“He just didn’t do enough” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 1-1 draw at Derby

It was a very strange start to the Championship season for Huddersfield Town. All the talk earlier this week was about how awful Derby would be and how they can’t put together a team, then it transpired that an unknown number of Town players would be ruled out of the game and we were the ones that might struggle to field a team. In reality, both first elevens were not far off Championship quality and once it kicked off it was a decent contest.

Derby weren’t as bad as many expected but the weakened Town team did a reasonable job against them. There were good and bad elements to Town’s game and we’ll definitely face tougher opponents in the upcoming weeks but on balance I thought we did OK and a point is a fair reflection on the game. 

Here is what I made of each individual performance:

Ryan Schofield – 7 out of 10

When the Derby goal went in I was cursing him for not dealing with the ball in but the replay showed that he was positioned perfectly until Holme’s poor clearing header took it past him and onto the far past, so he couldn’t be blamed for that. He also made an excellent reflex save in the dying moments of the game to secure the point. He still doesn’t inspire confidence, particularly on crosses, but I thought he did a pretty good job otherwise.

Oliver Turton – 6 out of 10

It’s clear that this guy isn’t Pipa and won’t be slaloming through defenders in the final third. However, he did get forward to support attacks, but in a few decent crosses and most importantly, he made some good tackles and helped keep things tight at the back. I was a bit concerned when I saw him blowing hard after around fifteen minutes but he managed to keep going anyway. I suspect wingback may not be a natural role for him and he’ll look happier when he can play as part of a flat back four.

Matty Pearson – 6 out of 10

Looks solid and reliable at the back without doing anything particularly flashy. I like the way he snarls and shouts at opposition players, like when a Derby player went down after Pearson (just about legally) bundled him over in the box and he screamed at him to get up.  

Naby Sarr – 7 out of 10

Scored an absolute bullet header for the goal, which is a reminder that he’s very useful to have in the team for set pieces at both ends of the pitch. I’m still a bit frustrated with how slow he can be on the ball. Several times he just stood with the ball at his feet despite having decent options around him to get the ball moving. 

Levi Colwill – 7 out of 10

Wasn’t phased by his first Championship start and had some good moments on the ball, always looking to progress things and make something happen. He took a few too many risks in possession for my liking but he managed to get himself out of a few dicey moments without disaster. 

Sorba Thomas – 9 out of 10

Head and shoulders above the rest of the Town team today and a deserving Man of the Match winner despite it being his first start in the Championship. His set piece delivery was superb all day, the whipped delivery for the equaliser had the kind of quality we’ve not had since the days of Gary Roberts. In open play he was the one player that regularly asked difficult questions of the Derby defence with his direct running and desire to get past his man. It’s tempting to try to temper expectations because he’s making the step up from non-league football but based on this performance I think it’s fair to get a bit giddy about the potential he is showing.

Jonathan Hogg – 7 out of 10

Did a lot of dirty work in front of defence, as always, which added the steel to midfield that Holmes and High don’t naturally have. He also played a few exceptional diagonal passes from deep to set Thomas off down the left wing. I hear a lot of criticism of how Hogg’s too basic and can’t play football but over the last twelve months he’s really improved his distribution, showing you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Scott High – 7 out of 10

Another lively performance, which saw him breaking forward into the box on several occasions and coming close to scoring. He’s still a bit raw but there are signs that he could be a real threat going forward and a nuisance to opponents when defending. I think he’ll be better once he’s played more games at this level and settles down a bit, he looks to be snatching at chances when a more composed approach will improve his chances connecting with the ball cleanly when he gets chance to shoot.

Duane Holmes – 5 out of 10

Played in his preferred midfield role but was far too quiet to give any more than a five. I wondered if I was being harsh on him but the stats back me up. He only had 30 touches all game compared to High’s 55 and Hogg’s 54, so clearly didn’t get on the ball enough. This is even worse when you consider he was the senior partner to Scott High and should have been looking to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. I want Holmes to do well at Town and think he’s got potential to do a good job but so far he’s not doing enough to justify his place in the team. I’m not going to blame him for the poor header at the near post that led to the goal because we shouldn’t be putting one of our shortest players on the pitch on that job, so it was more of a coaching error.

Danny Ward – 6 out of 10

I thought Ward was the better of the two starting strikers purely based on his work rate and effort. He covered a lot of ground and applied pressure to Derby’s back line. He also looked a threat in the air when balls came into the box. He didn’t do enough to win over his doubters but I think this was something to build upon and if he can get a goal soon that might provide the missing bit of confidence he needs to really kick on.

Jordan Rhodes – 5 out of 10

Like I said with Holmes, he just didn’t do enough. He had to be reminded by Jonathan Hogg (in not uncertain terms) to press the opposition defence when he was caught trotting around while Ward and High were busting a gut to put pressure on Derby. Pressing high up the pitch only works when you do it as a pack, so one player not doing their job will mean there’s an easy pass on to relieve the pressure. Like with Ward, it could all change if he starts scoring but until then he needs to show a willingness to work hard off the ball.

Substitutes

Josh Koroma – 7 out of 10

Made a big impact when he came on, providing an outlet for breakaways when possession turned over. Seemed to pop up on the right more than left, which limited his ability to cut in and shoot but he still caused problems when he got on the ball in the final third. After not looking fit at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend he seemed to have the bit between his teeth in this game and did enough to justify a starting position next weekend.

Frazier Campbell – 6 out of 10

Came off the bench and brought his usual hustle bustle to the game. Also committed his usual quota of needless fouls, which he seems more likely to do when he comes on as a sub. I wonder if it’s because he’s so desperate to make an impact that he overdoes it a bit and clatters defenders like an overenthusiastic puppy. Unfortunately he couldn’t finish the best chance of the match when Thomas’ lovely ball fell to him on the edge of the six-yard box. I wasn’t a tap in but he’ll be disappointed that his shot went straight at the keeper. 

Danel Sinani – N/A

Didn’t get a chance to make an impact on the game when he came on in injury time. Hopefully he’ll get more minutes in upcoming matches.