Critch is not doing gr-eight
HUDDERSFIELD
............ 1
Waghorn 39
QPR ........................... 1 Lowe 13
NEIL CRITCHLEY’S Rangers reign started with a bang but eight winless games later it’s turned into a whimper as the pressure increases on the Hoops boss.
That victory just before Christmas at Preston must seem an age away as one of the pre-season favourites for promotion find themselves stuck in mid-table.
Critchley accepts that he needs positive results and quickly if the season isn’t going to be a write-off.
He said: “Most teams have a sticky spell, ours is now. What you have got to do in this game now is pick up wins short term because we know the short-term nature of this business unfortunately.”
For Huddersfield it’s all about staying in the Championship and manager Mark Fotheringham is banking on a January transfer window whirlwind of activity rescuing their season through two permanent buys and five loans.
It had been a nightmare start for the refitted Terriers with Jamal Lowe seizing on a misdirected header from Matt Lowton following an Ilias Chair punt into the box and nipping in ahead of debutant keeper Tomas Vaclik.
With a banner unfurled from disgruntled home fans stating, ‘Clowns running the club, circus in the boardroom’ it needed an equaliser before the break from Coventry loanee Martyn Waghorn to quell any threatened uprising.
Fotheringham said: “This is the biggest challenge I’ve had in my career so far. My aim is to keep this great club in the Championship and rebuild.”
HUDDERSFIELD: Vaclik 6; Turton 6, Lees 6, Helik 6 (Pearson (78) 6), Lowton 6; Kasumu 7, Hogg 6 (Knockaert (63) 6), High 6 (Koroma (63) 6); Hungbo 7 (Diarra (69) 7), Rudoni 7, Waghorn 6 (Rhodes (67) 6)
QPR: Dieng 6; Laird 7, Dunne 6, ClarkeSalter 6, Paal 6; Dozzell 6 (Armstrong (66) 6), Field 6, Johansen 7 (Iroegbunam (76) 6); Chair 7, Willock 6 (Adomah (66) 6), Lowe 7
STAR MAN: David Kasumi – Brought some life and energy to a game which failed to hit any heights.
REF: Geoff Eltringham 7