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Blimey, the presses must have been rolling all night !
Having been at the Luton game and watching the Huddersfield match on stream, the performances were markedly different. A half time rocket from Harris at Luton saw City being told it was Luton not Real Madrid they were playing, and our aggressive midfield approach couple with a rapidly failing home side saw City in relative control. Last night Huddersfield were one of those sides - much like Stoke - who are top six apart from the small details of stopping goals and scoring them. What struck me was an element of confidence had crept into City - they looked a lot more comfortable on the ball - even trying to find a City player when clearing from defence. I'm sure Adomah is making a difference, but defensively for both games its Morrison and Bennett who have stood out. Richards looks a bit out of his depth, and whilst Nelson is capable, without Morrison alongside him he would be exposed.
Neil Harris is doing what you'd hope any manager to do - get the players he has to play better. His signing of Adomah looks good, plus he identified City need to play more from the back, and has strengthened with younger players in this area. But it's the 2 away clean sheets that's significant. A mean defence as you go into the final phase of the season is big, big, plus..
Good point, I don't think it's a coincidence why we've seen an uptick in form from Murphy. When he's hugged to the touchline he's very easily ganged up by the fullback and usually the covering midfielder whereas when he varies when he stays wide and comes inside he often finds more space and he can start to show what he's truly capable of
Really?!? What on earth leads you to that conclusion?
I'd agree that Stoke's position in the table is something of a mystery as they've looked quite a bit better than that every time I've watched them, but Huddersfield are a truly poor side. Lightweight, over-elaborate on the ball, no cutting edge up front, weak and disorganised in defence.
I haven't seen Luton or Barnsley play this season, but I've watched Huddersfield on several occasions and they look comfortably the worst side I've seen. For a team as physically strong and organised as City usually are, they are the perfect opponents.
Only two sides in the division have scored fewer goals than Huddersfield this season and last night demonstrated why. People complain about Glatzel on a regular basis, but he looks great compared to Mounie. Huddersfield apparently paid £11.5 million-plus for him, which is astonishing. He's an awful player.
After a poor start, City's overall performance last night was decent. They thoroughly deserved a three-goal victory, but they didn't have to do a great deal to achieve it other than stay organised and take the chances that they created. Let's not pretend Huddersfield were anything other than terrible, because they weren't.
There was an element of irony in my comment. It's relatively easy for managers to get a group of players passing the ball around between their own penalty area and the opposition's, especially as the modern trend is for the other team to drop back giving them room. So I'd say that Huddersfield in that respect are no worse than Swansea - though maybe I'd amend 'top six' to 'top half' on reflection. What they can't do is score and defend - as you also commented - things that separate the tippy-tappy coaches from the successful results-orientated managers.
Huddersfield's plight is interesting because it demonstrates how difficult it is for a manager to get a team playing his way when they've spent so long playing another way. I'm pretty sure Danny Cowley's Lincoln side were physical, robust and direct, This Huddersfield team is anything but.
Cowley's description of his own team last night was as follows: "I thought we started the game well and had a lot of pretty patterns to the final third, time and time again. We were disappointed, though, with the final pass and the final action - and definitely the movement ahead of the ball, I didn't think we had enough penetration. Ultimately, games of football are won in both boxes and if you are soft in your defensive box and powder puff in the attacking area then don't expect to win football matches."
He's spot on. Huddersfield were definitely powder puff up front. Mounie was absolutely awful. He didn't trouble City's centre backs at all. Morrison played well but he'll seldom have an easier night. Once they'd got the first goal, City needed to do little more than stay solid in order to win the game. They did so very comfortably.
[QUOTE=The Lone Gunman;5047879]Really?!? What on earth leads you to that conclusion.
I haven't seen Luton or Barnsley play this season, but I've watched Huddersfield on several occasions and they look comfortably the worst side I've seen. )
Yeah comfortably the worst who turned over Brentford on their own patch beat Forest thrashed Hull beat QPR last game.
They had a terrible start and are not comfortably the worst side in the division.
We done a number on them.
That's your opinion. I did say I haven't seen either Barnsley or Luton in action, although both have apparently given City a decent game in recent times.
We know anyone can beat anybody else in the Championship. Surprise results happen on a regular basis. For instance, Luton have beaten Bristol City 3-0 this season, drawn with Fulham and beaten Blackburn, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday, while bottom side Barnsley have beaten Fulham and twice drawn with West Brom.
Of course City 'done a number' on Huddersfield. They were terrible, though.
I'm not convinced we are that much better under Harris than we were under Warnock, just we have been having a combination of better luck, a softer schedule. But if we can build confidence from this and turn it into genuine improvement then you never know
I think that's a little unfair as I reckon the defence is definitely in better shape. The central defensive combination of Morrison and Nelson looks so much better than any previous combination that included Flint. Smithies also looks better in goal than Etheridge. Not at all convinced by Richards though, so hopefully the back-up Harris has brought in will come up to scratch.
Tomlin is also playing much better under Harris than under Warnock, and Murphy has also begun to show better form in recent weeks.
He isn't up to it. One of the reasons I was so annoyed about Peltier and Sanderson, is seemingly we've let our best right back go for nothing and replaced him with a kid to back up someone who clearly isn't good enough. This combined with the division being one of the poorest ever means it really is a hard one to get your head around. I'd play Bacuna, myself. Jazz passed the pall directly to their attacking players about 4 times last night.
Not sure how Harris has had a softer schedule. There has been a recent run of game against teams in the lower half but overall he has gathered 28 points during his time in charge playing 9 sides in the top half and seven in the bottom (7 home 9 away), whilst Warnock got 21 points playing 8 in each half (8 home 8 away).
Performances may have been equally patchy over the season but the stats show an appreciable improvement in results, particularly away from home.
There's no denying that results have been better, and I'd agree that performances are a bit better too. I just feel that the improvement in results is outstripping the performances, so we could easily have a more barren run around the corner without actually getting any worse
I think if we could get Murphy confident and fully enthused then that would make a big difference because, currently at least, Tomlin has to be among the best in the Championship in his position and, for me, Murphy has always been the same potentially.
I'd also say that in recent matches, Will Vaulks has helped ensure that Joe Ralls isn't being missed as much as he was a few weeks ago. My initial enthusiasm at the his signing was down to his rating as the seventh best player in the Championship last season on a stats website while playing for a relegated team - I know too much shouldn't be read into such sites, but I do feel that they are accurate in spotting players who are playing well week in, week out and, from all I read and hear, Vaulks was doing that last season.
The main thing that struck me last night was the relative absence of hoofball. That has to be down to Harris and for that I thank him. There are still weaknesses in the side particularly at right back and up front but the rest of the defence looks settled and even the midfield is functioning well with Tomlin and even Vaulks thriving. Things are looking up but as a long time supporter that is the time when I worry most. Flattering to deceive is something of a CCFC speciality.