Blog – Page 57 – Terrier Spirit – Huddersfield Town FC blog

Jun182018 by Terrier Spirit1 Comment

How are Huddersfield Town’s players getting on in the World Cup?

Matches

A Huddersfield Town player hadn’t played in the World Cup for over 40 years until last week. Now we’ve had three play, and another feature on the bench. This last two years have been an incredible time to be a Town fan, and seeing our players playing in a World Cup really brings that home for me. Here’s a quick roundup of how Town’s players got on in the opening round of World Cup fixtures... Aaron Mooy - unlucky to lose to France The only Town player to start a game in the World Cup so far, Mooy was a standout performer in the Socceroos’ defeat to France. Mooy was his typical, terrier-like self, and helped to break up France’s play and frustrated their star-studded lineup with his hustle and bustle. Mooy’s often played in the number ten role for his country, but in this game h...

Jun172018 by Terrier Spirit2 Comments

5 thoughts about Huddersfield Town’s new Umbro home kit

Opinion

I wrote this article about a week ago, but never got around to posting it. The kit hasn’t changed in that time (despite a few fans calling for the old badge to be reinstated), so here are my thoughts on Town’s new home kit for the 2018/19 season. Classic stripes This is one of the best looking kits that Town have had for a number of years. My preferred type of kit is a simple, blue and white striped shirt, white shorts and white socks. This seems like fairly basic criteria, but every year there seems to be some extra flourish added by the designer that messes it up. Last year the shirt had the weird bubble design which made my eyes go a bit funny when I looked at it. In previous seasons we've had dissolving stripes, solid blue on the back instead of stripes all around, odd shades ...

Jun142018 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Analysis of Huddersfield Town’s Premier League fixtures

Matches, Opinion

Huddersfield Town's Premier League fixtures were revealed today. I always love this day, as it means you can visualise the season ahead more easily and start planning away trips. Obviously, the fixtures will be subject to change for TV and to fit around European commitments, but we know roughly what our fixture list will be for next year. I've taken a look at the most important bits of the fixture list, including the start of the season, our "easiest" run of games, what's happening over Christmas, the tricky run we've got in February, and of course, the run in. Opening matches: Chelsea at home and Manchester City away This looks like a daunting pair of games, but Town confirmed their survival last season by grinding out back-to-back draws against these two teams. So we know we can...

Jun122018 by Terrier Spirit5 Comments

Ramadan Sobhi – Who is he, and how will he fit in at Huddersfield Town?

Transfers

Huddersfield Town have completed the signing of Ramadan Sobhi from Stoke City for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be £5.7m. The Egyptian international winger has been linked with Town for weeks now, so it isn't a huge surprise that he’s committed his future to the Terriers. The deal won’t complete until the end of the World Cup, which means Stoke can trouser the FIFA compensation money for him and Town can (presumably) pull the plug on the deal if he picks up a nasty injury. Who is Ramadan Sobhi? Despite looking a good deal older, Sobhi is just 21 years old and is relatively inexperienced. He started his career playing for El Ahly Cairo in the Egyptian Premier League, where he earned the reputation of being one of the hottest talents in the country. Stoke snapped him up a coupl...

Jun112018 by Terrier Spirit2 Comments

Some thoughts on Town’s amazing signing of Terrence Kongolo

Transfers

Huddersfield Town have signed Terrence Kongolo from Monaco for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be in the region of £17m. The Dutch international joins Town on a permanent basis after an influential loan spell in the second half of last season, where he quickly became a fans’ favourite. Here are a few of my thoughts on the transfer... The difference last season It’s not a coincidence that Town conceded far fewer goals when Kongolo was involved. The left back position had become a source of concern for Town, with Löwe’s form being wobbly and Malone looking erratic. While left back isn’t Kongolo’s preferred position, he adapted to it well and we looked a lot more solid when he came in. Don’t believe me? Check out this stat: Goals conceded per game without Kongolo: 1.63 Goa...

May132018 by Terrier Spirit3 Comments

Five thoughts about Huddersfield Town’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal

Matches, Opinion

Huddersfield Town were defeated 1-0 by Arsenal in the last game of the season, and the last game of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal career. It was a game that could have gone differently if Town had taken their chances. But the performance was good and it provided proof that Town have potential to play well against top teams without parking the bus. Here are a few of my thoughts after the game... Formation change: 3-5-2 Town played most of the game in a 3-5-2 system, with Ince playing a deeper and more central role than normal, and Pritchard playing mostly as a striker. The wingbacks played very aggressively, which meant Town played high up the field and pressed Arsenal when they tried to build up from the back. The new system worked well, and was a departure from the negative tactics ...

May72018 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

4 thoughts about Town’s incredible 0-0 draw with Manchester City

Matches

Huddersfield Town drew 0-0 with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, becoming the only team in the Premier League this season to stop them from scoring at home. It was a disciplined and resolute performance from Town, which saw them soak up endless pressure while restricting City to very few clear cut chances. Here are a few of my thoughts... The Berlin Wall worked I’m delighted that we’ve managed to pick up a point against top-six opposition again, as we’ve turned in some fairly limp performances against the top sides. In previous games we’ve looked too shaky at the back when we’ve set up to frustrate the opposition, but it worked a treat against City. The tactics had a big part to play in the result, as Town’s low block meant we sat very deep in our own half and didn’t both...

Apr152018 by Terrier Spirit4 Comments

5 thoughts about Huddersfield Town’s incredible 1-0 win over Watford

Matches, Opinion

Wow! Town managed to pull off an unlikely 1-0 victory in a tight game against Watford that was decided by an exceptional moment in injury time. Tom Ince slotted home from close range after Zanka produced a wonderful square pass with the outside of his boot. Here are a few of my thoughts about the match... Not a classic game, but a good performance from Town Before Ince popped up with the winner the game seemed destined to for a 0-0 draw. Town put in a spirited performance but we had the same old problem of struggling to convert decent football into clear chances. Watford looked low on confidence and our pressing game forced them into making poor mistakes when attacking Town in the final third. We seemed the more aggressive and positive of the two teams but we didn’t manage a sh...

Apr132018 by Terrier SpiritNo Comments

Watford scouting report – What can Town expect on Saturday?

Matches

Huddersfield Town take on Watford at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday in a game that could be crucial for Town’s fight for Premier League survival. Here’s some information about Town’s opposition, "The Hornets". Watford’s season so far Watford were one of this season’s surprise packages in the early stages. They picked up some good results and played nice football, with new signing Richarlison scoring and assisting on a regular basis, and then-manager Marco Silva being hailed as the next big thing. While Watford have spent most of the season in the top half, their recent dip in form has seen them drop to twelfth place. Marco Silva is long gone, and Richarlison hasn't hit the heights he achieved earlier in the season. They’ve not won in their last four games, so will be look...

Apr112018 by Terrier Spirit2 Comments

Is the Watford match a “must-win game” for Huddersfield Town?

Opinion

In December last year our home game against Brighton was classed as a “must-win” match by some. This was despite the fact we were less than half-way through the season and Town were comfortably outside the relegation zone at the time. Since that game fans and pundits have regularly debated whether games are “must win” or not. In my eyes, this weekend’s game against Watford is the first game that could potentially be classed as a game Town have to win. There’s still arguments against using such hyperbolic language, but I thought it was having a quick look at whether it is a must-win game or not. Why Saturday’s game could be classed as “must-win” Huddersfield Town have five games left this season, after the Watford match we play Everton, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. When t...