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Hutchings: Carlos Will Never Lose Attacking Instincts
Hutchings: Carlos Will Never Lose Attacking Instincts
Wednesday, 22nd Feb 2012 08:58

Assistant manager Chris Hutchings says Town's current stand-in skipper Carlos Edwards is never going to lose his attacking instincts despite establishing himself as Town’s first-choice right-back this season. Hutchings says a wing-back role would probably suit the veteran former Sunderland, Luton and Wrexham man, who has played much of his career in midfield.

Paul Jewell’s deputy, a full-back with Chelsea, Huddersfield, Walsall, Rotherham and weekend opponents Brighton during his playing days, says people ask a lot of players in that role these days: “We want everything [from full-backs], don’t we? Any defender, you want them to defend first, anything after that is a bonus.

“Carlos has been converted into a bit more of a right-back and he’s never going to lose his attacking instincts because that’s how he was brought up.

“Probably a wing-back would be his most preferred role, but he’s settled into playing right-back and he’s cemented that place.”

He says the Trinidadian is still working on some aspects of playing the position: “At times defensively he could be better, he knows that, we’re constantly on to him and working at it in the drills that we’re doing.

“But sometimes when you’re a forward-thinking player, you just switch off or you drift into places where as an attacking player you normally drift into and you give yourself a little bit of a hard task in recovering. But because he’s got pace, pace covers a multitude of sins.”

Now 33 Edwards is showing few signs of age with Hutchings impressed with his athleticism: “He glides, doesn’t he? He doesn’t seem to fight in his running. He’s very easy on the eye and covers the ground. He works very hard in training and he’s a good athlete.”

The summer of 2009 signing from Sunderland is hoping to win the offer of a new contract with his current terms up at the end of the season.

After Saturday’s victory over Cardiff, in which Edwards captained the side and created Michael Chopra’s goal, manager Paul Jewell joked: “He’ll be telling me he’s got a 100% record [as captain] and he’s won the toss twice, so he thinks he’s going to get a new deal because of that!”

When Jewell and Hutchings took over at Town just over a year ago former Blues skipper Jason De Vos told TWTD how much time the pair spent working on defensive drills during his time playing for them at Wigan.

Hutchings admits that it’s been disappointing that defending has been Town’s Achilles’ heel since they've been at Portman Road, at least until the recent back-to-back clean sheets: “We pride ourselves on being really very tight. We haven’t really had a settled team or back four, the permutations have changed constantly, which doesn’t help. That has been very frustrating.

“But you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing and you’ve got to keep doing it. The players have got to buy into it and they’ve got to keep doing it.

“If we can cut our mistakes out at the back, we can score more than the opposition and we're going to win games."


Photo: Action Images



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Menton added 09:05 - Feb 22
First choice / only right back
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bluelady added 09:13 - Feb 22
deserves a contract one of the most natural players we have, love the way he eases himself past the opposition. Not a perfect right back but there are far worse in this league.
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Lukeybluey added 09:17 - Feb 22
Sign him up, he always gives 100% and been instrumental in some of our attacking play. I would take an attacking fullback rather than a defensive fullback any day. Much more exciting.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 09:23 - Feb 22
I agree with bluelady. He does get caught out but offers a lot going forward. I would still be looking for another Cresswell at right back and think Edwards will get caught out less in this formation and if we also add a couple of new centre halves. Although u can't knock Smith and Deaney in the last two games. Give him another year.
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DiamondGezzer added 11:11 - Feb 22
Definately deserves a new contract. When there was plenty going on in his personal life, he never let it affect his game.
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saffronblue added 12:27 - Feb 22
I agree that he should have a new contract, my only concern is that he does get caught out occassionaly and relies on pace to get him out of trouble, at 33 he is not going to get any quicker, but he is the best RB we have at the club. That said fantastic going forward and would provide great cover for JET on the wing even if we get a new RB next year.
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Garv added 13:05 - Feb 22
We won't suitably replace Edwards at right back, I'm absolutely sure of that.

At this rate in the running for player of the year. Would be crazy not to offer him a new deal.
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brendanh added 14:45 - Feb 22
Could be the perfect choice as captain. In reality football captains don't have much responsibility, but that doesn't stop the armband holder being instilled with it. Given that he sometimes neglects his defensive duties, it could be the best choice for Carlos and the team.
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BlueBadger added 17:49 - Feb 22
Shame he's cost us more goals than he's created really.
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Wolfowitz added 20:34 - Feb 22
Finally some praise for one of our finest players.
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Garv added 23:39 - Feb 22
Well BlueBadger these are the games in which he's created a goal:

Peterborough away
Leeds home
Coventry home
Portsmouth home
Cardiff away
Cardiff home

What goals has he directly cost us?
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