STEPHEN HUNT - IS HIS TIME UP?

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

14.52 Birmingham City are hoping to seal the signing of Hameur Bouazza, skysports.com understands. The Algerian winger is currently on loan at Charlton from Fulham.

[loyalroyal4life]

Hunt has done ok for us i mean without his assists we would not be where we are, i just think we would do better getting £5mill for him and replacing him as i just think his ego is too big for his boots

[winchester_royal]

LOL. Very inconsistent player.

[Focher]

id have him good player.

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

Haven't seen much of him, but he absolutely tore us to shreds.

[SteveRoyal]

Who - realistically - could we buy to replace S Hunt immediately (much like Armstrong with Shorey)?

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

LOL. Very inconsistent player.

Lets hope he's inconsistent in last game of the season then!

[Sun Tzu]

I'd prefer him to be consistent.

As long as it's consistently bad.

[hughsies no.1]

surman?

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Funny enough I think this debate actually misses his main strengths. Lots of people go on about his delivery from set pieces but the reality is a) there are many pro's capable of delivering a decent set piece and b) the quality of the movement in the box is what ultimately defines whether or not the delivery was good.
What doesn't get mentioned is how important he is to us when we don't have the ball. His work rate is immense and he is more than happy to compete physically with anyone. The combination of him and Armstrong doesn't let a great deal happen that can hurt us down the left hand side.
There is also the Hunt / Kebe debate but they are quite different. Kebe creates far more in open play but doesn't defend as well as Hunty. All in all having the pair of them brings good overall balance to the side

[Geekins]

Nice summary Ollie

[working class hero]

Why are so many HNA posters only happy when slagging off players?

Hunt is far from world class, probably not worth £5 million to many - but in my view he is a priceless part of our TEAM.
Coppell has melded a bunch of disparate individuals who between them were worth less than Steven Gerrard's left small toe into a fearsome and formidable team. When a player is picked on it is usually because the team has done badly.

Let us remember we are now 8 games unbeaten in the CCC and 2nd in the table.

Think back to 1998 or 1999 and ask yourself why you are moaning now....

[OLLIE KEARNS]

I'm not moaning WCH and I wasn't slagging him off. In fact what I did was to mention his excellent defensive qualities (which are largely over looked) and how him and Kebe being different gives the team a very good balance. As you correctly point out we are 2nd and the whole reason for that is the sum of the parts i.e the TEAM.
I think the wider debate is whether or not the team would ultimatley be better if you got £5m for Hunty and reinvested that, perhaps in a new forward. All very subjective I know especially as a) it's unlikley that anyone will offer £5m and b) we'd be unlikley to spend it if we got it

[seahawk10]

Why are so many HNA posters only happy when slagging off players?

Hunt is far from world class, probably not worth £5 million to many - but in my view he is a priceless part of our TEAM.
Coppell has melded a bunch of disparate individuals who between them were worth less than Steven Gerrard's left small toe into a fearsome and formidable team. When a player is picked on it is usually because the team has done badly.

Let us remember we are now 8 games unbeaten in the CCC and 2nd in the table.

Think back to 1998 or 1999 and ask yourself why you are moaning now....

Wholeheartedly agree with this and with Ollie's post about how much he brings to the table defensively.

He also gets under the skin of our opponents and I think that helps us more often than not.

It's dissapointing that people are slagging off one of our best players. I think this will be another case of not really appreciating what we have until it's gone. I for one hope we can hang on to him through this window.

[SteveRoyal]

Phil: Russell Kempson wrote a very very interesting feature in today's rip roaring, top scoring GAME, about the Hunt brothers, Noel and Stephen. Alison, who is your favourite Hunt brother, and with the Neville brothers getting on, are they the greatest pairs of siblings in the English game?

Alison: Well, who's your favourite Hunt brother is the daftest question I've ever been asked in my whole life - it's obviously Stephen Hunt. And, um...

Marcoti: Why?

Alison: He's completely over-criticised, under rated and if I was a manager I'd have him in my team.

Marcoti: Noel's a lot more handsome, he scores a lot more goals, he doesn't go and kick Petr Cech in the head, surely you've got to go with Noel over Stephen?

ALison: Stephen Hunt's great, I like him a lot. 9/10 most matches.

Marcoti: Noel doesn't live in a caravan.

Alison: Ahhh, Noel's a stupid name.

Marcoti: Matt, can you settle this please?

Matt: Uhh, unsurprisingly I don't have strong feelings either way, but I do think Stephen Hunt is underrated as Alison has suggested and DIDN'T kick Petr Cech in the head.

Thought I'd post this in the multiple Hunt threads.

[Ian Royal]

Also we don't know if we need a replacement for Hunt yet. If not it's no real loss at all.

[Ian Royal]

Why are so many HNA posters only happy when slagging off players?

Hunt is far from world class, probably not worth £5 million to many - but in my view he is a priceless part of our TEAM.
Coppell has melded a bunch of disparate individuals who between them were worth less than Steven Gerrard's left small toe into a fearsome and formidable team. When a player is picked on it is usually because the team has done badly.

Let us remember we are now 8 games unbeaten in the CCC and 2nd in the table.

Think back to 1998 or 1999 and ask yourself why you are moaning now....

Wholeheartedly agree with this and with Ollie's post about how much he brings to the table defensively.

He also gets under the skin of our opponents and I think that helps us more often than not.

It's dissapointing that people are slagging off one of our best players. I think this will be another case of not really appreciating what we have until it's gone. I for one hope we can hang on to him through this window.

IMO the good thing about Hunt (and at times it can also be his greatest weakness) is that he thinks he's a lot better than he is. That means he'll always have a go at beating a defender. That sort of confidence and tenacity can wreak havok in a defence.

Defenders hate having a player take them on, one mistake and you're screwed. You can even do everything right and get your foot in, yet the attacker gets a lucky bounce and he's still past you.

That is why despite being not as good technically as Convey, he caused problems to a lot of teams in the Prem in his time there. It's why he does the same in the Championship. I doubt very much that we can find a replacement who's better enough to make up for that sheer determination to create something.

[Binfield Royal]

Who - realistically - could we buy to replace S Hunt immediately (much like Armstrong with Shorey)?

If Hunty goes to Middlesborough (not likely IMHO because Boro have said they are not selling) I would like to see Kebe switch to the left because apparently thats where he usually played before joining us and I would then - seriously - enquire about the availability of

Glen Little

Bloke is a genius and isn't as I understand it, overly busy at Portsmouth.

[S09Royal]

Sorry if this has been posted by another member, but WHY is SHunt nominated for Player Of The Month? (December)
He hasn't exactly been amazing and has been below average in most games. He missed a penalty but then scored one when it mattered and created Doyle's goal against Brum but other than that...what has he done to deserve the award? Surely it should be Federici?

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDet ... 94,00.html

[Ian Royal]

Sorry if this has been posted by another member, but WHY is SHunt nominated for Player Of The Month? (December)
He hasn't exactly been amazing and has been below average in most games. He missed a penalty but then scored one when it mattered and created Doyle's goal against Brum but other than that...what has he done to deserve the award? Surely it should be Federici?

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDet ... 94,00.html

But Fed hasn't played all of december's games though. Surely that is quite an important part of being player of the month?

Lets not get over-excited by a 'keeper scoring. Mind you, I have to agree on SHunt.

I'd be more inclined to go with Doobs. I think he's played every game and he's done well since he came in, without us losing a game.