Spurs fans are generally agreed that Moussa Dembele has been missed on the left side of defensive midfield and the majority opinion also suggests that Tom Huddlestone is struggling to fill his place.

Hudd is returning after a long injury absence and while he’s earned praise from AVB, there are criticisms of pace, which he never really had, while on Saturday there was an inability to clear the first defender from constant open play and set piece situations.

On the positive side, there is a potential, long term contender as a more mobile and exciting deputy and while it’s a little early to call Tom Carroll the new Modric, as some have done, there may be a case of giving the England under 19 man a run in the side.

One website has run a stream of Twitter comments that backed up any claims and with the obvious benefit of hindsight, it could have been throwing Tom into a run of games where we ultimately lost four out of five in the league.

There are hints now that Moussa could be back in time for Sunday’s game with West Ham but before then, it would be no surprise to see Carroll start for Spurs in Thursday night’s match at Lazio.

So for now, the question in the title may be redundant but should Tom C rather than Tom H provide the cover in Dembele’s position if it’s needed again this season?

 

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26 COMMENTS

  2. I would certainly like to see Carroll given a start against Lazio but surely he is the future. Over the last few seasons we have had a fantastic midfield which Hud isnt part of due to his lack of pace.

    I think he should be given a start.

  4. Of course he should. Tom Carroll is enthusiastic and a top passer of the ball. He is great at taking the ball, making direct forward runs and producing a sublime pass to set up a goal scoring opportunity. I cannot see any reason why he shouldn’t play in the first team.

  5. Huddlestone is without question a quality midfielder, but against elite opposition who keep the ball well or posses pacy, dynamic players in advanced areas, he often struggles with his lack mobility (or ability to cover a large portion of ground) over the course of ninety minutes, in a two man central midfield pairing.

    This is why I believe that the way to get the best out of Tom would be to deploy him at the base of a three-man midfield, where he would be able to dictate the pace of a game, while having the additional time and space to fully make use of his vision and passing ability.
    Using such a formation would also mean Huddlestone would simply sit in front of the back 4, exposing him less on the turn (i.e. running towards his own goal), and would also provide him with additional legs (i.e. Sandro and Demble) in terms of direct support.

    Example: Huddlestone
    Sandro Dembele

    I still believe that Huddlestone can have a role to play at Spurs this season, but how big a role that is will be determined by AVB’s willingness to find a system that will incorporate and get the best out of the big man.

    Carroll looks a good propect and I wouldn’t be against him getting more game time, but if its a direct choice between him and Huddlestone, as things stand, I would pick big T 9 times out of 10.

    • I like the idea. But only against very strong opposition (away from home) when we need to sit a bit deeper and only play with one up front. Dembele would be really good in this system as well. (As he would in any system. What a signing!!!!!!)
      Maybe I am a bit biased because I really want the big man, THE THUUUUUDD, to be part of my/our SPURS.

      Apart from that.
      I think we are only 2 signings – Moutinho/Willian-like players – away from being real contenders. I know they are to expensive now. Imagine if we had bought them when they were only 10-15 mill.
      Here I am thinking of Willian in particular. Less than a year ago we came close to signing him for about 13 mill. Now (after his 2 goals against chelskum) he will probably be bought by city or PSG for 50……
      This is NOT a critisism of Levy. (Just an obsevation)
      I think the man is fantastic for SPURS.

      But, please lets get the creativity, we lost with VdV and Modric, back with a couple of quality signings.

      I would swope Dempsey for a decent ball boy. Maybe at least thats on the cards.

      COYS

      • Well said my friend! I think you have truly hit the nail on the head in regards to to ALL the topics you have raised.

        Keep the faith and hold your nerve!!!

      • Hudllestone is a not just average midfielder, he is out of pace, out of time and most time doesn’t know where the ball is and if somehow he gets it doesn’t know what to do with it. Against Arsenal he had 3 passes, two of them went to their player and that’s not taking into an account the corner he took. I certainly have a doubt that AVB is watching the reply of the games, because is so obviously we are ten men from the start, having Hudllestone in the starting eleven.

  9. Kick out Huddlestone, Dempsey, and Sigurdsson and replace them with Carroll, Pritchard and Ceballos – all class players who should get some game time for Spurs.

    • Dempsey yes.
      But the rest still have have a lot of potential.
      And why sell our only back-up full-back, Naughton????? (Rose is out on loan)

  11. Carroll is immense, excellent control and finish. Also still young, and already this gifted. He just need to bulk up more to handle more pressure from PL.

  12. I have followed tommy c’s career since his debut against hearts where he made an amazing through ball for Kane to win the penalty, playing out of position from the wing. Last season I thought he was a bit too frail to play for us, but in his prem appearances he’s looked capable of holding his own so I’d like to see him get the start against Nazio and if he impresses why not against west ham. He already looks like one of the best passers on the team. Imagine if he developers like we hope, a midfield of Sandro destroying, dembele attacking and Carroll passing sounds pretty amazing

  13. Huddlestone is a good player and i’m sure he will go on to great things at another club. The same can be said of Siggs and Livermore, but, are they quality Spurs players? when we get Parker and Dembele, they won’t be considered. Get Carroll on the Staek N Eggs and get him in as back up, cos he is great on the ball and you can’t help thinking when he plays that he was a keen admirer of Modric in training. His Balance and passing technique is sublime. Sandro can stay…

  14. This has gotta happen now, not next year. As long as either Sandro or Parker are beside him Carroll can play cm. hudd should be sold in jan. It was obvious to AVB when he joined and it’s glaringly obvious after the last run or games. He must go. We’ve gone backwards since he started playing again and his presence has been the main reason. Sorry Tom but you’re done. Best of luck elsewhere.

  17. I must say I was a Huddlestone fan couple of years ago. And I would like to highlight I was. The boy doesn’t know what to do anymore, he lost the little pace that he had and his presents in the team is simply a disaster. Every time I see him in the starting eleven, we are playing with ten men. The only thing that Tom Huddlestone does is watching the games for free without having a ticket. I am sure that everyone who understand football will agree with me. Tom Carroll is way more mobile, better movement all around the pitch, pointing to his teammates where he wants the ball, knows how to pass superbly and when to pass it. It doesn’t make any sense to play Huddlestone instead of Carroll, not at all. I don’t know what AVB is watching when home after games but definitely not the replays, because if he had and still prefer HUDD I don’t know what to think of him. Tom Carroll must be given the opportunity to shine in our slow, ineffective midfield formation. Just imagine him in from of Dembele and Sandro, behind Ade and Defoe and with Bale and Lennon around him. Tom Carroll a future Tottenham Star.

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