Town must have a go at Gunners, says pundit
SKY pundit Paul Merson is encouraging Town to have a right go at Arsenal at the John Smith’s Stadium today.
The former Arsenal and England frontman reckons his old club aren’t good enough defensively.
He is, however, still backing them to score a 2-0 win over Jan Siewert’s bottom-of-the-table Premier League side.
The 2-0 Arsenal victory is available at 7/1 with Sky Bet, and even Merson admits he would not be shocked if Unai Emery’s side don’t pick up the three points.
“I’m going to go for Arsenal, but I would not be shocked if they did not win because defensively, Arsenal are just not good enough,” he says in his regular predictions column for the satellite broadcaster.
“And sooner or later, something has got to happen at Huddersfield – they have to have an all-out go now, it is pointless coming away from this game with a draw.
“Before the game, a draw would be a good result, but actually, it would not be.
“They now need to win football matches, so they may as well go out and have a go.
“You may as well go out and if they get beat five...”
Meanwhile, Mark Lawrenson can’t see Town beating Arsenal, even though he believes the Gunners are vulnerable.
The BBC pundit and former Liverpool defender says he is puzzled by some of the decisions made recently by Arsenal boss Unai Emery.
He still believes Arsenal will carve out a 2-0 win at the John Smith’s Stadium, however, to maintain their challenge for a top-four finish.
In his BBC predictions column for the Premier League, Lawrenson said: “Huddersfield played some nice football in their defeat by Chelsea last week, but they looked very open.
“You can see why their former manager David Wagner was far more cautious and played the way he did, because he thought that was their only chance of nicking the odd result.
“There is no great pressure on Jan Siewert whatever happens here, because this game is more about the story at Arsenal, and what is happening to them.”
Arsenal haven’t lost to Town since 1971. JADEN Brown is one of the most highly-rated young players in the English game and many were surprised when he moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Town.
The 20-year-old attacking leftback has featured in the UEFA Youth League and the Premier League 2 for Spurs, and started all four of their Checkatrade Trophy matches this season, scoring in the 4-0 win over Gillingham.
An England Under-19 international, Town were lauded for stepping in and securing his services, initially for the Elite Development Squad, on a contract until June 2021.
It was an eye-catching bit of business in the January transfer window, made with the agreement the player would be found a loan move to get some first-team football under his belt. Brown signed for Exeter City, who are seventh in League Two and aiming to make a big push for promotion under boss Matt Taylor.
But he hasn’t played since, or even made the bench.
So what is going on?
For the answers, The Examiner went to the man in the know, Stuart James, the digital sports editor for DevonLive, PlymouthLive and CornwallLive.
ONE of excitement really. He comes with a very good reputation, fans had read about him on football. london and pieces I did and were quite excited.
In years gone by, the full-backs at Exeter have not always ventured too far forward, but this is now something the manager, Matt Taylor, seems to be quite keen on.
He wants to get full-backs into the team who are overlapping, get down to the goalline and put crosses into the box.
In that sense, Jaden Brown ticks all the boxes but, unfortunately, he hasn’t featured at all yet.
JADEN signed just before the Newport game on January 19 but the paperwork wasn’t done in time for him to be available.
With that in mind, there have been two games, both at home, which have brought a 1-0 win over Cambridge United and a 3-1 win over MK Dons.
The interesting thing with the Cambridge game is that Craig Woodman has been the preferred left-back for much of the season but, for that game, Matt Taylor brought Kane Wilson into the team, who was signed on loan from West Brom earlier this season.
Wilson, in fact, is a right-back, but he has very similar traits to Brown in that he is quite attack-minded, likes to get forward and join in with the forward raiding.
Matt decided for the Cambridge game, though, to play Wilson at left-back and Brown wasn’t even included on the bench. NOTHING other than it was an exciting signing.
Fans had looked at his background with Tottenham, where he has done well, and he fitted the bill for what Exeter needed at the time. They were delighted to sign a young, attacking full-back and people were looking forward to seeing him – they thought it was a really good signing.
Obviously he went to Huddersfield and then came straight down on loan, so people didn’t know too much about him but were really looking forward to seeing him perform.
TO be fair Jaden, Exeter have actually defended really well throughout January. They had clean sheets at Swindon and at home to Morecambe before conceding only one at Newport.
Then in theIR latest two matches, both of which have been won, they’ve conceded just once against MK Dons.
So it’s been tough for Jaden really, and he probably hasn’t had the opportunity that he perhaps thought he might have had.
Exeter have been defending really well.
Jaden is fine and played in a reserve game on Tuesday but just hasn’t really had
the chance
HE told us Jaden is fine and played in a reserve game on Tuesday but just hasn’t really had the chance.
Matt explained Craig Woodman is the experienced left-back ahead of him at the moment and Kane Wilson was played in that position against Cambridge for specific reasons.
The manager told us Jaden will