Town host Liverpool in the Premier League tonight.
When the implications of Town’s playoff victory were settling in last May I was thinking about this sort of game, and it still seems unbelievable. While our recent form isn’t much to shout about, the fact we’re playing against Liverpool in a league game in our stadium is something special. I can’t wait to watch it.
Time to experiment with three at the back?
David Wagner has played a 4-5-1 system against the top-six teams in the games since we lost to Spurs using the more open 4-2-3-1 shape. I think the Liverpool game might be the time to experiment with three centre-backs. Terence Kongolo was one of the few players to emerge from the draw against Birmingham with any credit, so he deserves a chance to play in a back three.
Adding an extra centre-back could solve the problem Town have had recently of being vulnerable at the back. It would also give us some interesting attacking options. With three centre-backs we could still play two deep-lying midfielders, and two wingbacks, then a number ten with two strikers or a lone striker with two attacking midfielders supporting.
Town have struggled against teams that have played this kind of formation this season, so it makes sense to give it a go ourselves. We have briefly experimented with it before, in the closing stages of the home defeat to West Ham and away at Arsenal.
The team I’d pick for Liverpool at home
If we were to play a three at the back system, I’d pick the following team:
Goalkeeper: Lössl
Capable of the odd mistake, but equally capable of pulling off a world-class save.
Three defenders: Zanka, Schindler, Kongolo
We didn’t’ bring Kongolo in to warm the bench, so playing him alongside our other two established central defenders makes sense to me.
Wing backs: Hadergjonaj & van La Parra
VLP’s best asset is his ability to gain yards by driving forwards from deep positions, so wingback might suit him. Hadergjonaj’s pace and delivery from wide positions mean he should be capable of this role too.
Defensive midfielders: Mooy and Hogg
Both have dipped in form recently, but I’d trust them to do a job. If Mooy needs further rest then Billing could come in but it seems Danny Williams won’t be fit following his injury at the weekend.
Attacking midfielders: Ince and Pritchard
Pritchard could provide Town with the creative spark we need and Ince has the pace to break forward and launch counter-attacks, so deserves a chance. It’s not clear either would work in this system but if they close down without the ball, and push forward when we’re in possession it’s worth a go.
Striker: Depoitre
We need our striker to put pressure on Liverpool’s defence, and Depoitre has consistently proven himself to be a work-horse and a nuisance to opposing defences this season. For that reason, I’d pick him over Mounié.
Individual mistakes
It’s easy to blame tactical systems and formations, but one of the biggest factors in Town’s recent problems has been silly mistakes. If we keep things tight and stay organised then Liverpool will have to produce something special to win. That could happen, and it’s fine. I just hope we can stop giving away easy goals as it ruins our chances of taking points.
Can Town fans expect much from this game?
My personal opinion is that Huddersfield Town fans should expect very little from this game. That way we can cheer the smallest consolation without being too bothered about the overall outcome. There’s always a possibility of an upset, but if you look at the facts it’s hard to be too optimistic about the result.
Instead of hoping for a victory I’m mostly hoping to see signs of life from Town. We’ve lost some of our vigour in recent games and I’d like to see a spark of what had made us a good team in the last two years. That means playing with aggression, bravery and purpose. If I see even a glimmer of that kind of football against Liverpool then I’ll go home happy regardless of the scoreline.
Our season won’t be defined by the results of these matches but we need our performance level to improve before we get into the run of winnable fixtures coming up in February. Sitting back and hoping to cling to 0-0 won’t do anything for our confidence, so I want to see us on the front foot and trying to play football our way.
TerrierSpirit.com prediction – Huddersfield Town 1-3 Liverpool
I tend to be optimistic in my score predictions but I think it’s very unlikely we’ll get a positive result against Liverpool. There’s always a chance we’ll catch them on a bad day like Swansea did last week. But given our current form, I’m not sure we’d punish them for mistakes or be solid enough to hang on to a narrow lead.
As I mentioned above, I’m not worried about the scoreline but I’m hoping for something to cheer in the performance. If we can put up a good fight and show some spirit them there’s no shame in losing to a team like Liverpool.
Very good. Thanks. We certainly don’t need any boo-boys tonight. Whatever happens.