' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:13 am
Mark Hudson is Cardiff City player of the season
By Paul Abbandonato
Feb 7th 2013
Right. I never envisaged penning these words, but here goes.
Mark Hudson, for me, is Cardiff City’s player of the season. The rock around which the Bluebirds’ Premier League charge has been built.
There. It’s documented in black and white, on record, a bold statement with which you can shoot me down next time Hudson makes one of those daft mistakes which have too often littered his time here in South Wales.
Mistakes, did I say? That’s just it, though, isn’t it. If Hudson hasn’t exactly been error free during 2012-13, he’s been as damn close to it as you can get.
A colossus at the back, a goal threat at every Bluebirds set-piece, Malky Mackay’s lieutenant on the field of play who has led from the front in every sense as City have soared 10 points clear at the top of the table.
Look, a bit of context here. Hudson is not exactly Franco Baresi, but at Championship level this season he has totally and utterly won me over as the form defender of the division.
As he has, I guess, with thousands of Bluebirds fans out there who, like me, used to cringe at the prospect of a Hudson error leading to an opposition goal.
I don’t know exactly what it is Mackay has done, but he has brought out a level of consistent excellence from Hudson which was definitely missing under the Dave Jones regime.
We have rightly this season raved about the brilliance and work-rate of Craig Bellamy, undoubtedly the best player outside of the Premier League.
We marvelled in the first few months at the silky skills and occasional wonder goal scored by the magnificent Peter Whittingham, for whom the game appears to come so easy.
We have enjoyed the odd moments of impudence provided by Craig Noone, Kim Bo-Kyung and Tommy Smith which has left opposition defenders bewildered and on their backsides.
But none of the above could have happened without the foundation provided by goalkeeper David Marshall and his back four.
The lot of them have had a campaign to remember.
Marshall, dubbed by Mackay as the best goalkeeper in the Championship, has looked unbeatable at times.
Big Ben Turner, who Mackay reckons will become a Bluebirds legend, is just what you want at this level.
Big, strong, powerful and someone who eats up the ground deceptively quickly when hunting down opposition forwards before putting in one of those thunderous slide tackles.
Matt Connolly has excelled at right-back. Andrew Taylor, quicker and more offensively orientated, complements him beautifully on the other flank.
But Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot, even though many – myself included – were of the opinion that Turner and Connolly would form the best centre-back combination.
It certainly didn’t look that way when Cardiff lost their only game in the last 14 Championship matches. Against Peterborough at home. When Hudson was missing through suspension.
A coincidence? Possibly, but I personally don’t think so.
By Paul Abbandonato
Feb 7th 2013
Right. I never envisaged penning these words, but here goes.
Mark Hudson, for me, is Cardiff City’s player of the season. The rock around which the Bluebirds’ Premier League charge has been built.
There. It’s documented in black and white, on record, a bold statement with which you can shoot me down next time Hudson makes one of those daft mistakes which have too often littered his time here in South Wales.
Mistakes, did I say? That’s just it, though, isn’t it. If Hudson hasn’t exactly been error free during 2012-13, he’s been as damn close to it as you can get.
A colossus at the back, a goal threat at every Bluebirds set-piece, Malky Mackay’s lieutenant on the field of play who has led from the front in every sense as City have soared 10 points clear at the top of the table.
Look, a bit of context here. Hudson is not exactly Franco Baresi, but at Championship level this season he has totally and utterly won me over as the form defender of the division.
As he has, I guess, with thousands of Bluebirds fans out there who, like me, used to cringe at the prospect of a Hudson error leading to an opposition goal.
I don’t know exactly what it is Mackay has done, but he has brought out a level of consistent excellence from Hudson which was definitely missing under the Dave Jones regime.
We have rightly this season raved about the brilliance and work-rate of Craig Bellamy, undoubtedly the best player outside of the Premier League.
We marvelled in the first few months at the silky skills and occasional wonder goal scored by the magnificent Peter Whittingham, for whom the game appears to come so easy.
We have enjoyed the odd moments of impudence provided by Craig Noone, Kim Bo-Kyung and Tommy Smith which has left opposition defenders bewildered and on their backsides.
But none of the above could have happened without the foundation provided by goalkeeper David Marshall and his back four.
The lot of them have had a campaign to remember.
Marshall, dubbed by Mackay as the best goalkeeper in the Championship, has looked unbeatable at times.
Big Ben Turner, who Mackay reckons will become a Bluebirds legend, is just what you want at this level.
Big, strong, powerful and someone who eats up the ground deceptively quickly when hunting down opposition forwards before putting in one of those thunderous slide tackles.
Matt Connolly has excelled at right-back. Andrew Taylor, quicker and more offensively orientated, complements him beautifully on the other flank.
But Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot, even though many – myself included – were of the opinion that Turner and Connolly would form the best centre-back combination.
It certainly didn’t look that way when Cardiff lost their only game in the last 14 Championship matches. Against Peterborough at home. When Hudson was missing through suspension.
A coincidence? Possibly, but I personally don’t think so.
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:59 am
Nail on the head.
I was one who was never fully confident when he first came and he was prone to the odd mistake.
MM was a defender hiself so I guess our defence can learn a lot from him and Hudson has just been here for a while where every season he grows better and better.
The defence deserve some great credit.
Ben Nugent will benefit from having a manager like MM also!
I was one who was never fully confident when he first came and he was prone to the odd mistake.
MM was a defender hiself so I guess our defence can learn a lot from him and Hudson has just been here for a while where every season he grows better and better.
The defence deserve some great credit.
Ben Nugent will benefit from having a manager like MM also!
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:38 am
Turner has been below par this season, seems a bit more overweight and more clumsy, a lot of the time Hudson has had to get him out of jail but agree with this. So far Hudson has been my player of the year, our only home defeat was because we didn't have a captain/organiser at the back, he's an absolute workhouse, role model of a captain.
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:56 am
remember when hudsons name was called out on the tannoid when the teams were being announced? there was always an acho of boos, he's proved everyone wrong now!
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:36 pm
He has been supberb this season. Not just a great defender but has scored some great goals and even set some up!
Like many I was one of those who wondered before now just why we had paid £1m for him. But this season he has been brilliant and I'm sure will hold his own next season in the Premier League.
Like many I was one of those who wondered before now just why we had paid £1m for him. But this season he has been brilliant and I'm sure will hold his own next season in the Premier League.
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:58 pm
Hudson is our ROCK! Totally deserving of our Player Of The Year award and I am convinced he will win it. What a fantastic season for our Captain. 
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:07 pm
I Bleed Blue wrote:Turner has been below par this season, seems a bit more overweight and more clumsy, a lot of the time Hudson has had to get him out of jail but agree with this. So far Hudson has been my player of the year, our only home defeat was because we didn't have a captain/organiser at the back, he's an absolute workhouse, role model of a captain.
See where your coming from with Turner, took him a while to come back after his injury, but if he stuck to what he does best " defending" instead of aiming those long cross field hopeful passes he'd never get any complaints.
Hudson on the other hand under Malky has been colossal, proved me well & truly wrong, if somebody told me he'd be playing like he is and leading this team the way he does, when he arrived under DJ, I would have just laughed.
Good write up from WM for a change too!
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:16 pm
Always rated him because he gives his all and puts his body on the line. The difference under Malky is he has been told his limits and therefore due to both a combination of experience and adaptation has been better positionally. Whether this is because he has been told by Malky, who was a defender, how to change his game I don't know but before under Jones he used to get caught out quite a bit. He seems to have improved his mental game a lot.
Best player this year in the Championship by a mile. Zaha is shit and overrated before someone says how good he is.
Best player this year in the Championship by a mile. Zaha is shit and overrated before someone says how good he is.
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:18 pm
Always had faith in Hudson.
He was unlucky his mistakes were punished early on, but he's been consistently good and also improved season after season.
Top bloke and great leader too, he plays so well alongside Turner, noticably more relaxed than he was next to Gerrard.
Turner too is quality, always struggles after being out injured, but then settles down to become a brick wall. The 2 of them have been fantastic together since Charlton.
He was unlucky his mistakes were punished early on, but he's been consistently good and also improved season after season.
Top bloke and great leader too, he plays so well alongside Turner, noticably more relaxed than he was next to Gerrard.
Turner too is quality, always struggles after being out injured, but then settles down to become a brick wall. The 2 of them have been fantastic together since Charlton.
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:52 pm
Great to see him getting the plaudits he deserves.
Not only is he a great player and leader, he seems to be a real gent.
Well done Mark Hudson CCFC legend in the making
Not only is he a great player and leader, he seems to be a real gent.
Well done Mark Hudson CCFC legend in the making
Re: ' Mark Hudson has proved to be the best of the lot '
Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:04 pm
I was a hudson doubter when he come here but this season i can not say anything bad hes been the outstanding rock for us at the back