Terrier Spirit

Dec132017 by Terrier Spirit1 Comment

Huddersfield Town 1-3 Chelsea: The inquest (with player ratings)

Matches

Huddersfield Town hosted the current Premier League champions on a cold and rainy night in Yorkshire. Town were outclassed by Chelsea's expensively assembled team and struggled to get a foothold in the game. It’s never nice to see your team lose, but we were playing a team that’s far above the level Town are operating on. There were a few positives from the night, particularly Depoitre’s goal, but it was one of our more disappointing Premier League performances. They can’t all be swashbuckling performances and cup-final atmospheres. Sometimes we’re going to get beaten by a better team. This article will chew over some of the talking points from the game and rate the players. Tactics against the top-six clubs: what can Town do? David Wagner employed the tactics I predicted in my Chels...

Dec112017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Town v Chelsea predictions – should we go for it or play it safe?

Matches

The 2-0 victory over Brighton wasn’t just three Premier League points in the bag, it was a great team performance from Town too. The style of play, work-rate, and bravery that Town were famous for last season was back in abundance. It was wonderful to see Town play with freedom and attacking intent. When Town have played against top opposition this season we’ve often been reluctant to attack too much for fear of being exposed at the back. This article will try to predict what team David Wagner will pick against Chelsea, the tactics Town will use, and how it’s going to work out for Town. Which system should Town play to beat Chelsea? Town were great against Brighton, playing the 4-2-3-1 system that David Wagner has implemented at his time with the club. It might be tempting for him to...

Dec102017 by Terrier Spirit1 Comment

In support of clappers: noise = success

Opinion

This is a very short post to nail my colours to the mast, and say that I’m a fan of the clappers that Huddersfield Town have been putting out for every home game this season. I’ve seen a lot of snarky comments about them from both Town and opposition fans but I’ve not heard a convincing argument against them. Typically they’re described as tinpot, embarrassing, or plastic. For anyone that’s sampled the atmosphere that’s been created at the John Smith’s Stadium this season, they know that there’s nothing fake about the enthusiasm from the stands, even if the decibel levels are increased with the help of a few thousand bits of folded cardboard. Spine-tingling atmosphere on all four sides of the pitch I understand that the clappers aren’t the only reason there’s a good amount of noise ge...

Dec102017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Huddersfield Town 2-0 Brighton and Hove Albion: Player ratings

Matches

Huddersfield Town beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium. It was a stunning performance from the Terriers. David Wagner reverted back to the tactics that worked so well last season, and it produced a great display of attacking football that epitomised the Terrier Spirit. Here are my player ratings for the match: Lössl - 7 out of 10 Made an incredible save from a Murray header early on, which turned out to be offside but still showed excellent reactions. He took a few risks with his passing, but he always found his man. Löwe - 7 out of 10 Made some great crosses from open play and from corners. Linked up well with Big Col and overlapped when the chance was there. His corner for the first goal was excellent, picking out Schindler at the new post and the flick on...

Dec82017 by Terrier Spirit2 Comments

Predictions for Huddersfield Town v Brighton: teams, scoreline, and tactics

Matches

Town will look to break their four game losing streak agaisnt Brighton and Hove Albion at the John Smith’s Stadium this weekend. Here’s the TerrierSpirit.com predictions for the game, including the likely tactics, starting XI and scoreline. David Wagner’s tactics to beat Brighton I think playing a fellow newly-promoted team at home gives David Wagner a chance to revert back to the typical brand of football he likes Town to play. In recent games, it’s felt like our tactics have been a reaction to the opposition but on Saturday we should play our natural game. This means a 4-2-3-1 formation, with overlapping wingbacks, wingers taking up inside-forward positions to support the striker, and a number ten dictating play and creating chances. We’ve drifted away from some of the tactics that ...

Dec82017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Brighton at home is Town’s most important game of the season so far (but it’s not a must-win)

Opinion

Huddersfield Town have lost their four previous Premier League games prior to Brighton’s visit to the John Smith’s Stadium this weekend. This is one of the few games we’ll have all season where we’re the bookies’ favourite to win the match. These are two reasons why the game on Saturday is huge. A win against Brighton can change our momentum Last season playing Brighton was one of the most daunting prospects Town faced. Despite Brighton having invested significantly in their team since then, they now represent one of the least scary prospects now we’re in the Premier League. Playing Brighton at home means we’ve got a chance to play our own game more, and spend less time worrying about the opposition. Over the last few games, there’s been less evidence of the Terrier Spirit style of fo...

Dec62017 by Terrier Spirit3 Comments

6 overreactions after the Everton defeat

Opinion, Social media

When you pay for a ticket for a football game you're also paying for the right to complain if you’re unhappy about what you see. Some fans will support their team regardless of the results, others will see their opportunity to criticise their team as a consumer right that they’ve paid good money for. I personally stand somewhere in the middle of this argument, maybe slightly leaning towards the “enjoy the ride” crowd. While it’s silly to say you should never make a critical comment about your club, it’s important that fans vocally back their team. The success of last season and our remarkable home form in the Premier League is evidence that positivity in the stands spreads out onto the pitch. Anyway, this article isn’t having a go about critical fans in general. It’s about the specific t...

Dec32017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Everton 2-0 Huddersfield Town – TerrierSpirit.com Player Ratings

Matches, Opinion

Oh no! Another away defeat for Town. Another away game without a goal. While some fans are losing their minds with worry over Town’s recent results, it’s worth bearing in mind that the performances haven’t been that bad. We’re not creating enough chances, and not scoring from the few we do make. But it wasn’t all bad. Here are my player ratings for the 2-0 defeat against Everton. Lössl - 6 out of 10 Seemed unusually cautious when kicking out from the back. Made a good save in the first half and couldn't have saved either goal. Malone - 6 out of 10 Looked nervy at times and was caught out of position. However, he does get forward and provides an outlet down the right. Schindler - 8 out of 10 Typically solid and made some great tackles. He provided cover for Malone and looked assured...

Dec12017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

SCOUTING REPORT: Everton away – what can Town fans expect

Matches

Huddersfield Town don’t have long to lick their wounds after a 5-0 spanking from Arsenal in midweek. They travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton in Big Sam’s first game in charge of the Toffees. Here’s a scouting report for Town fans to read up on our opposition on Saturday. Everton’s season so far Many of the preseason preview articles tipped Everton to be dark horses to break into the Champions League places this season. That seems a long time ago now, and Everton fans are currently more worried about keeping out of the bottom three than getting into the top four. Some bad results and equally poor performances early in the season meant Ronald Koeman was sacked in October. Caretaker manager David "Rhino" Unsworth couldn’t arrest Everton’s poor form and didn’t make a convincing c...

Dec12017 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Everton away predictions – lineup, tactics, and score

Matches, Opinion

Huddersfield Town take a trip to Goodison Park this weekend to play Everton, in a game that would be described as a relegation six pointer. Town and Everton are each on fifteen points in the league, with Everton’s superior goal difference giving them the slight edge. Here’s a look at how I think Town will approach this game and what the outcome could be. David Wagner’s tactics to beat Everton Wagner experimented with a 3-4-2-1 formation on Wednesday night, to match up with Arsenal. Having Cranie come in and play as an extra centre-back made sense but didn’t lead to the water-tight defence we hoped for. I think we’ll revert back to the usual 4-2-3-1 system for Everton. The lack of goals away from home is an issue, so playing with three attackers behind the main striker should give us so...