Hunt

If this lad wasn’t a footballer I’m sure he’d be a test cricketer (batsman) his fleet of foot, balance & ability to transfer his body weight is excellent in tight spaces. The important thing though is he can pass the ball, dribble and in a few short weeks under Shaun, Ben & now DA looks like he has started to play without fear.

If he keeps progressing he’ll provide us with some real entertainment for sure.

Hunt is being played in a position he's good at allowed to move into channels and create plays. It seemed like under Hurst he couldn't play the role he wanted in midfield so was left on the sidelines despite being a very good footballer and probably the most naturally gifted player with the ball at his feet the club has. Now he has a role he can thrive in, he's getting some things wrong but he's playing with the swagger to try things out so the more he does it the more he'll figure out the right pass or the right shot on goal, I was impressed by how many times he left players for dead and how confident he was in trying to make things happen.

There are others players who were lacking confidence that have now come back into some form showing what we know they are capable of. I don't know what happened at the club and it doesn't really matter now but I hope these same players kick on now for the reason of the season and keep doing what they are doing. The change in some people is quite striking.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I think Pyke has shown he's more suited playing wide and cutting in to support Rose. He certainly didn't look the part as a lone front man playing with his back to goal. Another centre-forward to play off is essential. I think a young CB on loan like Smith is probably the only other requirement now. If Vernam comes back in good fettle we could potentially be a bit overweight in wide players, would we allow Khan to move on?

Yeah, the squad needs another striker, pike looks much improved now he's being played wider.

Like hunt he was being played out of position by Hurst (obviously not for the same sustained amount of time as Hunt has been). I understood why hurst didn't play hunt as a holding midfielder as he didn't play well there. I didnt understand why he didn't try him pushed further forward were his passing skill and ability to wriggle out of a challenge would be better suited and his weaknesses less exposed.

Always makes me chuckle when I see posters say 'well the manager is playing him / not playing him so that must be the right decision as he's a professional football manager'.

That would make sense if all managers were largely the same decision wise, but one professional football manager will sometimes do the complete opposite to another. Hunt being a perfect example. Of course a manager will judge by far the majority of decisions better than fans but there are so many decisions in football, and games are so complex, with so many ways of working that it's perfectly possible for managers to be wrong about individual players or positions or tactics compared to a section of fans. The decision by Hurst that Hunt should be pretty much exclusively played directly in front of the back 4 looks like one of them.

Our first goal today stands as a testament to Hunts qualities, he plays with his head up, is intelligent , ,quick in thought and backs himself...
The short corner routine was being set up but (edit)  he had the above qualities and the technical ability to spot Eisa in the space so delivered that pass instead. the way he didnt want the pass from Glennon allowing the ball to go to Eisa instead was quality  

Quoted from moosey_club

Our first goal today stands as a testament to Hunts qualities, he plays with his head up, is intelligent , ,quick in thought and backs himself...
The short corner routine was being set up but he had the above qualities and the technical ability to spot Eisa in the space so delivered that pass instead.

Artell's response to that looks like they planned it in training. Hunt executed it well, but this was mostly about the plan, and Eisa's finishing. Don't get me wrong, Hunt is doing well, and long may it continue, but he doesn't need to get the credit for everything.

Quoted from moosey_club

Our first goal today stands as a testament to Hunts qualities, he plays with his head up, is intelligent , ,quick in thought and backs himself...
The short corner routine was being set up but he had the above qualities and the technical ability to spot Eisa in the space so delivered that pass instead.

That would be a great point if it had been Hunt that played the ball to Eisa, but it was Glennon with the quick thinking and the pass.

I think the whole thing was stage managed with the first 2 or 3 corners being played short between Hunt and Glennon, so Crewe thought that would be the case again, with Hunt strolling toward the corner flag and suddenly finding that the ball was played quickly to the edge of the box, catching them out and giving Eisa a clear shot at goal.

A few corners to set the trap, and then a planned switch of routine.

The way Hunt drove forward at the heart of the Crewe defence caused havoc and in league 2 terms Crewe are a decent side teams will be getting thrashed here very soon. A mystery why you sign a player on a 3 year deal and don't play him when he's easily your most creative CM? All good now though this Manager sees and believes in Hunt and he will build the team around him. Most Season's one team comes from nowhere and gatecrashes the top spots we've a real chance of being that team we will only get better.UTM

It was great tactics for us to make a complete pig's ear of our first couple of corners, to lull Crewe into a false sense of security...  

Quoted from ginnywings

That would be a great point if it had been Hunt that played the ball to Eisa, but it was Glennon with the quick thinking and the pass.
.

You are right ... I am not.  👏  I have tweaked my original post

Quoted from toontown

Yeah, the squad needs another striker, pike looks much improved now he's being played wider.

Like hunt he was being played out of position by Hurst (obviously not for the same sustained amount of time as Hunt has been). I understood why hurst didn't play hunt as a holding midfielder as he didn't play well there. I didnt understand why he didn't try him pushed further forward were his passing skill and ability to wriggle out of a challenge would be better suited and his weaknesses less exposed.

Always makes me chuckle when I see posters say 'well the manager is playing him / not playing him so that must be the right decision as he's a professional football manager'.

That would make sense if all managers were largely the same decision wise, but one professional football manager will sometimes do the complete opposite to another. Hunt being a perfect example. Of course a manager will judge by far the majority of decisions better than fans but there are so many decisions in football, and games are so complex, with so many ways of working that it's perfectly possible for managers to be wrong about individual players or positions or tactics compared to a section of fans. The decision by Hurst that Hunt should be pretty much exclusively played directly in front of the back 4 looks like one of them.

The problem is, Hurst did play him there. Last season Stockport away and we ran riot.. after that Hunt was moved back and out the team again.