Anthony Hudson dictionary:
"Attacking" - Keeping your EPL striker on the bench, defend like fudge and try pinch a goal away
I mean, how else were you gonna win the World Cup playoff with an injured Wood? As far as criticisms of Anthony's time in NZ go (even though there are tons of valid ones), this has to be the dumbest I've read.
Right. So he can play 90 at Burnley both sides of an AW game but not for the AWs? Its been commented widely that there was no real logic to playing the best player from the bench and that it was a tactical move that did not come off but dressed up as an 'injury'
Jog on mate
If you don't want to believe he was injured that's up to you, but the players within the camp that I've talked to have said he was unable to play full game and didn't train at all, including the one at my work Xmas party tonight (who also described Hudson as "the best coach I've had"). I believe them.
I should go for a jog though.
Yes have been told the exact same. Have a good mate from school who was in the squad for the qualifiers who has said Wood was 100% injured throughout the week and not capable of playing 90. In Peru the travel didn't help with the niggle and he was only good for about an hours worth of football.
In my opinion it makes far more sense to bring on an injured player at HT against a far superior team who have already played 45 minutes of football. Without doubt having him on chasing shadows for the first 45 wouldve been the wrong move - he wouldve tired quicker, had a greater chance of aggravating the answer and bringing him on when we started to gain more of a foothold in the match (= more opportunities) was the right idea. Bringing him off with the match still in the balance would have had a huge impact on the team's confidence. Once again my mate within the squad shared these thoughts.
Regardless of the facts some idiots still try to criticize Hudson for something that was out of his control. If Wood wasn't injured he would have been involved in Burnley's first game back after the Intl window and involved from the start the week after - which he wasnt. Its laughable that you have no doubt's about whether Dyche is being honest but will not believe Hudson at all. Players in the team have literally confirmed it and you still wont believe it? Lol you really are one of the more pathetic posters on this forum
CW your dig at Doloras above is a bit too harsh in my opinion, but yes your comments re Hudson's tactics are on the money. Again feel doctor/physio and Wood himself would have had as much or even more input, into how many mins Wood got as opposed to the coach.
Hudson & coaching staff's decision would have been how do we use his limited mins. I feel they got it right. If he started always risk he tore hammie early, and team shell shocked/morale blown up.
Conceding the soft 2nd goal from the corner was the big problem, not the tactics. If it's still only 1-0, when Wood gets that late chance - and he converts - fudge it's all on!
Anyway overall we should be proud of the team. They did better than expected, against huge odds. Half team playing in poor quality/low level leagues (USL, A League), not a quality home game in 3 years, captain hardly played for team in 4 years, no charter jet to South America, agruably best player only half fit, hostile environment in Lima etc etc