Huddlestone

[Thfc4Life]

I was at the stevenage game last night and ive gotta say, i honestly dont believe we would miss carrick if huddlestone filled his role for the whole of next season, the boy oozes class and in 90 minutes of football he misplaced just 1 pass and made god knows how many incisive and telling crossfield passes. It would be an absolute travesty if he was to leave spurs through lack of first team opportunities, and someone like davids was to fill the void left by carricks impending departure.
Huddlestone needs to be playing regular football in order to keep progressing further but i fear jol will go with the experience of davids (who in my opinion is past his best) and has a woeful range off passing and lack of vision for someone who is considered by many to be one of the best midfielders of the past 10 years. any thoughts??

Oh, and also I would just like to make a quick point about benoit assou-ekotto, he looks an excellent full back and on the evidence of his performance i would say he is a shoe in for the left back position, he plays very similiar to ashley cole he is quick, likes to get forward, strong in the tackle, composed on the ball the only qualm is that he is a little short. has anyone else seen him play???

[Welsh Spur]

Agree, definately cannot afford to lose Huddlestone, and I don't think MJ will let it happen. Ain't seen much of Ekotto.

[spurs61]

Seen A-E play a few times now and thought he has the potential to be top class. In truth, he should have represented France at the World Cup instead of Abidal who is distinctly average. Although I understand he may wish to play for the Cameroon as both his parents hail form there.

I have made exactly tthe same points about Tom. When he came to the club I was told that the idea was to play Carrick and send Hudds out on loan until he had gained suffcient experience to challenge Carrick for a first team slot. Hudds was/is considered the better passer of the ball with greater range and a more defensive option, Carrick has better vision and is equally comfortable using either foot. Given that they both have their pros and cons I see no reason why Hudds wouldn't be the ideal replacement for Carrick thus allowing us to concentrate on signing a leftie and a right back.

[JJ]

Huddlestone is a quality player, but lets not get carried away. This was against Stevenage after all...

[Houdini logic]

Agreed, to be honest, Carrick leaving would not bother me at all, especially if we can get 15 million + for him!

[suBerb]

let's see first his performance vs Inter and the likes...but it's great that we've so many talented players

[Gold7]

you must remember we were only playing stevenage so have to be a bit carefull about what we read into the players performances.
i don't believe we could aford to lose carick he could be our key player this coming season
as is gerrard for liverpooo and lamps is for the russian mafias XI.
carick is compfortable on the ball
good at keeping posesion.
can tackle.
can pick out pass.
experienced.
level headed fella (seems like)

by the way im not his agent .
just a fan

[SSS]

Seen A-E play a few times now and thought he has the potential to be top class. In truth, he should have represented France at the World Cup instead of Abidal who is distinctly average. Although I understand he may wish to play for the Cameroon as both his parents hail form there.
Yeah your right. Most places he's listed as born in France, but as a Cameroon player although he is uncapped.

[choda]

I was at the stevenage game last night and ive gotta say, i honestly dont believe we would miss carrick if huddlestone filled his role for the whole of next season, the boy oozes class and in 90 minutes of football he misplaced just 1 pass and made god knows how many incisive and telling crossfield passes. It would be an absolute travesty if he was to leave spurs through lack of first team opportunities, and someone like davids was to fill the void left by carricks impending departure.
Huddlestone needs to be playing regular football in order to keep progressing further but i fear jol will go with the experience of davids (who in my opinion is past his best) and has a woeful range off passing and lack of vision for someone who is considered by many to be one of the best midfielders of the past 10 years. any thoughts??

Oh, and also I would just like to make a quick point about benoit assou-ekotto, he looks an excellent full back and on the evidence of his performance i would say he is a shoe in for the left back position, he plays very similiar to ashley cole he is quick, likes to get forward, strong in the tackle, composed on the ball the only qualm is that he is a little short. has anyone else seen him play???

Wow, that's some great news buddy. I was hoping this Ekotto guy was good, but I wasn't sure if he was one for the future.

I'm pretty sure Huddlestone going to be a star too. He's as good as Carrick right this second for my money.

[spurs61]

Yeah your right. Most places he's listed as born in France, but as a Cameroon player although he is uncapped.

Am I ever wrong?! ;) :p

[Chinaman]

Abidal was poor for France and so was Malouda. The French left side was completely limp. Hudds seems to have a harder shot than carrick as well. If he develops a mean streak, could become the new MacKay.

[choda]

Abidal was poor for France and so was Malouda. The French left side was completely limp. Hudds seems to have a harder shot than carrick as well. If he develops a mean streak, could become the new MacKay.

I agree Chinaman. He's a seriously big lad aswell, looks like he could have some real bite when he get motoring in the first team. I think there's a bit of stare in those eyes. I honestly beleive he could be a superstar.

Davey MacKay, wasn't he a centre half? Was he the captain of the double team?

[Chinaman]

Dave was not captain of the Double team. It was Danny Blanchflower, another legend. Dave was an old fashioned wing-half who could run, tackle and was also an enforcer. He had the hardest shot in the league for a long time and his shots had been timed at 95mph. Even the Leeds legend Peter Lorimer could only manage a 77 mph shot.

Dave only became captain when Blanchflower retired in 63, and later played sweeper very successfully for Derby County.

[choda]

Dave was not captain of the Double team. It was Danny Blanchflower, another legend. Dave was an old fashioned wing-half who could run, tackle and was also an enforcer. He had the hardest shot in the league for a long time and his shots had been timed at 95mph. Even the Leeds legend Peter Lorimer could only manage a 77 mph shot.

Dave only became captain when Blanchflower retired in 63, and later played sweeper very successfully for Derby County.

Ah yes, I knew he was captain at one point. I read in Cloughie's autobiography that Dave Mackay along with Roy Keane was his best ever signing.

He was a wing-back, is that the same as a wing-half? I remember Clough saying he converted him when he didn't have the legs anymore, he was really proud of that, because he said he turned out to be an unbelievable sweeper then aswell.

Were sweepers and wing backs used a lot in them days?

[choda]

Abidal was poor for France and so was Malouda. The French left side was completely limp. Hudds seems to have a harder shot than carrick as well. If he develops a mean streak, could become the new MacKay.

I thought Abidal was good until the semi's where he promptly became a bag of nerves. He had a rubbish semi and final, which probably says something about him as a player. Good pen though. Malouda I thought was muck aswell, but he is a great grafter. He's not a player though. You want more than just a grafter on the left wing.

As I've said before I think they'd have won the wc if they palyed Henry inside left and Saha up top.

[spurs61]

Hudds seems to have a harder shot than carrick as well. If he develops a mean streak, could become the new MacKay.

Shame there are no filthy Leeds players for him to square up to. Robbie Savage would make a decent stand-in though.

I understand that the one real critisism of Hudds is a lack of aggression, maybe he should be training with Tainio? (Oh no, that would involve Timmy turning up at the training pitch!)

[Chinaman]

Ah yes, I knew he was captain at one point. I read in Cloughie's autobiography that Dave Mackay along with Roy Keane was his best ever signing.

He was a wing-back, is that the same as a wing-half? I remember Clough saying he converted him when he didn't have the legs anymore, he was really proud of that, because he said he turned out to be an unbelievable sweeper then aswell.

Were sweepers and wing backs used a lot in them days?


The old fashioned wing-half is what we call DM now, and is not a wing-back. In those days, we'd out and out wingers and so had no need for wing-backs.

[Chinaman]

Shame there are no filthy Leeds players for him to square up to. Robbie Savage would make a decent stand-in though.

I understand that the one real critisism of Hudds is a lack of aggression, maybe he should be training with Tainio? (Oh no, that would involve Timmy turning up at the training pitch!)


Perhaps invite hard as nail Dave back as a personal coach for him; or keep Davids as his coach for the Davids of say 5 years ago was the nearest thing to MacKay, only lacking the lethal shooting.

[choda]

The old fashioned wing-half is what we call DM now, and is not a wing-back. In those days, we'd out and out wingers and so had no need for wing-backs.

That's a weird name. Are there any other old football terms like that, that are never used any more?

And by sweeper I think Cloughie meant a kind of footballing centre half rather than an out and out sweeper like the Germans are so famous for. But I could be wrong.

[Chinaman]

No, MacKay was by then purely defensive sweeper, just covering the centre half, picking up loose balls. He didn't have the legs anymore, but his positional sense was so good that you hardly noticed his lack of pace or mobility. In fact he played a lot like Naybet did for us.

[Chinaman]

sorry for using the wrong terminology. Age is indeed catching up.

MacKay was not a wing-half as it should be called "Inside-Half"; and the AM of today was called "Inside- Forward".

The term wing-half only came in the 70s when everyone was playing 442 and is equivalent to what we now call either RM or LM.

[choda]

Yea, that's kind of what I meant. An out and out sweeper, to me, plays in behind two centre halfs, like Beckenbeur did.

Naybet: That's something I've observed aswell, a good central defender can get away with no pace to a large degree with a good brain.

[choda]

sorry for using the wrong terminology. Age is indeed catching up.

MacKay was not a wing-half as it should be called "Inside-Half"; and the AM of today was called "Inside- Forward".

The term wing-half only came in the 70s when everyone was playing 442 and is equivalent to what we now call either RM or LM.

Oh right, that makes more sense. They also had inside forward left's and right's didn't they? Which is sorta what is referred to nowadays as wing forwards?

It can get confusing sometimes when reading the older player's autobiographies (I've read Best and Clough from that time), because they use old terms sometimes. Georgie Best said he was a right winger and then an inside right.

[Chinaman]

Inside right or inside left correspond to right or left attacking or advanced midfielder. Wing forwards are a new breed of wide players in a 433 while old style wingers stayed wide in the old WM formation or the Brazilian version of 424.

[Chinaman]

Yea, that's kind of what I meant. An out and out sweeper, to me, plays in behind two centre halfs, like Beckenbeur did.

Naybet: That's something I've observed aswell, a good central defender can get away with no pace to a large degree with a good brain.

The sweeper plays behind one centre-half. Beckenbauer cannot be used as a prime example as a tradional sweeper as although he also played behind one centre half, he was so skillful with the ball that he was given the liberty of moving up to support the midfield when the team attacks. In fact he started as a midfielder and was even better than Hoddle because of his leadership quality.

Actually I had thought about Hoddle dropping back to play Becenbauer style, but he never could head the ball like the Kaiser could. In terms of dribbling, passing and shooting, they were equals.

[choda]

The sweeper plays behind one centre-half. Beckenbauer cannot be used as a prime example as a tradional sweeper as although he also played behind one centre half, he was so skillful with the ball that he was given the liberty of moving up to support the midfield when the team attacks. In fact he started as a midfielder and was even better than Hoddle because of his leadership quality.

Actually I had thought about Hoddle dropping back to play Becenbauer style, but he never could head the ball like the Kaiser could. In terms of dribbling, passing and shooting, they were equals.

Beckenbaur played in a two, really. I've never seen a centre back stride out like that in a two. They always refer to him as a sweeper, which in Germany, I thought, represents the middle behind two centre backs. Don't the Germans traditionally play three at the back?

[spurs61]

I was always under the impression that Beckbauer was a classic "Libero" player who sat just in front of the back four and protected them as well as being the main creative fulcrum in the team.

[Spur]

you must remember we were only playing stevenage so have to be a bit carefull about what we read into the players performances.
i don't believe we could aford to lose carick he could be our key player this coming season
as is gerrard for liverpooo and lamps is for the russian mafias XI.
carick is compfortable on the ball
good at keeping posesion.
can tackle.
can pick out pass.
experienced.
level headed fella (seems like)

by the way im not his agent .
just a fan


Carrick can't tackle. Those who believe he shouldn't be playing for Spurs, or at least in the defensive midfield role use this every time. And it's true.

[Danishspurs]

Shame there are no filthy Leeds players for him to square up to. Robbie Savage would make a decent stand-in though.

I understand that the one real critisism of Hudds is a lack of aggression, maybe he should be training with Tainio? (Oh no, that would involve Timmy turning up at the training pitch!)
But Carrick lacks aggression too... And physically Hudds is a lot stronger...

[suBerb]

Mirror:

Sir Alex will also sign Michael Carrick in a £16m deal after Tottenham admitted defeat in their battle to keep the England midfielder.

Sun:

TOTTENHAM have moved to hijack Ruud van Nistelrooy’s switch to Real Madrid by using Michael Carrick as bait.

Spurs manager Martin Jol wants the Manchester United striker PLUS around £10million in cash for Carrick.

[suBerb]

It's almost certain that Carrick leaves...hopefully we'll make a very good deal with manure

spanish newspapers say that Real has signed RVN

[Houdini logic]

Haha, you can imagine MJ and DL trying to take Manure to the cleaners for Carrick!


"Ok, we want £10 million basic, no make that £12 million.. umm, throw in that donkey looking chap, Van Nistelrooy. We'll take Brown too, he can be a decent enough back-up for us. (Manure agree) - Oh, and how about the young fellow, Rooney? Chuck him in the package and we'll half the transfer fee."

[suBerb]

Haha, you can imagine MJ and DL trying to take Manure to the cleaners for Carrick!


"Ok, we want £10 million basic, no make that £12 million.. umm, throw in that donkey looking chap, Van Nistelrooy. We'll take Brown too, he can be a decent enough back-up for us. (Manure agree) - Oh, and how about the young fellow, Rooney? Chuck him in the package and we'll half the transfer fee."
:) :) :)

funny

[suBerb]

sell Carrick and buy Riquelme

[DarlinginJapan]

Van Nist is a good, maybe even great striker. But, we don't need him! We want a big squad full of talent but we can't accomodate Berby, Defoe, Keane and Ruud.

If we sign him does it suggest that Defoe is on his way out which would be very bad news. I'd rather keep Defoe than replace him with Ruud.

[spurs61]

sell Carrick and buy Riquelme

Sell Carrick and buy Mascherano.

[shoot_ffs]

ruud wouldn't want to be third or fourth choice anyway, that's why he's thrown his toys out of the pram at manyoo. He's a great player but the outlay is not worth it, unless they are prepared to right off carricks fee as we have a cheap replacement in hudds. i think fergie has put ruud's price up as he doesn't want him to go, knowing he can't get a better replacement. For star value riquelme would be great, but again you need the system to play him. I'd rather a fourth striker who can also play wide.

[suBerb]

Sell Carrick and buy Mascherano.


mascherano is too expensive - 20-25 M pounds and, if I'm not mistaken, plays on the same position as Zokora...

I think that we need an offensive CM, someone better than Jenas

[Houdini logic]

Jenas is a good enough player, and i reckon he'll do much better this season!

[Welsh Spur]

I agree. I hate the fact that so many people think he's pie.

[suBerb]

Jenas is a good enough player, and i reckon he'll do much better this season!

agree but someone like Pirlo or Riquelme would be a great signing

[Houdini logic]

definately, but could we sign a player of that quality?

[suBerb]

definately, but could we sign a player of that quality?


given that we sell Carrick for 16 M pounds, we can buy Riquelme - he's 29 y.o., so must be not too expensive - definitely not more than 20 M pounds

To be sure, Villareal are not a richer club than Tottenham, on the contrary...

[Houdini logic]

I don't mean it like that, I mean CAN we ATTRACT players of that calibre, surely they'll want to be playing Champions league

[suBerb]

I don't mean it like that, I mean CAN we ATTRACT players of that calibre, surely they'll want to be playing Champions league

Riquelme plays for Villareal and they were beaten by a Slovenian club in Intertoto Cup...So Riquelme will not play even in the UEFA Cup games, if he will not move to another club.

[Danishspurs]

Riquelme plays for Villareal and they were beaten by a Slovenian club in Intertoto Cup...So Riquelme will not play even in the UEFA Cup games, if he will not move to another club.
But he'll have offers from al the big clubs in the world if he wants to leave...

[choda]

I suggested an Argentinian coup a few days ago: Sorin, Ayala and Riquelme. We could go to wing backs, with Lennon and Sorin. And with Riquelme playing in front of Hudd and Zokora. How great would that be? I agree Riquelme would be hard to get, but not beyond the bounds of possibilty.

I agree that Jenas is a good player and he could improve this season, but I just think Hudd and Zokora are better players. Well, from what I've seen of Zokora and his huge rep.

[suBerb]

But he'll have offers from al the big clubs in the world if he wants to leave...


Barca and Real do not want him, Juve was relagated, Milan has Kaka, Chelski and Liverpool do not need him, Manure want Mascherano, Arsenal bought Rossicki..So...:cool:

[neilmcnab]

davids is wat none of our midfielders is a legend played in world cup euros european cups uefa cups from he was in his teens invaluabe experience.thats y we keep him..and wat he has is aggresion competitiveness... many fans pick this namby pamby team who they think cud play all seasoncarick an jenus..yeah no direction drive agresion or leadership..these skills are developed in young players... our players are very talented .. but there are things they have to develop and this comes from working with more experienced players and coaching staff...

[Thfc4Life]

davids is wat none of our midfielders is a legend played in world cup euros european cups uefa cups from he was in his teens invaluabe experience.thats y we keep him..and wat he has is aggresion competitiveness... many fans pick this namby pamby team who they think cud play all seasoncarick an jenus..yeah no direction drive agresion or leadership..these skills are developed in young players... our players are very talented .. but there are things they have to develop and this comes from working with more experienced players and coaching staff...

Where did that come from??:rolleyes:

[Thfc4Life]

I do agree that it is useful to have Davids at our club for another season as it will benefit the younger players, but in my view if we want to break into the top four this season we cannot afford to be carrying any players, and from january onwards last season that is what we were having to do unfortunately.
Anyway, we have recently acquired Zokora who has superb leadership qualities in the central midfield role and will hopefully prove to be our midfield general. :D

[choda]

davids is wat none of our midfielders is a legend played in world cup euros european cups uefa cups from he was in his teens invaluabe experience.thats y we keep him..and wat he has is aggresion competitiveness... many fans pick this namby pamby team who they think cud play all seasoncarick an jenus..yeah no direction drive agresion or leadership..these skills are developed in young players... our players are very talented .. but there are things they have to develop and this comes from working with more experienced players and coaching staff...

We all know what a player Davids is, and for at least half of last year he was sensational (particularly in the big games). But I think that mantle is going to Zokora now. Davids, as was shown at the end of last season is not going to last forever. He's getting a lot of injuries and though he still has great games he will not be able to do that every week this year.

I for one am very grateful that he came here, he was huge in taking the club up a level. And no doubt he will continue to inspire and help in bringing on the younger players.

He was last years talisman of the spurs resurection, but I believe this year that will be shared by many players. Last years experience will be invalubale to many of them.

And there's nothing namby pamby about Zokora.

[highlander]

Barca and Real do not want him, Juve was relagated, Milan has Kaka, Chelski and Liverpool do not need him, Manure want Mascherano, Arsenal bought Rossicki..So...:cool:
so that just leaves Inter Milan, Valencia & Lyon to contend with. if we were to sign Riquelme id think the signings of some other Argentines would be pivotal in the deal so the Coup that choda suggested would definately aid any potnetial deals for Juan Roman

[Welsh Spur]

Weren't we in for Riquelme before? Or was that just a rumour?

Imagine we DID sign JRR, it would look great, ManU took Carrick and then we sign Riquelme....I think that would show the direction in which ManUre are going with that 'gone-off' scot in charge.

[highlander]

it wouldnt suprise me if we did you know. we've already signed the 2 players they wanted/needed this summer

[Welsh Spur]

I think Man United have had their day. Really. And it's a pity Rooney's allegiance lies with the blue half of the mersey, I mean could you imagine Liverpool now with him in the side? I think it's a shame it'll never happen.

Players only go to United due to the fact they are virtually guaranteed a top 3 finish and CL football year in year out. It's a shame, I mean surely there's more pride in earning and playing your way to the top rather than joining a team at the top???

Anyway I think ManUre's time as a shoe in for the top 3 and CL is nearing an end, especially if they don't get rid of Mr Miserable...is he going to leave OT in a coffin? It's beginning to look that way.

[highlander]

i think Liverpool are going to do really well next season. what they've achieved under Rafa the gaffer is little short of amazing. and now with the addition of a real finisher in Bellamy, a top young winger in Gonzalez they really can push on and maybe challenge chelsea. i hope they do make a title bid, not because i like liverpool but because it would be great for the premiership and give us hope of challenging

[Welsh Spur]

I don't know if it's because I'm a fellow countryman but I can't understand Bellamy's transfer to Liverpool being described as the 'worst transfer of the summer'. I think he's going to shut his critics' faces this season. And I hope he does it emphatically, on the way to winning the title! But that's only because we aint in the frame yet. As soon as we are....WATCH OUT!!!

[highlander]

i think £6.5million for Bellamy is a very reasonable deal. considering he scored 17 league goals last season despite missing a fair chunk of the season and playing in a 4-5-1 which is very striker unfriendly. he'll do very well at Anfield

[choda]

Yes, I totally agree. Bellemy is a quality striker, I'd have loved to see him come here. I always liked him, but he looked unbelievable last season. Pace skill, movement and finishing for 6 mil... that's a bargain.

[Aussiespur]

Jenas is a good enough player, and i reckon he'll do much better this season!


Ghaly seemed to play well against Birmingham (set up both Berbs' goals), maybe he can interchange with Jenas this season ?

[Chinaman]

Ghaly is supposed to be good. Maybe the problem was his injury and the settling in.

[Aussiespur]

We need some flair from the midfield, hopefully Ghaly can provide some of that ? I'd really like a quality South American in there, they are born with flair by the truckload.

[Chinaman]

Not only S Americans. The Latins generally have flair. Spaniards and Italians .

[Spur]

Pablo Aimar moved today for 7.5million... Would he have been ideal Aussiespur?

[suBerb]

Pablo Aimar moved today for 7.5million... Would he have been ideal Aussiespur?

his last seasons were poor

his career is in decline

[shoot_ffs]

if we want a midfielder with more flair than get malbranque. i just don't see us using one unless we are behind in a game. you'd have to pay him a lot of bench warming money. atleast with him you'd get some goals in return. i hope ziegler plays against inter and we can see finally if he can manage our left wing slot. with four left footers in the squad, one will surely be sacrificed for an all out winger.

[Danishspurs]

Hughton on Hudds:
He (Tom Huddlestone) has had a very good pre-season so far I think it's been well seen by everybody that his opportunities last season were limited because of the quality we had in front of him and because Michael (Carrick) played most of the season. But it's a good opportunity for him. He's a quality player and one that we've been aware of for a long time."

[Welsh Spur]

Pablo Aimar moved today for 7.5million... Would he have been ideal Aussiespur?
Where did he go???

[Hayes Massive]

Real Zaragoza,strange because they dont usually have much money & are not seen as one of the big boys.

[Welsh Spur]

Well it goes to show that SuBerb is right then, his career is in decline....

...while we're on the topic, why do any of Atletico Madrid's players want to stay there? They are and have for the last ten years been an underachieving, mediocre team, and from where I'm watching, that doesn't look like changing....which is surprising as they have quite a few top class players.

[TomMcLaren]

Ghaly is supposed to be good. Maybe the problem was his injury and the settling in.


Once he settled, he looked good against Inter.

[Chinaman]

Didn't have the chance to see him here in Canada. I heard some Yankees saw him on ESPN. If all the reports about Ghaly and Ziegler are true, and with Taino being the play anywhere guy, we may not even need to buy a RB or LW unless some real good ones are available at reasonable price.