player and the team. We settled into the team pretty quickly and won the title.

"We were very dominant. We played some wonderful football; he loves to play creative football. He knew what he wanted from the team. It was pretty clear-minded; you had clarity when you went onto the pitch of the shape that he wanted and how he wanted us to play."

 

[parklane1]

I grew up on stories of Hoddle putting backspin on his long passes, his passing was the main thing my dad goes on about, so it does make sense for him to be deep in that sense. But I'm just seeing all those goals and someone who would be very at home playing the number 10 role. He'd basically get a free role wouldn't he? Just get on the ball and go where you like. And if a talent was afforded a free role in the team, it'd be from the number 10 position imo. (with Blanchflower and Mackay controlling the game in the 'two').

Hoddle is good enough to play both roles, however Gazza would be perfect for the number 10. (imo)

 

[Spur of the moment]

For those who never saw Hoddle play take a look at the videos about him. Most of his best passes were from within his own half, ask Crooks, Archibald etc and they will tell you it was his long balls/passes from deep that allowed them to score so many goals.

That's very true, but can you really see him staying in front of the defence, putting his foot in and snapping at the heels of pacey forwards to break up attacks?

Not sure.

 

[parklane1]

That's very true, but can you really see him staying in front of the defence, putting his foot in and snapping at the heels of pacey forwards to break up attacks?

Not sure.

He really would not have to, Mackay will do all the snapping that is needed. If you look at us today how many of the two end up doing most of the defending ( Dier).

 

[DublinSpur]

The highlight reel for most players will concentrate on goalmouth action - and that's understandable. When you add to that the fact that Hoddle scored over a hundred goals for us - many of them amongst the best goals we've ever seen at the club - then it's perfectly natural for younger fans to assume he played in a fairly advanced position. But if we're playing 4-2-3-1 then Hoddle's natural position is one of the 2 (alongside a more defensive-minded tackler).

Of course he could do a job further forward; but unlike Gascoigne (who would have thrived as part of the 3, I think) it wouldn't be playing to Hoddle's strengths. First name on the sheet for me - as a central midfielder with licence to roam forward... a lot like the role Dembele is currently filling for us, but with the addition of so much more! (and that's said as a Dembele fan and with all due respect to the guy)

 

[Spur of the moment]

He really would not have to, Mackay will do all the snapping that is needed. If you look at us today how many of the two end up doing most of the defending ( Dier).

So is he also going to be allowed to get forward with the attack to score all those goals we know he has in him?

 

[the dza]

@DublinSpur if you see my post where I quote Ghod talking about playing for Monaco under Wenger, he does say that playing off the striker (which is what Wenger asked him to do) was different for him but that it suited him as a player. That's from the man himself.

 

[DublinSpur]

So is he also going to be allowed to get forward with the attack to score all those goals we know he has in him?

In our current system, the player next to Dier (Dembele and Alli have both filled the role effectively this season) has licence to roam forward. Hoddle in his prime would make us instant title contenders if we currently had him alongside Dier - I honestly believe that.

 

[parklane1]

So is he also going to be allowed to get forward with the attack to score all those goals we know he has in him?

I think seeing as this is a team of stars if Hoddle goes forward I am sure players like Modric, Ossie etc ( if picked) will drop. After all these are all top players who have shown they are good at reading and controling a game.

 

[DublinSpur]

@DublinSpur if you see my post where I quote Ghod talking about playing for Monaco under Wenger, he does say that playing off the striker (which is what Wenger asked him to do) was different for him but that it suited him as a player. That's from the man himself.

I read that with interest. I'm just telling it from my perspective... 30 year old memories from a kid who basically worshipped Glenn Hoddle for half a decade of his life.

 

[Spur of the moment]

I think seeing as this is a team of stars if Hoddle goes forward I am sure players like Modric, Ossie etc ( if picked) will drop. After all these are all top players who have shown they are good at reading and controling a game.

Sounds more like an argument for having him more forward in the first place to me.

 

[the dza]

Hoddle is good enough to play both roles, however Gazza would be perfect for the number 10. (imo)

This is true...this is the hardest part of our team to pick imo. We have some amazing players for these spots.

 

[parklane1]

@DublinSpur if you see my post where I quote Ghod talking about playing for Monaco under Wenger, he does say that playing off the striker (which is what Wenger asked him to do) was different for him but that it suited him as a player. That's from the man himself.

To be honest Glenn had had his better days by the time he went and played in a much weaker, slower Lge then here. He is the best English player I have seen and I have no doubt he could play in any of the positions we are debating about.

 

[the dza]

I read that with interest. I'm just telling it from my perspective... 30 year old memories from a kid who basically worshipped Glenn Hoddle for half a decade of his life.

That sounds a bit like my dad! (my dad went home and away from mid 70's, when he would have been 15, to the late 80's. Ghod is his favourite ever Spurs player by a million miles).

 

[parklane1]

Sounds more like an argument for having him more forward in the first place to me.

Well you have a vote just like everyone else, I think what some may be forgetting ( not saying you are) is that these players are/were some of the best around and tying them down to a system is not really necessary. But Stop! Hammer time.