Last night’s subs bench.....

[danhlibertine]

Of course, I really don't need to make this point, because in the end it didnt really matter because we went on to win the game, and I was as chuffed as anyone about that, but it still got me.....


Huddlestone and Ince - two "holding" defensive midfielders on the subs bench.....Now, Hoddle decided before the game when he picks his first 11 that he doesnt deem a player of this ilk necessary.....Hemight then midway through the game swallow his pride and decide he needs to bringthis sort of player on to steady the ship, but if you dont play with a holding player from the start why thehell would you want to bring two on later in the game?


Am I just rambling on(apologies if this is the case), or as all logic gone out of the window?

[dr cool]

maybe the first one was to protect the lead and the other to replace an injured player ?



just a thought...smileys/smiley2.gif



drsmileys/smiley16.gif

[dazmanwolf]

Of course, I really don't need to make this point, because in the end it didnt really matter because we went on to win the game, and I was as chuffed as anyone about that, but it still got me.....


Huddlestone and Ince - two "holding" defensive midfielders on the subs bench.....Now, Hoddle decided before the game when he picks his first 11 that he doesnt deem a player of this ilk necessary.....Hemight then midway through the game swallow his pride and decide he needs to bringthis sort of player on to steady the ship, but if you dont play with a holding player from the start why thehell would you want to bring two on later in the game?


Am I just rambling on(apologies if this is the case), or as all logic gone out of the window?





I think he is protecting Huddlestone.


His loan is up next week and if he is hoping to extend his loan he has to ensure he can keep him fit and free from injury until then.


Ince is obviously just being eased back into the team for his own protection.

[Deutsch Wolf]

Huddlestone can play centre-half (though lord alone knows why he's not starting in midfield) so is a good player to have on the bench, Ince couldn't have played the 90 minutes but the run-out he got will have stood him in good stead.

[Essex Wolf]

It did seem strange TH and Ince were both on the bench but as already mentioned there is no way Ince would have lasted the 90 mins. I would have thought that one or the other started and the other finished the game and the starting of Kennedy and Anderton was an amazing piece of management as both are bloody hopeless as midfield players IMHO.

[Hatch End Wolf]

Too easy. Hoddle is just being himself. He gets an idea into his head and follows it through, no matter how strange it seems to everyone else. He picks Kennedy as the holding midfield player because he doesn't think Huddlestone orIncewould beasuseful in that position. Nothing devious about it, that's just Hodgod.


Someday us ordinary folks may look back on Hodgod's reign and say "so that was his plan, I didn't understand,the man's a genius"! Then we'll be sorry for doubting him.

[Essex Wolf]

HEW, how any manager can believe that Kennedycould be better than TH or Ince is amazing to me.

[EasternWolf]

Of course, I really don't need to make this point, because in the end it didnt really matter because we went on to win the game, and I was as chuffed as anyone about that, but it still got me.....


Huddlestone and Ince - two "holding" defensive midfielders on the subs bench.....Now, Hoddle decided before the game when he picks his first 11 that he doesnt deem a player of this ilk necessary.....Hemight then midway through the game swallow his pride and decide he needs to bringthis sort of player on to steady the ship, but if you dont play with a holding player from the start why thehell would you want to bring two on later in the game?


Am I just rambling on(apologies if this is the case), or as all logic gone out of the window?





I think he is protecting Huddlestone.


His loan is up next week and if he is hoping to extend his loan he has to ensure he can keep him fit and free from injury until then.


Ince is obviously just being eased back into the team for his own protection.











The demands of Spurs are that huddlestone is not played in all the festive games and, as you say, Ince is coming back after a long injury.... We didnt need them last night ...so they were not played. If you are going to rest them ... SW are the team to do it with. Ince had a valuable few minutes as part of his recovery.

[EasternWolf]

This thread is typical of those that really are annoying. You all know about Ince coming back from injury .... I would have thought you also knew that Hoddle cannot start Huddlestone in all the games at the moment. ... but you all persist with the constant whining and moaning.


Essex ...I dont think this is what Hoddle really thinks - do you?


Hatch End ..yes he got an idea in his head ..but following a long discussion with Spurs


DW ..being the great soccer guru that you are ... you alone would know what the Lord knows ... but in honesty the reasons are slightly more terrestial than this, I imagine.


Dr. C ...nice thought ...neat, plausible ..and wrong.


Dan the libertine ... you are correct ..you are just rambling on ...

[Hatch End Wolf]

Who say's there is an agreement with Spurs that Hudd can't play in all the Christmas / New year games? Do we not have to pay his wages for those games then? Anybody seen the contract, or is there a bit of guesswork going on here?

[The Bear]

Even if Spurs don't want him to play in all the festive games, why not
play him against Reading and then rest him against Sheff Wed? It just
doesn't make sense.

[Axle]

It would be great if TH did stay fro the rest of the season and we can eke Ince back into the team, then we'd have a pretty solid central midfield rather than the powder puff that we have now.


I was surprised we beat Sheff W with the team Hod put out, but maybe he's thinking strategically for the season (or maybe he just spread a bit of magic dust around Hillsboro!)

[Scott.Cooper]

Both Ince and Huddlestone are now fully fit and fresh to start one, probably both of the next two games.



We won the game last night without having to use either player.



I thought Hoddle was spot on last night with his tactics, the squad etc..