Opposition Focus: Huddersfield Town

Form

27/10/18 – Watford 3-0 Huddersfield
20/10/18 – Huddersfield 0-1 Liverpool
06/10/18 – Burnley 1-1 Huddersfield
29/09/18 – Huddersfield 0-2 Tottenham
22/09/18 – Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield

Tactics

Huddersfield play a 3-5-1-1 in most matches this season, with an emphasis on activity happening on the right side of the pitch. They send in crosses as the high priority, while also taking shots from distance. Defensively they can collapse into a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 with low to medium pressure throughout the pitch, but against Fulham, it would not be a surprise to see higher pressing or even trying the 4-4-1-1 that they got beat with against Watford.

Battle to Watch

Phillip Billing vs Zambo Anguissa: Both able-bodied midfielders, with something to prove. Anguissa is a bit more stocky, frankly, a bit more flat-footed, but also looking to show that his price tag was well worth the investment. Billing, on the other hand, has been consistent and has a more rounded game. His passing needs some work at times, but he makes up for it defensively with good pressing and ability to dispossess the opponent. Billing tends to get deeper into the box and has a decent strike on him to support. Anguissa rarely reaches the top of the D but that’s mainly because he does not want to get caught out in transition, which is a factor that Fulham as a whole have to deal with.

Danger Man

There is no real threat up top for Huddersfield, but long-serving Aaron Mooy is one midfielder to watch out for. His quality of distribution is superb and has a tendency to strike from distance when given the chance. Fulham need to remain disciplined near the box to avoid his quality of set pieces as well.

Last 5 Meetings

22/04/17 – Huddersfield 4-1 Fulham (C’ship)
29/10/16 – Fulham 5-0 Huddersfield (C’ship)
16/01/16 – Huddersfield 1-1 Fulham (C’ship)
22/08/15 – Fulham 1-1 Huddersfield (C’ship)
21/03/15 – Huddersfield 2-0 Fulham (C’ship)

Head-to-Head

Fulham wins 25
Draws 16
Huddersfield wins 25

Stats & Facts

  • The clubs have met on 66 occasions in all competitions – Fulham have won 25, Huddersfield have won 25 and there have been 16 draws. During this time, the Whites have scored 93 goals and the Terriers have scored 92 goals.
  • This is the first Premier League meeting between the clubs although Fulham did seal promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Huddersfield in April 2001.
  • The last meetings between the clubs in the top tier of English football took place during the 1951/52 season where the pair exchanged 1-0 home wins. Both would end the season relegated after finishing bottom (Fulham) and second bottom (Huddersfield) of Division One.
  • Fulham are unbeaten in the last 11 meetings with Huddersfield and have won 7 of the last 9.
  • Fulham have never lost at The John Smith’s Stadium in 5 attempts (3 wins and 2 draws). The Cottagers’ last away defeat at Huddersfield came at Leeds Road in a 1-0 loss in Division Two in Sept 1993.
  • There have been 5 penalties awarded in the last 5 meetings between the clubs. Tom Cairney and Chris Martin netted their spot-kicks for Fulham, Chris Lowe scored his for Huddersfield while Nakhi Wells missed two in the space of 11 minutes during Fulham’s 2-0 Championship away win in March 2015.

Players in Common

Gary Barnett, Pat Beasley, Danny Cadamarteri, James Husband, Mark Hudson, Scott Malone, Brian Mcdermott, Oliver Norwood, Jazz Richards, Dale Tempest, Robert Wilson.

Magic Moment

It was 1968, and Fulham have been relegated from the top flight after more than a decade amongst England’s elite. 33 years on sandwiched between some of the more magical highs and the cruellest/darkest of lows, Fulham went into their game in Yorkshire against the Terriers on cloud nine, still buzzing thanks to Sean Davis’ iconic injury-time winner against Blackburn Rovers.

Fulham were now just 3 points away from a return to the promise land, within touching distance of Al Fayed’s ambitious project becoming reality. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Our on-loan winger and eventual legend Luis Boa Morte was sent through on the right-hand side as he won the race to the ball & toe-poked it over the oncoming keeper to send Fulham fans into dreamland.

A special memory in our history from a special player!

Opposition View (@takesthatchance)

Despite a winless start to the season, your club seem United in the attitude that David Wagner’s job is safe no matter what happens. Is this the right mentality to have and why do they think this way?

Yeah, there’s no doubt everyone is still behind David Wagner. The man that matters our owner Dean Hoyle has said on record a few times that even if we are relegated that Wagner will not be sacked. To get us up in the first place and to keep us up against all odds has been astonishing and i still don’t think out of Huddersfield he has fully got the credit he deserves. I think it is the right mentality to have and you’ve only gotta look at the teams last season that went down in that they all changed managers and still ended up going down. The atmosphere at our home games especially is still special despite not scoring a home goal all season!

Is Monday night’s clash already a case of the loser goes down or is it too early for that?

Does feel too early but there’s no doubt it’s a huge game. Palace came back from a terrible winless start last season to finish comfortably mid-table but 11 without a win, if we don’t get the 3 Monday, would feel like too much of a mountain to climb even with Wagner’s reputation of miracles. I’m looking at it positively to think with a home game v West Ham 5 days after it’s a great chance to finally start our season!

Gut feeling, will you stay up this season?

Nothing like a direct question eh!!? I think we are very lucky that in the supposed “best league in the world” that even after 10 games without a win you are only 2 points off safety. Unreal!! The facts are there for all to see. No home goal all season, we ain’t scored more than 1 goal in a game since March, we’ve hit the woodwork more than we’ve scored goals!! If it doesn’t change very soon then we’ll be back in the second tier. (See I’ve given a politicians answer there haha!!)

It’s the worst attack against the worst defence. I could give you a list as long as your arm for our troubles at the back. But why have you struggled in front of goal so much this season?

We created very little last season but we took more of the chances we had and rolled on the back of promotion and an easier start. In the summer we brought in pace and width in Adama Diakhaby, Emile Mbenza and Ramadan Sobhi but all 3 for various reasons have made little impact which is a huge cause for concern and they didn’t come cheap!! Though Sobhi been injured for most of the season. There’s also the problem in that the few chances we’ve had Steve Mounie and especially Laurent Depoitre our only strikers have fluffed their lines and look very low on confidence. I really didn’t believe we needed another striker in the summer and part of me wonders if one goal would bring the confidence back to both but I’m beginning to change my mind and we are being linked with moves in January.

How do you think the match will pan out?

It will be very interesting. Sounds like if you believe what you hear Jokanovic is on borrowed time, so I expect you to come north and have a real go. After all, our defence is hardly like Atlético Madrid’s! We are still haunted by our last game in Huddersfield in our promotion season when you destroyed us and a certain Scott Malone (whatever happened to him!?) bagged a brace and we could not handle Sessegnon.

No offence but thank the lord Reading beat you in the playoffs as you had our number that season and I didn’t fancy another game!! Fingers crossed Sobhi will get his home debut for us and Terence Kongolo our record signing defender will return after injury.

Score prediction & predicted line-up?

We should be in the Champions League spots the number of times I’ve predicted us to win on our podcast this season, so some reverse psychology means I’m tipping a 2-2 draw!! (Yes, Huddersfield are going to score at home this season!! Our fans won’t know what to do!!)

Line up: Lossl, Kongolo, Schindler, Zanka, Durm, Sobhi, Van La Parra, Billing, Hogg, Mooy, Mounie.

Thanks to Richard Kosmula from Hudderfield fans podcast ‘And He Takes That Chance.’

Match Prediction

A potential opportunity to get out of the relegation zone, both sides will be up for it. I would say this is the make or break for Fulham on finally showing how they can be a class above the teams that they should, versus bottom dwelling looking confused. This is a match that has the same theme as the Cardiff match did because it is facing an underperforming side, that has not established their sense of goal scoring yet. Will Fulham be that opponent who triggers goals for the opponent again? Or will we actually be competitive before forced changes result in an undoing? That is my biggest question.

Personally, I have felt that when we stick to our base formation that we started the match with, we are much less susceptible to concede multiple goals like we have been this season. The best example was against Bournemouth last weekend where for 60 minutes we had given up 2 shots on goal and looked quite good going forward with the ball. Once we forced changes, like putting Kevin McDonald in as a centre back (with a yellow card already), we bumped up the risk factor and got caught out. My hope is we do not do the same against Huddersfield. I believe we will be “brave” as the manager always says, but I want more than that now. I want a high pressing defence, one that does not give up such width and passive midfield that chooses to invite pressure versus fight against it. Huddersfield are struggling more than us, but they have the makings of a formidable side that is just missing the element of scoring goals. What better way for them to capitalize on our leaking individual errors, lack of pressure, and proper awareness throughout the pitch.

I think the showing against Man City this week was a positive one for when we had the ball, and worry when we didn’t have it. Granted, this performance could be skewed as it was against one of the best tactical systems in the world by Pep and Man City. The defensive instruction to stay narrow and invite the pressure is concerning to me, but that is a system choice that I have not seen change this season or previous season, so it is doubtful Jokanovic will make any changes.

I believe we do have an opportunity to lay siege upon their defensive third though, and with some true bravery and belief, some goals will fly in – and fewer goals conceded.  My prediction here is a 3-1 win for Fulham. Mitro gets back on track, while Sess adds another after Schurrle’s initial shot is saved. Seri picks up the 3rd goal after a nice 1-2 combination with Mitro in the box. COYW!!

Predicted Line-up