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Damo

Out of position, out of favour

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I do find it slightly funny, how the squad are being forced to be ''versatile''. I don''t think you can really force versatility, you''re either versatile or you''re not.

Hughes~Actual position: Center Midfield.  Played at: Right-back, left-back, centre-mid and right-mid

Doherty~Actual position: Center Back. Played at: Played at Centre-back, Centre-Mid, Striker

Huckerby~Actual position: Left Winger. Played at: Left Wing, Right Wing, Striker

Lee Croft~Actual position: Right Winger. Played at: Left Wing, Right Wing

Paul McVeigh~Actual position: Striker (questionable). Played at: Left Wing, Right Wing, Striker

And the latest addition to this ever growing list is Chris Martin~Actual position: Striker. Played at: Striker and Left-mid

I may have missed a few out, but these are the one''s the initially spring to mind. Don''t get me wrong, I appreciate that players need to be changed around occasionally but surely they opperate better when they are designated to a set position and not constantly having to adapt their game. Does anybody else think this may be a reason to some of the awful performances and just plain inconsistency of the team this season?

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I disagree.

 

If you can play on the right wing, you can play on the left...

Also, Huckerby''s actual position is a striker, and for me he looks better playing there this season too.

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[quote user="Cobain18"]Huckerby''s actual position is striker but anyway ....[/quote]

take it u didnt go to Blackpool.. that game proved hucks is a winger...

jas :)

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I agree completely. Altho maybe not on the Huckerby front, as he seems to be able to do it whatever position he plays in! But as for the rest I think its wrong that Doc is expected to do a job in midfield when he can bearly make it into the starting line up in his natural position of centre back these days! Hughes is versatile and tries very hard in which ever position hes played, but is he actually good enough in any of them? What does he offer that Colin doesnt?  Im a little concerned that PG''s tactics are somewhat questionable at times and that with our position in the table looking evermore depressing shouldnt he be putting out the strongest available players in every position for every game?

P.S Is it just me worried that Chris Brown is going to be the new Peter Thorne? 

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Its all relative.

If you are a defender you know the job of a striker because you know what the striker needs to and tries to do. If you are good at tracking and tackling and you are a striker then there is half a chance you can play defencively too. This is NOT always the case mind you but it is also the reason you often have defenders thrown upfront towards the end of the game, they know where the danger areas are.

Then there is the training issue. Everybody is switched around in training so that should there be a situation like last night players are not totaly in the dark about playing other positions. Strikers on the wing and defenders up front is nothing unheard of. Anybody remember Sutton playing at the back?

Huckerby is a striker that like Henry, naturally drifts out wide to the left to take advantage of his right foot. To those who have less experience playing than others this means that the oppositions right back is going to have to tackle you on their weaker foot and also enables you to shield the ball more effectively with your left foot and shoulder etc if you should want to go diagonal for goal.

Basics. Huckerby has been played out left when we have effectively been reduced to no other option and when the manager wants to play 4-3-3.

The impression I get is that Grant doesn''t favour this formation too much and that Lappin was brought in to give us the option of playing a 4-4-2 with variation. That means if we are playing a side with slower defenders we could pheasably unleash Huckerby and Earnshaw on them at once. Both with pace and bags of tricks, enough to give any defence a headache.

It also means that should one become injured we do at least have one other player to step in their and take on that role. Now I think we are looking at two others with Martin.

My opinion is that we need to get that extension sorted out with Fotheringham, sign up Martin and seriously look at what else we have. I think that if Dublin decides to stay and we can get in some decent defenders we say bye to Thorne. But I think as per the transfer window it is going to be a matter of who we can get in.

Even though Neil Adams was going on about Jarvis leaving I think it maybe that his extension is signed and then he is loaned out again untill Christmas, he is 20 and still has a good chance of getting that experience that he needs to progress. Dublin is by no means guaranteed another season after next and we need these youngsters to start growing. 3 goals in his first start can only be good for him.

I think right now Henderson is actually more likely to leave, he does not seem to be impressing to much and he is that bit older. I think Grant is already planning two seasons down the line. At which point you have to look at which players will still be here and which ones may not be able to play every game. Dublin will be gone, Huckerby will be pushing 33(if he hasn''t decided he hasnt got the legs anymore), Safri will be the same should he not have decided to move on. Drury will be 30.

Grant has signed two players aged 23 to add to Croft 21/22, Etuhu + Collin 23/24, Brown 23, Shackell 23, Earnshaw 23/24 so its there for all to see that he is putting together a young side with some experienced heads to lead them. I think it can only be a good thing because the reality of the Championship winning season is that those players peaked then, you had Holt, Edworthy, Roberts, Makay, Fleming, Svensson and Rivers all at 30+ and who debatebly reached top gear at their best level. They didn''t have the legs for the prem.

Reading have proven that if you have a young team they are more likely to adapt or have the ability or potential to adapt in the premiership. We need a team thats going to grow so I remain optomistic.

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Matt Gunns said:

"Hughes is versatile and tries very hard in which ever position hes played, but is he actually good enough in any of them?"

Yes he is good enough in some of them. Just because a player doesn''t have fancy skills or loads of pace it don''t make them a bad player.

He is a no nonsence, hard tackling player.... just like Holt was and also Grant in his day. Every team needs players like this.

"HHHHUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHEEEESSS"

 

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[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

take it u didnt go to Blackpool.. that game proved hucks is a winger...

jas :)

[/quote]

Hucks played up front at Blackpool and scored, he also played up front at Carrow Road against Leeds and changed the game 

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Stop this silly ''Hucks is a striker!'' / ''No, he''s a winger!'' debate.

He clearly plays well, and not so well sometimes, in both positions.

Hucks'' game means that sometimes he ends up being anonymous when the game isn''t playing to his strengths, but that has nothing to do with where he plays (as long as its not right back, or something silly like that, anyway)

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I think Hughes actual position is a right back  and he is played out of position in midfield. At right back you can get away with playing long balls up the wing or to the centre forward, you need a bit more about you in midfield. If Hughes got a run at playing right back I think he would be better than Colin.

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Recently,Hughes has got a small run a right back and somehow has managed to put in some decent performances. I was almost positive that he played center mid for Reading though, am I wrong? 

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[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

[quote user="Cobain18"]Huckerby''s actual position is striker but anyway ....[/quote]

take it u didnt go to Blackpool.. that game proved hucks is a winger...

jas :)

[/quote]

 

or chelsea were he played upfront and did nothing

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[quote user="barclay4ever"][quote user="jas the barclay king"]

[quote user="Cobain18"]Huckerby''s actual position is striker but anyway ....[/quote]

take it u didnt go to Blackpool.. that game proved hucks is a winger...

jas :)

[/quote]

 

or chelsea were he played upfront and did nothing

[/quote]

 

or leeds where he excelled as a striker,  or numerous games over the last 2 seasons where his lack of defensive abilities have exposed the defence and contributed to losing games.

 

Examples of both abound - at the moment he is the best fit striker we have.

 

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[quote user="Kolin Kob"]

Stop this silly ''Hucks is a striker!'' / ''No, he''s a winger!'' debate.

He clearly plays well, and not so well sometimes, in both positions.

Hucks'' game means that sometimes he ends up being anonymous when the game isn''t playing to his strengths, but that has nothing to do with where he plays (as long as its not right back, or something silly like that, anyway)

[/quote]

 

Logic, sense, pragmatism.... you do realise how unpopular you''ll be! ;)

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