While defeat was fully expected against Bournemouth, it still hurts to see a team that are literally playing for their livelihoods surrender so meekly as Town did in the first half last night.
The early stages of the second half saw the worst performing players subbed out and a small but significant improvement was apparent from the rejigged team. Bournemouth were pretty comfortable despite Hogg’s headed goal that brought us within a goal of them. For all the improvements in the second half, we couldn’t find an equaliser despite some promising play at times.
I have a feeling my view of this game may be out of step with many fans, as I was fairly happy with the second half and even in the first half I thought many players were doing okay. Though a few were diabolically bad, which made the task almost impossible.
Here are my ratings for the match.
Ryan Schofield – 7 out of 10
Nothing he could do for either goal and he pulled off a few decent saves that kept us in the game. He still seems to be positioned too deep when the ball is played back to him, which I think he does to give himself a bit more thinking time but ultimately it leaves him with more work to do.
Rarmani Edmonds-Green – 4 out of 10
Not a good night at all. He missed an opportunity to put in a tackle before the opening goal and gave away possession in a very dangerous area with a woeful pass for the second goal. Call me biased, but I find these kind of errors more forgivable from younger players because it’s expected and they’ll learn from it. I also think he’s not good enough at rightback and plays the role as you’d expect a central defender to do it, rarely getting forward and not providing an outlet.
Richard Keogh – 5 out of 10
Another one guilty of giving the ball away in the wrong area which ultimately led to us conceding from the mistake. He also made some poor positional choices at times too, which made it easier for Bournemouth to find space in our box. I wonder if he’s capable of playing two games a week at his advanced age. It’s widely acknowledged that you make poor decisions when you’re tired, so perhaps he’s another in need of a break despite being in one of the positions that involves less sprinting.
Naby Sarr – 6 out of 10
Did okay on the whole. The back line generally looked shakier because we didn’t have three centre backs and Sarr was part of that. As usual, the execution of his long range passes often didn’t live up to his ambition but at least he was trying to switch play and stretch the game.
Lewis O’Brien – 7 out of 10
Tried at left back again despite generally being rubbish in the role and, for reasons I can’t explain, did a decent job. He actually seemed to be playing all over the shop, as he tracked Brooks all around the pitch and still popped in unexpected areas when we attacked. His retention of the ball when attacking was excellent and he was probably our best player on the night despite being out of position most of the match. After a season of very patchy form he finally is hitting the levels he reached last season, which could be decisive in the next few weeks.
Jonathan Hogg – 6 out of 10
I was stunned when I saw him score our only goal. It was his third goal for Town, so it’s a bit gutting for him that it didn’t contribute to Town getting a result. I wouldn’t blame Hogg directly for either goal but both were due to poor organisation and players not being in the right places to recover when we lost the ball. That stuff is usually his strong suit, so I’m sure he’ll be livid with himself as well as his teammates for conceding goals like the pair we let in last night.
Juninho Bacuna – 3 out of 10
It makes me genuinely cross to see how little he cares about keeping the ball. The casual way he’ll trot backwards after his shonky passing misses his man once again makes by me want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He seems to have given up this last few games, which is troubling as he was pretty rubbish when he was trying. I hope he watched Scott High carefully when he came on, as he will have witnessed the basics that have been missing from his own game lately.
Duane Holmes – 5 out of 10
Was okay at times and at others he wasn’t. Didn’t provide enough creativity or drive in midfield in my eyes and was generally too quiet.
Isaac Mbenza – 2 out of 10
An absolute shocker of a game, looked like he wanted to make it obvious he wasn’t trying his best. I’ve not seen him look this bad since the games leading up to Danny Cowley bombing him out of the squad. It may be fitness related but from the outside it seemed like he simply couldn’t be bothered. If his contract situation has started to affect his attitude then he should be sent to train with the academy kids for the rest of the season to avoid poisoning other squad members.
Fraizer Campbell – 4 out of 10
I’d never question Campbell’s attitude but his execution was lacking last night. His first touch made it look like he was trying to trap a rugby ball. It’s nice that he tries to help out by tracking back but it’s often counter productive. For example, at one stage he was in the leftback area and when we came away the ball it was hoofed to where he should have been but because he was out of position it harmlessly returned possession to Bournemouth.
Aaron Rowe – 7 out of 10
Rowe can consider himself unlucky to have been dropped from the team recently despite being decent in most of the games he’s played. He made a couple do great near-post shots that were both saved in the first half and was positive whenever he got on the ball. He struggled when he was shifted from left wing to rightback and missed several challenges. I think it would be harsh to be overly critical though, as he played well when deployed in his preferred position.
Substitutes
Rolando Aarons – 7 out of 10
A huge upgrade on Mbenza when he came on at halftime. While his end product didn’t create the breakthrough we needed, he attacked with purpose and intelligence. If he can get fit enough to start games he could be another player that helps boost our chances of avoiding the drop.
Scott High – 7 out of 10
The main thing he brings to the team is energy and persistence, and its damming of the starting XI how novel it is to see someone relentlessly chasing down every lost cause. He also showed some cultured passes too suggesting he’s more than just a nuisance factor. Based on this game, it would be baffling if Bacuna was picked ahead of him for the Forest game.
Sorba Thomas – 6 out of 10
Lively and a threat down the left. He looks like he’s trying a bit too hard to impress at times but I suspect he’ll settle down when he’s had more minutes on the pitch.
Danny Ward – 4 out of 10
Did he do anything? He was on the pitch for 36 minutes but barely touched the ball. A disappearing act to match David Blaine or Paul Daniels. I expected to the lovely Debbie McGee to reveal that Ward had, in fact, been hiding in plain sight on the edge of the penalty areas all the way through his time on the pitch and had managed to disguise his presence by doing nothing useful.
Jaden Brown – N/A
Carlos clearly isn’t a fan of Brown, given the weird and wonderful alternatives he’s experimented with instead of just letting his backup left back cover while Toffolo is injured. Brown didn’t do himself any favours by almost immediately clattering into an ill-judging challenge as soon as he came on.
Difficult for me to comment having switched off at half time. I knew I was caring a lot more about what was going on out there than some of the Town players out there. Are they really that much slower either running or to react than other teams or is that other teams are more focused and are giving 100% and not 90% or, in some cases, even less?
As I posted at the time I switched off, it was just appalling to watch. Your comments about individual players I largely agree with. As you know, I don’t rate Schofield and whilst it’s hard to attribute blame on him for either goal, the first goal he parried it straight to ‘you know who’ who had an easy header; and I’ve said it before and you are saying it too, he stands a yard too deep, gets absolutely rooted to his goal line, so for the second goal, yes it was a decent shot and the attacker was given too much space & time, but really if you stand on your goal line you’re giving yourself very little chance of saving it.
I don’t even need to mention the names of Mbenza and Bacuna. In Mbenza’s case, words completely fail me he was so bad. In Bacuna’s case, he just refuses to learn. Do you think CC just says to him “you’re doing ok; just keep doing what you’re doing”? Because I think everyone else is saying it’s not ok, it’s irresponsible, you’re not good enough to just play the fancy tricks & flicks, get the bloody basics right first and that means keep the ball, protect the ball, win the ball back if possession is lost, put a bit of effort in!
As I only watched the first half, things might have improved but for me only Rowe & O’Brien came out of it with any credit. Everyone else was just dire. The passing was diabolical. There was no structure or shape. We didn’t seem to have it in us to at least make it difficult for the opposition. If you accept you’re second best in terms of talent, then you must make up for it in effort; and I saw very little of that I’m afraid. The only surprise to me was that it was only 0-2 at half time. If the opposition had been a bit more clinical, it could easily have been another Norwich and 0-5 at half time.
Utterly horrendous. I’ll be so glad to see the end of this season and I now don’t really care if next season is Division 1; the players don’t seem to really care so why should I? I remember very well in 1973 or 1974, Town had fallen to their umpteenth home defeat of the season. We were then in the middle of the slide through the divisions. I’d been to watch the match at Leeds Road. I was out with friends that Saturday night and one of them worked as a barman in the players’ lounge. He said, “You seem to be a bit depressed tonight, Simon. Is everything ok?” And I said it was watching Town that afternoon that was to blame. And I’ve never forgotten what my friend the barman told me – “What on earth are you getting so down about? The players were in the bar after the match having a few pints, laughing & joking, so if they’re not despondent immediately after the match, why should you let a defeat get you down?” It’s at times like this when I hang on to that advice.
Simon’s closing comments are particularly interesting and I largely agree with TS’s thoughts. I wrote half of my comments at half-time with my head in my hands – a physical impossibility of course!
Huddersfield Town AFC announce details of new season card deals in the midst of a run of dreadful performances by the team, reminiscent of Mr Bromby telling Mr Simpson he wouldn’t be offered a contract ninety minutes before he would play against Wigan Athletic last season – a loss! This ineptitude was mirrored by the players in last night’s match.
Within a minute Keogh had passed the ball out of play under no pressure, within five minutes Hogg had lost the ball twice under very little pressure, these themes continued throughout the first half. The clear and obvious demonstration of angst displayed by the players was remarkable; so many aspects of their play were not functioning properly. The miracle of just a two goal deficit at half-time counteracted by the miracle of a single goal victory in the second half, aided by the disappearance of Campbell and Mbenza and later Bacuna; prior to this their contributions had proved to be a hindrance. Sorry to pick out young Scott High who is not the major culprit here and is always brought on in trying circumstances, but why is he so highly rated? He lacks pace, our two central defenders and Hogg could provide a thrilling foot race with him.
If the players had achieved a modicum of accuracy in the first half who knows what the outcome would have been. The improved mental state of the players in the second half may provide some hope for the future. CC’s choice of player positioning is mystifying can he not believe his eyes? We played some good football up to Christmas, often very good to watch – remember!!!! CC was doing a good job, he isn’t now, but then who is in this dysfunctional club?
mostly agree with you John, but that Corberán uses surnames to refer to the players is probably just a cultural thing: in Spanish it would be very strange to use their first names (watch his face when all journalists start their questionings with “hi Carlos!” 😉
_but_ i still don’t agree with your conclusion that he must go. not yet. i’m sure he was promised a fair chance by PH from the start. and that should include a proper pre-season and a summer transfer window worth the name (no, i’m not sure that will happen, but still…)
There are a lot of factors affecting Towns performances at the moment. Most can be laid at Corberans door. To start with his training regimes injured just about everyone in the squad who had any bit of quality. Then his style of playing out from the back just didn’t work with the poor to average players that were then available. For a long time he had no plan B and Towns downward spiral started. As things got worse he persisted with the only way of playing he knew and the goals against column went up and up as more defensive mistakes were made. Eventually there was a change to a more direct approach and he was able to grind out a couple of wins and a few draws. Unfortunately, not having much experience with this style of play, his tactics were poor and better teams such as Norwich easily outwitted him as he had no answer. The other aspect of his inexperience has been man management. His attitude on the pitch with the players is to say the least, remote. In interviews he rarely refers to a player by his first name and it seems he regards them as just tools to do whatever job he has decided for them (such as playing out of position). Players are human and in every walk of life almost everyone thinks their manager is rubbish at some time or other. I can imagine that the older players (and maybe the younger ones too!) privately think that Corberan just isn’t up to scratch and any respect that they have in him and his plans evaporates very quickly as the goals go in at the wrong end. 62 goals against does not look good in any league. Obviously many fans will say he doesn’t succeed because the management doesn’t provide the calibre of player for him to work with. This is true but most of the players that have been brought in have been injured almost immediately and have hardly ever played. It can only be the way they are prepared which cause this. So we are left with the situation where the coach and the players at Huddersfield just don’t suit each other. The players aren’t good enough for how he wants to play and he is basically too inexperienced to give them a style of play which suit their abilities. It is very unlikely that Hodgkinson will provide enough investment in the summer to get quality players in and Mr Corberan won’t change so he will have to go and an experienced manager/coach got in to replace him. Gosh I believe I just described the Cowleys…………….!!
Until you mentioned the Cowleys at the end, I was nodding away in agreement.
You can’t please everyone…!
An excellent assessment John…this is indeed a failed project…which will just carry on failing in any league unless the Owner supplies some quality in the playing staff. Carlos (could do with an interpreter to understand him) looks lost (like Siewert) and Town may struggle to find an experienced replacement due to the meddling tendencies of PH.
Agreed, first half was abysmal, but I was very encouraged with the second half, especially the subs. However I can’t see that if Mbenza and Bacuna were only worth 2 and 3 respectively, you thought Ward merited 4, or have I missed a decimal point!
Successful managers or coaches always have a good relationship with all their players l can’t see that happening here but of course I am looking from the outside. But watching town on TV a casual attitude not a fight to the death . Not the first time Mbenza has typified this couldn’t be bothered. Totally agree with Simon, Mbenza he is a disgrace . I wouldn’t like to see Town in Div 1 next season but I think almost for sure it will happen . Unless attitudes change immediately and play players in their natural best positions . I ask Is CC learning on the job .
Yes, John K, I totally agree with you on this playing players in their natural best positions. So that doesn’t mean playing O’Brien at left back nor does it mean Pipa switching to left back or Holmes sort of right wing back somewhere or Edmonds-Green at right back or Campbell anywhere on the field but certainly not in a sort of roaming Number 10 role. It’s asking a lot of players under pressure to play to their best but to do so in their unpreferred position is just daft.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, better to have a less good player playing in his best position than switch a player who is doing well in his preferred position to an unaccustomed position.
I haven’t worked out all the permutations but I bet TS has. What’s the best result for Town in the Rotherham v Coventry match tonight?
Anybody else take note of the bookies odds after tonight’s win for Coventry at Rotherham? 3 weeks ago, Town were 12/1. Since then it’s been shortening to 10/1, then 8/1, then 7/1 and tonight those odds have halved to 7/2. Many of us have seen the writing on the wall since January. I don’t like being a prophet of doom but hey, I told you so.