Huddlestone

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Holtby & Huddlestone is way too attacking an axis.

I'd like to see all three of Holtby + Huddlestone + Dembele in a more inverted midfield triangle three with Huddlegun (!) sitting deeper than the other two.

However that demands for Bale to stay wide in one side. And for Andre to leave out two from Lennon, Gylfi and Dempsey. From form I am pretty sure he'd start either of Dempsey and Gylfi before Holtby in the middle.

Still my team would probably be, assuming Lennon is not fit for 90 mins:

Lloris​
Walker - Dawson - Vertonghen - Ekotto​
- Holtby - Huddlestone - Dembele -​
- Bale - Adebayor - Sigurdsson -​
Friedel, Caulker, Carroll, Lennon, Dempsey, Defoe, Parker

This should be a right handful for Wigan, who are very attacking minded.

I think Holtby is far more versatile than most people peg. From German football fans, I hear he can do whatever job AVB asks of him. Sitting deep and breaking up play could allow for Hudd's lack of mobility and I'm aching to see Dembele further up the park providing the killer pass.

Probably would be hard to justify leaving Dempsey out of the starting line up. He seems to be a scorer of important goals, would stick him on the left and let Bale pull in from the Right should Lennon be unfit. Otherwise, Dempsey could play left and leave Bale through the middle. Then the entire middle would have to be re-jigged to accommodate that formation.

Either way, smash ten-bells out of Wigan and we're on the way to the promised land and the hope of attracting a 30+ goal per season striker #coys
 
I think Holtby is far more versatile than most people peg. From German football fans, I hear he can do whatever job AVB asks of him. Sitting deep and breaking up play could allow for Hudd's lack of mobility and I'm aching to see Dembele further up the park providing the killer pass.

Probably would be hard to justify leaving Dempsey out of the starting line up. He seems to be a scorer of important goals, would stick him on the left and let Bale pull in from the Right should Lennon be unfit. Otherwise, Dempsey could play left and leave Bale through the middle. Then the entire middle would have to be re-jigged to accommodate that formation.

Either way, smash ten-bells out of Wigan and we're on the way to the promised land and the hope of attracting a 30+ goal per season striker #coys

Oh, I am not saying he cannot tackle. Just saying, that he will break forward at instinct as often as possible.

He is hardly the tactically aware sort of "thinking footballer". No Danny Blanchflower, so to speak.

I can see him working out well with Dembélé and Huddlestone, because of Huddlestones holding role and because of the combined workrates of Dembele and Holtby, though.

Agreed about Bale. I would play him right side too.
 
He was one of the bright points for us today, his passing as usual was brilliant. He needs to start the remaining games, Parker needs to go out to pasture.
 
May not be a popular view, but I think we need a player like Parker or Sandro alongside Huddlestone, to do the dirty work, break up play and protect the centre of midfield. Hudd did well yesterday but his lack of pace and mobility are still glaring weaknesses that a well-organised opponent will take advantage of.

Personally, I would go with Parker/Sandro and Hudd, with Dembele or Holtby ahead of them in the hole and looking to carry the ball forward or thread a pass through. If we add Bale and Lennon on the wings, that's plenty of outlets and options.
 
May not be a popular view, but I think we need a player like Parker or Sandro alongside Huddlestone, to do the dirty work, break up play and protect the centre of midfield. Hudd did well yesterday but his lack of pace and mobility are still glaring weaknesses that a well-organised opponent will take advantage of.

Personally, I would go with Parker/Sandro and Hudd, with Dembele or Holtby ahead of them in the hole and looking to carry the ball forward or thread a pass through. If we add Bale and Lennon on the wings, that's plenty of outlets and options.

What if you've got someone with the quality to see a pass who can do the dirty work, is much more fit and is better on the ball? It's clearly Holtby IMO. Holtby/Huddlestone>Sandro>Dembele for the 3 next year IMO.
 
Personally, I'm not quite sure about Holtby yet as he hasn't had a sustained run. He's definitely full of energy, which is a positive thing, but I don't know if he's as complete a midfielder as you've maintained.
 
I enjoy the contrast between Hudd and Holtby. Holtby with his tippi tappa football and little one two's in the middle of the park. Laying it off to hudd to control the tempo. One thing Hudd needs is the occasional movement after his pass. Every single time against Wigan he just stood still after he had passed the ball on, that's the main difference between Hudd and the elite in this League in Scholes Carrick in the deep lying playmaker roll. His technical ability is unmatched in my opinion it's just the little bits of movement and creating some space for himself that he desperately needs to add to his game. If he does so in a Spurs shirt I will be a very happt man :hudd:
 
Anyone else a bit dissapointed over his performances in the last 2 years?

I appreciate he has been injured but what does he offer?

All I've heard is he is a good passer and dead ball specialist. Some even say he is the new Hoddle. He see pictures they say. Certainly Rednapp was a fan. 'Give it to Tommy' he would scream. He did have a great season with us. That seems a long while ago now. Was 2009/2010? May have been the season after.

IMO he will not make it. His 'wand' seems to have deserted him. The last two games I've seen him play are his worst.

Let's hope an Italian club come and buy him and he becomes the god some posters on here think he will be.

For me I'd like mcmannaman as cover for Lennon to take his place.

I would wish him all the luck for the future and thank him.
 
He's definitely one of the best passers of the ball we have, but doesn't offer much else. He needs to at least score a few goals to justify his inclusion on a regular basis. He needs to score at least one against Sunderland (if he's selected) otherwise his afro will make the Guinness Book of Records!
 
I think he sums Tottenham up in some ways, can be superb when he is on form, unfortunately, he just doesn't deliver enough consistently.
 
He's definitely one of the best passers of the ball we have, but doesn't offer much else. He needs to at least score a few goals to justify his inclusion on a regular basis. He needs to score at least one against Sunderland (if he's selected) otherwise his afro will make the Guinness Book of Records!

He is played so deep now that when he gets a chance to shoot he just blushes.

That fro has not done him any favours. I have no malice to this chap. He just isn't good enough. I'd like to see hughton take him on or even soton. He can still do a job.

Though I think he is too heavy for this division. You need to be a natural athlete or a very skilled player.
 
Don't think he can cut it for us anymore. Think he'd be great in a Spanish team, much slower and centered around passing. Fulham were interested in him in January so I'm sure there is a lot of demand for him as he is a decent player
 
His movement off the ball isn't good enough. In the game today at one point I think Vertonghen had no-one to pass to - all Huddlestone had to do was move laterally five yards off the ball to make an option for him and he would have been able to keep play rolling rather than hit it up field in desperation. He isn't intelligent enough on the field, no matter how many 40 yard balls will try to cover that. Defensively, he's too slow to get back into position and react to danger, which leads to him making mis-timed challenges and bookings.

He's in the shape of Michael Carrick but has never lived up to the hype and I don't think he ever will (please prove me wrong).
 
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