Tom Huddlestone - It's Time to Step Up

Tom Huddlestone's (or Thudd as he's affectionately known) Tottenham career has stuttered and started since his hyped arrival from Derby County. He joined on the back of rave reviews, some even going so far as to say he has the vision and poise of Glenn Hoddle (quite how this assumption may have arrived is beyond the realms of idiocy). A potential understudy for Michael Carrick was probably closer to the mark. Carrick was eventually sold to Man Utd and Huddlestone was forced to step up to the plate (HAHA, as if) and fill the accomplished defensive midfielder boots that were left for him. Huddlestone had further competition - Spurs had also acquired Didier Zokora.



A couple of seasons on and not much has changed. Until recently Huddlestone has played a constant (albeit gigantic second fiddle - he's a big lad, fond of a meat pie) to Zokora, but he does offer something different to Didier's forward thinking, headless-chicken esque, opponent's half induced nose bleed suffering style of play. Huddlestone can play football, and when the flow of the game is running in Spurs' favour, he can control the game. However on the back foot and under pressure, as seems the Tottenham way in periods of most games, Huddlestone is lost. He has the turning ability of a battleship and his positional awareness is on par with Robinson's from long range.

Carrick was no whippet, but his ability to read the game and put himself in a position where he could break up an attack with very little movement meant that he was very effective. Huddlestone needs to study Carrick's game and learn from it. If he can replicate then he has a substantial chance in becoming an important player for Spurs. If he remains as ineffectual defensively as he currently is then he'll be another on the never-ending conveyabelt of wasted potential at White Hart Lane.

Last season I went as far as saying that Huddlestone would never make it at Spurs, but his performance at Old Trafford on saturday saw him shine in a new light. He was by no means the best player in a white shirt, but he controlled the midfield and battled well. Lets hope he can pick up this form when he plays Fulham on saturday, the same opposition he made his debut against 42 appearances ago.