Terriers face crucial month in bid to find form again
IT’S an international break so we can reflect a little, analyse a lot, and look forward to what’s in store for the Huddersfield Town when domestic football returns on November 20.
The Terriers slipped to eighth in the Championship after a mixed week that started with a good win against Millwall. A frustrating draw at Peterborough followed and then an upsetting defeat in Cardiff on Saturday.
This is the first international break this season that Town haven’t entered in decent spirits. The first came just after the thumping 4-0 win over Reading, the second with four points just earned in five days against Blackburn and Luton. So with a slight stutter we hope is now behind them, let’s look forward to the rest of November’s fixtures and see what it might bring for Carlos Corberan and his men ....
NOVEMBER 20 West Bromwich Albion (H)
A TOUGH restart to proceedings with the third of the sides who will likely make up the top three at the season’s end coming to the John Smith’s Stadium.
Of the three - Brom, Bournemouth and Fulham - the Baggies are perhaps the least imposing. That’s not to say it won’t be a huge challenge, but the visitors have had a wobble or two this season.
A draw with what was then effectively manager-less Middlesbrough at home last time out may hint at a few weaknesses, but they’ve also dropped points against Swansea, Stoke, Preston, Derby and Millwall.
They have players who can hurt you individually on their day Callum Robinson, Alex Mowatt and Matt Phillips all look Premier League quality at their best. Chief among them is their top scorer, Karlan Grant, a man whose move had not quite worked out until this season.
Town fans of course know all about Grant, what he can do and the areas he likes to operate in. He will need to be watched closely if they are to get anything from this game. A huge challenge and no free hit either, Corberan needs to get his team back in the points quickly.
It’s tough to not think a draw here
F A Pts 31 10 40 44 14 38 27 15 32 25 21 30 22 19 28 28 24 26 28 26 26 would be fine even though if you are serious about pushing on in the top half of the table you have to win your home games.
A lot will depend on Town’s injury list and their returning first-team internationals’ levels of fatigue.
A draw would be a very acceptable result, a win a fantastic one.
VERDICT: NOVEMBER 24 Queens Park Rangers (A)
QPR’S season has been a lot like the Terriers.’ They’ve won games no-one expected them to and lost some they were expected to win.
At home they are always a challenge, but Town have a very respectable record against the Londoners.
QPR have not beaten the Terriers home or away since 2015. We know such things aren’t really an indicator of anything significant, but it perhaps helps the away side to feel no fear.
Last season’s 1-0 victory at Loftus Road was vital in securing Town’s Championship status: anything similar would be a sign they are getting back on track.
This is an important game because, well, there could be a world where the Terriers have just lost to West Brom and potentially only taken five of the last 18 points available.
That’s not play-off form, that’s form for something else we don’t even need to talk about yet. It’s important they win one of these first two games back, or at least don’t lose both.