Huddersfield Town drew 0-0 with Burnley at the John Smith’s Stadium in a hard-fought game that Town were lucky to come out of on level terms. Burnley pummeled Town for long spells in the first half but couldn’t quite make the break through.
Below are a few of my thoughts about the game, followed by my player ratings.
Burnley out-fought Town in the first half
The success Burnley have had this season has confounded a lot of pundits, but it was clear from their display against Town why they’re doing so well. In the Premier League it’s been common for Town to come up against opponents with more skilful individuals but this is the first game I’ve seen a harder working team than Town.
Every single Burnley player hustled and bustled, we had no time on the ball and looked a bit stumped in possession. It felt like Burnley had an extra man or two at times, with every blue shirt marked and pressure on the player with the ball.
I sit fairly near the dugouts, so was able to see Wagner lose his composure on the touchline about half an hour in. He was livid with Lössl for playing the ball out from the back when we kept getting pressed off the ball. The instruction was received and Lössl kicking long balls for Depoitre to chase helped relieve some pressure during a time when Burnley were all over us.
The second half was a more even contest and Town managed to match Burnley for long spells. Neither side created a lot of chances, but either Burnley couldn’t sustain their pressure or Town managed to fight back a bit.
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Mooy looked tired, but Hogg shone
Given the scrappy nature of the game, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Jonathan Hogg shone and Mooy wasn’t at his best.
Mooy has played over 50 games in 2017 and hasn’t missed a Premier League game for Town yet. He struggled to make an impact on the match, though Burnley clearly knew to close him down early and gave him little space. Wagner may be wondering if he should rest his star player against Leicester.
Hogg on the other hand, had another superb game. He broke up play, got stuck into battles with Burnley’s players, and also carried the ball forward more than usual which took some pressure off Mooy. I’ve heard some fans question his quality at Premier League level but this last couple of games he’s been excellent.
Town were lucky to get a point
Town were second best on the day against Burnley. While we did well to limit their chances, there was a goal ruled out for offside, a clear penalty denied, and a couple of great saves from Lössl.
It’s easy to remember the games we feel we’ve not got what we deserved, such as the Leicester home game where Kachunga’s goal was ruled out, but this was a day we got more than we deserved.
It was a test of character for Town to come against such a tough opponent and I think we just about passed the test. At half-time I worried that we’d struggle to contain Burnley but the performance improved in the second-half and showed some fight.
Both managers settled for a draw after 85 minutes
One interesting side note was the instructions coming from the bench in the last five minutes of the match. I noticed both Burnley and Town’s coaching staff sending out messages to slow the game down and not push too hard for the win.
I was a little bit surprised to see this, and Jonathan Hogg was visibly annoyed when passed this message. We were enjoying a good spell of pressure at the time and I was hoping we might push for a late winner.
Had Town thrown everyone forward and conceded on the break then Wagner would have been accused of being naive for not shutting up shop. So I can understand why we slowed it down in the dying stages.
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Player ratings against Burnley
Lössl – 8 out of 10
Made some great saves and his distribution was good.
Malone – 5 out of 10
Had an awful first-half, out of position, hesitant in defence and made a lot of mistakes. He improved somewhat in the second-half but still wasn’t great.
Schindler – 8 out of 10
Won 11 headers in the game, more than double the nearest player (Zanka with 5). Made a few good tackles and stood up to a lot of pressure.
Zanka – 7 out of 10
Dealt well with the physical approach from Barnes and fought hard to keep Burnley out. He still tends to have two or three poor long balls straight back to the opposition most games, which invites pressure back on Town.
Hadergjonaj – 7 out of 10
Worked hard and didn’t do a lot wrong. He’s a tidy kind of player that does the basics well and works hard to get up and down the flanks. I presume he was subbed at halftime due to the knock he received from Scott Arfield, as he was doing OK until then.
Mooy – 6 out of 10
As mentioned above, looked tired and off the pace. Not helped by Burnley closing him down at every opportunity. Now we’re playing teams for the second time I suspect more and more will have twigged that Mooy’s our creative force and stopping him makes us less effective.
Hogg – 8 out of 10
A great performance. Strong, composed, effective. He did a lot of mopping up, tackling, and his passing was more ambitious.
van La Parra – 6 out of 10
Carried the ball up the field well but was quiet for long periods. In the final third he struggled to produce an end product, which is a long-standing criticism of VLP but it’s still valid.
Ince – 6 out of 10
Struggled to get involved in the game and couldn’t get on the ball in dangerous areas. He’s been playing the number ten position for months now and I’m still not convinced that’s he’s suited to it. Hopefully we’ll bring in a specialist in this area in January so Ince can play out wide, where he’s able to play to his strengths.
Quaner – 6 out of 10
Not the same devastating form as the Stoke game, but still produce Town’s best chance when he shot from range.
Depoitre – 8 out of 10
He worked hard all game with little support. Burnley easily mopped up all his flick ons and headers, mostly because the other attackers weren’t anywhere near though, not because he did anything wrong.
Substitutes
Smith – 7 out of 10
Put in a couple of decent balls and linked play up nicely on the right side. Fought hard with Scott Arfield at times, with both players getting stuck in.
Lolley – 7 out of 10
Another decent cameo from the bench. Played centrally and looked like our most creative player in the closing stages.
Williams – N/A
Didn’t get much time on the pitch, but did OK from what I saw.
Another excellent and accurate report and ratings. I agree entirely. I never doubted Hogg’s quality at this level but we do have too many players who are not good enough at this level but I cannot question their effort and commitment. I am delighted with the season so far.
I don’t see Ince as a better wide option than VLP.