Huddersfield Town travel to Old Trafford in poor form, perilously close to the relegation zone, and very low on confidence. Despite the doom and gloom, I think we’ve got a better chance against Manchester United than the bookies predict. Don’t forget they wrote us off in the home game, where Town beat Man United 2-1.
Here the lineup I think David Wagner will pick to get a result from the Manchester United game.
Formation: 5-3-2
Despite losing 3-0 to Liverpool playing with three centre-backs on Tuesday night I think David Wagner will have seen enough positives to try it again.
The new shape meant there weren’t too many gaps to exploit and Liverpool’s attacking threat was limited. That might sound strange when they scored three but our defence was mostly well-disciplined and closed down space well. While some fans were frustrated with how deep we played, it meant there wasn’t any space to get in behind our defence.
The area for improvement is transitioning from defence to attack. We struggled to hold possession for any length of time when we won the ball back, mostly because we didn’t commit many players forward. The challenge for Town will be to play positive football in possession but not leave spaces at the back for United to exploit on the break.
Goalkeeper: Jonas Lössl
He gets some stick for his distribution but Lössl is capable of some excellent passes, and we’ll need him to try to pick out forwards and give them balls to chase. At times we’ve opted to play the ball out from the back this season and it’s cost us. Against United, I can see us resorting to long balls to try to relieve pressure on the defence.
Defenders: Zanka, Schindler, and Kongolo
Adding Kongolo to the centre of defence alongside Zanka and Schindler looks like a sensible choice against the big teams. The extra cover is needed and it means the wingbacks have fewer defensive duties. Not to mention that Kongolo looks like a decent player.
This system also means Schindler has cover when he steps out of defence to make tackles, which can help to break up play.
Wingbacks: Hadergjonaj and Malone
I’ve been impressed with Hadergjonaj this season. He’s not always eye-catching but he works hard, has pace and can deliver a cross when he’s in a good position. Playing as a wingback suits him, as he’s better at the attacking aspects of the game than the defensive ones.
Malone is a bit of a worry, but Löwe’s injury reduces our options on the left side. I fear Malone’s tendency to drift out of position and to jump into tackles might leave us exposed down his flank. I’d love him to prove me wrong, but his recent performances haven’t been good.
Midfield: Mooy, Hogg, and Billing
Mooy and Billing are probably not fresh enough for this game but a lack of alternatives makes them likely to start. Otherwise, it’s Dean Whitehead or an attacker playing out of position. I think Wagner will likely play his preferred players instead of risking Whitehead, who hasn’t played for a while.
Hogg suits the new formation and will buzz around in front of the defence and tidy things up. Mooy and Billing will have to balance defensive duties with trying to get attacks going.
If Mooy can recapture his form and Billing plays to his potential we’ve got a chance in this game. If they play like they did against Liverpool on Tuesday then I fear we’re likely to lose.
Strikers: Mounié and Depoitre
I was tempted to predict Quaner coming in over Mounié but I think we’ll play the same strikers for this game. We’re not likely to have many chances, so I’d much rather have a poacher like Mounié on the pitch than Collin Quaner’s high-energy, blustering style of play. Big Col is capable of a deft touch at times, but he’s equally capable of letting the ball bounce off his shin and out of play.
Depoitre deserves to start. He’ll remember the feeling of scoring against Manchester United last time we played them and I’m sure he’ll be trying the same trick again. He’ll harass their defenders and look to pounce on the slightest mistake.