Who’s going to get a chance in Huddersfield Town’s midfield this season?

This is the third in a series of articles that takes a look at Town’s squad ahead of their Premier League season opener against Chelsea on Saturday. This one will focus on the midfield, follow the links to see the ones about our goalkeepers and defenders.

Aaron Mooy

I’ve said in the article about our defenders that Christopher Schindler was our best player last season, but Aaron Mooy has been the most influential player for Town over the last two years and has been a huge part of the success story we’ve experienced in getting into, and then staying in the Premier League.

I find Aaron Mooy an absolute joy to watch, and when he plays well it elevates the whole team and tends to lead to good results. His passing is superb, his movement off the ball is also great, and over the past two years his defensive work has improved massively.

Mooy has been relied upon by both Town and the Australian national team to be their creative force for two and a bit years now. This has meant he’s played an awful lot of games for club and country, and travelled a ridiculous amount. I think the build up of pressure on his body came to a head last season when he suffered an uncharacteristic dip in form before he picked up a nasty knee gash around January time.

He had a shorted break than most of the squad this summer, so he could represent his country at the World Cup. It’s possible that fatigue could become a problem for him as the season wears on. It will be important to protect him from burnout, and make sure he’s physically fit enough to give everything he can in every game he plays.

Jonathan Hogg

I saw some comments on Twitter recently from a very small group of fans that didn’t think Hogg was good enough for Town any more. I find this idea to be silly, as we’re still a relatively small team in the Premier League and it’s the likes of Jonathan Hogg that got us here in the first place. He’s also the embodiment of the Terrier Spirit that this blog is named after, so getting rid of him would mean losing a part of our identity too.

Hogg’s desire, strength, and tenacity in the tackle helped him to establish himself as a first choice pick in midfield alongside Mooy last season. He improved as the season went on, and I think his passing improved in both ambition and execution towards the end of the season.

If Hogg can build upon his performances last season and Eric Dier or Jordan Henderson suffer injuries, it wouldn’t surprise me if Hoggy received an England call up. He could do the dirty work in midfield which would allow flair players like Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard to get forward. Players at smaller clubs tend to get overlooked for international call ups, so he’ll have to really catch Southgate’s eye to get picked.

Philip Billing

I’ve been really impressed with Billing in the games I’ve seen this preseason, I commented on how he was our best player in my article about the 3-0 win over RB Leipzig. He looks to have grown stronger over the summer and more willing to drive forward with the ball at his feet. His long throws have also helped to give us an additional threat from set pieces.

Billing showed his quality at times last season but too often he went missing from games and didn’t give the team the same kind of energy in midfield that Mooy or Williams were able to generate. His body language on the pitch sometimes gives the impression that he’s having a pleasant afternoon out, whereas Jonathan Hogg typically looks like he’s about to murder someone.

I think Billing is one of the most talented footballers on Town’s books, and if he can match that ability with passion then there’s almost no limit to how far he can go in football. If he can add some steel to his performances then I can see him finishing the season as a first choice in midfield, but he’ll have to prove himself first.

Danny Williams

We picked Williams up on a free, after he impressed as a losing playoff finalist for Reading. He was unlucky with injuries last season, which limited his opportunities. However, when he did get a chance he always delivered a high-energy type of football and showed the kind of passion and determination that always goes down well with Town fans.

Unfortunately, Williams’ injury problems have carried over to preseason, and he’s not been able to play in any friendlies for Town. I think he’s been training, so he’s not currently injured as such, but he’s unlikely to be available for selection for the opening stages of the season.

There’s just a year left on Williams’ contract at Town, so he’ll need to overcome his injury issues and put in some decent performances to earn another deal.

Juninho Bacuna

Town signed Bacuna this summer from FC Groningen for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £2.5m. He’s only 20 years old, so may have been bought with one eye on the future, but he’s played senior football for a number of years in the Netherlands and may be able to force his way into David Wagner’s plans this season.

I’ve only seen glimpses of Bacuna in preseason, he missed quite a few games with an injury, but he looks decent from what I’ve seen. Wagner described him as a box-to-box midfielder when he signed him, and I can see that. He’s got a lot of energy and presses the opposition well. It’s hard to know if he’s got the quality to compete in the Premier League yet, given his experience so far has been in Dutch football, which isn’t played at the same level.

Players that could do a job in central midfield: Hadergjonaj and Sabiri

We’ve covered the recognised central midfielders in this article, but both Hadergjonaj and Sabiri have shown they can play out of their usual positions and do a job in midfield if required. Flo stepped up to play defensive midfield in some crucial games last season and looked very good. Sabiri played deeper than his usual number ten role in preseason and played the best football I’ve seen him produce in a Town shirt.

I wouldn’t expect either of these players to get selected ahead of the specialists in central midfield, but if injuries, form, or suspensions mean we’re short then there are players that can easily be pulled in from the squad.

TerrierSpirit.com opinion

Midfield is an area of the pitch where we’re well stocked. Last season Hogg and Mooy were David Wagner’s more common picks in these slots, but Philip Billing may push for a place in the team more often, particularly given his standout performances in recent friendlies.

I think Bacuna and Williams are both likely to start on the fringes of things initially, but will each be given a chance at some stage. Particularly in games against the top teams, where I expect Town will play a more defensive 3-5-2 system, which needs three central midfielders to clog up the middle of the park and protect the back line.

I’d expect Hogg and Mooy to be the first-choice midfield pairing when we play two central midfielders. Billing will be likely to join them when we play 3-5-2, to make a midfield three. Williams and Bacuna are both likely to need some more  time on the training pitch to get fully match fit, and will then have to wait for their chance in midfield. It’s possible the League Cup will be their chance at getting to play competitive football, at least for the first few months of the season, while everyone is fit.