Norwood More Than Happy Being A Terrier

Oliver Norwood joined Huddersfield Town from Manchester United in the summer after enjoying numerous loan spells out at other Championship clubs such as Coventry City and the midfielder is now happy to have left the red devils to come to the Yorkshire club. Norwood has already netted twice for the terriers in the last two games and with Huddersfield sitting pretty in second spot with the opportunity to go top with a win against Watford today, Norwood is sure that he has progressed his career to the next step.

Norwood has always been open in admitting that Huddersfield Town have made him feel welcome at the club from the moment he signed on the dotted line and when his boy hood club, Burnley, came to Town he knew for sure that The John Smiths Stadium was where his future lied in football;

"Burnley have always been the club I support. I had a season ticket when I was younger and I could see Turf Moor from my mum and dad's house when I was growing up. So, when I saw the fixtures and Burnley were our second home game then I felt really excited. I'd played against them last season for Coventry City when I was on loan, but it didn't mean as much as this year because I am a Huddersfield player now."

"I really wanted to win as I knew a load of my mates were going to be in the away end that afternoon. They gave me a bit of stick during the game. I can't repeat what it was but it wasn't nice. And these were my mates, don't forget. So, when we scored from a corner, I couldn't resist turning round and giving them a little wave. It was a bit of banter but I also think it showed me how much at home I already felt at Huddersfield. Leaving a club like United isn't an easy decision but I felt it had to be made. And, so far, it has been a dream move for me."

"Results have been good and the team has come together well, while the spirit in the camp is fantastic. Everyone is loving their football."

Norwood had a tough decision to make when he left behind 14 years of being a Manchester United player in the summer but with him failing to get just one first team appearance for the club he knew it was time to move on;

"You get to the point where you get fed up of not playing for the first team. I also saw how well all the lads did over at Hull. I grew up with lads like Corry Evans, James Chester and Joe Dudgeon, who will all tell you that the best thing they did in their careers was sign for Hull. I looked at them and thought, 'I fancy a bit of that'. Loans are okay but they can also be tough. I went to Scunthorpe at the start of the year. I was on my own in an apartment in Scunthorpe, which with no disrespect, is not the nicest place I know."

"I was stuck in there after training every day, spending 12, 13 or 14 hours on my own. It made things tough. I decided in the summer that I wasn't going to sign a contract. The big thing about United is they teach you that it is a big wide world out there; every man for himself. They teach you all those lessons, so when you do leave then you are equipped. We all know what to expect. Having said that, it was still a big decision to leave. I'd been there since I was seven so you get into the way of how things are done at United."

"It is every kid's dream to play for the club. They are the biggest one in the world and I have nothing but fantastic things to say about how I was brought up there. So to walk away was a tough decision but it had to be made for the good of my own career, and at the minute, it feels like a great decision as Huddersfield is turning out to be a great move. I did have other options as Barnsley were in for me. I spoke to Keith Hill and his assistant. They put across their plans for the club. But then I spoke to the manager and chairman here at Huddersfield and that made my mind up."

"I wanted to be at the top of the league and there was a real ambition here. Our league position shows that. I want to push on and play in the Premier League one day."

The terriers will go top with a win today against Watford at home and coming off two very impressive 3-1 away victories against Sheffield Wednesday & Blackpool means they will be favourites for todays clash at The John Smiths Stadium.

"We want to do something this season and I think we have shown already that we are able to compete with anyone. Monday was a massive result for us. I think it sent out a statement. I said before Sheffield Wednesday that we are not in the league to make the numbers up. Blackpool have been in the Premier League and they are up there in this league, year after year. They were unfortunate not to go up last year."

"But we went there with our game plan and got at them. We showed that we have some real quality here. What we must now do is do the same against Watford, as anything less and we will get beat."

Norwood is set to make yet another first team start for Huddersfield under manager Simon Grayson and the lad deserves all the credit he is currently receiving. Alongside both Southern & Clayton he has flourished in the middle of the park and has shown off his abilities from set pieces as well as having the eye to play a defence splitting pass. Oliver has a very bright future ahead of himself if he carries on the way he has been playing.

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Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Burnley

Huddersfield Town managed to pick up their first three points and their first win in The Championship for over eleven long years. The terriers sent Burnley home across the border with zero points after dominating the majority of the play in an impressive performance under the manager Simon Grayson. The team news, as always, was released around thirty minutes before kick off and this is how the terriers lined up on the field of play;

Starting XI; Smithies, Dixon, Lynch, Clarke (c), Hunt, Scannell, Southern, Norwood, Clayton, Vaughan, Rhodes.

Huddersfield started the match off in a basic 4-4-2 formation which saw Vaughan partner Rhodes upfront, However the early breakthrough for the terrriers came from the big central defender, Joel Lynch, who' glancing header from a Norwood corner was deemed to have crossed the line to the delight of the home crowd. This was the first time Huddersfield had taken the lead in The Championship this season and they could of well doubled it in the 14th minute. Scannell was causing his usual problems down the wing and his victim this time was Trippier who he brushed past before putting a ball into Rhodes in the box. Rhodes met the ball with his head but it crashed off the crossbar and was cleared to safety by the visitors who had begun the game on the ropes.

Huddersfield were playing some very nice football which was allowing them to dominate things in the middle of the park. Clayton was denied by a dedicated Burnley skipper, Jason Shackell before he watched Rhodes' effort being brilliantly saved by Lee Grant in the visitors goal. Clayton continued to drive the team forward with his attacking runs and he was regularly firing shots at goal which were troubling both Burnley's defence and goalkeeper. However, Burnley did have the ball in the back of the net just before half time.

David Edgar fired a shot in at the terriers goalmouth in the 44th minute which rippled the back of the net after bouncing off the woodwork. However, the linesman did have his flag up after deeming Charlie Austin was interfering with play in an offside position. Half time.

Lynch gave the terriers their first half lead,
His glancing header was deemed over the line

The teams emerged for the second half revitalized but once again it was the home side which controlled matters. Keith Southern tried his luck from 20 yards out but his effort was blocked superbly by Chris McCann. On the hour mark, Huddersfield deservedly doubled their advantage over Burnley when Rhodes netted his second goal in just two games. The Scottish striker was given the ball in the penalty area after great interplay between Clarke, Hunt & Lynch had seen the terriers progress fastly up the pitch. Rhodes turned in the box with the ball at his feet before smashing it home from tweleve yards out.

Huddersfield were now two goals to the good & Burnley continued to struggle to make any sort of impact on the game with a resilient Huddersfield defence holding strong. Burnleys strikers, Vokes & Austin just couldn't get into he game as every ball was being won by the two centre backs who were playing extremely well. Peter Clarke was leading by example as he rose on numerous times to win the aerial challenges against Austin. Burnley did start to look more threatening towards the end of the game as they went in search for the goal which would get them back into the match.

However, it wasn't meant to be as the home side saw the game out with some slick passing play being carried out by the midfield. Lynch was rightly awarded the man of the match award for a superb display which has cemented the Welsh defenders place in the starting eleven.

Full time: Huddersfield 2-0 Burnley

Clayton: 'Onwards & Upwards'

Adam Clayton says the terriers have met their target which was set for them in the first three games and that was to get a win. Huddersfield Town picked up all three points against Burnley on Saturday after an impressive performance saw them come out 2-0 winners. Clayton was interviewed after the match by the official website and this is what he had to say;

"Yeah, we’re buzzing now. Our aim was to get a win in our first three games and now we’ve done it. I think the new lads now know what the Championship is going to bring and that is a good victory to get; Burnley are a very good team who pass it very well and have some good players, so it’s a good result. We’ve played against three very good teams in the League and I think we’ve acquitted ourselves very well, so it’s been good so far. If you can get the first goal in a Championship game, more often than not you will win the game. It was nice to top it off and get the next one to take a bit of pressure off – that was a nice feeling."

Along with the victory came Huddersfield's first clean sheet in The Championship which is something The Yorkshire Club need to repeat regularly to compete in this league;

"I’m sure Smithies will be happy with that! Onwards and upwards now; perhaps we can rattle off another couple of wins and see where that takes us.”

Adam Clayton is one of Grayson's summer signings along with numerous others but the versatile midfielder stated that the whole squad is getting along fine regardless of some tough opening fixtures;

"We’ve had three games together now, but even in the first against Cardiff I thought our team shape was very good and we passed the ball well against a very good side. Nottingham Forest is another good side – you could see that against Bolton last night – and again today we did well. That only bodes well for the future. It’s brilliant here. I enjoy playing football and I’m thoroughly enjoying the way we are playing and passing it at the moment. We’re a tight nit group and the day to day training is brilliant."

Clayton fired off a fair few shots of his own on Saturday with the majority being blocked by diving Burnley bodies but he was pleased to see Rhodes getting on the scoresheet for the second game running;

"I was already off celebrating when I saw the ball drop to him! When it drops to Jordan you have no doubt about him hitting the back of the net."

Clayton also played for the first time with new loanee James Vaughan who he thinks is going to be a very valuable asset to the terriers this season;

"James is a very good addition to the squad. His pedigree speaks for itself, playing for Everton and Norwich in the Premier League; he’s a very good player. You could see how brilliant his work rate is today and it would be nice to get him his first goal as quickly as possible, because if he is scoring goals with Jordan we’ll have quite a good strike-force."

"I’m looking forward to the Ipswich game, but not necessarily the drive there! It will be another good game in a good atmosphere and it will give our team more experience of Championship football. If we can go there and put another good performance in, like we did at Cardiff, we can push on again when we get back to our Stadium."

Grayson Praises Team Effort

Simon Grayson watched his Huddersfield side record their first win in The Championship for eleven years today as they beat Burnley 2-0 at The John Smiths Stadium. All three points were picked up by the terriers in an entertaining game which saw Joel Lynch & Jordan Rhodes getting themselves on the scoresheet. Grayson praised the entire team for the victory in his post match comments;

"I am delighted with the victory. We scored a couple of good goals and kept a clean sheet – I thought right from the first whistle we were at it today. We closed and pressurised Burnley all over the pitch and used the ball with a purpose when we had it. We created some good opportunities and when we were under pressure in the game we defended professionally. There is undoubted quality within our squad, but I thought our work ethic today was first class."

"We aren't going to get carried away because we are only three games in; but we have come up against three established teams and done well. The players showed a positive attitude and the supporters back us. We never let them have two minutes on the ball and that is what you have to do against the top teams."

Joel Lynch opened the terriers account with a headed effort from a Norwood corner which saw the ball declared over the line by the linesman;

"Some people may believe that Joel's effort wasn't over the line, but that doesn't worry me. We worked their keeper well today and also hit the bar. The link up play between James Vaughan and Jordan Rhodes was excellent at times, but it was an all-round team effort that contributed to the goals today."

"I thought 'Lynchy' was exceptional and James Vaughan, who came into the team at the expense of Lee Novak, offered us something different with his pace. I like Lee Novak and it was a tough decision not to play him but I though Vaughan complemented us very well – we have got good options all over the pitch."

Winger Sean Scannell limped off the field of play and his situation is still unknown admitted Grayson;

"Sean has pulled his hamstring and although we don't know the severity of the injury yet it looks likely that he will miss next weekend. It is a shame because he has worked hard since he arrived here and possess quality, but I thought when Danny Ward came on he did well. I looked at the bench today and was delighted with the strength in depth that we currently have."

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Grayson; We Like Being Underdogs

Simon Grayson let everyone know today that his side is happy to be considered as underdogs for the majority of games this season. Huddersfield clash with Burnley today in a match that will be hotly contested at The John Smiths Stadium but even after two impressive performances, the terriers go into the tie as second favourites.

Grayson also stated that The Yorkshire Club can compete against anyone at this level and aren't scared of any club;

"I don't think spirit in the camp has ever been a problem, even after we lost to that late goal against Cardiff, because the performance was very good. What's happened in the first two matches has shown the players they can compete against two teams I expect to be in the top reaches of the division. Forest have spent heavily and have some good players in their line-up, and Cardiff have done exactly the same after being in the play-offs the last three years – and we've competed very well against both of them."

"It just shows us as a team what we have to do to get results. We have to make sure we stay in games for as long as it takes because we do have match-winners, people who can get us something at any particular time."

Simon Grayson admitted that they were up against it in their last match against Nottingham Forest but stated that they could of been in a worse position if they chased after the game;

"If the other night, when Forest had a lot of possession of the ball, we had gone chasing it we could easily have been 2-0 or 3-0 down and the game would have been over. But we stuck in there, determined to stay in the contest and try and get a result no matter how long it took. That is testament to the fact the players have listened to what we want them to do, carried out their instructions and earned the break when we needed it."

Grayson is also happy with the squad he has including the latest arrival James Vaughan who signed on a season long loan yesterday;

"I think we have good players who are flexible. In the team and the squad we can play different systems to suit ourselves and, if we have to alter it to combat the opposition, we can do that as well. We can adapt, but the focus is always on what we are doing first and foremost. The thing is at this level, the opposition cause you more problems because they have better movement, rotation and flexibility."

"In League I, nine times out of 10 we had the better players and would just go out and win the games. It is different this year and everyone has to come to terms with that and realise that we are not always going to get a lot of possession. We will dominate at times because we have good players, but there will be other times both home and away when we come under the cosh and we have to make sure we stay in those games until we get the result we want to get."

Grayson reiterated the underdogs statement at the end of his pre-match interview but was also very keen in stating that they fear absolutely no-one;

"We will be underdogs for most of the games this season because there are only four other teams in the Championship who have not played in the Premier League. Every game we will be up against teams who are established in the Championship, teams with players who have played at the highest level while we are the newcomers, but we don't fear anyone. We respect our opposition, but we don't fear them and being the underdogs might just suit us because it's a different type of pressure."

"In League I, the pressure can build and the supporters can get anxious and edgy when they think you should be winning matches all the time – but it won't be that easy this year and, while we always try to win every game, people have to realise it's a different situation."

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Norwood Looking Forward To Burnley Clash

Huddersfield Town will host Burnley at The John Smiths Stadium on Saturday and after picking up their first point in The Championship for eleven years the whole squad is buzzing. This is no different for young midfielder Oliver Norwood who has made a very impressive start for the terriers in pre-season & the first two matches of the season.

Norwood will go against not only his hometown club but also the club he has supported since a young lad and he is excited to do just that;

"Oh yes I’m a Burnley fan. I was brought up there, I still live there and it will be nice to play against them – really special for me. I played last year at Burnley when I was on loan with Coventry and set up the equalising goal, which was great."

"To be honest, I don’t even think who I’m playing against once I cross the white line, but it will be great if we can beat Burnley so I can have a bit of banter afterwards with my family and friends."

Norwood is confident that Huddersfield Town will be able to compete in this league but insisted that the entire squad must continue with what they are currently doing;

"We have to keep believing in ourselves and we’ll be fine. We’ve shown what we can do against two good sides and we have more than enough ability to do well."