To work out what the terriers need in order to have the bounce back ability in this league we must first look at what they have done wrong as a team in their last two league matches. With seven goals conceded and just one scored Huddersfield have struggled to cause any sort of problems for their opposition and have given their faithful following a reason to groan. A poor quality of passing, predictable attacking moves & the inability to close players down and force them into mistakes has ensured the last two matches were defeats for the terriers. Grayson has taken some of the blame for both losses and rightly so but the players must ultimately take the majority of the criticism as they are the same players that basked in the praise that was flooding in for them just over a week ago. Its time for Huddersfield Town to knuckle down now and show everyone that they have what it takes to compete against every team in this league regardless of where they are in the table or what sort of stadium they are playing in.
So back to our earlier point, How can Huddersfield Town bounce back?
Sort The Centre Back Situation Out;
Its the heart of the defence. The two in the middle seems to have been exposed in Huddersfield's last two league games and its left many fans calling for Joel Lynch to be reinstated alongside Peter Clarke. Anthony Gerrard took his opportunity very well after Lynch was red carded against Sheffield Wednesday but without criticising the Liverpudlian, its time to reunite Lynch with our skipper before we ship more goals. It takes no full time tactician to work out that we have conceded more with Gerrard & Clarke at the back than Lynch & Clarke and although a few fans believe it should be Clarke on the bench this time, we think not. Peter Clarke has stepped up to the Championship challenge extremely well and although he may have made a couple of mistakes in the current campaign, he is the essence of the club and leads with both passion & commitment to the cause. As the years have passed by it almost seems like blue & white runs through the veins of our skipper and his amazing defensive blocks are just one example of how he puts his body on the line to please the Town faithful. Gerrard is also an extremely good centre back but when your team is getting seven knocked past you in just two games there has to be something wrong and so we are firmly on the side of the fans screaming for Lynchy & Clarke to be played together once again.
Start Putting Pressure On Opponents With The Ball;
Just look back at the first few games which Huddersfield Town played in the Championship this season and you will see exactly why we were so hard to play against and score against due to the hard work that was put in by every Town player on the pitch who closed down their opposite numbers immediately. Teams like Burnley, Derby & Blackpool didn't necessarily play poor against us but we played in a way which they didn't like against them to ensure we got something out of the game (three victories). Southern, Clayton & Norwood were vital in forcing opponents into hurried passes that often won back possession for the terriers as well as ensuring that the opponents had no time to look up and find a pass or create a possible goalscoring attack. However, in the last couple of games we have lost that ability to close down opponents and players like George Boyd have punished us. Once our midfield goes missing and stops making their presence felt we allow opponents to press us back and give our defence unnecessary pressure which could have ultimately been stopped further up the field. Why this pressure on the ball has stopped is unknown but it may well be because our current midfield players seem to believe their position in the starting line-up is safe due to Grayson preferring themselves over other players such as Scott Arfield & Oscar Gobern. A slightly different looking midfield with certain players being given a chance to shine may well be what is needed to get this pressure on our opponents when they have the ball back.
All in all, we could do with a victory against Bristol City to steady the ship once again at Huddersfield. Grayson has got us off to an incredible start in the Championship this season and is possibly a victim of his own success at the moment after two consecutive defeats. A win and all three points will show our fans & the rest of the league that we aren't affected by a couple of knock backs as well as proving that we have the bounce back ability needed in this league.
Come On You Terriers!!!
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone
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