Opposition Preview - Huddersfield Town

Blog written by ad_wilkin
Published: 29th September 2023 11:16

Huddersfield were one of the teams tipped for relegation this season having only just stayed up last season with the appointment of EFL stalwart Neil Warnock.

Warnock has the record of eight Football League promotions in his career but Huddersfield will definitely be looking down the other end of the table this season with financial restrictions meaning they have had to rely on free transfers and loans to boost their squad.

A five-game winless run (including defeat to Middlesbrough in the cup) left the mood low at the start of the season but back-to-back wins against West Brom and Rotherham left things looking a bit rosier.

The perhaps-predictable announcement of Neil Warnock leaving the club means there’s a new manager in the hotseat for this one. Darren Moore will be a familiar foe for Kieran McKenna having faced him twice last season as Sheffield Wednesday boss.

<h1>Goalkeepers </h1>

Lee Nicholls is the Huddersfield number one. Having spent the majority of his career in Leagues One and Two he made the step up to the Championship with Huddersfield in 2021 and has now made 83 appearances for the Terriers.

Nicholls has not had the best start to this season conceding on average 1.7 goals per game including shipping four against Norwich. However, more of that is down to Huddersfield's general defensive performances than his personal one as he is second in terms of goals prevented with 2.47, only behind Town’s own Vaclav Hladky

Pushing him for starts is Chris Maxwell, who was picked up from Blackpool on a free in the summer. He has more Championship appearances than Nicholls, racking up 125 in spells with Preston North End and Blackpool.

He didn’t take his chance this season though, with a very poor performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough and has had to make do with a place on the bench from then on.

<h1>Defence </h1>

Huddersfield have rotated formations between a back three and a back four depending on the situation of the game with versatility in the backline crucial to this.

The main starter at right-back so far has been Tom Edwards, who joined on loan from Stoke this transfer window. Now 24 years old, this is his fourth loan spell away from Stoke (Fleetwood, New York Red Bulls and Barnsley the others).

Edwards didn’t really break into the Barnsley side and has never managed to break through at Stoke so will be hoping to use his time at Huddersfield to really kickstart his career.

His competition seems to be coming in the form of David Kasumu. More of a defensive midfielder by trade, he was trialed at right-back against West Brom. He made 33 appearances for Huddersfield last season and his versatility is a big reason for that, starting on the middle, the left and the right.

Kasumu also provides the flexibility in the right-back role to change from a back four to a back three, which Edwards doesn’t quite have the attributes to achieve effectively.

The nailed down left-back is Josh Ruffels, who has been with the terriers since 2021 when he signed from Oxford. He’s notched up 50 appearances since then and like on the other side is comfortable playing as a standard left-back or moving on to wing-back. He has also dropped in and covered as the left centre-half in a back three on occasion, including the recent match against Rotherham.

His back-up is Yuta Nakayama who signed on a free transfer in July 2022 after a spell in the Netherlands with PEC Zwolle. He has 17 caps for the Japanese national team but has yet to fully claim his place at Hudderfield. This has not been helped by an Achilles tendon rupture which kept him out last season from November onwards.

With a full-pre-season under his belt Nakayama will be looking to claim that left-back spot should Ruffels make any mistakes. He is also able to play as a left-sided centre-half and featured there in Warnock's last match (a 2-2 draw with Stoke). Given that Moore prefers to play with three centre-halves, this could well become his regular position.

Another option but one who is now possibly out of favour after a couple of tough performances is Jaheim Headley. He got sent off for a professional foul in the 13th minute of the Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough and has had to make do with limited minutes off of the bench since.

That red card saw him subjected to racist abuse which has no place in football and the club released a statement to say it wouldn’t be tolerated.

At only 21 he still has lots of time to improve and his pace and athleticism could be effective off of the bench against any tiring legs.

Headley also offers the versatility of being able to play as a full-back or a wing back down that left hand side. Redemption for him could have arrived in the shape of Moore, with the new manager choosing to play him as a wing-back in his first game in charge against Coventry.

Ben Jackson is the third left-back in the squad and has had to make do with substitute appearances so far but was given a start in Moore’s first game playing as an inverted wing-back on the right-hand side.

Jackson came on in that area against Stoke and performed well and given the right side is a lot weaker than the left in terms of depth, it could well become an area the academy graduate gets converted to.

In central defence is an experienced centre-back pairing of Mathew Pearson and Michal Helik. Pearson has played 160 Championship games across spells at Barnsely, Luton and now Huddersfield and is also adequate at popping up at the other end with a goal. His nine goals in 66 appearances for Huddersfield are evidence of that. He rose highest to nod in a beautifully delivered free-kick to give the Terriers the lead against Stoke.

Alongside him is 28-year-old Pole Helik. He joined Huddersfield in September 2022 from Barnsley and has notched up 44 appearances. His spell at Barnsley saw him play another 89 so he knows this league inside out.

Like Pearson he is also an aeriel threat and has nine Championship goals in 124 appearances. He’s also a Poland international, making his debut in March 2021 and going on to get six more caps so far.

<h1>Central Midfield</h1>

With the switching of formations either a midfield pair or a three has been used in different matches. Three players have mainly featured in these roles.

We’ll start with Jonathan Hogg. The 34-year-old is Huddersfield captain and has been there and done it. His Championship appearances number 356 across spells across Portsmouth, Watford and Huddersfield. Now going into his ninth season with Huddersfield, he has been an ever-present for most of that time.

Hogg will play as the deepest-lying midfielder in either a three or a two and look to sweep and perform a role similar to that of Cole Skuse in his time with the Blues.

If Hogg is the old head then Jack Rudoni is the new kid on the block. He got his move to the Championship in July 2022 after impressive form at AFC Wimbledon in League One and has made the step up seamlessly, playing in all 46 matches for Huddersfield last season.

Rudoni’s been in fine scoring form already this season, netting twice from midfield in his seven starts so far. The first was a lovely chest down and finish to win the game against West Brom (he also had a peach of a side-foot volley disallowed in that one).

The other one, he found space in the box nicely in the second phase of a corner, controlled a ball fizzed into him and turn and slotted into the corner. He’s definitely someone that Town will need to keep an eye on.

The third member of that midfield is Ben Wiles, who signed this summer from Rotherham. He made 193 appearances for the Millers, with 17 goals and 17 assists to his name in his time there. He can play in a flat three in the middle but has also slotted into the 10 role for one game this season. With new manager Moore’s arrival he’ll hope that versatility continues to guarantee him game time.

The times where Warnock has opted to go with more of a number 10 in alongside his wingers it’s been Brahim Diarra who’s been in that role. The 20 year-old academy graduate had his first real taste of senior football last season playing 20 games (seven of which were starts) He’s already close to the same amount of starts already with four so far this season.

<h1>Wingers </h1>

Warnock opted to use pacy wingers to stretch the defence, although in the match against Rotherham they operated more as wing-backs. With Moore favouring five at the back at Sheffield Wednesday, the next two players could be asked to play that hybrid winger/wing-back role.

First up is Sorba Thomas. The 24-year-old Welshman has hit some form recently with one goal and two assists in his last couple of games.

He’s come back to the Huddersfield squad this season following a half-season loan at Blackburn in January last year. He’ll be looking to replicate his form from the 2021/22 season where he provided 12 assists in 43 appearances and earned his first Wales call-up. Thomas has gone on to get eight caps but didn’t feature in the latest squads with Town's Wes Burns now definitely ahead of him.

On the other side is Josh Koroma. A player that Town faced twice last year during his short loan spell at Portsmouth. He assisted Zac Swanson to put the icing on the cake as Pompey knocked Town out of the Papa Johns Trophy.

Koroma's form with Pompey saw him recalled in January and he broke into the team from March onwards putting in some good performances to help them avoid relegation. He’s continued that this season with his goal and assist in the 2-0 win against Rotherham being a game where he particularly shone. He played the last match up front in a front two and is also comfortable in the 10 role.

Competition in those wide areas has been brought in with the addition of Delano Burgzorg on loan from FSV Mainz. At 24 he has spent the majority of his career in the Dutch Eredivise with Heracles Almelo and has made a good impact so far, netting once against West Brom and putting in some strong performances off of the bench. Although naturally a winger, it looks like he’ll get most of his game time this season as a central striker.

<h1>Strikers </h1>

Danny Ward started the season leading the line for the Terriers. The one-time Town target back in his Cardiff days has now been at Huddersfield since 2020. In that time he has scored 41 goals and provided 32 assists in 248 appearances.

Ward started the first five games this season but failed to find the net and has dropped out of the squad for the last two as Warnock has turned to his other options to provide the goals.

One of those is 21-year-old Kian Harratt who spent the first half of last season on loan at League Two Bradford. He’s forced his way into the starting line-up this season following an impressive display when he scored in the Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough, and performing well against West Brom and Rotherham.

Harratt didn’t have the best of games against Stoke, however, and was subsitituted for Burgzorg. It may be a lot to ask of him to perform week in week out but he will definitely get opportunities with Jordan Rhodes moving on loan to Blackpool, leaving just him and Ward as the main strikers in the squad.

<h1>The Teams </h1>

This is another hard one to call for Town with the Carabao Cup throwing up some surprise selections and some quality performances from the players knocking on the door.

Vaclav Hladky's inclusion was a surprise, however, I'm of the opinion that manager Kieran McKenna just wanted a more experienced option to play in goal with Christian Walton a week away from being ready for first-team inclusion. For me, Hladky keeps his place against Huddersfield regardless.

The back four picks itself on current form but Janoi Donacien will almost certainly be on the bench and looking to get game time in his recovery from injury.

In midfield skipper Sam Morsy is suspended. Jack Taylor is currently the third-choice midfielder in terms of minutes with the possibility that Massimo Luongo could slot into a deeper role but I think it’s more likely Lee Evans with come in.

I’ve also possibly controversially gone for Taylor alongside him. I think partnerships are important and Taylor and Evans both put in good performances in the game against Wolves. It also allows the Morsy-Massimo Luongo to come back fresh against Hull on Tuesday night.

Again there is now fierce competition in that front four. Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin are nailed on unless one needs a rest and I've gone for Wes Burns on the right, although Omari Hutchinson is seriously pushing and will definitely start at least one of the next two.

Up against some big centre-halves I think George Hirst’s physicality will be used from the start with Freddie Ladapo having potential to come off the bench as the space opens up.

Huddersfield with no cup involvement midweek should keep a similar team to new manager Moore’s first game in charge with Nicholls in goal and a back three of Pearson, goalscorer Helik and Nakayama.

There’s a chance the wing-backs could be freshened up so I’ve got Thomas coming in on the right alongside Headley on the left, an unchanged midfield of Rudoni, Hogg and Wiles seems likely.

Up top I can see Harratt coming back into the side to provide more of a presence alongside Burgzorg.

<h1>Action areas </h1>

Rudoni is the man to watch for Huddersfield and will look to drift in that midfield role with Moore likely to utilise him like he did star man Barry Bannan at Sheffield Wednesday.

Moore has already switched to a back five and favours two strikers up top which Cameron Burgess and Luke Woolfenden will need to be on their game to deal with.

Where this could leave space is down the sides of the pitch, particularly for Burns or Hutchinson on the right to attack the three defenders.

A betting man would potentially go for a 2-2 given that was the result on the last two occasions McKenna and Moore have faced each other.

I think this will be a tight game, Huddersfield will keep it compact and physical but with Town in imperious form and Moore still needing to embed his style of play and tactics, I'm going for yet another 1-0 on the road for the blues.

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