Huddersfield Post Match Thread

[Smirking_Saint]

They have had a decent home record over last season and this one.

 

Its not a terrible result. Personally i said i would take a draw before hand as i couldn't really see us beating them.

[benjii]

There are so many pathetic tossers in this world.

 

[sadoldgit]

Let me get this right. The long ball (hoofball) was being roundly slagged off and playing it out from the back was tactical genious. Now it is the reverse? Or should it be some of each?

[Saint_Jonny]

There are so many pathetic tossers in this world.

 

 

Counting yourself in that one I assume?

[Saint_clark]

It's common sense really, horses for courses and all that.We should have gone with 3 DMs and broken them down no further back that half way into our own half. Guly was an absolutely stark raving monster loony choice, there's nothing for him against aggressive sides like Huddersfield, not when your strike partner is Ricky Immobile Lambert anyway. Puncheon adds nothing and Lallana probably lacks core fitness for a challenge like Huddersfield.

 

Yeah you're right, he should have dropped Lambert, Guly, Puncheon and Lallana. Are you serious?

[saint peach]

For what it's worth, here's my two pence worth on yesterday's game: http://simonpeach.tumblr.com/

 

It's a fairly new blog on football in general but I'm planning to upload some more Saints-related stuff soon, including an interview with Steve Moran and a piece with Les Reed on the new look youth format.

[shurlock]

Huddersfield started with more muscle (esp their No19, Alan(?) Lee up front) and energy than us. We were bullied and hassled off the ball constantly for the first 10 minutes and it was no surprise that they got an early goal. Huddersfield played good, quick passes on occasions, but mainly relied upon balls in the air and Seaborne and Fonte looked like ballet dancers in a bar fight - footballers trying to look class in a brawl.

 

Who is to blame for this?

 

Added to this, the back four and Kelvin were like the Keystone Kops when they tried to play it out from the back. It was a bit like a game of Chicken (how close can I get to giving away a goal before you actually score). Adkins is correct; we tried to play football in the wrong areas.

 

Who is to blame for this?

 

As a result of the chaos at the back, our footballers (Chaplow, Lallana, Guly) never got a look in, while Puncheon seemed unwilling to take on the full-back and Sir Ricky, who can mix it, never had the appetite for it.

 

All in all, a woeful performance. Better in the 2nd half - but how much was this because Huddersfield were just protecting their lead. Milles off promotion material.

 

Agree with some of this - we were outmuscled by a team that exploded out of the blocks (though the ref should have stamped his authority alot earlier coz some of the Hudderfields challenges were more than 50/50). We needlessly put ourselves under pressure with some p i ss-poor clearances and basically handed them the initiative rather than quietening them down and forcing them into a more natural tempo. Alan Lee made a massive difference -infuriating how an English brick sh ithouse can be made to look so good (Novak was also a 6 footer), especially as Lambert was quiet again and just not on the same wavelength as Guly and Lallana.

 

Thought Chaplow was our MOM; by contrast, Puncheon will be lucky if he starts next week- never realised just how slow he is - not physically perhaps, but mentally, the tendency to take twenty touches (usually while cutting inside), allowing the opposition to regroup the expectation that the ball should come to him rather than find space to receive it etc. Its a particular handicap away from home where alot of chances come from counterattacks.

 

Still convincied that the passing game is a better long-term option than anything came up by Pards; but its not necessary to play it in your own third against an opposition that had the wind in its sails and was chasing lost cause after lost cause. In fact, it worked extremely well in the 2nd half as Huddersfield dropped off (with Kelvin switching the ball well to Harding), which suggests that playing the ball from the back is not the problem but just when to use it.

 

Not a terrible result and things might have looked very different had we kept our nerve in the first 20 mins against a team with a weak defense and an eager if not particularly sophisticated style of play.

Edited 17 October, 2010 by shurlock

[doddisalegend]

Most boringly predictable result of the season. And, in some ways, the most concerning.

What worried me last season and continues to worry me is not a lack of talent but a lack of bottle in our team. We still very rarely come back from one down, especially away from home, and heads drop far too easily, (ie the shocking run of performances after Pardew went). In cricketing terms we are a Graeme Hick, a flat-track bully that looks magnificent when things are going great but falls apart when things get tough.

I think the trouble is the players know they are the best in the division but, like last season, they will keep coming up against teams that will get in their faces or play 9-0-1 & they have to learn to deal with it. And so far they haven't. It's a bit like England's 'golden generation' - ultimately it's mental toughness, not talent that divides winners from 'unlucky' losers, and I seriously wonder whether we have it.

 

I'm pretty sure we did that plenty of times last season though (it got to the stage I didn't worry about it becuase I expected us to get 3 goals every game , this season I'd agree there have been a few times when I've looked at the players and thought I can't see us getting back into this.

Edited 17 October, 2010 by doddisalegend

[doddisalegend]

Yes we were terrible and yes I had the misfortune of being there to witness it, but let's not get too OTT. It was the first game in 5 that we lost to a team who are one of our main rivals for promotion this year. Look at Arsenal against Chelsea a few weeks back. Lee Clark sussed us out well and Huddersfield stopped us from playing football for large parts of the game.

 

thats a bit of a worry though only a few matches in and people have sussed out the new Southampton style already..........

[shurlock]

I'm pretty sure we did that plenty of times last season though (it got to the stage I didn't worry about becuase I expected us to get 3 every game , this season I'd agree there have been a few times when

I've looked at the players and thought I can't see us getting back into this.

9

Last season in the league, we came from behind and won away from home only once (Hartlepool) and at home did it four times, albeit against strugglers (Southend, Leyton Orient, Hartlepool and MK Dons).

[Chez]

Just back after a long weekend. Pretty dissapointing display, we just never got going or hold of the game and despite being a better side in terms of ability they clearly wanted the win badly and worked their socks off. They pressed hard and came out of the bloacks fast and we just got caught cold.

 

I put the defeat firmly at Adkins door. Playing out from the back when there was not the space cost us badly and Adkins should have seen we were overplaying it and told them not to unless the opportunity really was there. I love the passing game, but it was obvious that they have scouted us and pushed right up. We should have adapted our game, played a little more direct, pushed them back and then opened the space for us to pass it out from the back.

 

It wasn't just the tactics though, far too many players underperformed, and Huddersfield were too good to carry players.

 

Davis 6 one or two very good saves in the first half but some very poor decision making on distribution

Butterfield 7 steady eddy, some loopy crosses that caused little problems

Harding 7 never beat the Harding, but not much going forward

Searborne 4 quite simply he is too nice and does not win enough headers to play CB against someone like Lee. Let the ball bounce far too often. Adkins should have selected Jahdi. We didn't need a pacey centre back we needed a unit.

Fonte 7 given a tough time by Lee but overall he did pretty well.

Hammond 4 lots of tracking that won't hyave been seen by many but non existant when we had the ball.

Chaplow 8 best player by miles. Great first touch, usual running and only player to get hold of it.

Lallana 6 when he saw the ball he was a real threat but hardly ever saw it.

Puncheon 4 some nice first touches but caused them no problems at all.

Lambert 5 better than last week, but better defenders and less space

Guly 5 didn't see enough of the ball, but we looked worse when he went off. Not much though.

 

Barnard 5 ran around but to no effect

Bichnal 4 a couple of chances to take on the fulback but he didn't manage it. He looks an athlete, pacey but with a lot to learn. Reminded me of Leroy Lita in style.

Morgan 5 needed more from him, should have taken Hammond off Imo.

[doddisalegend]

9

Last season in the league, we came from behind and won away from home only once (Hartlepool) and at home did it four times, albeit against strugglers (Southend, Leyton Orient, Hartlepool and MK Dons).

 

Fair enough I didnt have a ST last year so I got quite lucky with the matches I did see I suppose, if you take cup games there are a couple more Torquay and Norwich in the JPT (both at home I admit) and Carlisle and Brighton away we got draws despite going behind. The point is last year I almost always felt we could get back into a match when we where losing (apart from Brighton at home that was poor) this year not so much I suspect that's becuase we are finding goals a lot harder to come by this season.

Edited 17 October, 2010 by doddisalegend

[bpsaint]

9

Last season in the league, we came from behind and won away from home only once (Hartlepool) and at home did it four times, albeit against strugglers (Southend, Leyton Orient, Hartlepool and MK Dons).

 

Need to add Walsall at home and Bristol Rovers away to that list.

[Wilko]

We were ****, blah blah blah.

 

However, the biggest scandal was the lack of pies. What a shambles their catering department is. I'll be writing a letter.

[Mao Cap]

We were ****, blah blah blah.

 

However, the biggest scandal was the lack of pies. What a shambles their catering department is. I'll be writing a letter.

 

I got a meat and spud one, but "spud pie" would have been a more accurate description

 

I think the highlight for me was Lambo actually jumping for a couple of high balls. Mind you, that could have been what gave him the concussion.

[Wilko]

I got a meat and spud one, but "spud pie" would have been a more accurate description

 

I think the highlight for me was Lambo actually jumping for a couple of high balls. Mind you, that could have been what gave him the concussion.

 

I had the curry flavoured one. It was OK, but far from the best I've had. Rather than being a curry sauce, it was a mildly-spicy gravy.

 

Maybe he has hurty knees and that's why he isn't jumping for headers any more. That's my theory, anyway.

[RonManager]

I had the very salty Bovril. I couldn't finish it and felt thirsty for the rest of the day.

 

I didn't need anything to eat as I had enjoyed a 'full monty' all day breakfast in a back street cafe earlier on, whilst rambling around the town on the old canal footpath. It cost a mere £4.75 and there was so much I couldn't finish it.

 

It may be 'grim' up north, but it's relatively cheap.

[Acetripper]

The system that operates on this site preventing me from posting no more that three times in 24 hour means I'm a little late with this - Sorry! But here goes!

 

The general consensus amongst myself and my fellow Terriers was we put on a very professional performance on Saturday. Nothing fancy, just honest hard work and determination and it brought big dividends, because it stopped your lads playing.

 

I expected a whirlwind start might throw a spanner in the Southampton works and so it did. Basically, you didn't know what to do with us. When you had the ball we were in there stifling play and closing down, some may say unfairly at times but to be honest, I thought you gave as good as you got in that department. When we had the ball we looked to get it forward quickly which might well have looked like 'hoof ball' but clearly we'd done our home work and knew your defense wouldn't like a direct approach. With Novak closing defenders down tigerishly and 'Big Al' under everything in the air we were dominant and looked dangerous every time we went forward. I'll admit we had a fair amount for fortune but I thought we earned it. At half-time I wondered what Southampton's response would be and while I thought things changed for a while at the start of the second we soon settled again and as the game wore on there was only going to be one winner. I don't really recall our keeper having much to do in fact.

 

I genuinely felt sorry for Lambert when we had to come off especially as he was getting ridiculous taunts from three quarters of the stadium. It was clear that Southampton have some very good players but they just didn't match our energy level, high tempo and determination which were the vital ingredients what won the game for us. I genuinely think your lads will learn from that because we have been the same at times in the past and we've come through it.

 

I have absolutely no doubts you will be up there when it matters in May, until then, good luck and enjoy it!

[ericofarabia]

The system that operates on this site preventing me from posting no more that three times in 24 hour means I'm a little late with this - Sorry! But here goes! ... ha ha .... cough up a fiver you tight northern ghet

 

I expected a whirlwind start might throw a spanner in the Southampton works and so it did. Basically, you didn't know what to do with us. When you had the ball we were in there stifling play. Well, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to us, it was obvious that you'd come out of the traps all guns blazing, not exactly rocket science. It seems as if we weren't prepared to roll our sleeves up and earn the right to play fancy football. It sounds very much like the game last year, we simply weren't at the races and 2nd best in all depts on the day.

 

I genuinely felt sorry for Lambert when we had to come off especially as he was getting ridiculous taunts from three quarters of the stadium. I think it all stems back to the start of last season where he turned you down to join us, and was accussed by some of letting money swaying his decision to join us. he was given a rough ride last year as well, but you guys had the last laugh with his replacement Rhodes scoring against us

 

I have absolutely no doubts you will be up there when it matters in May, until then, good luck and enjoy it!

 

Hopefully by the time you come down to SMS we will have progressed like we had last season and will be able to give you a lesson in footballing skills and whoop your arses again. We would like to think we will be up there or there abouts, but until our players realise we don't have a divine right to be there, we have to earn it, it may not be a place in the top 2, but scrambling around for a play off place.

[Acetripper]

Your comments could have been ours just a few weeks ago mate! We normally try to play 'football' so Saturday was a complete change for us. Apparently we did exactly the same at Colchester the week before. You're dead right! It might not be pretty in the first instance but you have to 'earn the right' to play your passing game because no team in this League is going to lay down and let you walk all over them. Once you've set the scene (so to speak) then you can play your game. It took us 10 games to realise that however!

 

If only it was that simple!

 

As for giving us a football lesson at St Mary's, that was last season mate. No way this time!

[Turkish]

This should be a reality check for all those that were beating one out after beating Bournemouth by two penalties and a Tranmere side who were one of the worst i have ever seen in over 25 years of watching football. Quite simply we were well beaten by a better side, you can dress is up how you like with regard to tactics, trying to play to much football etc but man for man Huddersfield were better all over the park. Lambert was poor again and is a shadow of the player he was, it is time to drop him and start with Barnard up front, he has been unlucky to lose his place but he deserves one ahead of RL at the moment. Same with Puncheon, he has been poor all season, when does he ever beat a man by going wide? AC is definitely worth a place above him right now.

We struggled to string two passes together in the opposition half and rarely looked dangerous and as for this business about learning lessons and not overplaying when in dangerous areas, f*ck me, 10 year olds know that is you cant play your way out of trouble get it our of the danger zones, it's basic stuff.

This was probably our toughest game of the season and i would happily have taken a draw before KO, but i didn't expect us to be so poor and so compehensively beaten. Of course it doesn't mean our season is over and we wont go up anymore than beating Tranmere 2-0 meant we would definitely be champions, but we are a long way off what was expected when the season began. 5 league defeats already this season against 9 over the whole of 09/10 tells it's own story.

[dune]

I'm disapointed, but not suicidal. TBH i've chilled out a lot when it comes to Saints. I must be getting old and all grown up.

[Charlie Wayman]

Time for a managerial change. Adkins OUT!

 

This was dreadful; we are right back to square 1, the manager has no idea who his best XI are and in which positions. Now we have to climb another effing learning curve. Only an idiot would start with Chaplow over Schneiderlin and Guly up-front. Butterfield, only his mother can think he's any good. FFS why do we keep making the same old elementary mistakes with the same old predictable outcome time after time?

 

On this form we are going precisely no where this season. Forget automatic promotion, we'll do well to stay in the upper half. This I remind you fellow sufferers is the Third Effing Division, we are the biggest club down there - surely it can't be that effing difficult to pick a decent team, win a few football matches and get the F out of it?

[Nexstar]

Time for a managerial change. Adkins OUT!

 

This was dreadful; we are right back to square 1, the manager has no idea who his best XI are and in which positions. Now we have to climb another effing learning curve. Only an idiot would start with Chaplow over Schneiderlin and Guly up-front. Butterfield, only his mother can think he's any good. FFS why do we keep making the same old elementary mistakes with the same old predictable outcome time after time?

 

On this form we are going precisely no where this season. Forget automatic promotion, we'll do well to stay in the upper half. This I remind you fellow sufferers is the Third Effing Division, we are the biggest club down there - surely it can't be that effing difficult to pick a decent team, win a few football matches and get the F out of it?

 

Chaplow was MOTM for us on Saturday. Guly was immense upfront last Saturday. Why change a winning team?

[alpine_saint]

Disappointed on the implication of the teams standing in this division, and a definite message to all to keep feet on ground, but not much else can be drawn for this.

 

Team should put it behind them and move on to focus on next game...

[hackedoff]

The warnings were there pre-season. Nothing was done about it and it,s too late ( for this season ) now.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

The warnings were there pre-season. Nothing was done about it and it,s too late ( for this season ) now.

 

Don't be silly.

[dune]

I still think we're missing Chris Marsden. We've not had a decent captain since.

[eelpie]

 

It was clear that Southampton have some very good players but they just didn't match our energy level, high tempo and determination which were the vital ingredients what won the game for us.

 

Says it all.

 

"There's kind of a relaxed, professional attitude we know what we want to achieve, but it's about doing those things together and relaxing your mind then the football will follow." said Kelvin (OS)

 

No comment

[for_heaven's_Saint]

The game was poor and pretty disappointing, but if we win our next 3 or 4, we'll be right back in there again.

[derry]

At the Tranmere match we were sitting next to somebody analysing the match. As the seats next to us are reserved club seats we assumed he was scouting the game for Huddersfield. The person sitting next to him had a look at what he was writing, all referenced to the Saints numbers. A particular note was all the passes from Davis out to Fonte. I thought then that we may well get pressed at Huddersfield. It sounds that Davis has to wake up to all round options and not pick up Fonte especially if he is being pressed, likewise the other players not pressed have to provide instantaneous options. Building from the back predominately through one or two players is easy to cut off, defenders going wide and midfielders dropping off could also open up passing options.

 

It appears that now Lambert is no longer competitive, with balls played up front we are just giving the ball away. It is going to take time for the players to be able to vary their game depending on the challenges set by opposition. Adkins will take things from this game especially the shortcomings of some players.

[View From The Top]

Chaplow was MOTM for us on Saturday. Guly was immense upfront last Saturday. Why change a winning team?

 

Which is a fair enough comment. However, it was clear that Huddersfield had done their homework and in a battle to win the ball you need a LB and not a Guly and at the back you need a lumb like RJ and not a flower like DS.

 

Huddersfield took the gamble on us playing an unchanged team and it payed off.

 

They came out of the blocks, didn't let us settle, hassled and harried, went long ball and were physical. We didn't have the players on the pitch to match them.

[Acetripper]

I know it's probably easy for me to say since we seemed to have turned the corner ourselves but I wouldn't panic if I were you. Your players are easily good enough, your manager is still get used to the place and players at the club, so it's bound to take some time. I know it's even more frustrating when you've just been on a five game unbeaten run and you think things are on the up, then this happens - but that's football!

 

Your lads seem to mirroring ours in the sense that you like to play football but it's not working as well as you would like. Lee Clark has been banging on for ages about the need to improve when we don't have the ball and it's seems to have finally sunk in (or at least for the last two games). The old adage 'earn the right to play' was never so apt!

 

Good Luck I'm sure it'll come right!

[Nexstar]

Which is a fair enough comment. However, it was clear that Huddersfield had done their homework and in a battle to win the ball you need a LB and not a Guly and at the back you need a lumb like RJ and not a flower like DS.

 

Huddersfield took the gamble on us playing an unchanged team and it payed off.

 

They came out of the blocks, didn't let us settle, hassled and harried, went long ball and were physical. We didn't have the players on the pitch to match them.

 

This is true. But what's the betting Oldham have done their homework...

[Sour Mash]

Very frustrating game and result. Had really been looking forward to Saturday and thought it'd be a really tough game, with two evenly matched teams going at it. For whatever reason Hudds rose to the occasion, we didn't, they were hungrier, sharper and more aggressive and blew us away in the first 30 mins.

 

I agree that Adkins should have probably gone with Barnard and Jaidi, but even with the team we put out we should have been MUCH better than that. Sometimes I get the feeling it doesn't matter what we change in terms of personal at this club, we're stuck with a losing mentality.

 

Decent numbers of Saints travelled I thought, but very quiet. Cr@p pie in the ground, excellent ale in the various pubs around Huddersfield, the football ruining an otherwise good away day yet again!

[derry]

Both goals were sloppy, Hammond had a chance to close Pilkington down for the first but just stayed where he was and stuck a half hearted leg out from five yards away. For the second Fonte and Lambert collided going for the same cross, surely it's not rocket science for Lambert to let the defender go for it and cover. Similar to Fonte and Butterfield going for the same ball against Plymouth, it just needs a call which doesn't seem to be happening.

[View From The Top]

Both goals were sloppy

 

Rubbish. Both goals were very well taken by Huddersfield.

[doddisalegend]

Rubbish. Both goals were very well taken by Huddersfield.

 

The BBC highlights are (mercifully) short but I thought Kelvin might have done better on the second the ball seemed to go right under his body.

[hackedoff]

Don't be silly.

 

Just calling it as I see it am afraid.

1 Impact players ( Waigo/Antonio ) not kept or similar players bought.

2 Gamble on Connolly with his fitness now looks like a mistake.

3 The fear that Lambert would be sold/injured/looses form now realized.

 

We never enter a season with a settled, uninjured team or with a settled manager in place. It always takes the entire season to get things right only for it to all fall to bits close/pre season.

Until this changes we are stuck in this league as probably most of our better players will depart if we dont get up this season.

[captainchris]

Chaplow was MOTM for us on Saturday. Guly was immense upfront last Saturday. Why change a winning team?

 

Gully was not immense against the mighty Tranmere. He was very average to poor. People get carried away by one or two movements and an overall good display. Me and the guy sat next to me both agreed Gully was really nothing special at all against Tranmere. Two passes do not make a magic performance. His movement for the first goal was his only movement of the half.......No comparrison with Antonio or Papa I'm afraid. Chaplow was really classy though and was our engine room. I wasn't at Hudderfield but many people have marked him as our MOTM again. Maybe it's time for 451. It would siute the Adkins style and our wealth of midfield decent players......

[boxosponge]

The system that operates on this site preventing me from posting no more that three times in 24 hour means I'm a little late with this - Sorry!

 

Don't apologise, just pay up

 

I suspect its the last season you'll be able to

[Smirking_Saint]

The warnings were there pre-season. Nothing was done about it and it,s too late ( for this season ) now.

 

I don't think its too late, but you have hit some valid points, after the warnings were there last season and we came into this in a similar situation. Pardews repeated 'we will sign someone soon, when the 21 squad limits are in place' was utter tosh.

 

I think we have turned a corner though, Adkins has installed some good disciplines and plays good football and i am not reading too much into a loss at Huddersfield as they are pretty good at home.

 

We will get promoted, but we should have been ready earlier.

[Window Cleaner]

Rubbish. Both goals were very well taken by Huddersfield.

 

Well from the brief "highlights" on the OS I'd say that the first was sloppy, bad marking gave Gudjohnssen a free crack at goal.

Two of our players were dragged out of place by the corner routine (which we should have known about) and the free shot hit the post

(or bar) and led to the goal.

[Window Cleaner]

Gully was not immense against the mighty Tranmere. He was very average to poor. People get carried away by one or two movements and an overall good display. Me and the guy sat next to me both agreed Gully was really nothing special at all against Tranmere. Two passes do not make a magic performance. His movement for the first goal was his only movement of the half.......No comparrison with Antonio or Papa I'm afraid. Chaplow was really classy though and was our engine room. I wasn't at Hudderfield but many people have marked him as our MOTM again. Maybe it's time for 451. It would siute the Adkins style and our wealth of midfield decent players......

 

From the little I've seen Chaplow is spending far too much time in front of our strikers, leaving Hammond the defensive role.

Puncheon and Lallana are there to aid the attack, Chaplow needs to take his defensive duties more seriously cos with just Hammond doing it we're shàgged in advance. When we have a CM pairing of Morgan and Chaplow this Saturday the difference will be there for all to see.

[Nexstar]

Gully was not immense against the mighty Tranmere. He was very average to poor. People get carried away by one or two movements and an overall good display. Me and the guy sat next to me both agreed Gully was really nothing special at all against Tranmere. Two passes do not make a magic performance. His movement for the first goal was his only movement of the half.......No comparrison with Antonio or Papa I'm afraid. Chaplow was really classy though and was our engine room. I wasn't at Hudderfield but many people have marked him as our MOTM again. Maybe it's time for 451. It would siute the Adkins style and our wealth of midfield decent players......

 

And that classes him as 'average to poor'. What game were you watching exactly? Tranmere were bad, but he carved them.

[Saint_clark]

Says it all.

 

"There's kind of a relaxed, professional attitude we know what we want to achieve, but it's about doing those things together and relaxing your mind then the football will follow." said Kelvin (OS)

 

No comment

 

I'll comment - being relaxed when you're the favourites for the title is NOT the way to do it.

They even said on the radio that before the game the squad went for a nice little walk in the woods to calm themselves - WTF?

[Chez]

Rubbish. Both goals were very well taken by Huddersfield.

 

yes they were well taken but they were also sloppy. Both goals came from our mistakes. The first come from us overpassing in or third leading to us losing the ball and giving away a cheap corner, which they scored from the clearance. The second came from us overpassing in our own third leading to us losing the ball and giving away a cheap free kick. They scored directly from the poor clearance. The sloppy play was in the passing fromt he back. We made poor selections on when to play it and when to kick it long from goal kicks. We then were not good enough to pass it out fromt he back whilst under great pressure. Losing it in this area was sloppy. Both goals were avoidable as we should have been hitting it longer.

[Chez]

From the little I've seen Chaplow is spending far too much time in front of our strikers, leaving Hammond the defensive role.

Puncheon and Lallana are there to aid the attack, Chaplow needs to take his defensive duties more seriously cos with just Hammond doing it we're shàgged in advance. When we have a CM pairing of Morgan and Chaplow this Saturday the difference will be there for all to see.

 

in the two full games he has been outstanding. MOTM on Saturday and only Guly was better the previous week. He is making lots of forward runs but not once did Huddersfield walk through our middle due to him going missing. As much as I like Morgan, when he and Hammond play together we leave ourselves exposed. The problem on Saturday was not the midfielders defending, but Hammond failing to take command of the middle when we had the ball he (and Puncheon and Lallana) simply did not do enough in posession.

 

With him missing I am concerned about runners being tracked as that is what Hammond does well and often without fans noticing. I hope we don't notice the lack of someone doing it on Saturday.

[derry]

Rubbish. Both goals were very well taken by Huddersfield.

 

Both goals were preventable. The first was off the post to Pilkington who could have been pressed but Hammond didn't see the danger so stayed where he was. The second goal was a free kick into the six yd area that both Fonte and Lambert went for but collided resulting in the ball dropping at the edge of the box allowing a clear shot. With better defending both goals could have been prevented. If all you are looking at is two incisive shots that is correct, but the sloppy play was what led to the shots which shouldn't have been allowed.

[Window Cleaner]

Anyway NA called them sloppy goals, I guess he knows what he's talking about eh?