Happy New Year Town fans! Huddersfield Town will take on Reading later today in their first game of 2021 in a Championship clash which should be a good test for Town. Reading were this season’s surprise package when they topped the table in the early stages but have since reverted to the inconsistent kind of form that is typical of so many Championship teams.
As Carlos seems to have very few options and is sticking with the same core XI players, I’m going to carry on with a more general preview of the game rather than trying to stretch out “no changes” into a thousand word team prediction article.
1. Can Town break the good-game-bad-game cycle?
Lately we have fallen into a pattern of playing well one game and being a bit flat in the next one. So while it’s good that we have the “bouncebackability” to put in a performance after a poor game, we don’t seem to be able to then go off on a run of decent results.
Today is a chance to turn this around and register back to back wins. I think a lot of our inconsistency has been a result of the number of games we’ve played and the physical demands of playing the full-throttle style of football Carlos demands. I have a suspicion we might see fewer games were Town don’t seem to show up once the fixtures ease up.
2. Will Carlos name another unchanged lineup?
Freshening up the lineup today would make sense as several players looked very leggy in the second half against Blackburn. However, we’ve seen in recent weeks that Carlos doesn’t want to use his fringe players unless he really has to.
Today’s game is the final game of the Christmas run of games and our last league game until Watford away in a fortnight. As many players will most likely be rested in next weekend’s FA Cup game against Plymouth I think we’ll see another unchanged lineup this afternoon.
As we’re now in the January transfer window we should see some reinforcements brought in to the squad to give us a few more options. I know we’ve got an ambition to fill the gaps in our squad with youngsters but currently we only have around 13 or 14 senior players available for selection, so I’d hope for a few new arrivals before the end of the month.
3. Can the midfield find it’s rhythm?
The biggest area for Town to improve upon is their midfield performance. While Hogg has been consistently good lately, Eiting and O’Brien have struggled for form and Bacuna, though playing with more discipline, hasn’t created a great deal.
Against Blackburn the midfield struggled to get going in the first half and attacks broke down too often due to misplaced passes. While many of these passes were poorly executed there was also an issue around players not making the right runs for each other and generally not clicking. Hopefully the consistency of the team selection will help to build and understanding and we’ll see more fluency in our build up play.
I find it reassuring, in a way, that we’ve got to a good position in the league without having many games where all members of the midfield have played well. All four of Bacuna, O’Brien, Eiting and Hogg have blown hot and cold this season. If we can find a combination that can consistently play well then it will provide us with an engine room that is good enough to dominate most opponents in this league.
4. Are we actually a good team?
The Championship is a notoriously tough league and you can’t get into the top half of the table after 22 games without having at least something going for you. While it’s clear that there are lots of improvements that can be made, it’s worth dwelling on the positives for the moment and acknowledging that we’re a pretty decent team at this level.
Opposition teams may see our tendency to play out from the back as a weakness to exploit but they will also not like to come up against the energetic system we play out of possession. It must also be unnerving to come up against a team so willing to fling players forward when in possession. Our tactics sometimes backfire but they are making us a tricky opponent too.
I’m hoping we’ll start to see our style evolve and improve in the second half of the season where there are more weeks without a midweek game, which will give Carlos time on the training pitch to get his ideas across. But even without further improvement I think it’s fair to say that we’re now a decent Championship team, which seemed unlikely when the season began.
5. Will we see the bench used more effectively?
Had Naby Sarr not scored a late winner against Blackburn and we’d finished the game with a point I’m pretty sure I’d have pointed to the two teams respective benches as the reason we’d thrown away a lead. Thankfully it didn’t come to that but there was an obvious gulf in quality between Blackburn’s subs and ours.
They were able to bring on established and quality Championship-level players, whereas we only had the woefully out of form Alex Pritchard, a Spanish journey man who’s literally just here to make up the numbers and a bunch of kids. Injuries and a lack of investment in the last transfer window mean we’ve got to have faith that some of these youngsters might be able to do a job for us.
As today is the end of an intense block of games it may prompt Corberán to make changes earlier and more of them but I’m not sure he will. The Bournemouth game, where he gave the fringe players a chance, seems to have been a turning point and since then we’ve used a very small pool of players for nearly every match.
And a happy new year to you.
Methinks you were struggling a bit to find something different or controversial to say about today’s match. Same team, same unanswered questions, reinforcements needed, etc. There are points of special interest today – first match of a new calendar year, opposition who are there or thereabouts in the promotion hunt so it will be a big test, and possibly, if there are to be any new signings, one or two are playing for their place. The one change I’d like to see today is to drop Eiting in favour of Pritchard. Pritchard on his day can be very dangerous; it’s just that we haven’t seen one of those days for quite a while. Since his last injury, he’s not looked great but to be fair to him, he’s largely had to come on as an impact sub for 20 minutes. I’d like to see him given a few starts, let him have the time to feel his way into the match and then see what he can do.
It’s been said before but worth repeating – some players perform well coming off the bench and some don’t. Pritchard could well be one of the latter. Let’s be honest, starting with Pritchard today would not be a gamble; Eiting has been pretty much anonymous for weeks so they’re not big boots to fill.
I’ve no feeling about the outcome today. We could easily get beaten 3-0 or win by the same score! Fingers crossed for the win.
Unfortunately Simon, Pritchard only ever plays well when the day of the week does NOT have a “y” in it. The team picks itself pretty much at present becasue the fringe players quite smply are not good enough. I agree I would like to see Eiting rested, but there is no viable alternative.
I know it’s the norm to get on Pritchard’s back but in glimpses we have seen flashes as to what he can do. He’s in his prime (aged 27), or ought to be, I think it’s worth Carlos giving him at least a couple of starts now and if it doesn’t come off, then look to move him on this transfer window.
your comment are we a good team? is not a easy one to say as yet.We are a work in progress and one that is certainly beginning to develop . yes we have weaknesses but which team doesnt!. given the injuries and inexperience in the squad apart from hoggy cambell etc we have done well to get to 31 points.
This championship is very even and both at the top end and bottom things can change and in all probability will so its one game at a time andlets see how things develop but i certainly can see the makings of a good entertaining side but one which like most will have its ups and downs.
It is easy to point to injuries as a reason not to perform, but I have read that Reading have a similar number of key absences – we are not the only team to suffer as I imagine most teams will be doing. Where we fall short is that we have absolutely nothing on the bench that is worth rotating the team for.
You won’t be seeing a few new arrivals this month or any other month. We need to see a few departures before any of that stuff is likely to happen.
Hi Steve. Thanks for commenting. Carlos hinted that we’d be looking to strengthen on the wings and in central defence in his pre-match press conference. Most likely loans or freebies but I think there’ll be some cash knocking about. Departures are likely too though, youngsters out on loan and maybe moving on a few senior players close to the end of their contract.
I’m not sure on what evidence you are basing your comments ? Let’s read that back at the end of January and see if you are correct; must say, I have my doubts. There is no reason not to expect new arrivals.
time will tell steve!
Yes Pritchard does get a bit of stick, some warranted, and some not so much. Whatever opinion you have, I still think he’s a top championship midfielder and on his day he might just be what this team needs.
I’d start him today ahead of Eiting. That’s probably the only change I would make.
As regards other teams having injuries too, our squad is thin at the best of times so I think our squad suffers a bit more that the likes of Reading.
Good to have an ally, Rhys. We’ll know in 15mins whether we’ll get our wish.
To say “on his day” someone is good – then you can apply that to Diakhaby who did once have a good game too. I would love to see Pritchard put in a good performance but he is an absolute flop. Let him leave and cut our losses on another Wagner basket-case signing.
Haha, please don’t compare Pritchard to Diakhabi! I don’t like criticising players at all but for diakhabi I make exception.
I keep moaning about diakhabi to friends and all I get in return is that ‘hes low on confidence, he will improve’. Confidence is most certainly an issue, I watched back some videos of him playing in France, he looked great. Maybe Carlos should sit him down and show him those videos, or maybe he should pack his bags for him… Who knows, he’s the boss. I’m just a fan putting forward my opinions.
Our wish fell on deaf ears by this looks of things Simon. Couple of weeks off for the regulars now anyway. Recharge the batteries and on we go.
Yep, you’re right, Rhys. Same team. Carlos must see or know something that we don’t.
That was a poor performance collectively and we looked tired for the last 80 minutes. We appeared to be clinging on to our lead as half time approached and I would love to know what was said at the interval, but whatever it was fell on deaf-ears. I was pleased Pritchard came off the bench and had 25 minutes to shine and show what he can do, and he failed spectacularly again, but it would be unfair to pick one man out. Next week must surely be a game where players are rested, but I fear that will show that the fringe players are simply not able to step up to the plate.
Ha ha. You couldn’t resist that poke at Pritchard. I did say that he needs to start and grow into a game rather than be given the role of “come on and make a difference in the last 20 minutes”. I agree he certainly didn’t change anything today.
ups and downs and wasnt our day today but wwe had chances and a draw would have been fair us first half them seccond. a fortnighyt break from league now league more important than cup. a good game to watch we move on.
Town looked like a spent force to me. We can but hope that they come back in a fortnight with renewed vigour and maybe even a new face or two.
Eiting contributed……contributed……..contributed……er…er…..nothing. And if Edmonds-Green was thinking he is now an established Championship-standard centre back, he’s learned a lesson today. He’s certainly a good prospect but a good centre forward found him out today.
Generally mediocre from everyone else with no standout performance. But we’ll see what our host has to say.
simon we did look tired and yes green will have learned today but he didnt have a poor game and as i said ups and downs and despite the cup game will give us and all teams a chance to refresh. a good game though despite the result.