Tom Huddlestone was one of the casualties of our summer spending spree, leaving to join Hull. At the tigers he has benefited from an extended run in the team and impressed with his range of passing and control of midfield. This has coincided with a difficult start for many of our new signings and has naturally lead to some pundits (including Danny Murphy and Alan Sugar) suggesting that letting him go was a mistake.

Huddlestone always was a great striker of the ball and in some games for Spurs he looked a very effective player. Despite this he never cemented his place in the first team. The problem was always his lack of mobility (which the likes of Paulinho have in spades). This was particularly telling against teams that pressed energetically; last seasons loss to Wigan was a prime example. Deny him time and space and he looks out of his depth.

Tottenham have become a victim of their success in recent seasons. Now teams set up to stifle us rather than to attack, particularly at White Hart Lane. In such situations Huddlestone looked a very ordinary player. At Hull he is less likely to come up against opposition playing this way.