“Weak and ineffective” – Player ratings from Huddersfield Town’s draw with Rotherham

Huddersfield Town drew with Rotherham yesterday thanks to a last gasp equaliser that was deflected into the goal from a shot that was going harmlessly wide. It was a piece of good fortune that was earned by a second half of sustained pressure on Rotherham’s back line despite the final cutting edge still proving elusive for Huddersfield Town.

This was a decent point and an even better performance from Town against a Rotherham side that were limited but effective. Here are my ratings for each Town player yesterday.

Ben Hamer – 7 out of 10

It’s hard to rate him any better than a seven when he had so little work to do. Rotherham’s goal came from a good strike from distance which very few keepers would have been able to keep out. The only other threat was a regulation save at a comfortable height that he easily dealt with. Once again he was quick with his distribution and didn’t make any silly mistakes.

Show-stopping performances like last week’s against Forest will help to change people’s opinions of Hamer but error-free ones where he just gets on with the job are also important. Even the most optimistic Town fan will have been concerned about Hamer’s return to Town’s first team but he is slowly repairing his reputation and rebuilding his own confidence in the process too.

Pipa – 8 out of 10

Produced the only shot on goal and snatched a point for the team when his misdirected effort deflected into Rotherham’s goal deep into injury time. He was a constant source of attacking width and seems to be getting better with every game since his arrival. While it’s still early days, he looks like he could be an absolute bargain at half a million pounds.

Richard Stearman – 7 out of 10

Commanding in the air and put himself in the way of everything Rotherham had to throw at us. He’s not as comfortable on the ball as Sarr but he seemed to be making more of an effort to get forward and to carry the ball up field, which helps when playing against a defensive team.

Stearman’s form gives Corberán a difficult choice after the international break when Schindler is likely to be back to full fitness (And Edmonds-Green too). Few would have expected Stearman to keep Schindler out of the side a few weeks ago but it would feel harsh to drop him after playing so well recently.

Naby Sarr – 8 out of 10

A very impressive debut from the ex-Charlton defender. Because of his size he looks a bit clumsy in the way he moves around but he showed that he is capable of some excellent things with his left foot. He played the same pass a few times, where he carried the ball just inside the opposition half and then pinged a diagonal ball straight onto Pipa’s foot and set him off on a run down the wing. I think we’ll see a lot more of that pass, as it’s a great way to quickly switch the play and stretch the opposition.

Sarr managed to do the dirty work at the back effectively too. I was hoping Crichlow would continue on the left side of defence for this game but in retrospect it was clearly the right move to bring on big Naby to battle the physical threat Rotherham had. He’s a big unit and used his size to good effect when up against equally massive opponents.

Harry Toffolo – 8 out of 10

Deserved at least one assist for his relentless running and quality balls into the box from good positions. Sadly there wasn’t the movement or awareness in front of goal to convert the quality service Toffolo provided. Like Pipa, ran up and down the wing without showing any signs of tiring which is an absolutely essential part of Town’s new tactical approach.

Jonathan Hogg – 7 out of 10

Played much deeper than usual and sat in between the two central defenders, which seemed to suit him. There were also signs of him showing a bit more ambition with his passing, which is far from his strong suit. There were a few 20-30 yard passes that found a man in space and launched attacks which surprised me a little bit. He may be keen to show Carlos that he’s capable of being the long-term number 6 in this system despite Eiting’s recent arrival.

Carel Eiting – 7 out of 10

It’s hard to score Eiting for this game because some of the things he did were exceptionally good but I’d have liked to have seen more of them. He struggled to get on the ball in a very congested midfield but when he did his quick passing put Town players on the ball in good positions. I watched him a few times when Town had possession but he didn’t have the ball, he’s constantly looking around him to find space and directing the players around him to do similar. I think there’s a lot to come from this young man even if this game didn’t give him the time on the ball he needs to be truly effective. He also needs to get better at set pieces, as his deliveries wasted a few promising opportunities.

Juninho Bacuna – 4 out of 10

Just didn’t seem able to get into the game. He ran about a bit and occasionally tried some trickery that didn’t come off. Against a well-drilled and physically strong opponent he looked weak and ineffective for long periods. I think he was meant to be playing a similar role to Pritchard last week, where he’s the link man between attack and midfield but he didn’t join those dots and wasn’t able to influence the game.

Isaac Mbenza – 5 out of 10

I’m reluctant to be too harsh on Mbenza as he clearly was trying his best for the team but he lacked guile and creativity in the final third and didn’t look much of a threat. Pace doesn’t count for much when your opponent is playing very deep and he didn’t seem to have much else to offer.

Frazier Campbell – 5 out of 10

Kept coming short to get involved in the game and did manage to win the ball back as a result. But we lacked a focal point up front every time he came deep so it was counter productive. Not provided many clear cut opportunities but could have made it a completely different afternoon if he had finished the good opportunity he had to score in the first minute.

Josh Koroma – 5 out of 10

Another game where he got into positions where he should have scored and then messed up the final action (as Danny Cowley would call it). So it’s good that he’s managing to get into these positions but concerning that he’s still not on the scoresheet. With him starting on the left side of attack it becomes hard not to compare him to the left-sided attacker Town have had available all season but have not yet played. I really like the look of Koroma this season in many ways but it all counts for little if you don’t finish your chances.

Substitutes

Adama Diakhaby – Unexpectedly popped up with a powerful header but wasn’t able to find the target with it. Didn’t do a great deal else but wasn’t given much time to make a difference.

Matty Daly – Brought some much-needed energy to the middle of the park and looked lively in the few minutes he was given. Hard to see how Bacuna can continue to get a starting place if Daly is fully fit and seemingly more willing to follow the coach’s instructions.