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Tag: player ratings

“They’ll be having nightmares about him” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 5-0 demolition of Port Vale

“They’ll be having nightmares about him” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 5-0 demolition of Port Vale

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town smashed Port Vale 5-0 on Boxing Day, taking full advantage of an abysmal away team in a way that was decidedly not very Christmassy. And as much as Port Vale were terrible, Huddersfield Town did an excellent job of exposing their soft underbelly. After a poor run of results put Lee Grant's job under threat and saw the fans turn on him, emphatic wins against Rotherham and Port Vale have eased the pressure on him (for now at least). Here's what I made of each individual performance in this game… Lee Nicholls - 6 out of 10 Firstly I'd like to congratulate our keeper on the arrival of his new baby. And while he might not be getting much rest at night with a newborn at home, he had a very peaceful afternoon between the sticks, without a single save to make. Terry t...
“A completely different player” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s brilliant 3-1 win at Mansfield

“A completely different player” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s brilliant 3-1 win at Mansfield

Matches, Player ratings
Before Huddersfield Town's game with Mansfield, I was doubtful whether our two wins before the international break were a flash in the pan or a sign of genuine improvement in the team. These doubts were put to bed against Mansfield Town on Saturday, when the game was effectively over when Lasse Sorensen lashed in our third goal after only 16 minutes. Town played some lovely football in this game and weathered a minor fightback from Mansfield when they pulled one back and had a bit of a go. But Town looked pretty comfortable right through to the end and I'd consider this the best performance of the Lee Grant era, certainly in the league. Here's how I rate each individual player's contribution to this impressive display… Owen Goodman - 6 out of 10 Couldn't be blamed for their onl...
“A very intelligent change” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle

“A very intelligent change” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town desperately needed a win against Plymouth on Saturdays and thanks to a decent performance and a tweaked approach from Lee Grant, they beat Plymouth 3-1. After a poor run of form that saw many fans calling for Grant's head, this victory should be enough to keep him in a job a bit longer.  There were encouraging elements in Town's performance beyond just the result and some players that have previously struggled, showed their value to the team. It's worth noting that Plymouth were pretty bad, so much so that they looked like Town at their worst. But regardless of the opposition's failings, this was the positive result and performance Town needed and could potentially be a turning point in the season.  Here's what I made of each player's performance…  ...
“He let everyone down” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-0 defeat to Wycombe

“He let everyone down” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-0 defeat to Wycombe

Matches, Player ratings
After a bright start, Huddersfield Town left Wycombe with their tail between their legs on Saturday, following a 3-0 defeat. It was caused by a combination of Alfie May's daft red card and the remaining players' inept response to going a man down.  In a game where Lee Grant really needed to see a response from his players, they continued to look second best and too many players lost individual battles, which is bad news with a full complement on the pitch but a disaster when we're a man down.  Here's what I made of each individual player who contributed to this disappointing outcome.  Lee Nicholls - 8 out of 10 We saw both sides of Nicholls' distribution, with some creative and risky short stuff before the red card followed by some pretty desperate and fruitless clearances...
“His worst game in a Town shirt” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s dismal defeat to Stockport

“His worst game in a Town shirt” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s dismal defeat to Stockport

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town suffered another depressing defeat on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Stockport. After struggling to break down ten-man Blackpool earlier in the season, I had a sinking feeling when Stockport had a man sent off early in the second half. That feeling was completely justified as, if anything, we played significantly worse than when we were playing against 11 men.  Apologies it’s a bit later than usual, but here are my player ratings for this deeply disappointing defeat.  Lee Nicholls - 6 out of 10 Made a series of regulation saves, which he made look easy with his good positioning and good anticipation. His best moment was in the second half when he stopped a one-on-one by coming quickly off his line and not committing, meaning the shot hit his forearm and went harmle...
“Swagger and technique” Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 1-0 win over Exeter

“Swagger and technique” Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 1-0 win over Exeter

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town beat Exeter 1-0 on Saturday in a game where they had over 20 shots and could easily have won by a far wider margin. Though if we’re going to talk about “what ifs", Exeter could easily have taken the lead in the early stages after a shaky start by Town. Instead of all these alternative timelines, we saw Town play well enough for enough of the game to feel like this was a decent performance, even though there were still a few quibbles to be had too.  That introduction alone should hint towards player ratings that are mostly positive but with a few grumbles thrown in along the way. I think that’s pretty much what’s on show below… Lee Nicholls - 7 out of 10 Kept the gloves despite Owen Goodman’s availability after suspension. Proved why Lee Grant has kept faith w...
“Functionally useless” Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s stalemate with Burton Albion

“Functionally useless” Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s stalemate with Burton Albion

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town drew their first game of the season on Saturday after finishing Saturday's game with Burton Albion 0-0. It was a frustrating and dull sort of game, where Town spent long stretches of the game unable to get the ball out of their own half. Things improved later on in the game, when Burton dropped deep and allowed Town to get up the pitch but some excellent last-ditch goal-line clearances meant Town's best efforts weren't rewarded with a goal.  An encouraging late flurry didn't do enough to get all three points and it's slim consolation for the earlier period of ineptitude Town displayed. Burton deserve credit for their resolute and disciplined performance but their position at the bottom of the table shows we've allowed a pretty poor team to come to our stadium and grind...
“Unacceptable” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s disastrous defeat to Bradford City

“Unacceptable” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s disastrous defeat to Bradford City

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat against local rivals, Bradford City. After a positive start to the game, Town’s defence had a collective meltdown for three soft goals before half time. While Town pulled one back after making a raft of changes and getting on the front foot, the game was never really a contest after Bradford scored their third.  The defeat felt like a collective failure as much as any significant individual being to blame, even though there were plenty of individuals to blame too.  Nicholls - 5 out of 10 I’d have liked to have seen him do a bit better with at least one of their goals, particularly the third, where he waited too long to commit to a save. Some of his passing out from the back put us under too much pressure and let Bradfor...
Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-2 win over Peterborough

Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 3-2 win over Peterborough

Matches, Player ratings
Huddersfield Town struggled against Peterborough yesterday but managed to get their act together after going 1-0 down, scoring three goals before Peterborough's late consolation goal made it 3-2. The drab first hour of the game raises concerns but the final half an hour had plenty of entertainment and dynamism.  So this game was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance, with most of Towns' best players coming off the bench to turn the tide.  Lee Nicholls - 6 out of 10 At the time of writing, I've not seen replays of either Peterborough goals but the first looked like another horrendous deflection and the second saw the ball go to the far post, so Nicholls couldn't get across. Three deflected goals in three games seems like rotten luck but I wonder if we're dropping too deep to...
“He needs to stop moaning” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 6-2 win over Newcastle U21s

“He needs to stop moaning” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s 6-2 win over Newcastle U21s

Matches
Huddersfield Town signalled their intent to go deep into the Vertu trophy last night when they beat Newcastle Under 21s 6-2. The game itself was a complete mismatch, with Newcastle’s youngsters looking like rabbits in the headlights at times. While there was a sprinkling of talent among Newcastle’s team, they had nothing like the same level of match sharpness or tactical understanding to be able to compete on an even footing in this game.  Despite making lots of changes from the weekend’s starting eleven, Lee Grant fielded a strong team, with Daniel Vost being the only player not a proper first team player. While a game with eight goals in it would usually be described as a thriller, this game was a bit more like an unevenly balanced training match, played in front of a handful of fans....