Hoedt: I'm really, really frustrated

As per the Sunday Times.

“This situation is not what I want, so it’s difficult for me,” he says. “I left a really big club in Italy where I could have signed a big contract and I was a starter. But I wanted to play in the Premier League and it was a precise decision to join Southampton. So I have to man up and show everybody what I can do. I have to choose my words, but I’m really, really frustrated.”

Then:

“I’m happy here,” he says. “I’m ready to play and I’ve shown I’m ready. I will be waiting but it cannot take too long. If I lose my place in the national team because I’m not playing for my club, then that’s really important.”

No one's happy to be out of the team, but there's clearly an issue to be managed here. Is Van Dijk playing well enough to risk causing problems with our long-term replacement?

NB: the piece suggests that we may switch to three at the back today, but it reads like speculation based on the players we have

As per the Sunday Times.

 

“This situation is not what I want, so it’s difficult for me,” he says. “I left a really big club in Italy where I could have signed a big contract and I was a starter. But I wanted to play in the Premier League and it was a precise decision to join Southampton. So I have to man up and show everybody what I can do. I have to choose my words, but I’m really, really frustrated.”

 

Then:

 

“I’m happy here,” he says. “I’m ready to play and I’ve shown I’m ready. I will be waiting but it cannot take too long. If I lose my place in the national team because I’m not playing for my club, then that’s really important.”

 

No one's happy to be out of the team, but there's clearly an issue to be managed here. Is Van Dijk playing well enough to risk causing problems with our long-term replacement?

Such is the problem of being a replacement for someone who's still at the club.

He will get more game time of MP switches to his talked about 3 at the back (although I don't blame him for not trying it after the Wolves debacle)

As per the Sunday Times.

 

“This situation is not what I want, so it’s difficult for me,” he says. “I left a really big club in Italy where I could have signed a big contract and I was a starter. But I wanted to play in the Premier League and it was a precise decision to join Southampton. So I have to man up and show everybody what I can do. I have to choose my words, but I’m really, really frustrated.”

 

Then:

 

“I’m happy here,” he says. “I’m ready to play and I’ve shown I’m ready. I will be waiting but it cannot take too long. If I lose my place in the national team because I’m not playing for my club, then that’s really important.”

 

No one's happy to be out of the team, but there's clearly an issue to be managed here. Is Van Dijk playing well enough to risk causing problems with our long-term replacement?

 

NB: the piece suggests that we may switch to three at the back today, but it reads like speculation based on the players we have

And keep my mouth shut.

Not surprised, has done nothing to warrant being dropped for Mr Wantaway.

Having said that he must know that VVD's time here is limited although I would still have Hoedt and VVD as my centre back partnership and that is with no disrespect to Yoshida.

Not surprised, has done nothing to warrant being dropped for Mr Wantaway.

 

Having said that he must know that VVD's time here is limited although I would still have Hoedt and VVD as my centre back partnership and that is with no disrespect to Yoshida.

Fortunately he doesn't have a World Cup to worry about missing out on

Admittedly Yoshida has played very well this season. However, Hoedt is a much better prospect and should be given a run of games. In footie it’s about playing your best team, and our manager has struggled to pick the best players and formation. Still it’s early days and it will take time for him to get it right.

What's with this manager, we paid a lot of money for Hoedt Boufal Hojbjerg etc, and they aren't getting game time...why?

It's a strange buy with VVD staying. VVD Yoshida Hoedt Stephens Gardos Bednarek, 6 for 2 spots.

Not starting:

Boufal £17m

Hoedt £15m

Hojbjerg £13m

Bednarek £6m

£51m spent in the last 2 summers for bench players. I don't understand what the boards fixation is with having 2 good players for every spot when our time in Europe has come and gone. The teams crying out for some quality starters like Lemina and then we could use our academy more to supplement the 25 man squad.

We've spent £97.5m all up the last 2 summers and gone from Mane to Redmond, Pelle to Gabbi, Fonte to Yoshida, Wanyama to Lemina.

It's a strange buy with VVD staying. VVD Yoshida Hoedt Stephens Gardos Bednarek, 6 for 2 spots.

 

Not starting:

Boufal £17m

Hoedt £15m

Hojbjerg £13m

Bednarek £6m

 

£51m spent in the last 2 summers for bench players. I don't understand what the boards fixation is with having 2 good players for every spot when our time in Europe has come and gone. The teams crying out for some quality starters like Lemina and then we could use our academy more to supplement the 25 man squad.

 

We've spent £97.5m all up the last 2 summers and gone from Mane to Redmond, Pelle to Gabbi, Fonte to Yoshida, Wanyama to Lemina.

This doesn't make sense. These players weren't bought to be back up or meet some fictitious, arbitrary quota. The hope is that they would be starters.

The fact is that for various reasons they have struggled to nail down a starting spot. None of them can legitimately complain that they've been particularly hard done by.

What's with this manager, we paid a lot of money for Hoedt Boufal Hojbjerg etc, and they aren't getting game time...why?

Because we have better players and have no cup competitions to play in and only 11 players are allowed on the pitch at the same time

Also shows we have a pretty strong squad.

I can understand his frustration as VVD has hardly been great plus you would think he'd jump ahead of Yoshida.

Because we have better players and have no cup competitions to play in and only 11 players are allowed on the pitch at the same time

 

Also shows we have a pretty strong squad.

You believe that Redmond is better than Boufal, really! or that Yoshida is better than Hoedt! come on!

He should be starting with VVD, Yoshida has done fine, but Hoedt and VVD are our best 2 centre backs.

You believe that Redmond is better than Boufal, really! or that Yoshida is better than Hoedt! come on!

the fear for me is that the manager does !

He should be starting with VVD, Yoshida has done fine, but Hoedt and VVD are our best 2 centre backs.

You would say that, being one of the founding members of the Yoshida fanclub (along SOG, MLG, The9 etc).

Hoedt is the better long-term prospect; but in the games they've featured together, he has been outplayed by Yoshida.

The fact is that for various reasons they have struggled to nail down a starting spot. None of them can legitimately complain that they've been particularly hard done by.

I sympathise with Hoedt and Boufal. Hoedt may well have believed Van Dijk was off, and Boufal's seen that the players keeping him out of the team aren't really performing either. Doesn't necessarily make the team selection wrong in either case, mind.

EDIT: Another thought - our players don't tend to speak out of turn to the press and these quotes are from an arranged interview rather than a press conference or post-match. Is the club laying some groundwork for moving to three at the back, given that line's found its way into the piece as well?

I sympathise with Hoedt and Boufal. Hoedt may well have believed Van Dijk was off, and Boufal's seen that the players keeping him out of the team aren't really performing either. Doesn't necessarily make the team selection wrong in either case, mind.

Agree they could have got more game time, particularly Boufal. Certainly both have a stronger claim for selection than Hojbjerg. Still an equally good case can be made for the other side. Contrast this with Romeu who used to get dropped quite a bit under Koeman, despite repeatedly putting in strong performances.

VVD is miles better than Hoedt so whilst he is at the club he obviously starts every game he is available for.

Yoshida also doesn't deserve to be dropped on current form.

When Hoedt joined he hadn't been a first choice at Lazio for a while, so not sure what he was expecting once it was clear VVD was staying.

Outbursts like this are poor.

What's with this manager, we paid a lot of money for Hoedt Boufal Hojbjerg etc, and they aren't getting game time...why?

It's not quite that simple the inflation in player transfers means all the new players are record or near record transfer fees we are paying more for players without necessarily getting the jump in player quality you'd expect from the bigger transfer fees.

Hoedt hasn't (yet) done anything to show he's better than Yoshida. But we remain hopeful and confident that he will eventually. He needs to shush and wait his turn, then when called upon perform better than he did in his first few performances to keep Yoshi out of the team, who is playing well at the moment.

VVD is miles better than Hoedt so whilst he is at the club he obviously starts every game he is available for.

 

Yoshida also doesn't deserve to be dropped on current form.

 

When Hoedt joined he hadn't been a first choice at Lazio for a while, so not sure what he was expecting once it was clear VVD was staying.

 

Outbursts like this are poor.

This Yoshida has really step up since last season, he has paid his dues as the back up guy, is now one of the senior players in the squad, who seems to be a bit of leader and always puts in a shift yet people want him dropped mostly because he made a few mistakes under Koeman (which mostly stopped once he got regular game time anyway).

I’m glad he is frustrated. I’d be suspicious if he said he wasn’t.

Imagine his frustration is nothing compared to Jack Stephens. Not even in the matchday squad.

He’s starting today so it’s worked.

Hoedt hasn't (yet) done anything to show he's better than Yoshida. But we remain hopeful and confident that he will eventually. He needs to shush and wait his turn, then when called upon perform better than he did in his first few performances to keep Yoshi out of the team, who is playing well at the moment.

You say this like he underperformed, but he was generally talked about very well by all on here and pundits talking about the games. He got dropped after we conceded to Man United with Lukaku fouling him to get him out the way, so he's been treated kind of harshly in my eyes.

I still maintain a switch to three at the back would see us get our best players on the pitch and actually give us more of a threat going forward, with two strikers being picked instead of one.

He’s starting today so it’s worked.

yeah, funny that eh ?

Imagine his frustration is nothing compared to Jack Stephens. Not even in the matchday squad.

Kind of p*sses on our "pathway to the first team" when he puts in performances like he did last season and then we go and sign TWO centrebacks in the summer.

Kind of p*sses on our "pathway to the first team" when he puts in performances like he did last season and then we go and sign TWO centrebacks in the summer.

Stephens is ahead of Bednarek in the pecking order. It is only Hoedt who has been signed and gone above him in the pecking order.

Stephens is ahead of Bednarek in the pecking order. It is only Hoedt who has been signed and gone above him in the pecking order.

£6million for a fifth choice player? Blimey. We must already be planning for selling Hoedt in a couple of seasons time after selling Van Dijk next summer.

We've spent £97.5m all up the last 2 summers and gone from Mane to Redmond, Pelle to Gabbi, Fonte to Yoshida, Wanyama to Lemina.

I agree that Redmond is not a patch on Mane and never will be. But Gabbiadini isn't far removed from Pelle and could prove that if he gets the service. It is arguable that Yoshida is currently as good as Fonte is now, certainly quicker and doesn't give away the free kicks and penalties that Fonte now does. I think that Lemina is showing signs that he could be better than Wanyama, although it is still early days to draw any realistic conclusions.

This doesn't make sense. These players weren't bought to be back up or meet some fictitious, arbitrary quota. The hope is that they would be starters.

 

The fact is that for various reasons they have struggled to nail down a starting spot. None of them can legitimately complain that they've been particularly hard done by.

We've replaced everyone we've lost with like-for-like the last 2 years.

Pelle - Austin

Mane - Boufal

Juanmi - Redmond

Wanyama - Hojbjerg

Kelvin - McCarthy

JayRod - Gabbi

Fonte - Hoedt

Cuco - Pied

Clasie - Lemina

We seem intent on having a strong squad, which with our budget means limiting ourselves to "good deals" on players (low contract remaining like Austin or backup/no longer wanted players like Hojbjerg/Hoedt/Lemina/Redmond). These players couldn't establish themselves at previous clubs so aren't likely to set the world on fire here which is what's happened for most. We've completely blocked the pathway for the academy (JWP only getting a game today because Lemina's injured). It seems most of our successful players of recent years were tearing it up for their clubs but we've gone to almost exclusively signing players that have no future with their current club therefore are cheap (just as all our managers are OOC)

Personally i'd much prefer us throwing the dice a bit on a £25m player with an academy backup, or cheaper with higher wages than buying 2 £15m players. Easier said than done of course, but with our squad depth as good as it is right now we can get away with not buying a replacement for a year if we don't find the right fit. We're meant to have quality scouts. The players are out there in European leagues. Quality over quantity and make the academy relevant again.

Admittedly Yoshida has played very well this season. However, Hoedt is a much better prospect and should be given a run of games. In footie it’s about playing your best team, and our manager has struggled to pick the best players and formation. Still it’s early days and it will take time for him to get it right.

He will never get it right until Black is out of the way and we stop doing EXACTLY what we ere last season even to the point where he continues to play Tadic on the right where is useless and Boufal on the left where he doesn’t do any damage.... There are of course many other blindingly obvious ways to match last year with the common demonimator for all being BLack.... Same mistakes - over and over...