How much better can Howson get?

[Howson is now! 0]

I''ll always be the first to admit that Howson was the signing that I was most excited about for us in the Premiership. I felt he would bring some real class to our team and having been the youngest player to captain Leeds in nearly 50 years, could be a future captain for us.

Unfortunately his first season didn''t really pan out that way and he found himself either being asked to fulfill a role that was somewhat alien to him, or watching from the sidelines. There were many frustrations around him being used as a defensive midfielder, especially when in a few games I believe that it was Johnson pushing forward and not Howson.

I genuinely believe (as does Howson himself) that he is now starting to show his true quality and assurance and in many conversations with fellow supporters, believe that he is often the only player on the pitch that looks like he''s trying to change the game.

So as the title asks, just how much better do we think Howson can get?

Do we have a future captain on our hands?

Do we have a potential international on our hands?

What are your views?

[Tetteys Jig 830]

He''s not exactly young any more and it''s hard to say if he''d ever get a game internationally, I think we''d know if he was of that standard if he was good enough to be a regular, he might get a lallana style cap or two though if he''s needed and he''s on form.

As for us, i think he''ll be a very useful player for us for a while yet. He''s a versetile, useful option and a great lad to boot. I''m still not sure what his best position is though.

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

I ''d say your second paragraph is the key one here HIN. The fact is that we''ve really not seen enough of him to make a firm judgement; and , as you say too often he''s been played out of his best position.Frankly, we need to see him with a very long run in the first team, and putting in some key performances before it''s fair to answer your questions with any degree of accuracy.

[GJP 79]

Hard to say how much better he will get as he is already a very good player.

 

Basically been our best player in 2013.

 

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

[quote user="GJP"]

Hard to say how much better he will get as he is already a very good player.

 

Basically been our best player in 2013.

 

[/quote]Fair point GJP, though some might say in the games played,Ruddy has been better, certainly over the year as whole, and Fer over this season.I was really trying to address the questions the OP posed , such as is JH a future captain or International. And would you say that you''ve seen enough of him to make a call on those issues ?

[Buh 0]

I hope he gets a lot better. He had the potential to add further to his game and I do see him as a captain.

A run of games has benefitted him and his combination play with those around him is improving al the time.

Was gutted that shot didn''t go in for him at the weekend, just over. Great positioning and a good strike from distance.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="GJP"]

Hard to say how much better he will get as he is already a very good player.

 

Basically been our best player in 2013.

 

[/quote]

Fair point GJP, though some might say in the games played,Ruddy has been better, certainly over the year as whole, and Fer over this season.

I was really trying to address the questions the OP posed , such as is JH a future captain or International. And would you say that you''ve seen enough of him to make a call on those issues ?
[/quote]

Ruddy hasn''t played that much in 2013 and his form this season hasn''t been its very best. Fer has done well but Howson has been better.

 

I don''t see why he can''t be captain. He was captain at Leeds and he sets a good example on the pitch. Future international is a tricky one. Is he ever going to be as good as Steven Gerrard at his peak? Probably not. Has he been playing better than Tom Cleverley? Yes.

 

And yeah, I''ve seen enough of Howson. Which is why, when he wasn''t as well liked as he is now, I kept trying to tell people to stick with him because he''s a quality player.

 

 

 

 

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

[quote user="GJP"]. Has he been playing better than Tom Cleverley? Yes.

 

 [/quote]Yeah, but surely you must now realise, GJP ,that TC plays for Man Utd. And, any England manager has, by law, to have a certain quota on MU players in the squad.I''m certainly not disagreeing with you. Howson has bags of potential. I''m just not sure whether he''s had a long enough run in the first team to judge on these matters. Don''t forget he wasn''t really a guaranteed regular till tettey got injured.

[Howson is now! 0]

The answers to my own questions are as follows:

In three years time I believe that we will have a Howson at the peak of his career.

I firmly believe that he will be captain (maybe only a few games) within the next two seasons and regular captain around the three years mentioned above.

I don''t however see him ever making it to international status which is a shame.

3 years in professional football leaves a lot of room for improvement and I think that if he is given the game time, and continues to be surrounded by better players as he progresses, there could still be quite a bit more to come from Howson.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="GJP"]. Has he been playing better than Tom Cleverley? Yes.

 

 [/quote]

Yeah, but surely you must now realise, GJP ,that TC plays for Man Utd. And, any England manager has, by law, to have a certain quota on MU players in the squad.

I''m certainly not disagreeing with you. Howson has bags of potential. I''m just not sure whether he''s had a long enough run in the first team to judge on these matters. Don''t forget he wasn''t really a guaranteed regular till tettey got injured.
[/quote]

I think he''s been in the team enough in this calendar year to make a good call on it. And since he''s been at the club he''s made 50-60 starts, something like that?

 

But I always liked him at Leeds too.

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

Fair play, GJP.One thing''s for certain. If he continues to improve at the current rate, then people will sit up and take notice.And a few more goals like the one at the Etihad wouldn''t go amiss too, Jonny......

[Salopian 1]

Not sure he will ever be quite as good as Fer. He has the pace, he has a good shot, and his tackling is improving.

Whether his lack of muscle may prevent him being as good in crunching tackles, we have to wait and see. Similarly, when he slides/threads passes like the two Fer has done for Hooper(Watford and WBA), real defence splitting and match winning passes, then we can say that he has arrived.

We have also to remember that Fer is a year or two younger, and relatively limited EPL experience. He will surely get better but, sadly, probably not with us.

[GJP 79]

Indeed, Fer is a bit younger and he is still learning the ropes in this league. Which is probably partly why we generally get more out of Howson in 90 minutes than we do out of Fer.

 

But if you don''t think Howson has already "arrived" then you need to start watching more of our games.

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

IMO Howson seems to lack a bit of belief and leadership. Although he was captain at Leeds, he never seems captain material to me, either on the pitch or through his timid interviews. If he could just find a bit more self confidence I think he could really kick on and be very influential. Perhaps he needs to show the opposition a little less respect.

No doubting he''s a good player, but he needs to realise his potential soon he wants to be a great  player. The fact that some believe him to be our best player of 2013 merely shows how poor some of our other players have been.

[Gingerpele 0]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]He''s not exactly young any more and it''s hard to say if he''d ever get a game internationally, I think we''d know if he was of that standard if he was good enough to be a regular, he might get a lallana style cap or two though if he''s needed and he''s on form.

As for us, i think he''ll be a very useful player for us for a while yet. He''s a versetile, useful option and a great lad to boot. I''m still not sure what his best position is though.[/quote]

He''s 25, for another six months as well. He''s not exactly old either. Easily still improving, midfielders like him tend to go on into mid thirties. So we''ve got lots more too see with him.