Tuesday 28 January 2014

Cherry Chimes interviews Huddersfield blog Thrice Champions

Match Preview
AFC V Huddersfield
Blogger Interview - Thrice Champions


Cherry Chimes speaks to Greg Marah, editor of Thrice Champions - a Huddersfield Town blog, who has been keeping tabs on all the new players arriving at the Terriers while also being adamant that the Terriers can hold off Premiership interest in to their inform striker James Vaughan.

CC: You ran Burnley and QPR close in recent away games so how do you feel about how Mark Robins has set the team up away from home?

TC: Robins' has set up not to nullify the opposition like some do away from home, rather play our own fluid game. Whilst we didn't play that well away at Burnley we were unlucky not to get a point. In the QPR fixture most fans felt happy in the overall performance, its just we didn't take our chances unlike QPR. Had we taken those we would have come away from Loftus Road with 3 points.

CC: Are you pleased that Huddersfield are signing young players like Harry Bunn from Man City, Joe Lolley from Kidderminster Harriers and Sondre Trondstad, a former IK Start player from Norway?


TC: Personally I'm delighted we are focusing our transfer policy on young hungry players rather than signing has beens who are looking for one last payout
.

Lolley will be involved in the first team squad primarily, while
 Tronstad and Bunn will be involved in the development squad with the aim of pushing for the first team. Hopefully as we continue to sign young players we find a couple of gems who either take us towards a play-off charge in the future or go for a large sum of money like Jordan Rhodes did.

CC: Huddersfield may have something against newly promoted sides having thumped AFCB and Yeovil 5:1 - were they similar games?


TC: The only way they were similar was the scorelines. Against Bournemouth we clicked and took our chances while AFCB did ask a few questions of us. The Yeovil game was a walk in the park for Town and we won at a canter without getting out of second gear. Realistically had we taken all of our better chances and played better than we did, it could have been 10-1.

CC: Do you think the Terriers can still mount a play-off challenge or is mid-table okay for you this season?

TC: The heart says we could scrape the play-offs but in this division everyone has to be realistic. From surviving by the skin of our teeth on the final day of last season, mid-table would be good progress. A top half finish would be a brilliant season for us and isn't unrealistic but anything better than 10th and we have really overachieved, but that is testament to Mark Robins' terrific management and a shout to the work of Ross Wilson and Dean Hoyle behind the scenes.

CC: Do you think a bid is likely for James Vaughan in the summer if it does not come in this January?

TC: He won't be leaving in this transfer window, our chairman has said that and he doesn't lie! However, just like Jordan Rhodes, if a ludicrous bid comes in for him then we can't say no and there are plenty of teams sniffing about including Celtic. Vaughan was a shrewd signing and only cost us 600k, so to potentially get millions for him, especially with his injury record we would be mad not to say no. However, without that injury record he wouldn't be at Huddersfield Town as he is Premier League quality.


CC: Is there a player that has done better than you expected this season for Huddersfield, not counting Vaughan?

TC: Everyone has improved from last season but the one stand out is Tom Smith, our young defender. We signed him on a free transfer from Man City and he was a stalwart for our development squad for 18 months until he got an opportunity with Peter Clarke being injured. He's come into the side and hasn't looked out of place, in fact was our best player away at QPR and is one of the first names on the team sheet.

CC: Which game do you think was the best performance for Huddersfield this season and why?

TC: Burnley at home where we won 2-1. Again we could and should have been 4 or 5 up at halftime but didn't take our chances, but for 65 minutes totally dominated the then top side in the division playing fantastic football. We just need to do that for 90 minutes and ensure we score when on top.

CC: Which three teams do you expect to go down?

TC: Yeovil - nice story that they got promoted but that squad just isn't good enough. Barnsley - one season too far of relegation scraps. Charlton - Just a sneaky feeling as they lack an out and out goalscorer.

Although I've put a quid on Blackpool at 33/1 as they are in free fall. Sacking Ince may have saved Blackpool's season.


CC: What do you think Mark Robins has got right this season?

TC: Playing passing fluid football, it's good to watch. Also having interchangeable formations within games, we primarily start with a 3-5-2 formation but depending on the opposition and the state of the game can play 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1 with the same starting line up... he's a clever one is Mark Robins.

CC: How do you think new signing Nakhi Wells might do for you - he has already scored I hear?

TC: Two goals, two games. A natural goalscorer with pace and a snip at £1.3million plus add ons. He can help us towards a top 6 finish... next season.

CC: Thanks for your input Greg. Huddersfield Town is certainly a team that is building its squad up and Mark Robins seems to be making a successful go at manager's job. As a former striker it looks like he has an eye for young forwards and with the strike force that he is assembling it is likely that some clubs will be watching the progress of Huddersfield's front line. I only hope that they draw a blank at Dean Court and help AFCB start to move up the table a bit.

As for those you suggest are going down the Charlton comment worries me a little if we are to pick up Yann Kemorgrant, not someone you rate I suspect, perhaps we will hear more on that topic today from AFCB. I heard that Huddersfield were all over Charlton in the FA Cup tie but it was the Addicks that got through. No backlash please! 

To read more about Greg's thoughts, visit the Thrice Champions blog.

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