Huddersfield Town player verdicts from comfortable 5-0 pre-season win at Emley
Thoughts on the players in action in a real game of three thirds against Emley AFC, actually and literally. Football is back, baby.
Minutes 1-30
Chris Maxwell: Had one significant wobble that came to nothing and a routine save to make shortly after, but ultimately had so little to do he needed a short warm up to come off 30 minutes in.
Radinio Balker: Looked absolutely solid and fit again, if he remains at Town for the start of the season I would argue he immediately becomes one of best defenders in League One by quite a margin - we’ll see.
Michal Helik: Did lots of Michal Helik things, nothing got by him in the air, evidently the perm has not taken away any of his quality.
Brodie Spencer: Still lightening quick, good on the ball, and played left of the back three - suspect there may be more of that to come this season.
Lasse Sorensen: Looked very lively, put a couple of very good crosses in and consistently looked to get behind. Clearly hoping to be a threat going forward next season.
Tom Iorpenda: Has grown over the summer (literally) and that will help this season. Has to play some football to get what he needs now - too good on the ball not to. Interestingly was the midfielder arriving late in the box shape-wise and nearly did twice to decent effect. Let’s just be honest; we love him.
Josh Austerfield: Did okay, hustled and bustled a bit, still feels like a player with an uncertain immediate or long-term footballing future.
Jaheim Headley: Scored the one goal from his thirty minutes on the pitch and looked OK. Still a way to go over pre-season and still a way to go to look like the Headley we were once really excited about.
Josh Koroma: Standard of opposition etc and so forth, but was working really hard off the ball. I don’t know what his position is in Duff’s ideal formation is the still the issue, but could not fault the work rate.
Bojan Radulovic: Always on the fringes. Really needs to take pre-season by the scruff of the neck at some point. This was not that point.
Rhys Healey: Everywhere, just never stops running, always gets in the box, always makes life difficult for defenders - the only Town player who seems to take a cross and somehow get on the end of it too. Looking forward to seeing him this season.
Minutes 31-60
Lee Nicholls: Had even less to do than Chris Maxwell. Could have eaten a full packed lunch with juice carton if required.
Ollie Turton: So good to see him playing football and just did lots of really Ollie Turton things. Committed and safe on the ball. Ginger Cafu, isn’t it, Saint.
Matty Pearson: Treated it like it was a play-off final as per, was really vocal as Town played with a back four during his time and kept getting that four to the right place.
Loick Ayina: Slightly calmer which he really needs to be as he had a tendency to be a walking yellow card at one point. Plays every game this season in the Johnstone’s Paint Papa Johns LDV Vans Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
Sorba Thomas: Ran a lot, had one good chance he put straight at the keeper, not a lot more to say in truth other than his boots with the yellow toe-cap - not having them.
David Kasumu: Will be fine this season, was absolutely fine here, class on the ball and snapped into every tackle as we know he loves to. Scored a lovely goal which he created for himself in the press.
Ben Wiles: One really good run but he got done by the pitch - an awful bobble as he went to play the pass made it look far worse than it was. Looks fit — at least one of us on the WAT team did not feel like he was last season — and a few more goals in pre-season to add to his one here might do him the power of good.
Neo Eccleston: Duff is going to like him I think, played on the right of midfield and was aggressive, attacking and everything you want from a wing-back potentially.
Ben Jackson: Still just needs a bit more of everything. There’s nothing he really does wrong, but he still doesn’t do enough to really stand out. Frustrating player, not sure where he sits in the current thinking.
Danny Ward: Pressed a lot, missed a chance that led to a goal anyway, just looked like Danny Ward for better and for worse basically.
Pat Jones: Great finish for his goal, played slightly within himself on a pitch he didn’t trust and fair enough really. Still the player you look at as one who could make a huge difference if he stays fit, shame that is such a big ‘if’.
Minutes 61-90
Jacob Chapman: Looked fine, distribution was fine, command of his back three was fine, just fine basically, which is fine isn’t it.
Charlie Knowles: Neat and tidy, not a player I had personally seen before but looks a lot like Lasse Sorensen if you squint your eyes both physically and on the ball.
Michael Stone: Passes well as we know, a leader for this B-Team - will be on the bench a few times this season if he’s not out on loan somewhere getting some football in.
Eko Soloman: Did OK, most things came down his side and he seemed to cope absolutely fine with that - likes to carry the ball by the look of it, we’re here for that.
Omari Mrisho: Very positive on the ball, again not a player I was familiar with but I look forward to seeing more of him over this season, did not get bullied once by a team who tried to get at him several times.
Cian Philpott: Just does simple things well every time I see him but looks lightweight still - needs to get on the Tom Iorpenda summer diet.
Dan Vost: Interesting player, just does a lot of things quite well. Lot of work to be done but feels like there is potential there. One to track maybe, but not get too ahead of ourselves.
Luke Daley: Looks a bit more physical than previously, quite vocal here so not lacking confidence, had a half-chance he failed to put away but looked like he tends to look in every game I’ve seen him in.
Cameron Ashia: Promising showing without tipping over into exciting in truth. That’s about all I can say which kind of says it all.
Tyreece Simpson: Still quite the unit, the Emley defence were petrified every time he was on the ball, the big issue was that was nowhere near enough. Put one chance over and just looked a bit rusty - a player who really needs a pre-season maybe - but then scored a lovely late goal with a sharp turn and finish to the corner.
Conor Falls: Drifted in and out the game without a really memorable contribution. A very pre-season friendly performance in truth but that was fine all in.
Unused substitutes: Zak Abbot
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