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| Decent turnout from the Terriers |
Apologies if I’m a bit rusty today, I haven’t attended pre-season training.
Well, finally, I’m back – let the season commence! Meeting Slacki, Salisbury and Andy Jones at Kings X, it’s apparent early on who hasn’t seen a game yet: Andy and I are extremely chipper about our chances while the other 2 list a million ways it’s going wrong already. Can’t wait! Later, Andy improves morale by producing a (chilled) bottle of champagne, the result of a promise for not coming to the Hudds away game last year. I do like a man of his word!
Pre-match predictions from Vienna Bob (we’ll win 3-0) and County Durham Ron (‘we’ll need to score 4 to win today’). Both had legs for a while. Mr Marshall snr. also said ‘nevermind about going down one division, we’ll be going down 2’. I’m starting to think my MP3 choice of listening this morning (The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’) couldn’t have set me up better for a day with Barnsley FC, the Londontykes and my dad.
Enough of the preamble tho. The Super Reds ran out in front of a decent crowd (swelled by 3800 Terriers) and there was a familiar look to the side: only M’Voto and Pedersen were new to me. As well as the 41 year old goalkeeper considered better than Luke Steele (a major bone of contention pre-match). Has anyone ever heard of a manager putting in goal his mate from his summer holidays???
We destroyed Huddersfield 1st half. We’d already had a couple of near misses when the ball ran kindly for O’Grady to ram home. Minutes later, Pedersen attempts what no Reds forward has done in years in bringing down a cross, turning and banging home. I know what Flitcroft means when he talks about time standing still. Superb.
2nd half, you know the script. The forwards will be isolated with the rest of the team sitting deep, 40 or 50 yards behind them. Why continue to utilise what was working perfectly well before the break when you can sit back, invite them on and hope for the best? And it worked for 15 minutes, as there were so many gaps in the Huddersfield defence. Yet the one time we made it to their box, Perkins cocked up a 3 on 3.
Then the inevitable – Hudds bag. BFC’s defence do what I would do and leave the 12 goals in 9 games bloke to be picked up by someone else. No one does and it’s an easy finish. This is what happens when your star centre half (M’Voto) goes wandering. In truth, M’Voto had already tried to let Vaughan score by failing to head a ball clear and the Hudds player dragged the ball wide with only Pollitt to beat. The writing was on the wall.
Now, this might surprise anyone who knows me, but I was optimistic. Everyone around me thought that was it, the game’s over, they have half an hour to win the game, while I was saying ‘but look at the gaps Huddersfield are leaving. They’re RIPE for picking off on the counter.’ Was I right? I’ll never know, cos we abjectly continued to give them the game, conceding possession time and again and allowing them to build from the back. I did call the subs right tho, predicting Dagnall and Mellis to come on. Mind, I wasn’t expecting Noble-Lazarus (great game) to be taken off, not while Dawson could barely run (is he fit? He barely made a forward run all day.) Anyway, I might not be the biggest fan of Mellis, but I consider him a decent sub. He could do some damage coming on late when the opposition have tired to his pace. And, actually, he did get 2 or 3 shots off – more than the rest combined. Meantime, Daggers could run around hassling defenders.
And so it was that we limped over the line, albeit without Pollitt actually having to make a save. Their keeper came up for a corner in the dying seconds, missed the cross by inches and M’Voto broke, running clear from the edge of our box, all the way into their half before prodding it wide of an open goal, much to their fans’ derision. With impeccable timing though, our Premiership referee (you’d never guess) Mason blew for full time and the home cheers drowned them out. Thank you Huddersfield – you saved us last season and maybe you’ll do so again!
Walking up the hill from Oakwell, I can only presume a fan was talking about the game when I caught ‘Allt’ finesse o’championship’. Which summed it up perfick. Thrills, spills, mistakes, energy, cluelessness, class, worry…there was summat for everyone.
*** O’Brien. Whatthehell’s everyone on about? Cracking game from our right wing back.
** Noble-Lazarus. Ditto at left back. There’s method to Flitcroft’s madness in selling Golbourne. Reuben has a lot of goodwill behind him but needs to ensure his attitude remains tip-top.
* Wiseman. Quietly efficient at M’Voto’s side.
Despatches:
Pedersen and O’Grady hit excellent goals but couldn’t hold a ball up all day. The sponsors gave the Norweigan MOTM, presumably in an effort to meet his (allegedly) gorgeous girlfriend. Well, it’s as good a reason as any. Perkins looked…perky. Intercepted lots of ball and strode forward while Dawson puffed and panted his way through in slow motion (getting a booking for a late challenge). Etuhu was another who looked excellent in the 1st half before disappearing while 41 year old Pollitt never put a foot wrong, coming and claiming every cross. Though why Huddersfield didn’t think of testing him with some shots, I’m not sure. As for M’Voto, he could well be the domineering centre half we’ve been waiting for. Or he could be the new Matty Appleby, making a costly mistake every game. Or the new Jim Beckenbauer-McNulty (God forbid), striding forward with the ball, never having it under control and losing it. Note to Jean-Yves (I admit I’ve just had to look up his forename): stop thinking you’re a footballer and do what you do best – stop the opposition and give the ball to someone who knows what to do with it.
The journey back? As ever, never as much fun when ‘there’s nothing to complain about’ (Slacki). Drink du jour: a welcome return for red wine. Though only one bottle (each) meant I wasn’t drunk enough to fall asleep on the bus home. Andy Jones enjoyed a pie by ‘Andrew Jones pies’, which was apt. Though one should never get high on one’s own supply.
It's good to be back (good to be back) – Come on you Reds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
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