Last Saturday was a red letter day for the blog, as I successfully predicted the entire starting XI for Huddersfield Town. Much like a stopped clock is right twice a day, it does occasionally happen that I get the team prediction right but the task was made easier by the fact Town had won the previous game against Bolton by a large margin and the only likely change was forced by injury, with Headely coming in to replace Miller. Today’s Town lineup against Blackpool is a much trickier beast to predict though, after near-universal underperformances against Northampton, every position could be up for grabs. But then again, Michael Duff has been fairly faithful to his regular starters so far in his tenure so may stick with his favourites despite the need for change.
So here’s my prediction for tonight’s team, where I’m expecting a handful of changes but also a few players to be given the benefit of the doubt too.
Goalkeeper: Lee Nicholls
While you wouldn’t blame Nicholls for any of the calamitous goals on Saturday, he didn’t cover himself in glory by stopping them either. The Helik own goal was particularly painful to watch, as it seemed like Nicholls could have done several other things instead of running around the ball and watching it go into his own net. Still, he’s a good keeper and one game doesn’t change that.
Defence: Lees, Helik, Lonwijk
Lees and Helik both had poor games on Saturday but I think defences suffer from too much chopping and changing, so I wouldn’t rush to bring in new faces in this area. And despite being the young pup at the back, Nigel Lonwijk was the pick of the defenders against Northampton and played relatively OK when all around him were playing badly (as Rudyard Kipling didn’t say).
If Michael Duff does look to shuffle the pack, he has got Matty Pearson waiting in the wings but I’m not sure he’s exactly an upgrade in terms of the ball-playing central defender that we need. You could argue that Brodie Spencer deserves a return to the central defence, maybe on the right side in place of Lees to give some pace to that side of defence but he was making quite a few errors most games before his injury, so wouldn’t necessarily be an upgrade either.
Midfield: Sorensen, Kane, Hodge, Wiles, Headley
Both Sorensen and Headley should be dropped based on Saturday’s game, as the wingbacks were the main issue with that game. However, there aren’t any available specialist wingbacks to replace them, so the easiest way to take them out of the team would be to switch to playing a different formation. Duff ruled that out in his pre-match press conference, so I suspect that means Sorensen and Headley are likely to carry on.
Keeping the faith with Headley is a gamble after his bad showing on Saturday as I get the impression he’s a confidence player and the experience of being booed and jeered as he was subbed off will have not exactly buoyed his ego. Another poor showings and similar treatment from the fans could decimate his confidence. While feelings shouldn’t come into team selection too much, footballers are human beings and the psychological side of sport is important in the performances players produce. So sticking with an out of form player can sometimes give them the confidence boost they need and they turn it around, other times it can be cruel to keep exposing them to criticism and time away from the spotlight can be a better way to find form.
In midfield I think we are going to see some changes, after too many underwhelming showings from Hogg, Wiles and Evans together, particularly after Hodge and Kane came off the bench and improved that area of the pitch.
I think resting Hogg would be smart, so we can see a bit more of Hodge in the deep-lying midfield role but also to give the club captain a rest and reduce the chance of him picking up an injury.
I am disproportionately keen on Herbie Kane playing because I really like the look of him. He’s got shortcomings as a player but I’m willing to overlook then because he’s got the ability to pick a pass like nobody else I’ve seen ina Town shirt since Aaron Mooy. We’ve missed that kind of creativity so much over this last few years, I think either Wiles or Evans should make way for him to get a chance tonight. I’ve gone with Evans based on the fact Wiles tends to carry more goal threat but neither did enough at the weekend to justify their selection.
Attack: Ladapo, Koroma
I like Callum Marshall and he’s done OK since coming into the team but a partnership of him and Josh Koroma doesn’t have enough physical presence or experience to be effective. So as Koroma is looking the most likely to score of the two, I think Marshall will be benched so Ladapo can start today and give us a more experienced striker for Koroma to run off. I wasn’t blown away by anything Ladapo did on Saturday when he came on at half time and he’s probably some distance from 100% match sharpness but I’d still put him in so we have someone who can hold the ball up better up front and has a slightly better chance of winning headers than Koroma or Marshall.
After demolishing Bolton I was impressed we had a decent maybe good goal difference despite not getting that striker as this could be crucial at the end of the season.
Back to reality (Town reality that is) and I hope we don’t set up too defensively against Blackpool as an overreaction and stay on the front foot.
I’m at a loss as how we can go from hero to zero so quickly.
Still have faith in MD in the long term but we need to get back to hero asap !
UTT
I have no idea which Town will turn up tonight. We might see a reaction from the Northampton game and get a great performance or it could just be more of the same again. Steve Bruce is known to place pretty ugly football that focuses on results, so we could be in for a difficult night tonight if we don’t sort ourselves out.
Easy, as said in earlier response the Bolton game was no way a 4 nil game , Bolton bossed up for good third of more of game dominated possession through out sliced us up at ease with no end product … 4th goal gifted by goalie, penalty could easily not been given
If we keep the same shape, I would play Spencer instead of Headley, who awful last Saturday and inconsistent at his best, where he played successfully during his loan spell in Scotland last season. I would agree with the rest as I do not think Sorensen can be as bad again. But Spencer could also replace him. I agree with the rest.
Spencer or Josh Ruffels could come in at left wingback. The obvious issue with Spencer is that he’d need to turn onto his preferred right foot to cross, which isn’t ideal but he’s a good player and I seem to think he’s played that position or similar for Northern Ireland.
IF only Kipling had said that! 😂 Great line, TS.
I’m in total agreement with that selection if it happens. If that midfield doesn’t work, there’s still Iorpenda and Kasumu to try.
Ladapo will only become fully match fit by playing him from the start. I’ve also always felt that some players adapt better to ‘coming off the bench’ than others; Ladapo may be one who psychologically benefits from starting. Back in the day (this was the early 70s and 1 sub allowed) I made what I think was the only occasion when I was the sub; I found it strange watching a match which I was not fully part of, a feeling of not quite belonging; and when I was called on to play with about 20 mins to go, I just couldn’t get into it. I ran around like a headless chicken, desperate to have an impact, but apart from getting tired very quickly, it was to no avail. I often remember that occasion when I see these guys step up and expected to ‘affect the game’ and have ‘impact’; some can and some can’t. Ladapo may be a starter, not a finisher.
(NB my personal anecdote was at low amateur level but it’s the same game isn’t it?)
I’ll be watching tonight on the telly. We have reached a crossroads – are we a good team or a lowsy team? I think we’ll know by 9.30pm.
You might have a point about some players not being suited to being a sub. It can be hard to pick up the rhythm of a game. I think that was partly why Danny Ward got his red card at Rotherham. He was probably told to rough them up a bit because they had been physical with us. But because he came into the game cold and he’s not a natural tough guy, his attempt at roughing them up was to swing an elbow that would have taken the Rotherham player’s head off it it connected (but thankfully he mostly missed his target – a habit of Ward’s).
Look at the teams we have lost to and struggled against. Stevenage, Shrewsbury, Walsall, Rotherham, Doncaster and Northampton. See a pattern? All teams we should have beaten or beaten more easily, but couldn’t cope with the low block and fast breakaways. When teams play like that, it’s all about passing and movement to combat it. I expect Blackpool to be more open tonight but, have other managers sussed us out and change the way they play.
That list of teams we’ve struggled against makes grim reading. We shouldn’t think we’re too big to be beaten by anyone but only Rotherham on that list will have a wage bill anywhere near ours so there should be a difference in the quality of our players and these teams that isn’t coming through on the pitch.
It’s becoming a pattern but I pretty much agree the line up.
I might try Spencer as the RCB as mentioned in my previous posts as in the long term Lees and Helik don’t have the mobility to cover the space behind the wingbacks.
I think the question mark is back over the Hogg/Wiles/Evans combo and a change is needed though Headley needs to improve.
As ever, the forwards need service and didn’t get it on Saturday but even so a change tonight maybe for rotation and to remind players if you dont perform you get dropped.
As awful as Saturday was I do worry about our ‘half full’ fanbase. It’s still really early in the season and the team will not be judged by 9.30 tonight but by next May. I decided not to comment in the Northampton thread it was so negative.
It’s early days, do people really expect a win every game and no off days? Town are not Man City and every single player in our squad – and all the way up to about the PL top four – has either a weakness, or inconsistency in their game which can be exploited.
Let’s give the manager time and support to build a team, and his own squad through at least one more transfer window, and see where we are next springtime. UTT.
It would be interesting to see Brodie Spencer at right centre back, as on the left he often struggled because he was always twisting into odd positions to get the ball onto his preferred foot. It’s not such a problem for hoofball but when we’re trying to be more cultured it put him at a disadvantage. On the right I think he’ll have a better chance to thrive and show his best. He’s not got Lees’ experience and know how but he does, as you mention, have the pace that we’ve recently lacked in this area.
I think expectations have shot up this season after a decent start and now we’re wobbling it’s brought back some familiar fears to some fans. I also have a sneaking suspicion that some fans really enjoy a good moan after the football, so are delighted when we’re rubbish and will have been storing up their frustration for a while, though this theory has no basis in facts and is just a hunch.
Hopefully there will be no reason to moan tonight and we can get back to winning ways. After being so bad last weekend and so good the weekend before, I don’t know which version of Town will turn up. It keeps it interesting I suppose.
Yes and I think expectations should be high this season!
But we are 5th, with games in hand, were robbed of a point by a ref at Rotherham regardless of whether we were playing our best or not, sit near the top of metrics for goals scored and fewest against even with Saturday and Rotherham. It’s a decent start not cause for booing and calling the managers head again.
Consistency will be our biggest challenge this season and defeating low block teams. In a wider sense while I personally think our recruitment has been solid* I also think this team has a few too many scarred players from the last few CH seasons whose heads will drop or nerves will go when its going against us like Saturday. That needs another transfer window to sort out and bring the players MD wants.
I really hope we turn up tonight then we really will be guessing on Saturday!
I think getting through 6 permanent managers in the previous 2 seasons has led to a bit of blood lust when things turn against us. I’m hoping Duff will be manager at the end of the season almost regardless of results because we need some continuity. Though I also thought Chris Powell deserved more time before we brought in David Wagner, so loyalty isn’t always the best approach!
Sorry my * was to reference an interesting article by HTAFC Statto who was less enthralled with the recruitment but suggested it was hampered by not moving on the Koroma/Helik/Nicholls/Hogg/Ward players still on chunky contracts. But many of those finish next summer freeing up a lot of wage bill for new recruits. Worth a read if people didn’t see it.
I think this is the link: https://htafcstatto.co.uk/News-Articles/2024-25/Huddersfield-Town-Transfer-Window-Review
HTAFC Statto’s stuff is always worth a read.
This formation we get buried.
After the second home defeat in 3 days . This is embarrassing, very worrying. The manager basically picked the same defence to the one , which in my view was abysmal and over run by , Northampton Town. In lees and Helick we have 2 of the slowest Center backs in the League 1 . Our midfield at present is woefully short of ideas and looks league 2 standard at best . Attack ?????
Duffs post match interview looks and sounds like he’s a match away from being sacked. What’s going on Mr. Nagel . U T T
Is this Duffs last game in charge of Huddersfield Town. ?
Listening to his post match interview. He looked embarrassed and nervous. No real explanation. Usual , dinit see this coming.
All the teams we have struggled against, use a low block against us and counter attack.
Duffs comments in the past matches, we have to work away out of these situations. Isn’t pre season all about preparation for these types of matches, Town come up against. ?
Think Duff is on borrowed time. Duff doesn’t seemingly have a clue to alter Towns set up to counter these basic opposition tactics. Yet again Huddersfield seem to have brought in another Slow horse . 🐎 R I P Huddersfield Town for this season . Cartwright and Co need to be replaced Mr. Nagel . 👍⚽️😭😭