HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums.

“I’ll be clear. We are in for a long season. Two wins do not hide the cracks with the team or the manager”, “Don’t lose heart. We are the most composed and best passing side the club has had this century”, “Overall we are not terrible but we play possession football without much goal threat.”

The above exchange accurately sums up the mood in the Terriers’ camp. After losing and drawing three each of their first six games in a poor start to the league campaign, wins at Charlton and at home to Bolton and a home draw with Forest gave fans hope that the ship was being steadied.

“We have got to get the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome out of the team.” Any feelings of optimism were dealt a blow after the team’s poor performance in their 3-0 defeat at Wolves just before the international break. Despite this loss, many Terriers are urging fellow supporters to be patient.

“For Town, it is not about winning every week because we are nowhere good enough for that. We just need to be able to compete”, “We look a decent side, lower mid-table rather than relegation battlers”, “We have played quite well but still look as though we are trying to get the right formula.”

“We certainly have improved on last year despite selling our midfield. That is an improvement in itself”, “It shouldn’t be a major surprise when a significant chunk of the team is taken out and the performances suffer during the gap between new players coming in and gelling into the squad.”

Chris Powell

“I really want Powell to succeed at Town”, “He is not only a good man but a good football manager. I’m struggling to think which Championship managers would be doing a better job than him in the circumstances - very few”, “He should remain in charge whatever the season may bring.”

Having overseen the departures of keeper Alex Smithies (to QPR) and midfielders Conor Coady (to Wolves) and Jacob Butterfield (to Derby), Powell is seen as “an experienced and shrewd man trying to reshape the team while keeping our heads above water in really challenging circumstances”.

“The problem comes when Powell adopts a cautious approach, particularly at home. There is no doubt he can set up a team that can attack with entertaining football but can also set up the team to bore the pants off us all. I hope he is learning that his team is best when it is on the front foot.”

“All Town fans want is for us to have a go.” Fans support Powell but want to see more positive play. “His negative tactics don’t work”, “Fans will flock behind him if he lets the shackles off”, “He will do well for us if he continues to back his players to win games rather than not lose them.”

Formation

“We are effectively playing a 4-4-2 with Harry Bunn in the hole, and Dean Whitehead and Emyr Huws seem to make that system work. It’s a long time since we have had a pair of central midfielders who are capable of making a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 work.”

The starting XI against Wolves (above) has by and large had the same personnel and shape in recent games, playing a 4-4-2 formation with Ishmael Miller leading the line and either Bunn or Nahki Wells playing off him in a slightly withdrawn role. A lack of quality up front has been highlighted.

Terriers are happy with both their central defenders and midfielders but many feel that both flanks are currently misfiring. Martin Crainie, a natural centre-back, has failed to support Sean Scannell in attack on the right while Muzzy Carayol has often left struggling left-back Jason Davidson isolated.

“One thing that is starting to stand out with this side is how comfortable all of the players seem with the ball, especially the defence. It’s a long time since I can remember seeing a Town side at ease on the ball as this squad. Great movement, quick passing and prepared to run and make space.”

Terriers appreciate the style of football but want to see more of a cutting edge. “No goal threat but a lot of possession”, “It is frustrating because we can pass the ball around pretty well”, “We passed the ball a million times and there were still two Town players in the box and six Forest defenders.”

Losing Tempo

“The slower we play the worse we look”, “Town are so ponderous I am looking for the fast-forward button”, “The Wolves performance wasn’t bad but it was very pedestrian. We needed to up the tempo”, “We are just lobbing it up to the lumbering Miller as usual.”

“It’s like only third gear is allowed.” By pressing central midfield, Wolves denied the visitors the time and space to build a rhythm while isolating their strikers at the same time. “We were made to look so pedestrian. We seemed to have no energy and the way we play appeared to be out of a manual.”

Wolves 3 - 0 Huddersfield

“Final whistle, thank heavens”, “We made a great start and then conceded to a sucker punch.” Town fell behind to a Kevin McDonald strike before the break after a bright first half but two Benik Afobe goals after the break saw Wolves home to a comfortable win as they took control in the second half.

“We started really well and were playing neat crisp football but needed to take one of our chances when we were on top. The second half was awful, the worst we have played all season and we got what we deserved in the end”, “Far too many players had absolute shockers.”

“It was the usual stuff. We play well for the first quarter without looking dangerous, give up a soft goal and basically fall apart”, “A frustrating match but it wasn’t all bad. There were decent aspects of the performance and there is hope for the future if we can build on the opening 20 minutes.”

“This is unbelievably awful on all fronts.” Terriers were very critical of the team’s “lacklustre all round” second half showing. “I have never seen such apathy from a team in early October. A terrible performance with no passion at all”, “Apart from the first 10 minutes the game has passed us by.”

Huddersfield 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest

“Not a classic but it had its moments”, “I’m pretty happy with that result. We played some decent stuff at times”, “Yet another game that illustrates how much of a muchness most teams in this division are”, “We can now compete in this division amongst the so-called former big boys.”

The Terriers rescued a point courtesy of a late Emyr Huws strike after Ryan Mendes put the visitors ahead with an equally fine effort midway through the first half. As at Wolves, fans were frustrated at seeing a bright start yielding little reward. “The first time they have the ball and they score.”

“Town’s good football went out the window as soon as Forest scored”, “Interesting that Forest came with a game plan to stifle and they did it well”, “They were a far superior team to Bolton. They pressed us hard and were well organised”, “Pretty average football match, this.”

Huddersfield 4 - 1 Bolton

“The dream is alive”, “A performance of genuine merit with a huge effort in the heat in that second half”, “We were rampant in the second half. It genuinely could have been 7-1”, “A good home win, onwards and more importantly upwards”, “The best I have felt our beautiful club for a while now.”

Town bounced back from the early setback of Liam Feeney’s third-minute goal with many home fans believing the turning point being Huws’s 25-yard equaliser just before the break. The hosts cut loose in the second half with Carayol, Huws and Joel Lynch scoring in what was an emphatic win.

“We were poor in the first half and the only highlight was the goal. What a contrast in the second. We were brilliant and looked threatening”, “We really played some good football with a bit of swagger”, “We were rubbish in the first half but hung in there and got the equalising goal.”

Defence

“I like Jed Steer. He is confident, honest and sharp off his line. His shot stopping isn’t near the level of Alex Smithies’ but I would ask about signing him permanently in January”, “An absolutely top keeper who commands his area, gives his defence confidence, alert, kicks well and looks composed.”

“This bloke fills me with confidence and hasn’t flapped like a turkey.” The 23-year-old arrived in mid-September on an initial one month loan from Aston Villa and has impressed supporters. “I like the way Steer combines with the defence. It looks like they have played together for years.”

“Bloody hell, we’ve got a defender”, “Martin Crainie has looked good every time I have seen him and is proving to be a very shrewd signing”, “He doesn’t offer much going forward at right-back but first and foremost he defends well.” He is seen as a solid centre-back rather than an attacking full-back.

“It looks like Crainie has been told to concentrate on defending and this may be affecting Scannell’s game, as he is dropping back but without Crainie overlapping”, The 29-year-old summer arrival from Barnsley “needs to get the ball forward more instead of letting defenders get back into position”.

“Crainie is a breath of fresh air over the stalled Tommy Smith.” The 23-year-old youth product struggled during Town’s poor start and has not featured lately. “Smith has looked a bit ropey”, “I hope he ups his game and improve on his early promise when he first came into the side.”

Fans have huge concerns over 24-year-old summer signing from West Brom Jason Davidson. “The amateur part of Wolves’ second goal was our left-back looking along the line while two yards behind the other defenders”, “We have conceded seven goals from left-back already this season.”

“Our left-back goes walkabout again”, “Davidson seems to chase the ball a lot”, “Often indecisive and he looks scared to death to go forward or make a forward pass”, “He can receive the ball in the opposition half but then either puts in a poor cross or turns and passes backwards.”

“When Joel Lynch decides he wants to do something he just does it.” The 27-year-old former Forest centre-back “is an outstanding talent when on his game”, “He covers the space behind Elliott Ward pretty well”, “Having nicked the ball from a Bolton defender, he got his head over it and smashed it.”

Lynch was criticised for his part in Wolves’ opener. “He came out into no man’s land and was either going to make a foul or miss the ball. He was nowhere near it”, “He charged out and tried to win a ball but was left exposed when he didn’t get it. Wolves went straight through the gap he left.”

Elliott Ward

“Elliott Ward wins everything in the air and reads the game well. Perhaps he’s a bit slow for the Premier League but is good at our level”, “He’s decent in the air, composed and no slouch either”, “He has been decent and is a better defender than Mark Hudson who he has replaced.”

The 30-year-old joined on an initial one-month loan period from Bournemouth in September. “Ward adds the aerial strength we have lacked at centre-back since Anthony Gerrard was playing”, “Very accomplished on the ball”, “He has had the occasional dodgy moment but overall a decent signing.”

“Ward looks comfortable on the ball”, “He’s a decent player who looks at ease on the ball and like playing it out on the deck.” The former Canary “can give the ball away but it’s difficult if there is a general lack of movement from Town players in front of him”.

Central Midfield

“Whitbread and Huws are very good at balancing the midfield.” Terriers rate their midfield pair but feel that they can be penned back when pressed. “Wolves bypassed and cut through our midfield like a knife through butter, “There was not enough support for the attackers against Forest.”

“At least Jonathan Hogg will put a shift in”, “Hogg and Whitehead were solid together but offered very little in an attacking sense.” The 26-year-old ex-Hornet “will run around in midfield creating nothing”, “Most of us could make the majority of his 10 yards sideways or backwards passes.”

“I would like to see Jamie Paterson on when our starting midfield struggles for creativity.” The Forest loan signing has appeared from the bench in recent games. The 23-year-old “is lightweight. The main problem with him is that he is not the 6ft plus striker that we should have signed”.

Emyr Huws

“Emyr Huws’s impact on us has been very impressive. He seems to have good technical ability and the eye for goal we have missed since we made it into the Championship.” The 21-year-old Wales international “looks a very good footballer. His poise and touch remind me of Aaron Ramsey”.

He was signed on a season-long loan from Wigan. “Huws looks classy and is always looking for that forward pass”, “He doesn’t appear to do anything fancy and slips under the radar but is very clever. He was the fulcrum of our moves against Forest but didn’t over-elaborate.”

“Huws is a fine player but is way too lightweight. He’s built like a matchstick. He needs to get stuck in more”, “He ducks out of tackles and a lot of 50:50 balls he isn’t interested in. I understand the hype over his creativity and attacking but we must be careful because he isn’t interested in tracking back.”

Dean Whitehead

“I can’t believe how wrong I was about Dean Whitehead after seeing him the first couple of times. He has been great in recent games”, “He is a machine”, “He looks a different class. He wins the ball and keeps it moving quickly. Plenty of others at the club could learn a few things from him.”

The 33-year-old former Sunderland, Boro and Stoke man “is a proper midfielder. He’s very composed on the ball and is a good passer who can break up play and loves a tackle”, “He’s our Schweinsteiger”, “He covers so much ground and picks out some nice passes. He makes a hard job look easy.”

“I felt sorry for Whitehead after the Wolves game. He really gives a damn and was visibly angry at this performance”, “It probably would have been 6-0 to Wolves without his work-rate”, “He was by far and away our best player. He must have wondered what the hell was going on.”

Wide Midfield

“I sometimes wonder if we need to play with wingers. We don’t do well with headed goals from our forwards”, “The answer why we don’t score headed goals from crosses is that we would have to cross the ball for that to happen.”

“Mustapha Carayol is a liability, good going forward at times but just not there defensively”, “Most Wolves crosses were made by their right-back who was not chased back by Carayol”, “He does beat his man more often than not, wins corners and throw-ins and puts crosses in when he has the ball.”

“Carayol is a total mood player”, “He did his usual good 10-minute spell against Forest and nothing else.” The 27-year-old season-long loan signing from Boro “wants to play with the ball but isn’t interested in tackling, challenging or running back. We are not good enough to carry passengers.”

Sean Scannell

“What has happened to Sean Scannell’s energy? He is just a passenger”, “Why doesn’t he run at people any more?” “There is no point in him being on the pitch. We have been playing down the left flank for quite a few games now. We don’t have an attacking right-back so why play Scannell?”

“Scannell is bang out of form now”, “What has happened to his surging runs?” There is a wide consensus that the former Palace right winger has carried much less of a threat in recent games. “Crainie has been told to stay put but Scannell could help himself with more intelligent movement.”

The 25-year-old “plays with his back to the opposition too much. He doesn’t link up with Crainie well enough and is content to knock it back to him”, “He is getting drawn deeper match by match”, “He never, ever gets the ball without someone on him. The right side for Town is a wasteland.”

Strikers

“We have a big lump and a lightweight up front who both don’t look like scoring”, “If we don’t sign a bloody striker we’re going down because we simply aren’t going to be able to score enough goals”, “We created chances in the first 20 minutes of our last two games but failed to take them.”

“Where’s James Vaughan?”, “It take it Vaughan is still ‘injured’.” The 27-year-old ex-Canary has barely featured this season and many fans are at a loss to explain his ongoing absence. “Your guess is as good as ours”, “We need a fully fit Vaughan on fire and tearing teams apart again.”

“James Vaughan could be back in the first-team frame when Huddersfield Town head to Ipswich.” Local press reported him playing 45 minutes in a training game against Manchester City during the international break. “One thing's for sure if he plays at Ipswich - he's guaranteed to miss a penalty.”

Nahki Wells

“I like Wells but unless he addresses his issues with first touches and slipping over he will never be more than a one goal in three game striker”, “His finishing isn’t the issue, his first touch and control are his weakness”, “His first touch, a lack of composure and not able to fit into most systems.”

“We can’t play to Nahki’s strengths right now.” The 25-year-old Ex-Bradford City man “had his best spell when we had Grant Holt on loan. It’s not a surprise that he was an ideal foil”, “I’m happy with him in the box but he’s not good outside the box. The system we play doesn’t allow for a finisher.”

Some Terriers simply don’t think he’s Championship standard. “He’s never going to be good enough, League One it is for him. He’s not short on confidence. He’s not good enough”, “He has had a few good moments but looking at his whole time at Town he has looked pretty League One level to me.”

Harry Bunn

“A strange player is Harry Bunn. One week he looks strong and effective and the next the ball is bouncing five yards off his knees and shins,” The 22-year-old former Manchester City youth player is “dangerous player on his day, unpredictable, a good dribbler and a comfortable finisher.”

“Bunn is a number 10 who drifts around the pitch more”, “He’s not particularly subtle and needs to improve his touch”, “Against Forest he showed lots of endeavour but made the wrong decision almost every time. He shoots when he can’t score and can’t pass quickly enough in good positions.”

Bunn struggled at Wolves. “He was terrible, couldn’t pass control or shoot”, “He has been excellent in the last couple of games but struggled to do anything right at Molineux”, “It isn’t too hard to stop a player who knocks the ball five yards ahead and scuttles and bustles after it.”

Ishmael Miller

“If you want your attacking momentum to fizzle out, give it to Miller”, “Like Schrödinger's cat, he’s both dead and alive when inside the box”, “I appreciate his effort but that is all he provides. He can’t turn a man, can’t shoot and can’t score so he’s just a pain for defenders with no goal threat.”

“Have you ever seen a more one-footed striker? No wonder his goalscoring record is so poor. He can’t take a shot with his right foot when it opens up for him”, “I would like him to become more aggressive when on the football field”, “He is appallingly slow and always on his backside.”

Terriers have regularly questioned the ability of the 28-year-old ex-West Brom and Blackpool striker. “We all know he is limited but he does what he does. His hold-up play is generally good but his finishing is poor and he needs more support. He’s more effective with team mates around him.”

Terriers’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Wolves was a bad performance but I’ll be going to Ipswich with hope”, “It is a quality day out down there, a proper old school ground, decent fans and stewards and usually a good game, happy days.” Despite familiar grumbles about ticket prices and distance, most are looking forward to the game.

“Looking at their forum they seem a bit annoyed with the way their team has started and with Big Mick playing his favourites all the time. It could be a decent time to play them whilst they are on a bit of a bad patch.” Many Terriers sense that this may be a good time to play us.

A number of Terriers would like to see a switch to a 3-5-2 formation. “There is absolutely see no reason as to why we can't go there and get a result. We have the players to do it. However if we start with the same team as the Wolves game I can see another drubbing on the cards.”

“I have a few mates who follow Ipswich and they all say the Ipswich left-back is poor so I'd be looking to get Scannell attacking him as much as possible. Carayol will give us pace off the bench if Scannell is having an off day or if we're chasing the game again like last year.”

“Ryan Fraser just been ruled out for up to two months. He’s a dangerous winger so that’s a bit of good news I guess”, “He has been their player of the season so far by all accounts so it is good news.” The news of our winger’s absence has gone down well.

There was also one interesting exchange about Jordan Rhodes which included this comment: “Without Rhodes our League One promotion team would have been mid-table. He was so much better than any other player in the league. It was almost cheating having him in the side.”

Websites

The busiest Terriers message board is the polite and well-informed Down at the Mac.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

whosroundisitanyway added 11:23 - Oct 16 Are Elliot Ward & Jamie Ward the first siamese twins to play against each other??
0

TR11BLU added 11:28 - Oct 16 Great that we have this 'fix' back Harry, the first of three this week! Kind words about our club from their fans too, lets hope they go home unhappy come five o'clock tomorrow. COYB Boys
1

JimmyJazz added 11:34 - Oct 16 2-1 to Huddersfield. I think most teams look forward to playing against us at the moment
-1

theipswichman added 11:45 - Oct 16 I remember a few games ago when everyone was saying we would be a great test for them, now everyone wants to play us. Bit of a shame but I still think we can get back to the standard we've set since Mick came in.
1

LankHenners added 11:48 - Oct 16 Great read as always Harry, really gets you in the mood for the footballing weekend ahead! Carayol and Scannell two wingers who can be real threats on their day but go missing in games and are out of form. No prizes for guessing who the stand out players are going to be tomorrow then... Seem to remember reports of Carayol giving Chambers the run around like the latter was a schoolchild when we were at Middlesbrough a couple of seasons ago, and we always make Sean Scannell look 5 times the player he is. Sound comments by them, although this seems the perfect opportunity for Tommy Oar to show everyone what he's really about. Hopefully we'll change a couple of things and rediscover our form again. I wonder if Sears was right in his interview - teams give us more respect now and play against us as if we're a top team, rather than just punching above our weight. If that's the case, hopefully tomorrow we can show that we really can play like a top team when we're in the mood.

1

yorksblue added 13:52 - Oct 16 Sods law that Vaughan recovers from injury and scores. Let's hope it's not a repeat of the debacle we had up their place last season.
1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls