Injuries, Youth, Tactics, Streaming, Wingers – 5 things to watch for in Huddersfield Town v Barrow
Tuesday afternoon will see Huddersfield Town play Barrow behind closed doors. Fans may only watch the match live
on the club’s website for £6. The kickoff is at Canalside at one o’clock.
Since the title implies a game that no one can know about, you could argue that it’s not truly “behind closed doors”
while the game is being streamed globally. However, the outcomes of Town’s recent private matches have already
been made public, so it’s fortunate that anyone foolish enough to shell out cash to witness a meaningless friendly will
have access to it (I will be one of those foolish individuals).
Is there an injury crisis?
Regarding the players that weren’t in the club’s behind-the-scenes training video from last week, I wrote on
Saturday. That video lacked at least five first team players, which is a significant number to be absent at this early
point in the preseason. It’s a worry, but not nearly enough to qualify as a catastrophe.
It would be nice to see players like Rhys Healey, Joe Low, and Radinio Balker play against Barrow, but if they don’t,
it might be an indication of an injury. It’s not bad, but they’re losing out on the crucial training that takes place in the
last weeks before the season begins.
What tactics will Lee Grant use?
We’re still figuring out how Lee Grant wants to organise his side, whether it’s Grantball or Northern Football. After
just a few days on the training surface, we got a glimpse of the shape and style he intended to use against Emley.
After a few weeks, we ought to have a better idea of how Lee Grant’s Terriers will perform.
When questioned, managers are excellent at expressing their aspirational goals to play a particular way, but the
greatest way to witness a manager’s philosophy is on the pitch. A friendly isn’t likely to see a full throttle, maximum
aggression type of Northern Football but we may see glimpses of what the big idea is.
If nothing else, the lack of spectators should make it easier to listen in to the coaching instructions coming from the
sidelines. Lee Grant so far seems very positive and perky when he’s talking to players. I’ll be particularly interested to
see how he reacts if players don’t do what he wants. When it comes to using the carrot or the stick, I think being
mostly carrot is fine but a little bit of stick is required with football players to let them know you’re serious. Danny
Schofield was a lovely guy but players took advantage of his good nature, I hope Grant doesn’t make the same
mistake. Though, in fairness, he does seem to have a bit more streel about him than Schofield.
Are some youth players impressing?
Even while I adore Town, I’m not so committed that I’ll go watch the B Team play. Therefore, the preseason is a
fantastic time to see how some of the younger players are doing. However, the B Team fell to Sheffield FC over the
weekend (not Wednesday or United, the third Sheffield team that is the oldest club in the world), and the Emley
youth players were thrashed 3-0 in their 30-minute stint.
Even if our B Team isn’t very good overall, there are a few guys that have the potential to make an impact in the
preseason. Neo Eccleston may already class as a first teamer after spending the first half of last season on loan with
our next opponent, Barrow. He’s not played much senior football though, so he’s one to keep a careful eye on to see if
he has a role at Town this season.
I too think Cameron Ashia has promise. He won’t win much in the air because of his short yet powerful frame, but
he’s difficult to knock off the ball. It’s questionable if he’s prepared for League One, but when he does, he’s someone
to keep an eye on. Finding an attacking, creative player from the academy would be easy for the hiring team because
Town is in dire need of such individuals.
Someone must have seen George Iorpenda because he has been training with the first team. Even though he only
joined the B Team at the end of the previous season and is younger than his brother Tom, he might be another player
who is being considered for a place at Town in the upcoming campaign.
Are Miller and Roosken now wingers?
In order to accommodate Michael Duff’s favoured shape, Town hired specialised wingbacks last season. He is no
longer with us, therefore we must figure out how to use these wingbacks in a different formation. Both Miller and
Roosken played left wing last Saturday, indicating that Grant views them as wingers rather than left backs. Miller
and Roosken, though, might have merely been filling in because Town doesn’t really have any specialised wingers in
the squad.
If both continue to play further up the field, then it’ll be a sign that Lee Grant doesn’t think they’re defenders and
wants both to play on the wings. It might seem irrelevant which position these two play in but it will affect which
positions Town looks to recruit for. Either we’re drastically short of wingers or we’re relying on central defenders
who can also play wider for the left back slot (Wallace and Roughan).
Will the lack of fans make it a dull game?
Footballers love to play football but they also love praise and adulation from the stands. So this game being played
behind closed doors at Canalside will potentially make the game even more lifeless than a typical friendly. It’s not
like friendlies are usually fast-paced and full of drama but the lack of fans at this game could lead to a particularly
sterile and pedestrian game.
It was strange to watch sports during COVID; with no crowds in the stadiums, it was like watching a practice. It
seems difficult to convince supporters to pay the £6 streaming cost when you factor in the half-pace tempo at which
friendlies usually end.
I’m not complaining about the streaming fee; after all, if Kevin Nagle has invested about £50 million, I’m willing to
contribute an additional £6 for a little diversion on a Tuesday afternoon.
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