Terrier Spirit

Mar52021 by Terrier Spirit11 Comments

Predicted lineup, score and 5 key questions for Huddersfield Town v Cardiff

Matches

Huddersfield Town face Cardiff tonight in a game that seems certain to disappoint Town fans as the team with the worst form in the Championship faces the one with the best. Cardiff are riding high after Mick McCarthy's recent arrival. The dour Yorkshireman has taken the Bluebirds on an exceptional winning run that has made them playoff contenders despite the fact they were two points behind Town on New Year's Day. Town's recent win against Swansea shows we can lift our levels when up against quality opposition but Cardiff specialise in the kind of physical football that has consistently tripped Town up this season, so expecting anything but a difficult night requires almost psychotic levels of optimism. So, after making myself thoroughly miserable during this introduction, here ar...

Mar22021 by Terrier Spirit19 Comments

Predicted lineup, score and key talking points for Huddersfield Town v Birmingham

Matches

Huddersfield Town play Birmingham City tonight in a game that has potential to define the rest of this season. A positive result could push Town clear of the relegation strugglers and end this poor patch. A defeat will plunge Town right into the mess at the bottom end of the table. There's a tendency to overhype games these days but I genuinely believe this game is the most important one of the season so far. I'd be lying if I said I felt confident going into it but this team, for all its flaws, can produce a performance when you least expect it. Predicted Huddersfield Town XI to take on Birmingham Goalkeeper: Ryan Schofield Defence: Edmonds-Green, Keogh, Stearman, Pipa Midfield: Vallejo, O'Brien, High Forwards: Mbenza, Phillips, Holmes I have no ...

Feb282021 by Terrier Spirit17 Comments

Corberán’s mistakes, fragile confidence, relegation odds and lumping it up to the big man – Notes on Town’s defeat to PNE

Matches

Town's wretched 2021 continued with another abject game, where defeat was embraced like a dear friend by a team. We don't have a losing habit, it's gone past a that now and into an addiction. The only possible explanation for such consistently disappointing results is a compulsion deep within the players and coaches to throw away games that they're capable of winning. I'm genuinely shocked that the optimism I felt after Town's resounding win against Swansea was only last week. After two defeats and two awful second-half performances it's now clear last weekend's win was a false dawn and dark times are still ahead to Town fans. The good start In nearly every game of Town's terrible run in 2021 there have been pockets where Town have played well. Usually it comes ...

Feb272021 by Terrier Spirit18 Comments

Predicted Huddersfield Town XI to take on PNE

Matches

These team prediction articles have changed over time. Rather than trying to pick the cream of the available talent in the Town squad it's more of a case of cobbling together a starting eleven that is more or less fit and with players that are mostly able to buy a lottery ticket without needing ID. So the tricky away fixture at Preston is likely to see another Town team of players that are either inexperienced, out of form or over the hill. In case you haven't guessed it, my expectations are through the floor for this game after our dismal showing at Derby in midweek. But, knowing Town, the point where you're most disgusted with them is when they surprise you with an unlikely victory, like they did against Swansea last weekend. Here's who I think Carlos will pick tomorro...

Feb252021 by Terrier Spirit17 Comments

Carlos outfoxed, our vampire GK, low-block struggles & how to turn it around – Notes on HTAFC’s defeat to Derby

Matches

After the otherworldliness of the victory over Swansea, Town came back down to Earth with a bump against Derby. Just over 48 hours after a victory that had fans daring to dream this season could have a boring, midtable finish, Town were back to all the bad habits that had left them drifting down the table and towards the drop zone. If someone wanted to know what went wrong for Town this season they could watch this game to see just about every issue that's blighted Town’s play with predictable regularity. Throwing away a lead is the only square that went unmarked in Huddersfield Town 2021 Bingo. All the other favourites were there: silly mistakes at the back, tepid build up play, spurned chances, being out muscled at set pieces, persisting with failing tactics and injuries to key play...

Feb232021 by Terrier Spirit6 Comments

Derby preview – Team news, predicted starting XI, tactics and score

Matches

Huddersfield Town head to Derby riding a wave of euphoria following their unexpected 4-1 dismantling of Swansea at the weekend. The game tonight has huge significance for Town’s season, a positive outcome will help fans to believe our awful recent run ended last Saturday but a defeat could leave us thinking Saturday was just a fever dream, a freak one-off and we’re still deep in trouble. The last time we played Derby they were in dreadful shape and we won the game despite not being all the great ourselves. Wayne Rooney’s managerial career started recently at Derby and he’s presided over an upturn in form that has pulled the Rams out of the relegation zone and returned them to winning ways (though I’ve got my reservations about Rooney as a manager, which you can read about at the end of...

Feb222021 by Terrier Spirit3 Comments

“Superb” Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 4-1 victory over Swansea (better late than never!)

Matches

Where did that come from?! Huddersfield Town managed their first victory of 2021 in their best performance of the season at a time when they seemed to be in terminal decline. While the three points are incredibly useful, the win could mean even more in the context of this season, as this result should help boost the Terrier's badly dented confidence and provide a template for them to follow in future games. While some of the ongoing problems at Town were evident in the first half, a breathtaking 10-minute spell at the start of the second half led to Town being comfortable winners even before an unlucky injury reduced the Swans to 10 men for the closing stages. Here are my ratings for Town's players. Ryan Schofield - 5 out of 10 He was lucky to be bailed out by Sar...

Feb202021 by Terrier Spirit14 Comments

Predicted Huddersfield Town XI to take on Swansea today

Matches

I didn't bother with a team prediction article for the last game because it seemed fairly obvious who would start against Middlesbrough. Against Swansea today there are a few more questions about who should play and Corberán will have to decide whether to persevere with senior players that are playing poorly or to experiment with youth against one of the league's best teams. Whatever the lineup, Town haven't won in 2021 and Swansea haven't lost, so it's likely to be a tough afternoon for the Terriers. Goalkeeper:Schofield The young keeper looks increasingly nervous between the sticks and is getting erratic with his decision making. He was lucky that Middlesbrough's free kick goal was chalked off for offside as otherwise his bizarre decision to come for a ball he...

Feb192021 by Terrier Spirit11 Comments

Carlos Corberán shares a bad habit with an ex-Town manager that could be affecting results

Opinion

Could the bad habit of an ex-Town manage point to one if the problems Carlos Corberán could bev causing? Lee Clark had a bad habit when he was the manager of Huddersfield Town and I believe it directly affected his team's ability to play with confidence. I fear that Carlos Corberán is making the same mistake and he may be inadvertently contributing to Town's terrible run of form since the start of 2021. The bad habit I'm referring to is getting angry on the touchline during matches and screaming at your players while the game is going on. Lee Clark was terrible for flapping his arms about and bellowing at the nearest player that would listen during his tenure. Carlos Corberán has similar qualities, often looking like he could murder a player after they fluff a chance of make ...

Feb172021 by Terrier Spirit12 Comments

A good start, the capitulation, young guns & a death spiral – Notes on Huddersfield Town’s 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough

Matches

Huddersfield Town lost again last night to extend their 2021 winless run to nine games. Despite taking an early lead Town capitulated and Middlesbrough deserved to win despite a late fightback from Town, led by substitutes Rowe and Phillips. A good start Town flew out of the blocks and completely dominated Middlesbrough in the opening exchanges. We repeatedly carved them open with intense and fluent passing and moving in the final third. Pritchard, Holmes and Bacuna interchanged and popped up all over the places making it hard for them to track the threat. O'Brien bombed down the sides and found space to exploit. The end of this period of dominance came when Mbenza scored a lovely free kick. It seemed like going ahead destroyed our confidence and energy which ga...