Corberan has to start with centre-backs this summer
HUDDERSFIELD Town face a big summer that you can either look at as a daunting challenge for the recruitment team or the opportunity to reshape the squad in Carlos Corberan’s image. It’s both, really, isn’t it? It’s fine for things to be two things.
The squad is going to be thin pretty much all over the pitch, and there are arguments to be made about the goalkeeper or highquality loans across the front line but there are a few positions we think are absolutely crucial Town get nailed down first.
Here are the five positions they should start with, in order from most to least urgent...
NOW look, we know you wanted us to start this list off with a striker. Strikers are exciting, and for one reason or another, those currently at Town’s disposal just don’t get the pulse racing.
But we can’t in good conscience start at No.9 when Town have the joint-worst defensive record in the division.
As Corberan has repeatedly been at pains to point out throughout the season, that isn’t just down to the back line - it takes a whole team to defend.
But respectfully, nor should an aspirational club with designs of playing a thoroughly modern style of play with centre-backs acting as the first attackers be starting a 35-year-old Richard Keogh when the 2021/22 season gets under way.
Rarmani Edmonds-Green has a lot of positives and Naby Sarr has his good days, but as it stands it seems likely Christopher Schindler, Tommy Elphick, Richard Stearman and Keogh will all be heading for the exit this summer, with Romoney
Crichlow possibly joining them. If Corberan wants to keep three at the back as an option - and remember he’s used it all season - then Town will need to add two reliable centrebacks to the ranks, at least one of whom should be considered good enough to start 30+ games next season.
Some versatility would also be very useful, and a player who was as comfortable playing in either full-back role as they were in the middle would go a very long way in a side lacking experienced back-up for Harry Toffolo and Pipa at full-back.
NO, it’s still not a striker, and that’s because before Town can worry about who’s going to put the ball in the net, they first have to work out how to create chances for them to score.
All the data suggest it’s not been Town’s finishing at fault this season nearly as much as it has been their creativity.
The model for Corberan’s midfield is to have a No.6 sitting just behind two box-to-box No.8s, who in some games operate more as a pair of No.10s than as conventional central midfielders.
Jonathan Hogg has that No.6 shirt just as figuratively as he does literally, and fans would not object at all if Alex Vallejo were to get a contract extension and stay on as an alternative and back-up to Hogg.
But the 8s are more of an issue. Lewis O’Brien has been superb in that role over the past few months but it’s hard to believe there won’t be serious Premier League interest in him this summer.
Central midfield is Duane Holmes’ best role, but he’s not had much of a chance at all to show it as he’s become a victim of his own versatility and played practically everywhere but. Juninho Bacuna has been anywhere between inconsistent, frustrating and outright bad in that role all season and is out of contract in the summer in any case.
Alex Pritchard has not proved to be the answer to anything at the John Smith’s Stadium and will be leaving. Carel Eiting is likely heading back to Amsterdam when his loan expires.
That leaves Scott High as the only other midfielder who has appeared with any regularity this season, and honestly we would find it difficult to judge him based on a run of appearances from the bench in a poor side.
We know Town are not hugely keen on Premier League loans if they can avoid them but this is perhaps the one area of the pitch where that makes most sense. For all we’re in favour of looking for gems further down the pyramid,
It’s not been Town’s finishing at fault this season nearly as much as it has been their
creativity