Huddersfield v BORO 1-2 (Coburn, Howson)

[marvin 301 694]

WHO: Huddersfield v The Boro

WHAT: The final Championship match of 2023 

WHERE: The "Have It" Stadium

WHEN: 19:45 Friday 29th December 2023 

WHY: Football

 

INTRODUCTION:

Well, what a year it's been. Looking back to this time last season, it feels like there was a lot more of that fleeting football emotion: optimism. 

Fast forward to the same time this year, we're more or less in exactly the same position we were then. 3 points from the playoffs. Last year we were all aboard the Chuba Express and Carrick's Crusaders were charging up the table. This season, well, this year, has been a bit of a let down of sorts. I was convinced we'd be in the Premiership now, but once again we find our selves on the brink... of one thing or the other. January is going to be crucial, again. If we can get the incomings as right as we did in January 2023, I've no doubt we'll go one better than we did last season, at least. The top is a lot tighter than last year too. Leicester aren't as ahead as I assumed they would be, and are beatable; Ipswich will surely falter (surely?) Dirty Leeds will hopefully get relegated and Southampton will be top 3 somewhere. So positions 4, 5 and 6 are totally available/achievable! 

MIDDLE BITS:

SIDE A, Us:

This season has been a strange one so far. I thought we'd fair better than we have done up to now, but then I'm always overly optimistic when it comes to pre-season predictions. The reality is that we lost many of the best bits of our squad, whilst hopefully creating a G...OLD...EN...TH...REA...D? Welllllll, let's not think about it too much. You could argue that we've got a more solid foundation, so if we strengthen as we did last January, come August 2024, when all the good loan fellas have gone home we'll be in a better place than we were in August 2023. So if we're not already dominating the Premier League in December 2024, we'll be smashing the Championship, yeah?

SIDE B, Them:

Huddersfield find themselves already one place higher than they were on December 31st '22. So they must be delighted with the progress they've made and probably don't have any complaints whatsoever... Quick browse >here< shows otherwise. This is not a happy fanbase. Football fans, huh, fickle bunch...

THE END:

So, what are we expecting this time out? I can't quite believe we got beaten at Rotherham. How can we have so many chances to win a game so convincingly and yet lose? January must surely see reinforcements in the way of a striker who knows where the net is (Cameron Archer 2.0?) Calum Kavanagh seems to be getting a few minutes recently, if he bangs in a couple v Huddersfield, could he be the answer?

QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDIENCE TO CONSIDER:

How many will we win by?

Who will finish our top scorer this season?

How will we finish 2024?

Are New Years Resolutions a waste of time and what do you hope to regretfully fail to achieve next year?

[TLF10 4,928 6.6k]

I would go with:

Glover

Dijk Fry VDB Engel

Howson Barlaser

Jones Crooks Greenwood

Coburn

I hope for a nervy 2-1 win but right now I will take results in anyway so we keep pace.

[DurhamRed 2,123 4.7k]

If Coburn isn't fit for this one I'd be tempted to start kavanga up front atleast he is a finisher you don't score the number of goals he has in the u23s if you can't finish. 

Also hopefully see Engel back in the side as feel we missed his passing the other day then RVB be in for Clarke I imagine. 

Then this could be mcgree last game before his Asian cup adventure so surly we should start him

 

               Glover

Dijksteel.  Fry. RVB.  Engel

         Howson Barlaser 

Jones         Rogers       Mcgree 

              Coburn/ Kavanga 

[Erimus74 3,595 3.7k]

I would stick with Engel over Bangura, if im honest, I prefer Engel Bangura never seems to be in control of the ball & treat the ball like a hot potato

Clarkes done well on his full return & should keep his place, but VDB needs to be playing, whether he's carrying a knock is another matter,

Coburn, McGree & Crooks, who is still struggling form wise, should start with Greenwood, Rogers & Silvera rested, fingers crossed Latte Lath, if available, is on the bench

Johnny Howson, whose been great for us since joining the club will be, if selected, making his 300th appearance, what a milestone when you think he's played for a number of clubs before joining us

[Denzel Zanzibar 7,314 14.3k]

I would go with this but let's be honest if Coburn is fit enough to start, he starts and if he isn't, Carrick will probably play Silvera up top *shudders*

McGree probably isn't quite fit enough to start but as we're losing him soon i'd be trying to get a full game out of him.

Greenwood rightfully gets dropped and Engel comes in for Bangura to give us a bit more solidarity at the back. 

Huddersfield are coming off the back of a 3-0 win against Blackburn so we need to bring them back down to earth. A tight 1-0 win will do.

Latte Lath will finish top scorer.

December 2024 will see us getting spanked by various Premier League teams on a regular basis. But at least we're there, right? Right?

NY Resolutions rarely get made or kept in our household but they'll be the usual ones: Get in shape, don't drink as much, try to find a work/home balance

(It's not that bad really.)

[Downsouth 6,732 36.2k]

Yes Engel for me as well starting.

If we play as well as the Rotherham game and take the chances we should be ok although Huddersfield will have some say in the matter, our current injuries could come back and bite us with regards selection purposes, but hopefully the lads will want to overturn the Rotherham result.

We can all hope!

[Redcar Rioja 6,770 6.6k]

I'd bring Engel back into the side and hope that Silvera and Greenwood are on the bench. I'd start Bangura further up in front of Engel on the left with the two of them overlapping and covering. If Coburn is still unfit then Kavanagh to start as let's face it I'm sure he can blast balls over the stand roof or straight at the Keeper as well as Greenwood or Silvera can, with a bit of luck his lack of experience may even see him slice and mishit a few that end up going in.

McGree should be a no brainer but fitness seems to still be an issue but regardless I'd start him to help us get in front then take him off rather than bring him on when we're chasing the game. The rest pretty much pick themselves.

[Erimus74 3,595 3.7k]

27/12/1920 - 1st away fixture between both clubs, Huddersfield Town 0 Boro 1

25th December 1957 - Huddersfield 1 Boro 0 our last ever Christmas day fixture

Huddersfield Town v Boro will be the 52nd meeting between the two teams in Yorkshire with the following record:

Won - 14
Drew -11
Lost - 26
Goals scored - 55
Goals against – 81

Just the one away hat trick v Huddersfield Town

10th October 1987 - Bernie Slaven became the 44th different Boro player to score 3 in a 1st team game when he notched his 2nd Boro hat trick in a 4-1 win (1st league Boro career hat trick) the clubs 29th away hat trick & 119th in total

[Erimus74 3,595 3.7k]

My 1st ever away match was August 1971 Huddersfield v Arsenal

We use to go out on days a lot back then, our load would load up our blue morris oxford then our mam & dad along with my 2 younger brothers in the back

Anyway, on our way back our dad gotvlost, yea right oh & before we knew it he was parked up outside Leeds road for an evening kickoff,  our dad took me & my younger brother to the game, we were 10 & 9 back then while our mam, none to pleased, sat in the car with our little, younger brother, Arsenal won 1-0 with a John Radford goal 

 

[Blanco 5,130 6.8k]

20 minutes ago, Erimus74 said:

My 1st ever away match was August 1971 Huddersfield v Arsenal

We use to go out on days a lot back then, our load would load up our blue morris oxford then our mam & dad along with my 2 younger brothers in the back

Anyway, on our way back our dad gotvlost, yea right oh & before we knew it he was parked up outside Leeds road for an evening kickoff,  our dad took me & my younger brother to the game, we were 10 & 9 back then while our mam, none to pleased, sat in the car with our little, younger brother, Arsenal won 1-0 with a John Radford goal 

 

I don’t think your Dad would have got away with that with the modern day mams @Erimus74 😂😂😂

[Pork Slops 637 1.1k]

Are there any pubs in Boro showing games on the iFollow channels these days should I opt against watching it in the house?

[Downsouth 6,732 36.2k]

Is this red button or having to pay for Boro live?

[BoroSmoggie 3,164 3.8k]

My confidence in us getting points against the poor teams isn’t high, especially away. 2 points from a possible 18 against the bottom 6. That’s abysmal 

[Erimus74 3,595 3.7k]

4 hours ago, Blanco said:

I don’t think your Dad would have got away with that with the modern day mams @Erimus74 😂😂😂

😂 Im suprised he even did back then, my mam sat in the car doing her knitting, it would have been a courtcase today, mental health issues, neglect, you boy sat in xar late, with his mum knitting when he should have been tucked up in bed, could you imagine 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Plastic Goat 171 293]

We have lost 11 games so far. Quite a few of them against lower placed sides. If we fail to take good chances like at Rotherham it will be defeat number 12. Virtually every time a Boro player is given a gold plated chance they lack the composure and technique to put it away.Don't they practice shooting in training?