Match Day Huddersfield v Bournemouth, Sunday 11th February 12:00

[SALTIRE]

Match chat.

 

[AnkleBiter]

I see this as a must win. These are the home games we need to be getting 3 points in.

Far from easy against a side many are now tipping for 7th! But Bournemouth seem like the kind of side that can beat top of the league one week then lose to bottom the next. I'm hoping they won't really fancy a fairly depressing noon kick off at ours.

We've shown better spirit against Man Utd and Birmingham recently, which gives us a bit of optimism. Team news will be important as we'll potentially be without Schindler and Depoitre.

Random fact... we'll have the highest number of home fans ever present in our stadium on Sunday, due to us having an extra block in the away end

 

[Super_horns]

Bournemouth to play like a mid- table side or can they afford to given how tight it is?!

Good win for Huddersfield.

 

[AnkleBiter]

Fucking lovely, that's the terrier spirit we're all about. Loads of great individual performances, Mouniè and Pritchard looked well worth their fees today and Kongolo looks like a brilliant loan signing.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Wow, that was a long old day!

Alarm goes off half 3, what a bloody stupid kickoff time. But it looked as if our players had the early start, they all seemed half asleep. You had Huddersfield charging around the pitch like a pack of dogs (pun partly intended), but organised with it.

When one of them went in for a tackle another blue shirt was backing his mate up for any loose ball. When they got on the ball they knew we had a potential weak spot with Fraser and Francis, and they worked to exploit it perfectly for the opening goal.

Huddersfield had their weaknesses, a few times our front 3 had a spare man over, but the equaliser aside we didnt manage to work it. And once Huddersfield got back in front (that was a farcical goal for us to concede) they never looked like letting it slip.

At half time we all figured we'd come out much improved. Its often the case that we have a poor first half but rally hard. Today it just didnt happen. Huddersfield were too aggressive, quick, determined. As the hail and sleet came down, none of the little triangles we tried to work were coming off. Huddersfield kept it more simple and more effective.

The stoppage time penalty was embarrassing. Hudds player slips through two or three "tackles", the goal at his mercy, before Francis (i think) just pushes the bloke over from behind. Clearest pen you'll ever see and assuming it was Francis I'm amazed he wasn't given a second booking.

Long arse trip home to stew on all that. After the run we've been on, you expect it'll end sooner than later. But the least you expect, especially when 1200 of you make that trip today, is some of the basics. Some energy, tackling, some grunt to the side. It's a freezing afternoon in Yorkshire, the least you'll have to do is graft. We looked shattered from about 5 minutes onwards!

Huddersfield should have given themselves a well earned shot in the arm.

 

[Renegade]

Bournemouth are such a bizarre streaky team, they go through phases of looking like a Europe contender for a few weeks and then the absolute worst team in the league the next few weeks. I imagine it's incredibly frustrating as a supporter. Bit of a nothing season for them under Howe, his reputation is at risk of stagnating, I figured he would have moved onto "bigger" things by now.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Bournemouth are such a bizarre streaky team, they go through phases of looking like a Europe contender for a few weeks and then the absolute worst team in the league the next few weeks. I imagine it's incredibly frustrating as a supporter. Bit of a nothing season for them under Howe, his reputation is at risk of stagnating, I figured he would have moved onto "bigger" things by now.

He's job right now is rebuilding the side, phasing out the old guard who got us through the leagues, whilst keeping us up. Even standing still doing that is tough, is a job that will need another year or two yet I'd guess. Begovic, Ake, L.Cook, Ibe is a good start but there's another few spots at least that need a long term replacement finding, not to mention keeping those better players we have got.

His time will come for bigger things, he's still only 40. It'll take something special to tempt him before he feels the job here is done though. I doubt anything special enough would take a risk on him right now. Thankfully too many middling clubs up here would rather go down the Pulis, Allardyce, Moyes old boys network, rather than consider Howe seriously.