View from Huddersfield Town

[terryr]

Believe it or not there isn't much......

"Think the game will be won and lost down the flanks. Both sides have terrific go forward full backs and wide men. I'd say their two widemen are better wide men than ours, but our two are set up better coming inside a bit more, and are also better tracking back.
They are very energetic especially early on, but then again we can do that as well.
I think our two central defenders are better than theirs.
Going to be a fascinating game. Hope DW learned a hell of a lot from the first encounter. Don't think he has been caught out twice this season.
Hope the absence of Martin will be key, although they didn't look to miss him at all v Villa.
Point each wouldn't do either team any harm!"

" Given Fulham's threat down both flanks we'll def keep Kachunga and VLP out wide to support the full backs. I think Wells will start but I fear that Mooy will play the 10 position and Whitehead will play alongside Hogg. Wagner will go for a solid formation rather than an attacking one because the prime aim is to stop Fulham getting the 3 points...then go for the 3 points at Wolves next week. Really can't see either side going full on attack in this one though. Now Fulham are in the play-off positions they have something to lose whereas previously they were chasing that position.. Going to be a very tense game I think"

" 0-0 with 5 minutes left and Brown comes on and smashes one in to the top corner with his first touch. Good these Chelsea lads."

Ward
Smith Lowe
Hefele
Schindler
Hogg
Mooy
Scannell
Katchunga
VLP
Wells
Possibly Brown instead of Scannell

Scannell played well for the U23 team today."

" maybe
ward
smith-hefele-schindler-lowe
hogg-moooy
kachunga-wells-para
quaner"

" Don't think wells and quaner will start together, if one of them gets an injury then we're stuck with one striker (Yes there's kachunga but lolley is hardly setting the right wing alight so Kachunga is better off there)"

" if one plays he can get injured, then the other would come on and maybe get injured also"

" Izzy Wizzy must start.
VLP was poor yesterday."

" We'll need a proper midfield full of energy to face up Fulham."

" A win and we're home and dry..
a draw and we have more to do regardless of other results
Even if we'd won at Derby we'd still have more to do... I hope Burton get stuck into Leeds...give them some welly and beat them..."

"start with the team that will most likely win the game..
adapt as the game goes on..
if we start with scannel or vlp then please ffs stop letting them play on their own..somebody support or go past them, give them an option or take a defender away..
Brown if fit to start.. replace as and when the game or fitness dictates..
whatever we do going forward, do it quickly, less numbers required and less chance of being broken on..
always remember Fulham score lots and concede lots..shutting up shop is foreign to them.."

" Don't understand why this hasn't sold out already. given it is the most important game of the season so far and one in which we can secure a play off place. According to ticket office we've barely sold 19,000 tickets (that'll include the Fulham fans tickets). Ok, we'll have a few pay on the day but I was hoping/expecting a near full house to cheer the lads over the line."

"Perhaps we should take account that in the away fixture the team was missing, Hogg, Hefele and VLP. These players will be playing instead of Whitehead, Hudson and Bunn and that just about everything fell for Fulham including Whitehead being booked early.Not saying Fulham were not good but we did give them a massive helping hand.
Should be a very interesting afternoon."

" in fifty two years of watching my beloved HTFC I truly don't think my heart is going to hold out for the next seven weeks.I go to sleep dreaming of last minute goals to get us to the Premiership,have nightmares about -what if this is the best it will ever be,have dreams about good looking German lads,wake up,put on Down at the Mac,then get HTFC latest on their poo website,then go to a Gossip on BBC Sport,check all above three out every hour minimum,just to see if Izzie or Casey will be back etc etc.I,m a screwed up wreck...........can anybody recommend any pills-Truly cannot even think of a playoff match going to the wire HELP.UTT"

" Get a second hobby, been disappointed for so many years i have even stopped looking who we play next. As i wrote that i had to have a real think....Fulham..Sat.
Living in the moment a lot more as i age, dont project too far except to August 12th when we kick-off in the Prem"

"I would literally start crying if we got promoted....
I wouldn't be able to hide my emotions and I really wouldn't care to be honest...
This football club as been my life since a little boy ......
Nobody understands apart from us what it means....UTT...TTID....."

UPDATED BELOW

"Wonder what our plan was at their place ( last time)?"

" Why hasn't this sold out?"

"Yes - surprising. Hard to believe but we might have had a bigger crowd v Burton."

"  Town and Bunn especially missed a couple of absolute gobbers at Fulham and even though losing by 5 just about matched them for shots on target."

" remember it well (although I've just looked up the stats)  ...Fulham 8 on target, 5 goals - Town 6 on target, 0 goals..
6 corners each
possession 52/48
We just went awol in the left back area of our box... I'm not sure we ever saw the triumvirate of Hudson, Whitehead, Bunn again.
Thankfully they declared with 25 minutes left , otherwise it would have been much worse..."

" Very good side. They were quality at craven. Fundemental we protect Lowe as he was targeted aerially and suffered badly. Like all top 12 championship encounters it'll be who wants it most on the day and who takes their chances. I don't think the result is particularly crucial. It's Just vital we stay clear of injuries now."

" Hope the lads read this.....

Offline Craven Bothy
Youth Academy
*
Posts: 7

Re: Next up - Huddersfield
« Reply #7 on: Today at 12:14:39 AM »
I think our tougher run in gives us an advantage.
We know we face rivals away from home so need to go win games as the next won't be easy.
Hopefully that'll toughen us.
I hope, rather than expect, Huddesfield will bottle it through lack of experience. Their form suggests a potential wobble, plus we can't forget us turning them over.
Three points here and three points at home may be enough to put the nails into Leeds or Sheffield. "

" We have home advantage this time and our foreign players have improved a lot since they first came in. Also VLP is much much better at tracking back than Bunn so Loewe will get more protection this time. Hogg needs to be all over Cairney because everything comes through him.
Think it'll be a real see-saw encounter, they'll come at us and we'll raise our game. Hopefully Brown on for the last half an hour against tiring legs and minds will turn it out way."

"  Last time at their place, was he (Loewe targeted) I wasn't there. He looked pretty challenged on the deck by Aluko. However, Schindler covers him a lot better now as does VLP in front. They certainly have a lot of pace about them but let's not frighten ourselves. DW doesn't often get turned over twice. Only Wendies have done it. Both teams have similar "identities" so it will be interesting to see if either change. Their loss of Martin could be crucial, although it didn't affect them last week."

" I'm not sure he was targeted in particular, but we were mullered down both wings that day. As I recall all 5 of their goals (well maybe 4 of them 'cos one was a penalty) were scored from the same patch of grass..the left side of  our 6 yard box. Maybe they had pinpointed that as a weak area..but ..we didn't have Hogg or VLP starting that day, and they are key links in our defensive structure. I'm going to stick my neck out on this one and predict Wagner is going to have us playing our 'normal' high intensity game tomorrow...and starve them of the ball. I don't see the point in conceding territory and possession in a defensive set up, we are who we are..and 90% of the time we play one way...it's time to return to that and really get stuck into Fulham and see how they like that.
They can be undone, they conceded 4 goals three times this season and have just one clean sheet in 12 games (and that was against Rotherham). If we fear them we've already lost...trust in our own style/identity which has been so successful so far...and we'll have 'em."

" We were without Hogg and VLP was on the bench at Fulham; Löwe did get exposed. You've mentioned them not missing Martin against Villa twice; I don't think you can make a comparison between a home game where they played against ten men for 70 minutes (with Villa having their main goal threat sent off) and what might happen tomorrow."

" My comparison is that Martin has scored freely against us for Norwich, Derby and Fulham - and I'm glad he is not playing."

" I think both teams will be playing the same 'normal' high intensity games."

" Agree, just hope the ref doesn't ruin it by wanting to be centre stage again.."

" I daren't look who it is these days - not that there are too many good ones you can hope for. If he is going to make mistakes - lets hope all his mistakes favour us than them!"

" For what its worth I definitely would not start Brown - he would be on the bench but I would only bring him on late on if we were losing. Chances are we are playing Fulham again - I would not want them to see how incredibly pivotal Brown is and give them an opportunity to kick him in the air. Izzys style is fast and attacking - They could put him back in to the Chelsea physio room when we need him for the important three games after the season finishes. Restrict Fulham to only a point and we then need a further point from three.Two of those games are against the volley ballers."

" I think it's:
Win = in play-offs
Draw = need 2 points from 3 games
Lose = need 4 points from 3 games"

"If you want to choose a mathematically possible scenario, you are right. But for us to miss the playoffs Fulham, Massive and Leeds all have to pass us. With Fulham and Massive playing each other the chances of that happening are slimmer than a slim thing on a very slim day."

" Sensible comment re izzy,bench for me no point pushing him too soon will defo need him later."

" There's only one winner tomorrow
HTFC the team for me
Izzy to send us all crazy at the death
As Churchill said " this will be our finest hour "

"I think its win tomorrow, then see what other results are..
just believe we will need the same frame of mind as Fulham ...
our way of going about the game might differ but not the mindset..
a draw is what you end up with.. its never a starting point..
they will give you chances but you have to be there to take em..
villa pinched the ball time after time especially after kodja got sent off, nowhere to send it..often both fulham full backs were well past the ball along with at least one if not 2 of the central players..
wagner is certainly clever enough, just needs a bravery pill before the game, perhaps?"

" www.examiner.co.uk/sport/football/news/huddersfield-town-wait-play-confirmation-12925483
Prutton Makes his point."

" What's Prutton know. Apparently we were controlling the game at derby, before surrendering all THREE points. Yet another lazy ignorant twit."

" Fulham Galacticos."

" Bit disappointed in the TV coverage of this game. I thought it had been selected as a live game internationally but I am only finding one listing for it in the US, on BEIN Sports but 3 hours later. Anyone know of any live channels it will be on that I may be able to find a stream for?"

" Great news having Izzy back and best scenario would be for him to get a little cameo run out near the end of tomorrow's game just to ease him back in."

" Match day !
I hope we're all celebrating our securing a play-off place by tea time.
This is crunch time, massive support needed from the fans...for 90 minutes.or 98 minutes...
The NSL have a big job today to set the tone, I hope you're all up for it."

" not confident at all about today. just hope we c an get over that line, then the pressure is off. I'd take a draw or a sneaky win right now."

If we don't go up- Thread started yesterday which is interesting

" Won't be regarded as a failure by me and I dare say 90% of supporters. You're suffering from "livingawayitis "

" It's difficult to know if the club had a target at the start of the season but, for me, it was the being on the first page of the table on Ceefax. With an untested manager/coach, significant changes to the squad and one of the lowest budgets in the league, wherever we finish now has to be to be seen as a brilliant achievement."

" It'll always be remembered as a very good season. "

"The club deserves a shot at the play offs, and so do the brilliant fans.
If we don't quite make it I just hope it isn't down to yet another dodgy refereeing decision. That would be too cruel on everyone."

" t's been a great season, as much off the pitch as on it.

The players and coaches have to be given massive credit for what they have achieved.

However, I already feel like we have missed a great opportunity for automatic promotion (still chance for me to be proved wrong), which would have really been a truly incredible achievement for the club."

" Failure? We are what we are. Losses are not failures for a team that has made such strides... they are part of the learning curve.

If we finish in the top six (or even top seven) then it is a massive, massive improvement from what we were only twelve months previously.
The season cannot be considered anything but a success."

" No matter what happens it's been a great season."

"If we fail to make it through the playoffs (assuming we get there) it will still have been a great season. We started the season with little or no chance of even making the top half of the table accoring to those in the know. What has happened this season has been nothing short of amazing. We have genuinely competed with the rest of this league for the first time since we came up, on a shoestring budget compared to the big guns, and we have seen our home attendances where they should be for pretty much every game."

" Spot on with the third lowest budget in the division to finish at least7th is a great achievement even if we miss out on playoffs and believe me this is the most uncompromising division of the four.The club is trying to move foreward and we should all embrace it."

" From being also-rans/keeping our heads above water and avoiding the drop to being very strong contenders for a playoff place and at one point a possible top 2 finisher. If that's failure bring it on."

" anybody who subsequently focuses on the negatives and pillories the club, the players, the Mgr etc... (& there will be quite a few)
I can only assume their objective at the start of the season was for HTFC to deliver the moon on a stick..."

" The championship will be stronger than ever next season. Villa, Wolves, Derby, Norwich, the 3 that fail in play-offs & the 3 that come down will all be expecting to compete for promotion. For us to finish top ten any season now is a major achievement..like it or not."

" I am not bothered about getting into the greedy league.The only reason would be to reward Dean for his superb running of the club and to give good financial stability for the future.

On a totally selfish note me not being a season card holder would make it almost impossible to get into any game.
Just happy to be in the top part of the championship, if we go up great but I'm not losing any sleep about it."

All in all they seem a decent bunch and are rightly proud of what their club has accomplished. They strike me as real supporters, fairly humble but excited by the possibilities they never dreamed of before this season.
Regardless of how it feels when we beat them today, a tip of the hat to their fans"

[RaySmith]

They seem nervy. They're quite a friendly  little club, a bit like us, and have achieved a lot this season - like us. But I hope we thrash them tomorrow of course.

A narrow 1-0 will do - it would be a massive victory for us.

Thanks Terry.

[Fulham Tup North]

They seem nervy. They're quite a friendly  little club, a bit like us, and have achieved a lot this season - like us. But I hope we thrash them tomorrow of course.

A narrow 1-0 will do - it would be a massive victory for us.

Thanks Terry.

And a win against them tomorrow would send out a strong message to Wednesday and Leeds, that we will not give up our spot in the Play-Offs!!!
COYW

[Andy S]

I hope for all our sakes it unfolds in a good way. It's the false dawns that are the killers

[terryr]

updated