Huddersfield Town News 24/7 

Another 0-4 Defeat. Thoughts On The Current Situation.

25/10/2023

Another 4-0 loss, making that 4 for the calendar year and 5 times that Town have conceded 4 in a game. You have to go back to 2020/21, for the last time that Town conceded 4 goals or more on at least 3 separate occasions (4) in a season. After 13 games this season, they have already conceded 4 goals on 3 separate occasions. When you look at 2023 as a whole, they have lost 3 times 4-0 at home. It is horrendous, and I can't see it being the last thumping any time soon.

Warnock to Moore

I think the issue with 'moving Warnock on' and appointing Moore is that Town's board can't win. If we are sitting here with 6 straight wins under Moore, the point will have still been: 'But Warnock could have managed that'. For me, that is the issue with the Moore appointment. Darren has managed 1 win, 3 draws and 2 losses so far, which is a point per game, which is a steady start, but by no means as bad as what can be seen on social media. A quick look on X (Twitter), you'd think Town haven't won a game all season, but in reality, they sit 19th, 6 points clear of the relegation zone.

I am not bashing the decision to appoint Moore, because clearly, he is the man (or woman) that Town has identified to take the club forward long-term. I think Moore is a very good manager and has been largely underrated for the majority of his career. He nearly did the impossible and kept West Brom up in 2017/18, winning April Manager of the Month for the Premier League in the process. Then was sacked the following season while The Baggies were in the play offs. You then only need to look at where Doncaster Rovers are now (League 2), compared to where Moore left them (top half of League 1). Then to get 96 points with Sheffield Wednesday last year is no easy feat at all.

The problem is the style. To go from a steady traditional approach of Warnock, to a more 'modern day' passing approach from Moore is a huge change. Especially when it is mid-season, the summer recruitment was steered towards Warnock and the players at the club don't fit this approach. You only have to look at the performances under Buzz to see how Town did previously.

The final factor and I think this goes a huge way, is the affinity the players and fans had with Warnock. The players and supporters adored Warnock and just as everyone at the club started to enjoy football again, it feels like it has been ripped away.

Town's Defence

My big issue with Town's defence all season is the lack of pace in it. Helik, Pearson, Lees, Nakayama, Edwards and Ruffels are solid players, but are not quick. Then you have Headley and Jackson who are a bit quicker, but both look off it, which will be discussed later. Pearson, Helik and Lees are great when it is backs against the wall, and bodies on the line, but dealing with pace is different. Under Warnock there was a defensive man to man approach, with the ball being punted long out the back. This meant that the defensive unit would move up with the opposition attackers, but under Moore there is an emphasis on playing out from the back, which creates a gap between the opposing attackers and Town's defenders. So when the ball is lost the three central defenders for Town are isolated. I like Matty Pearson, but he is so out of place in a ball-playing side. As soon as he is in a foot race with an attacker there is only one way it is ending.

With the squad available a back 3 doesn't work and it only has seen as much use as it has, because we are stacked at centre back. For me, a back 4 makes so much more sense. The centre-backs are not as isolated from the rest of the team, it doesn't leave space behind the wing-backs for opposition attackers to exploit. The game was done and dusted at half time vs Cardiff and you could say that Cardiff coasted through the second half, but I did think the 442 Town played looked a lot more compact.

Set Pieces

Against QPR, Town was dreadful at defensive set pieces. I was worried each time QPR got a corner and really should have punished Town more. Cardiff exploited this, Town seemed to get very tight to the Cardiff players and each Town man looked to be reacting to the Cardiff man rather than at the ball. The QPR goal got lofted into the back post and Clarke-Salter was able to rise up above everyone unchallenged.

The above freeze frame shows 4 Town players without a man in the box, QPR outmuscled Town by having 4 players challenging for the ball in the box, with only 2 Town players around it. Then you look at the first Cardiff goal, where Goutas bull-dozers through the Town defensive shape to score. The approach doesn't seem to work.

The second Cardiff goal is even worse, there are 4 Town players in the vicinity of the same ball, and a poor header allows Meite to be able to strike home. I always think, don't fix what is not broken, but currently, Town has gone from being defensively strong to having no idea how they are to defend set pieces. Under Warnock Town conceded 1 goal from a corner, under Moore they have conceded 3 goals. It seems like there has been too much change at once and the players are lost. The reaction of the players after all the Cardiff goals is just disbelief and pointing at each other as if they don't know what they are doing.

The bottom line is, Town conceded 1 set piece in the first 11 games of the season, in the last 2 games they have conceded 4 goals from them. Pre-QPR Town was joint with Ipswich for having the least number of goals conceded from set pieces (1), now only Stoke City have conceded more (7).

Town's youth players look mentally drained

Town's academy graduates have filled out the majority of the 'squad positions' this season: Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Pat Jones, Josh Austerfield, Brahima Diarra, Josh Austerfield, Ben Jackson, Jaheim Headley, Loick Ayina and Kian Harratt. It is great that we have seen this many players come through, but huge pressure has been put on their shoulders. Jackson has been moved about into numerous positions and looks somewhat lost compared to last season. Headley has lost all his confidence since the red card in the cup vs Middlesborough. Diarra started the first 5 games in all competitions and then hasn't started since. Brahima came close to scoring a few times, and I think if he had found the net, he would have been brimming with confidence.

The problem is that with them being squad players, they are only being given minutes if they are absolutely needed. They are coming in cold and starting or only getting 15 minutes here and there. There needs to be an emphasis on embedding these players in and keeping them match-sharp because at the moment they are being thrust into the side when there is an injury and their inexperience is showing, which in turn is hurting their confidence. It is a Catch-22 situation.

Where does Town go from here?

Leeds away this weekend gives the players the best chance to respond. Form goes out the window in a derby, the players have to want it to win it. A derby win would not only go a long way with giving the players confidence, but also giving the fans something to smile about. I say all this, but I just know Town will be 3 nil down inside 25 minutes won't they?

Onwards from playing that lot, it really is a damage limitation situation until January. Moore can't keep going with trying to implement how he has historically set up his teams, he needs to adapt. There is a good group of players here as proved by Warnock, he just needs to work out how he extracts that performance out of the group.

I think there are glaring issues in attack and midfield, but those issues were there under Warnock and I feel like a broken record mentioning them again. For me, the most worrying sign is how far Town has fallen off in defence. It is the one thing that has kept Town up in recent years. When Town have an attack that hasn't scored more than two goals in a game all season, you really need a solid defence to back you up.

Anyway, roll on Leeds... Keep the faith.