How much did we miss Huddlestone and Dawson?

[markiespurs]

I know it's impossible to give a definitive answer on this question, but i thought I'd ask it anyway.

Just how much of a difference would having Dawson and Huddlestone fit for most of the season have made on our final league position.

Considering how close we were to securing 3rd place yesterday, then i think having Huddlestone and Dawson fit for most of the season would have made a big difference. At the very least, Dawson being fit would have meant that we wouldn't have had to take a risk on a clearly unfit Leadly King, while Huddlestone would have perhaps given Harry the option to rest players like Modric and Parker. Huddlestones sublime range of passing would also have presented us another option to break down stubborn defenses.

 

[Spursh]

Not a big fan of Dawson, and with the arrival of Vertonghen (hopefully) and Caulker, he could end up being 4th choice.

But I do believe we missed Huddlestone. He brings the best out of our wingers with his superb passing range, and I actually think he could bring the best out of Sandro, and allow the Brazilian to fulfill his huge potential as a box-to-box midfielder.

 

[maglajz]

We missed Huddlestone's shooting when teams were defending with 10 men in the box against us

 

[diegooners]

I think we missed both of them hugely. King's form post christmas has been appalling and a fully fit Dawson would have significantly improved our porous defence in that run of 1 win in 11. He would have been the preferred partner to Kaboul if fit, no doubt about it.

Huddlestone being injured also affected us massively inasmuch as it seriously hindered our versatility in the middle. Modric had a shocking run of games in that bad spell and a fit Huddlestone would have been a credible player to drop him for. Without Huddlestone fit we have to play Modric irrespective of form as he is the only great passer out of the centre mids. Huddlestone, Sandro and Parker with Rafa dropping in has a nice shape to it and could well be the future if Modric leaves this summer.

 

[Kingstheman]

We missed Dawson at times when Gallas was injured, Corluka on loan, Caulker on loan and Ledley King was unable to play anywhere near his best due to his injury, that is for sure (and Nelsen was not used ). Who knows? He could have allowed King to rest a bit more and we all know a fully fit King is, well... King.

As realtay says, we missed Huddlestone's shot, plus he would have been able to offer another option to Sandro and Parker.

If both were fit...? Well, had Dawson been defending instead of King when Lambert had Grant Holt mark King all game (yes, I know, sounds silly, but...) and we conceded one less goal in the home match at the Lane...

We'd be third.

But, it is a squad game, injuries happen, Arsenal's back line was depleted at some point yadda, yadda, yadda...

 

[dontcallme]

I'm not sure it made any real difference. As we all know there was a lack of rotation and players such as Krancjar, Corluka and Sandro didn't play much part. Not convinced Dawson or Huddlestone would have been used much if they were fit.

Hopefully they'll come back next season and HR will rotate more.

 

[Pat Rice Spurs fan]

Definitely missed them both at points this season.
Daws would have been trusted when Leds was playing through injury.
Hudd could have won us the europa cup or at least pushed Modric to maintain his form from the first half of the season.

 

[Monkey Bastard Hands]

As much as I love Dawson's passion, I don't rate him as a defender. He's 4th choice imo after Kaboul, King and Gallas - even Nelsen. With Vertonghen and Caulker hopefully being with us next season, i'd have Dawson on the bench as back up and nothing more.

Huddlestone gives us another option in midfield and I think we could have used him when trying to break down some teams, hopefully he'll get a look in next season.

 

[markiespurs]

I'm not sure it made any real difference. As we all know there was a lack of rotation and players such as Krancjar, Corluka and Sandro didn't play much part. Not convinced Dawson or Huddlestone would have been used much if they were fit.

Hopefully they'll come back next season and HR will rotate more.

The thing with both Dawson and Huddlestone though is that Harry seems to rate both very highly (think Jaime Redknapp even said once that Huddlestone was one of the first names on his dads team sheet) so they probably would have gotten a decent share of games if they had been fit.

 

[dontcallme]

The thing with both Dawson and Huddlestone though is that Harry seems to rate both very highly (think Jaime Redknapp even said once that Huddlestone was one of the first names on his dads team sheet) so they probably would have gotten a decent share of games if they had been fit.

Maybe, it's just a midfield trio of Parker, Modric and VDV seems to suit HR very nicely. He didn't rotate to allow Krancjar to play who he has also raved about. I don't think anyone got a fair share of games this season. You were either in the team or you weren't.

 

[nightgoat]

There were plenty of times during the season where I thought we could have done with Huddlestone. It would be entirely speculative, but not completely implausible to suggest if we'd had them both available we would have taken one more point that could have secured third place.

 

[ethanedwards]

We missed Huddlestone's shooting when teams were defending with 10 men in the box against us

His scoring record is very poor for a good striker of the ball.

 

[sloth]

The thing is, I think they would have made a big difference, but a negative one, which I can't chose.

 

[Riandor]

Cant know for sure, but voted we would have gotten third.

Of course if Man United had had their full squad, Arsenal theirs...

A miss though for sure.

 

[StartingPrice]

I think they would have made a difference, but I am not sure it wuld have got us 3rd - can we have an option for that?

 

[markiespurs]

I think they would have made a difference, but I am not sure it wuld have got us 3rd - can we have an option for that?

not sure, can you edit polls?

 

[StartingPrice]

not sure, can you edit polls?

What do you call a deer that has had it's eyes poked out?

 

[OmarsComing]

When would either of them played during the run up?

 

[sloth]

When would either of them played during the run up?

Knowing Redknapp they'd have played every game this season had we begun the season with them both fit!

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Knowing Redknapp they'd have played every game this season had we begun the season with them both fit!

It would have been interesting what he would have done with Huddlestone.

I am an advocate of the 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3 and I think Hudd would be perfect as one of the 2 sat in midfield. I guess though that Redknapp would have probably kept with a 4-4-1-1 and marginalised Hudd to the by playing Parker and Modric as the CM's. And Hudd would probably have asked for a transfer in January.