Loan star is hoping for a Euro bonus
ON first glance, Huddersfield Town’s next game at home to Liverpool looks a daunting task.
Led by Jurgen Klopp, the close friend of Town boss David Wagner, the Anfield men are unbeaten in the Premier League to date and look set to challenge for the title.
However, Wagner may take confidence from the fact that in recent years October has been a challenging period for the Merseyside club.
Last season, Liverpool failed to beat Newcastle and Manchester United in October, although they did find enough time to defeat Town 3-0 at Anfield.
Most hurtful for Liverpool, though, was the humiliating 4-1 thrashing at Wembley from a Harry Kane-powered Spurs who badly exposed the defensive issues that Klopp now finally seems to have a handle on.
Looking slightly further back, a shock October 2014 defeat to Basel and a dour 0-0 draw with Hull ruined then-manager Brendan Rogers’ month.
Only a year later October was the curse of Rogers yet again, as a run of six games with only one win was enough to get the now Celtic boss the sack.
With no goals for Liverpool so far this month in a 1-0 defeat to Napoli and a goalless draw with Manchester City, the jury is out on whether they will carry their early-season form through October.
Everyone at Huddersfield Town will be hoping for another autumn slip-up when Liverpool arrive next Saturday for the 5.30pm Premier League kick-off (live on BT Sport). HUDDERSFIELD Town loan man Isaac Mbenza is hoping for a big bonus before Liverpool visit the John Smith’s Stadium.
That’s because the SCOTLAND captain Andy Robertson has stressed it is up to the players to perform better in Alex McLeish’s system as he denied criticising the manager.
McLeish has devised a 3-5-2 formation with Robertson at wingback and Kieran Tierney inside him in a bid to accommodate both. from Montpellier is looking to qualify for the European Under 21 Championships with Belgium tomorrow.
Wingman Mbenza is in the squad for their final qualifying match against Sweden at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm.
Robertson stated after Thursday’s 2-1 Nations League defeat in Israel that both he and Tierney wanted to play left-back and his new role was a “lot harder”.
But he clarified he had no problem with the tactics.
Robertson said: “What I said after the game, I stick by, that me and Kieran Tierney are used to playing left-back and are both playing a position that we don’t usually play at
Sweden are three points and a goal behind Belgium in the standings, so a point will be enough to secure a place in the finals for Mbenza and Co.
Should he play - and Belgium are looking to extend their winning run in qualifying to eight games - Mbenza will be earning his 11th cap.
Mbenza has made four Premier League appearances for Town this season, all of them as a substitute.
His one start so far has come in the Carabao Cup at Stoke City .
Born in France, where he lived until he was five, Mbenza was brought up in Belgium and played junior football with Stockel before moving to FC Brussels at 15.
He then joined Valenciennes in France, initially playing for the B team, before going to Standard Liege in 2016 and quickly being snapped up by Montpellier, where he was a clubmate of Town’s Steve Mounie.
Mbenza says he is enjoying life in West Yorkshire and told the club’s official website: “It is different club level. But that doesn’t mean that’s an excuse for both of us.
“The whole team haven’t been good enough, especially on Thursday and there’s no excuse in terms of positions. We can still get the basics right, which we never did on Thursday.
“I have played wing-back at Hull before, but in a slightly different position, so it’s a wee bit different for me. But it’s something I am willing to because in France it’s a different language, the money is different and they drive on the right side of the road in France and it’s the left over here - it is so different. “This life is nice and the people are more open, it’s a good city and, just like France, it is nice.” Admitting he spends most of his down time away from PPG Canalside resting, Mbenza added: “I sometimes head out and go to a restaurant and shopping. “I tried Thai food for the first-time - it was so nice. “It is so different, English food is nice, but I always prefer eating French food. My favourite type of food is Italian, and I really like spaghetti.” The other Town players in action on Tuesday are Steve Mounie (Benin), Philip Billing (Denmark Under 21s), Jon Gorenc Stankovic (Slovenia Under 21s), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Germany Under 21s) and Denmark full international duo Mathias Zanka Jorgensen and Jonas Lossl. learn. If the gaffer chooses to stick with this formation, then it’s something I need to get better at.
“Maybe people took it as if I was taking a dig at the gaffer. Some people said that, which I completely disagree with.
“I have a very good relationship with the gaffer and it wasn’t a pop by any means, it was more me saying I need to learn it and every game I’m trying to learn it.”