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Shaun Hobson

Ayrshire Blue

The Custard Splat
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
17,488
I want to talk about this kid for a minute

For me, he is the best young talent we have had for some time. I know we've had a lot of youngsters involved in the last year who have shown it in little fits and starts but most of them are nowhere near ready for the demands of League Two first-team football on a regular basis.

Shaun Hobson is ready. He's an old fashioned "proper" centre-half who has massively benefitted from our change in the system in the last 4-6 weeks. He is 22 years old and I think it's of huge importance we get him tied down to a much longer contract. I'm not exaggerating when I suggest 3 or 4 years (3 with an option shouldn't be out of the question)

For far too long the recruitment at this club has been a shambles but I credit the current staff for unearthing a real gem here and we need to show we have learnt lessons from failing to keep the likes of Adam Thompson and Cian Bolger and we ended up having to plug those gaps with a quick fix of Michael Turner and Anton Ferdinand.

There's longevity in Shaun Hobson, something that hasn't been said about a CB at Southend for a long, long time.

Interested to get your thoughts on this.
 
Early in the season he looked a liability when we were trying to play out from the back. Not sure if it was a lack of ability, composure or confidence (or a mixture), but the change of system has completely reinvented him. Looks like a proper no nonsense centre back. Nothing glamorous, but does the basics incredibly well.

I admit I wasn’t a fan, but he’s won me over. Solid as a rock lately and I’m sure he will only get better. For all the expensive, ageing signings we’ve made over the years, it’s definitely a breath of fresh air to see us now signing the likes of Hobson.
 
Showed glimpses in the early games but when paired with Richard Taylor as he was at the start, we were lining up with a CB pairing with 4 league appearances between them, it was never going to end well.

He might look slightly uncomfortable on the ball but he isn't, he can bring it out from the back if needed, and his positioning and defending has been top notch recently.

A real gem as you say, Bournemouth's loss is our gain.
 
The lad is a good defender and a good footballer. When the moment is right he brings the ball out of defence with confidence and he is slowly learning the art of defending in League two. Little nudges and tugs here and there (just like Adam Barrett) which often go unnoticed by the referee. That's what you've got to do in this league. Everyone else does it so I'm pleased to see him getting in on the act.
Totally agree that we need to get him tied down to an extended deal. He seems a very grounded young man who is now well used to Mark Molesley's methods. He will only improve as well.
I'm sure Ron is "on it".
 
I would give him more credit than just a change of system. He has settled down and improved his own game so well done to SH.

Any young player coming into the worst squad in our history would find it tough. More so when you in a key position such as CB in a losing side and fans with 2 seasons of anger built up, thinking we are going out of the league and actively looking for scape goats.

Has already shown he has the minerals to go places and well done MM for knowing that in the first place. ( please no howlers tonight)
 
The change in his individual performances coincided with several things.....

1. His centre back pairing. Alongside a kid he (and we) were always going to struggle. He had neither the experience, or the ability to carry organise or cover for someone else.

2. He was making a step up from Conference South to league two. That in itself was always going to take time to adjust, to learn and to adapt. As above and linked to above, that’s much easier to do with White alongside you instead of Taylor and Macca / Deme / Dieng in front of you instead of Hutchinson / Gard / Phillips / Egbri.

But the biggest change and the biggest reason he looks better is :-

3. A change in what’s being asked of him.

He came in as an ex u21 player from Bournemouth who strolled through a promotion season at Weymouth where they dominated games and opposition coming out with the ball, no doubt getting away with murder and making many mistakes that either weren’t punished or cost a goal on a 4-1 win.....

Suddenly he was in league 2 where forwards are a little more ruthless. We didn’t have the ball most of the game, we were being swamped and pressed with real intensity by opposition and he wasn’t good enough to play that way at this level.

His pass completion rate when we were trying to play out was on or around 50%!!! Now given that he had the ball first from the Gk and most of the time his first pass was unnopposed that’s pretty dreadful. The change in playing and being asked to play with less risk has seen him so what most league 2 defenders do which is defend keep the ball away from the goal. He’s much better at this!

I would still highlight a lack of real pace / mobility as a reason why he maybe won’t progress much beyond where he is now but he does have time on his side and I’ve said many times the key to good defending is a) decision making b) positioning c) communication and all three of those will improve with age and games and he wouldn’t be the first player to move up the levels disguising a lack of pace by being exceptional in those three areas.
 
Absolutely agree Scott. Think having a wily old pro in John White alongside has helped him too, as that's someone to learn from.

Totally agree. Hobson and White or Dieng have looked very solid over the last 10 games or so, which has made Oxley more confident as he now knows what his centre halves will be doing and vica versa.
 
IMO The best centre half I can recall was Peter Watson. More recently ,but alas only a temp was John Egan. Now our Mr Hobson is showing that his positioning and ability to get to the ball first is improving. He now has to learn to direct his clearances either into row Z or better still to one of Ours instead ,more often than not to an opposition player.
Once he master's this little issue then we will have a promising player!

I rest my case as I see the nurse with my lunchtime smarties.
 
Agree with a lot said and probably our POTS so far. He has changed his game (with coaching) to the no nonsense CB we have craved for a few years.

Any idea when his deal runs out?
 
We are generally way too quick to judge players on here. Or maybe its the same everywhere. Yes he has improved no end, but as others have said, he only had experience in under 23 football and in a promotion side at Weymouth.

He also had to move from the lovely Dorset to the **** hole of south Essex, and all that entails as well.

Yes he is no John Stones, but he is improving and should have a good career as a League one/two defender.
 
I always felt that when he first arrived people were being extremely harsh on the lad. Although we were shipping goals he still showed glimpses of his ability and as covered having an inexperienced partner didn’t help.

I was at the Scunthorpe game and he was the MOTM by a long stretch. He was playing like a solid experienced league two centre back.

As Scott says we need to tie him down to a long contract and like he quite rightly says something we should’ve done with Bolger and Thompson who should’ve never have left.
 
We are generally way too quick to judge players on here. Or maybe its the same everywhere. Yes he has improved no end, but as others have said, he only had experience in under 23 football and in a promotion side at Weymouth.

He also had to move from the lovely Dorset to the **** hole of south Essex, and all that entails as well.

Yes he is no John Stones, but he is improving and should have a good career as a League one/two defender.

Us people living in Gods riviera don't agree with you.-
 
Lessons...patience with young players.
It's been a real highlight for me this season so far seeing him develop. Experience alongside him has helped immensely. And simplifying things too. Kudos to the player and coaching on this one.
 
I think it’s much too early to get carried away.

We need to compare him with the likes of young Shane Westley, Leon Cort who joined us at a similar age. Then throw in Spinner, Andy Edwards and Leo Roget.

Our recent improved results and performances have coincided with fixtures against the worst sides in the division. Let’s make a judgement after we have played a few more of the better sides with a full strength team.

He is lot better than David Morley though.....
 
Hes clearly come on a treat and Im delighted to see that, obviously still learning and would like to see him tied to a chair with only the pen hand free to sign tonight
However funnily enough on that lousy Grimsby pitch he did well but I didnt think it was his best game, In fact that occasional ability of his to trip over his own feet is something one of my daughters has developed since birth, and is a well known family joke as an event waiting to happen ( some just are a bit clumsy ) meant he slipped /tripped up twice and at key times and both were very lucky it didnt result in goals . To be fair its been more absent in recent compared to those earlier games where Zoners queried his running style? and of course much of that is growing confidence
 
SH would of been extremely nervous making the step up and i think it showed in his first few appearances, however im sure i may pf commented that he always looked to bring it out from defense , perhaps a little too much at first.

I personally think he has been our POTY so far and he's now added the no nonsense side to his game , of course having JW alongside him means he can go concentrate on his own game without worrying about others positioning and covering other area's of the back line.
 
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