Huddersfield Town lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest in a game which saw the Terriers play better football than their defeat to Wigan last week. But silly mistakes and a lack of cutting edge cost them.
Here are the ratings for each player that started the game. They range from four to six, which feels about right given the performance – flawed but better. I’m sure most readers will disagree with at least some of the scores, so feel free to spout off in the comments if you have an alternative view.
Lössl – 6
I wouldn’t blame him for any of the three goals he let in today and there were a few decent saves that he made that preserved our goal difference. He also looked to move the ball out from the back quickly and made some nice passes.
Duhaney – 6
Did OK without being exceptional. I particularly liked the quality of the balls he delivered and the mobility he showed when overlapping and getting into attacking positions. Cowley mentioned that he made a mistake with a throw in for Forest’s second goal but it was the kind of error that you usually get away with if the rest of your team are playing well.
Stearman – 5
His distribution was frustrating to watch today, with a lot of hopeful balls punted upfield without any precision. Subbed again in favour of Stankovic, who may well be looking to take his starting birth away from Stearman for the Birmingham game on Wednesday evening.
Schindler – 4
What has happened to Christopher Schindler? He was god-like in our first Premier League season, regularly bossing the glittering stars of world football. Lewis Grabban made him look crap today, just like Wigan’s Kieffer Moore did last weekend. I don’t like saying it, but Schindler looks like a shadow of the player he was two seasons ago.
Toffolo – 5
Joe Lolley made him look silly several times in the first fifteen minutes but he sharpened up after that. Looked a threat going forward and provided width down the left.
Hogg – 5
Better than last week but still misplaced too many passes. His workrate helped Town to dominate possession in the first half but I’m not sure he’s playing well enough to deserve a starting position.
King – 5
Would have scored higher if he hadn’t failed to head away the ball for Forest’s opener. He seemed to jump under the ball and allowed Grabban to score. He brought some quality and passing ability to our midfield which was likely a part of why we played with more purpose than we did against Wigan.
O’Brien – 6
He did a decent job as a makeshift left winger even if he tended to drift into the middle of the park. There was a good battle between him and Ben Watson and I think the Town player got the better of the two ginger-topped players. While O’Brien isn’t in his best position out on the wing, he provided more defensive cover, which helped support Toffolo in trying contain Joe Lolley.
Willock – 4
Looked lively early on but didn’t produce any real quality. All wingers can have quiet periods in games but Willock seems more prone to this than most. I’d like to see him running straight at his fullback and trying to whip a ball in. Instead he seemed to spend a lot of time running in-field and into a wall of Forest defenders.
Pritchard – 6
Was a major part of Town’s strong start to the game and looked lively for most of the time he was on the pitch. Still not producing the end product we need from him but a good return to the starting lineup without being exceptional. I presume he was subbed in the second half for fitness rather than performance-based reasons.
Grant – 5
Produced a good save from Forest’s keeper for the one decent chance he had in open play but doesn’t look nearly as dangerous from the central striking position as he does when played on the left (despite my prediction before the Wigan game that he would be better as a main striker). Took the penalty well towards the end to give Town a consolation goal.
Subs
Smith Rowe – Looked more interested and less sloppy than last weekend but couldn’t crack open Forest’s defence.
Stankovic – Played some nice passes and helped to start a few attacks.
Bacuna – A disgraceful red card that rules him out for the next three games. Completely stupid.
Campbell – Did the kind of running that’s made him a fan’s favourite.
Chalobah – Steady.