When a football team stops the opposition from scoring, it’s called a clean sheet but there isn’t an opposite phrase for when you let goals in. Something like a befouled sheet would be an appropriate wording to use to describe when a team has sabotaged themselves by letting the ball over the line so easily three times in a game. So, against Northampton, Huddersfield Town soiled their sheets in self-destructive fashion. And then, having made the mess, continued to lie in it rather than getting up and sorting out the problem.
Putting aside the scatological metaphor, Town’s terrible mistakes for the goals were bad enough but I found the limp response to going behind and our inability to stage a comeback until the dying stages, when Northampton started to sit deeper and invited us on to them, was just as disappointing.
In this article I’ll pick apart this game and try to work out if this was the bad day at the office Michael Duff explained it away as, or if it is a symptom of something more worrying with Town. I’d like to believe this defeat was just a blip on our march to promotion this season but there were enough worrying signs on display to question that assumption.
Three very poor goals to concede
It’s probably best to get those horrible goals out of the way before getting too deep into anything else. After enjoying Bolton’s misery so much after we pressed their keeper into a horrendous mistake last week, Helik and Nicholls combined for a horror moment of their own under far less pressure. In real time, in the stadium, I couldn’t really work out how it had happened. After watching the replay several times, it’s still a little bit baffling. Obviously, these are the kind of goals that are considered the cost of doing business when you decide to play out from the back but Helik’s back pass doesn’t seem that bad, and Lonwijk’s decision to give Helik the ball in the first place wasn’t awful either and it seemed like Nicholls probably could have cleared the pass too. But I think the problem was that Helik passed the ball back to where he thought Nicholls was, not where he actually was, the pass was hit far too hard and, unfortunately, it was also into the bottom corner of the goal. Helik was obviously the most to blame for this unfortunate incident but I think Nicholls was a bit casual too and with more urgency he might have been able to do something about it.
The second goal was pretty bad too. Such a simple long ball over the top put Fosu one-on-one with Tom Lees. Which isn’t actually a mistake at the back, it’s a choice of the way Town want to play, we want to press high up the field, commit men forward and leave ourselves with defenders who are matched up individually with opposition attackers. Which means Northampton Town knew all too well this was our approach and exploited it repeatedly. Fosu latched onto the keeper’s big hoof down field and then played a simple layoff back to the unmarked McGeehan, who had a straightforward finish. I’m not sure who should have been tracking him but the closest player running back was Sorensen, who could be seen trotting back into the box at half pace in the replay.
I was furious with the referee for the third goal, thinking that Sorensen was fouled by Fosu in the buildup, but the replay showed that the referee actually got this decision spot on (though he got plenty else wrong on the day). There was actually barely any contact with Sorensen from the Northampton forward and Sorensen just went down far too easily. While it’s easy to lose your footing when running at full speed, it’s so important to keep your feet in those situations and the difference between 2-0 and 3-0 in this game was huge and this goal really killed us. Fosu did well to keep his composure with the one-on-one, but it shouldn’t have come to that in the first place.
Northampton deserve credit
As bad as Huddersfield Town were on the day, Northampton Town were good too. They had clearly done their homework on us and came with a brave and effective gameplan that worked well. We press high up the field and leave players far forward, so they decided rather than letting us have the ball and sitting deep, they would play into the gaps we leave when going forward.
The gaps behind the wingbacks are now starting to look like huge chasms of space that our opponents chip balls into for forwards to chase, knowing they’ll pull at least one central defender wide with them and create space and the wingback will be too high up to offer much help. Sorensen and Lees’ side of the pitch was exploited regularly in this game and the second goal came from a simple long ball from the keeper over the top of our press.
As our opponents now seem to have worked out our weaknesses and have found simple ways to exploit them, it may be time to think about how to counteract them. This could be through tweaks to the 5-3-2 system, changing to a different system or changing the personnel in the system.
It wasn’t just the defensive areas that were a problem in this game. Midfield was an issue again. Wiles and Evans were both anonymous in the first half and Hogg was completely swamped and made a lot of errors that I wouldn’t expect from him. I think the lack of an effective midfield engine was a large factor in why we struggled to mount a sustained response to going behind and were so limp for a long period of the game. Though Northampton’s good performance was also a factor in this too.
Was this a blip or part of a trend?
How you frame this result can really depend on your outlook. From one perspective, it was our fourth defeat in our last five games but looking at it another way, we’ve won four of our first six league games and are in a strong position in the league. So it’s tricky to put this result into context, because Town are so up and down at the moment.
Because Town have tended to veer towards disaster so regularly in our recent past, it’s hard not to be an eternal pessimist and expect all signs of a recovery to be squashed at the first sign of adversity. But I do think that Michael Duff is a good manager and trust him to get this group performing in LeagueOne, even if the current levels aren’t consistently where they should be. I hope that when everything is fully firing, we could be a real force to be reckoned with at this level.
Having said all that, Duff talked about this game as a bad day at the office but that suggests it was a one off bad performance. However, this game comes closely after the defeat at Rotherham and the Cup losses before the international break. And even the wins against Shewsbury and Stevenage were ragged and relied a lot on luck and poor finishing from the opposition to get over the line. Which really only leaves us with Bolton and Peterborough in the league and Morecambe in the league cup as decent performances to cling on to.
We’ve got so many games coming up in the next few weeks, we’re going to find out pretty soon whether we are in a false position in the league or not. Particularly as we have some pretty testing fixtures ahead of us. I’m still not completely sure how good this Huddersfield Town team are, so it’ll be interesting to see how we do.
There were some positives (but not many)
Most Town players had an off day in this match but not all of them. Joe Hodge was rightly singled out for praise after the match by Duff. He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and showed a decent range of passing to spread play and launch attacks. I thought others looked OK in moments too.
Brodie Spencer seemed more comfortable in his preferred role at right back in his brief appearance after recovering from his shoulder injury. Herbie Kane had a few nice passes. Nigel Lonwijk also did ok at times, most notably when he switched to left back into the late stages and had license to roam further up field.
Josh Koroma, while anonymous for long spells, sparked into life for the period of the game where he scored, won the penalty, and missed the penalty. He looked like he was building up to one of those unplayable spells like he had against in the crucial home game against Sheffield United under Neil Warnock but fizzled out after his limp penalty was easily saved.
Some thoughts on the booing
It was quite notable how much booing there was for Town both at half time and full time. I’ve also seen people reporting that Jaheim Headley’s substitution was ironically cheered by fans as well as receiving a few boos from fans too. I must have not been paying much attention when Headley left the field because I don’t remember it but I’ve seen multiple comments about it online so it clearly happened. While the football served up by Town was really very poor on the day, I was quite surprised by how widespread and enthusiastic the negativity was, given our otherwise decent start to the season and the positive mood that was buzzing around the place not too long ago.
While I didn’t personally boo, I always think that people who pay for a ticket are entitled to have a bit of a go if they aren’t happy with what they see (within reason obviously). Michael Duff himself had made similar statements with the caveats that he wants fans to get behind the team during the game and then make their feelings known at the final whistle. Though he made those statements when Town were doing well and most likely didn’t expect to get booed off quite so soon into his time at Town.
As I said above, people can boo if they want to, but I think Duff and the players deserve a bit more time to get things right. There are worrying signs, as I’ve already talked about in this article but there are also some very encouraging elements of Duff’s tenure so far too. Which way this season is going to go for Town feels uncertain at the moment and booing the team off after our first properly bad performance seems harsh (other poor showings have had contexts surrounding them that have explained them away somewhat, this one was just a stinker).
What does Duff do next with the team?
Michael Duff and his team have a pretty tricky job ahead of tomorrow’s visit from Blackpool to work out an appropriate response. Few of the starting eleven deserve to keep their place based on their performance on Saturday but the same eleven started the second half against Bolton a week earlier and were sensational for a period of time in that game. So deciding whether to stick or twist isn’t a straightforward decision.
Before the Bolton game, I was unimpressed that Duff had kept the same selection that had underperformed at Rotherham but by the final whistle I could fully understand the logic of a settled starting eleven. But now, after such a shocker against Northampton, I’d have thought changes might need to be considered.
The tricky problem is that two of the worst performers in this game, Sorensen and Headley, don’t have like-for-like replacements waiting in the wings. And it’s also worth noting how Town’s significant improvement in the late stages against Northampton came when they switched to a 4-3-3 shape and played with traditional fullbacks. Brodie Spencer and Nigel Lonwijk looked decent on either flank and we seemed to have a more balanced shape. However, all of our preseason was built around the 5-3-2 shape, so I doubt we’ll bin that off lightly (I think it’stechnically 3-5-2 but it’s more or less the same thing).
The other area of concern is midfield, with the starting trio of Hogg, Wiles and Evans struggling to get a foothold in the game in the first half. We looked better when Hodge was introduced in the second half and even more so when Herbie Kane joined him later on. So adding Kane and Hodge to the middle of the park seems like a quick fix, as it will bring more passing ability and ball retention to this part of the pitch.
Up front probably needs some changes too, with Koroma and Marshall looking too lightweight as a pairing. When Ladapo was brought on he immediately changed the way we could play because he can hold the ball up and lay it off to those around him. I’m not sure he’s got the match fitness to start after not playing many friendlies or competitive games lately but he seemed reasonably sharp and gives us a more physical option.
Aside from tactics and selections, Town just need to be “at it” more. We lost too many individual battles against Northampton and that only ever adds up to defeat no matter your reputation or your formation. In other games this season we’ve fought well in games where we’ve struggled to find fluency but in this game we looked stunned that we were playing a team that wouldn’t roll over and let us play how we wanted to play. From the things Michael Duff says, this wasn’t the kind of performance I would expect from one of his teams. So it’s vitally important we don’t get two of them in a row. Hopefully we’ll see a big improvement against Blackpool.
Let’s be realistic, that result has been coming. It would have been the same against Stevenage and Shrewsbury if they had taken their easy chances. I posted on here at the start of the season that we needed at least 2 new centre backs that could play football. Helik, Lees and Pearson are not to be trusted in either a successful pass or bringing the ball out from the back. How this has been allowed to happen is due to sheer ineptitude of those in charge of recruitment.
Mind you, it’s not helped either by a right wing back who thinks that defending is somebody else’s job
It’s true that there have been warning signs thar we could have been in for a result like this. But equally, after Bolton, I wouldn’t have been overly surprised if we’d blown Northampton away 4 or 5 nil too.
The lack of ball-playonf defenders and lack of pace at the back when we push up so much is a bit of an issue. Lonwijk helps with these problems but doesn’t fix them.
I’d beg to differ re the Bolton game which I attended, the scoreline flattered us massively it was no way a 4 nil game. Bolton gave us the run around for the first 20-30 mins and always looked threatening without having an effective end product – Wiles and Ryan’s again had poor games at Bolton till they scored their goals – I keep forgetting Wiles is on the pitch with more frequency. Our formation and team selection is just asking for trouble … Duff tenure depends on his flexibility in regard to both of these, if not he’ll be out by Jan transfer window. My first text to my mates who couldn’t make the Bolton game was we seriously need the defence and support of it out. To be honest I’m 4 games attended in person now and am very worried that my prediction of finishing in bottom half may not be far from reality. Confidence in recruitment team is not high – proof is in the pudding and like king Alfred the cakes have been in the oven too long.
I think the recruitment this summer is a big improvement on last season. We’ve brought in players with the correct experience for the level we’re playing at and many with promotions from this level in the recent past too. Weirdly, it feels like the new signings have picked up the habits of the old squad members (can’t pass 5 yards, letting heads drop when a goal goes in, defending like headless chickens) rather than these new recruits helping to elevate the remaining members of thr squad that were relegated last season.
Duff was quite defensive of his 3-5-2 system when questioned about it pre-match, which I was quite surprised about. I worry he might be missing the flexibility you mention. Though David Wagner wasn’t tactically flexible either when he was at Town and he did ok (until he didn’t).
Good article TS, interesting points, the errors leading to the three goals were gobsmackingly awful, the first taking the biscuit. I didn’t boo either but felt like doing so, a result of enhanced expectations following the infliction of a 4-0 shellacking away from home, itself following pretty dismal fare in previous games.
I wasn’t going to waste yet more of my time critiquing the laughable, messy garbage produced on Saturday afternoon until I was piqued by reading in a Northampton post MD’s comment “I didn’t see that coming”. I thought what has he been watching recently? That statement would have been more appropriate after last week’s game.
We have three players in particular who have been very inefficient passers for years and become even slower over the passage of time, it is almost impossible to build from the back, as is the modern custom, with these inbuilt faults. The least inefficient of the three, Helik, produced the most monumental gaff of all time on Saturday. The other two are Lees and Hogg. Unfortunately to an alarming degree the rest of the team successfully emulated their deficiencies.
Freddie Ladapo, and Joe Hodge were promising substitutions, surely, they will start on Tuesday but will anybody be watching?
Later I listened to MD’s post match comments it seems “I didn’t see that coming” I took out of context he was referring to the week’s training not recent matches, although I suspect many were not that surprised by the performance.
I think Duff was genuinely stunned by the first half performance from Town. He’s usually a fairly vocal presence on the toucline during games but he was pretty quiet in the first half, most likey shell-shocked that players he described as being better than new signings before the game had conspired to let in one of the most laughable goals in recent history.
Trying to play attractive, passing football with players that haven’t been used to it was always going to be… interesting. But I wouldn’t write it off as a failed experiment just yet. I think it’s probably just a case of learning when to play a simpler and more direct style and when to be a bit more tippy tappy. Duff has said before he’s happy to play different styles depending on the opponent, so needs to show a bit of flexibility and not have players invite pressure onto themselves when they don’t have the skills to cope with it.
I think Duff’s post-match comments are sometimes for the benefit of the players as much as the fans press and the fans. He’ll want to give them chance to show it was a bad day at the office rather than just another marker on the steady decline since our promising start.
Thank you for your as-always-fair analysis, TS.
It was so bad that I’d quit my £2.50 audio commentary long before the end; and, whilst I have subsequently watched the 2-minute highlights provided by Sky, I can’t bring myself to watch the 10-minute extended highlights.
The point has been well made by you and previous contributors that it really is a conundrum to know what is the ‘real’ Town? Are we a good side like the performances that beat Peterborough and Bolton, or is this defeat by Northampton now what we can expect to see more of? We might be able to form a view after the Blackpool match tomorrow.
As for the other conundrum of stick or twist on selection, I would definitely twist. At least one change at the back; at least one change in midfield and one more change up front. I’d make the point to the squad that the dropped players are not being dropped because they were any worse than the other 8 who started; that the performance was totally unacceptable from all 11, and that the whole dynamic of the team will hopefully be changed by a change in each department; and if there isn’t a significant improvement tomorrow, I’d make it clear that more changes can be expected for the Reading match. I’m no longer buying into the story that players need time to bed into a new system; they’ve had hours & hours on the training pitch, pre-season friendlies, 2 cup matches and 6 league matches; if they still haven’t grasped what’s required, then they must recognise that they really aren’t as good as they maybe thought they were.
Thanks Simon. I think the longer highlights would only have extended your pain, so you didn’t miss much.
The fact that Town this season are a “Jekyl and Hyde” outfit is somewhat of a consolation I suppose, as in previous seasons we’ve been mostly just awful week after week and we’ve known what to expect going into most games. At least we now have the novelty of expecting the unexpected. I’m also optimstic (or daft) enough to believe we’re still in the early stages of a major transition and there’s room for improvement as the season goes along. You have a point that they’ve had enough time to already be showing some rewards from the change but I like to hope there’s always better days around the corner.
I agree with your point that changing the starting eleven is important in terms of both improving the quality of the team but also sending a message that you can’t keep playing badly and getting in the team. Thankfully we’ve got quite a few players returning from injury now, so have a decent number of backup players pushing for starting positions.
Silly me saying I was more optimistic ! Nearly everyone had a stinker, I’m afraid Headly got shouted at a-lot by me, but he was just the worst of a bad bunch. No energy in midfield, passing terrible especially from the back. I thought on paper we had a decent midfield this year, so why are we hoofing long balls that never reach one of ours. Mid table at this rate, but give the manager time.
Mid table would be very poor given our budget and stated ambitions for the seson. But with our inconsistent performances and obvious flaws, that’s a fair assessment of where we currently stand. I agree with you that the manager deserves time and I think he’ll get a tune out of this squad.
Jaheim seems to be a scapegoat for some. He wasn’t at fault for the own goal, he wasn’t at fault for the second goal, and he wasn’t at fault for the third goal yet you say he is the worst of a bad bunch. Whatever you do, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good witch hunt.
I don’t think Keith is on his own in picking Headley out of criticism. The jeers and boos in the stadium and the 2 out of 10 from Steven Chicken suggest others didn’t rate him either.
You may have a point that Headley (and Sorensen to a lesser extent) have come in for unfair criticism because manu of the problems they caused the team on Saturday were a result of being too high up the pitch. This was a tactical problem as much as it was individual errors from the wingbacks. I was quite surprised that Duff’s biggest criticism of his wide players in the pre-match press conference was that they turned down roo manu opportunities to attack rather than the fact they left their defence too exposed. I think they’ll most likely keep playing very high up, the back three will carry on being left a bit short at times and the wingbacks will get grief for it.
Having said all that, Headley did play poorly even if the booing from the stands was over the top in my opinion. Hopefully he’ll quiet the boo boys tonight with a great performance. He was superb against Morecambe in the League Cup, so I know he can be great on his day.
Your enlightening analyses, and your commenters, (not seeing any games) are beginning to reconfirm my pre season impression that the summer transfer season was lackluster , lacking a strategy, and the investment too small.
I still hope your positive view of Duff and his vision of how they should play is fulfilled.
But it does seem that an approach based on possession and passing with a group of players that can’t pass, and with too many too slow , is begining to seem a rather hopeless strategy.
Maybe Duff knows how to embed the confidence, and work rate they apparently achieved against Bolton and Peterborough . Omens not good – Blackpool will be a decent test.
I think you could be right about the transfer window in the summer being lacklustre with too small an investment but I think there was a strategy to it. Unfortunately the job that needed doing couldn’t be completed in one transfer window, which leaves us in our current situation. And the lack of investment wasn’t completely down to a lack of funds and seems to be more down to having too many contracted senior players that earn too much (even after relegation reduction clauses being triggered) to be shipped out elsewhere. The strategy seemed to me to be to bring in the players Duff needed to play 3-5-2 with a high press, high possession approach. We brought in wingbacks and midfielders for this system and eventually got strikers and a ball-playing defender too. Whether those recruits are good enough quality remains to be seen though.
I think you’re right about tonight being a tough test. I’ve no idea what to expect.
There was an excellent article on Northampton’s equivalent of Yorkshire Live where the Cobblers manager discussed their tactics to expose our weaknesses. Michael Duff would do well to read it and learn a thing or two about Town.
I listened to Jon Brady’s post-match interview on YouTube, where I suspect he’ll have said something similar. He talked about how he knew we’d press high up and they decided to exploit it rather than give in to us and concede the ground. Fair play to him, his homework paid off handsomely and they did a number on us.
Here’s a link to the interview: https://youtu.be/RWhsoerqPQM?si=EWlPrX-06nn5xg7i