Huddersfield Town scored in the last second of their friendly with Bologna to win the game 2-1. It was a fairly tepid encounter but there were some glimpses of decent football and I think the team look close to being ready for the start of the season.
Here are a few things I noticed from the game…
Sobhi showed his strength
Ramadan Sobhi is incredibly strong on the ball for a winger. There were a few occasions where a Bologna defender tried to musle him off the ball and he just swatted them away. His close control looked very good, and he looked surprisingly speedy when chasing down balls.
I wasn’t all that impressed with Ramadan in the Lyon friendly, but saw plenty to like about him in this game. The real test will obviously come in the Premier League, but the signs are there that he’s got something to offer the team.
Diakhaby has ridiculous pace, but possibly lacks composure
I can see Adama Diakhaby being many fans favourite player this season. When he’s given a ball to chase his speed is absolutely frightening, and he can use it to make things happen. However, when he managed to get into good positions, either his decision making or execution let him down.
He’s still the most exciting player on the pitch when he plays, and he’ll be a great outlet to punt the ball up to if we’re under pressure. Another attribute of his I’ve been impressed with is his defensive work. He makes a nuisance of himself when Town don’t have the ball, and has a knack for intercepting passes. All in all, he’s a very promising addition to the squad.
Philip Billing made some great driving runs through midfield
I’d say Billing was the more attack minded of the two central midfielders in this game in the first half, with Mooy sitting deeper and doing the dirty work. There were several occasions where Billing advanced our attacks by dribbling forward with the ball at his feet.
This was clearly something he’s been instructed to do more of, as I could hear David Wagner bellow encouragement to the Dane every time he made one of his driving runs. It was nice to see this kind of play, because Billing has clearly got the technical ability but these runs show a level of desire and determination which isn’t always obvious in his other performances.
Mounié proved he can score when the service is good
The goal in the final minute of the game was a textbook Steve Mounié finish. A quality ball was played in from a free kick and Mounié rose above everyone around him and hammered it home with his forehead. He’s incredibly strong in the air, and particularly dangerous at the far post, where his impressive leap gives him a great chance of winning the ball.
I’m not sure we’ve seen the best of Steve Mounié in a Town shirt yet. He had a decent first season last year, but there are signs that there’s more to come from him. He seems happy and settled at Huddersfield now, so this year could be huge for him. As long as the rest of the team can give him the chances he thrives upon.
📸🛫 Air Mounié Pt.2 #htafc (CL) pic.twitter.com/PUxSehZYib
— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) July 31, 2018
Lössl mades a couple of mistakes
Bologna’s goal came about because of a sloppy kick out by Jonas Lössl, passing the ball straight to one of their players, who was able to play a simple forward pass to an unmarked colleague.
There was a further mixup from the keeper when he picked up a pass back and conceded an indirect freekick in the box. Like the mistake leading up to the goal, it was a lapse in concentration but luckily it didn’t lead to a further goal.
It’s not worth getting too upset about this kind of thing, it was only a friendly and Lössl’s first appearance since his post-World Cup break. However, it may strengthen the case for Hamer to be given a chance with the gloves.
Given the great saves we saw from Lössl regularly in the Premier League I still think he should be our first choice keeper, but it’s reassuring to know we’ve got quality backup if we need it.