Huddersfield Town Vs Queen’s Park Rangers 10 August 2013 – Everything but the result

The Superhoops made their first competitive away trip of the new season to the John Smith’s, formerly Galpharm, formerly McAlpine Stadium. Such are the vagaries of the naming value of new modern stadia.

The Independent Rs team were to be found before the game sampling the local ale in the delightfully-named Gasworks Club. Whilst the natives were very friendly, the topic dominating conversation was the getup of the ever sartorially-elegant Finney, more suited to the Australian Outback than West Yorkshire. Only a hat was needed to make the transformation into ‘Crocodile Belfast’ complete.

Huddersfield’s ground is one of the older examples of the post-Taylor report all-seater implementations, it is still arguably one of the most aesthetically attractive with its dramatic sweeping white steel arches.

The conspiracy theorists were once again buzzing as the visiting lineup failed to include Alejandro Faurlin, ruled out with a thigh injury. Esteban Granero was this time promoted to the midfield slot alongside Karl Henry. Other changes from the victory against Sheffield Wednesday included Yun Suk-Young in for the dropped Armand Traore and Charlie Austin starting up front alongside Andy Johnson instead of Bobby Zamora.

Granero

(Granero in action)

Rangers dominated the first twenty minutes or so, silencing the boisterous Yorkshire home crowd as the gap in class between the two sides was inititially all too apparent. Granero, Joey Barton and Junior Hoilett all impressed from the off as the Rs took the game to the home side. Rangers found space all over the pitch, and the only way Huddersfield could respond was with some rough stuff. After just six minutes Hoilett was clattered by a clumsy late challenge from Oliver Norwood. Referee Andy Haines saw fit to punish this with a free kick only, when he chose to produce a yellow card to Granero for a fairly innocuous pull on Adam Hamill.

In the meantime Rangers were creating chances through their superiority, notably through Hoilett and the lively Austin. The former Burnley man reprised his impressive substitute performance from the previous Saturday, whilst Johnson continued to snap around the Terriers’ defensive partnership.

But as the half drew on Rangers sat back and the home team began to gain a little more ground. Off target shots from Oscar Gobern and Martin Paterson were the warning that the Hoops failed to heed. On 35 minutes James Vaughan found Hamill on the Rs’ left, who somehow managed to thread a ball past Suk-Young and Granero to find Norwood completely unmarked on the edge of the box. He was readily able to pick out Vaughan once again with his cross and the Town striker made no mistake with his header. For the second Saturday running Rangers found themselves behind to inferior opposition through defensive frailties.

Norwood

(Norwood in acres of space)

The deficit was not to last for long however. Three minutes later Hoilett picked up the ball and made a darting run into midfield. It ricocheted off a Town player wide right into the path of the advancing Suk-Young. The Korean crossed in and Hoilett stabbed home from short range at the far post. Rangers fans breathed a huge sigh of relief at the half-time break as to have been behind would have been a travesty given the initial quality of the performance.

Hoilett

(Hoilett draws Rangers level)

The second half went on as the first had started, with lots of Rangers possession, a number of Rangers chances and the home team offering very little in response. The growing confidence was underlined on 53 minutes by Hoilett scampering down the Rangers left evading defenders and curling a peach in towards the right of goal. A little more venom was required on the shot, but it still required Huddersfield goalkeeper Alex Smithies to dive at full stretch to make a catch.

Rangers were by now well in control. The Terriers had to dig in very hard defensively to stop the momentum of Rangers from the wings and through the centre. The much maligned Barton held court on the right hand side of the field. I’m personally no fan of his public stream-of-consciousness musings. But like the opening game this was a day when the Liverpudlian let his game do the talking for him. Barton’s work rate was immense and was on show with some high quality passing. Combined with Granero’s endeavour in the middle the Rangers midfield was almost irresistible.

Maybe the jury is still out on new boy Karl Henry. On news of his transfer, Wolves fans were pleased to get him off their wage bill and there were many accompanying comments about the player’s propensity to play square balls. Here was more evidence. Playing more of a Shaun Derry like role, you wouldn’t expect him to be the creative driver in the side. Henry was though sloppy in possession at times and often seemed to be drifting away from play. It’s early days though so it’s harsh to judge him unfairly. In fact the dreaded word of last season, ‘gelling’ crossed my mind thinking about the entire team when too often in the game long balls were pumped up towards Austin. This set of players is more than good enough to keep it on the floor in this division.

The Superhoops best chance to win the game came on 56 minutes when Austin got on the end of a searching Hoilett cross. The header bounced tantalisingly off the crossbar into the path of Barton who was unable to finish with the rebound.

With twenty minutes to go Shaun Wright-Phillips replaced Granero. Barton moved into the middle and the substitute went out wide right. The substitute was soon into the thick of the action, forcing another fine save out Smithies dashing out of goal.

Austin

(Austin in the wars)

Further chances fell to Austin, Barton and late substitute Jermaine Jenas. Huddersfield nearly forced a late shock winner when former Crystal Palace man and substitute Sean Scannell went close deep into injury time. But it would have been a travesty. The overall shot count was 17 for QPR versus 6 to Huddersfield and even this stat doesn’t reflect the gulf in class.

We’re not going to win every game. QPR are the proverbial ‘big fish in a small pond’ and most teams in the division are going to see our visit as a chance to have a crack at the big boys. In spite of the arguable ‘points dropped’ there was much to admire here. Rangers are not yet the real deal. With Barton’s inspiration this has the potential to be a title-winning midfield, although questions still remain about the perfect lineup. Also we are a little suspect at the back. This wasn’t Clint Hill’s best ever day, getting beaten a couple of times by players of moderate pace and quality. On the other hand, Nedum Onuoha is looking more the part at centre-back with every appearance. Suk-Young is not the finished article, whilst we wonder whether Danny Simpson is fully match fit.

So we move onto Ipswich at Loftus Road for the next fixture. Mick McCarthy’s Tractor Boys are likely to be a sterner test than the opening two league games.

Team: Green 6, Simpson 6, Hill 6, Suk-Young 6, Onuoha 7, Granero 7, Wright-Phillips 7, Barton 8, Henry 6 (Jenas 6), Hoilett 8, Johnson 7, Austin 7

Substitutes not used: Murphy, Dunne, Ehmer, O’Neil, Zamora

QPR MOM: Barton – Joey, keep your mouth shut and continue playing like this and you have the potential to completely reform your reputation and standing with QPR fans

Huddersfield MOM: Smithies – several good saves in a dogged Terriers performance

Attendance: 13,896 (1,077 QPR fans)

Saycey

Photos provided by Sandra Sayce and are used with permission

9 thoughts on “Huddersfield Town Vs Queen’s Park Rangers 10 August 2013 – Everything but the result

  1. Sounds like you stayed in the gasclub,your report sounds more like the biased drivel from your assistant manager,not a true reflection of a game between 2 teams more evenly matched than many would have expected.I personally thought your team were the better side,but although the lightning breaks you made did not lead to many good chances,only shots from range which never troubled smithies,but sometimes it’s hard to see a true picture when looking through rose tinted glasses,or beer glasses.

    • Well what match did you attend ?

      Barton getting an 8 tells me you were not at the match. He was mediocre.Granero and Hollet were way better – likewise Austin.

      QPR did create more shooting and scoring opportunities and had the best of the first 25 minutes of the first half and 20 mins of the second half – other than that had the linesman been up to his job we would have had one less offside and he could have helped the ref with the missed penalty decision.

      In fairness we did not deserve to win but reading this match report shows how misguided you must be – take the blinkers off.

      As for your support – 1077 fans – that is nothing short of terrible for such a “big2 club – that just reinforces how deluded some of you are – if you can only muster 1077 supporters then Championship is very much your level however much money you spend on ex Premier has beens.

  2. Deluded pal.

    You are in for a bit shock, you looked a very average side. Forest, Watford and Leicester will tear you a new one.
    Your big fish in a little pond statement really made me laugh, how long were QPR in the top flight. Think you’ll be well at home with Leeds the champions of Europe and the massive Sheff Wednesday.
    Last thing you brought 1077, massive away support form a massive club?

  3. We have seemingly watched a different game whilst attending the same venue on the same date !!

    QPR’s outstanding player on the day was infact Granero and not Barton,and Town’s was Gobern by a country mile! Oh and I don’t wear rose tinted glasses!

    Town more than matched the R’s over the 90mins- a team that’s wages must be the highest ever paid by a Championship team.

    With regards to being a “big fish” – don’t over flatter yourselves – there are teams in this league who have actually won the top flight, and the FA cup! Huddersfield Town being one of these (1st team to win the league 3 times in a row -FACT) whereas QPR have been runners up just the once! Forest won the league and European Cup twice when it meant something! Blackburn won the title whilst in the new era of the Premiership!

    Foreign ownership has seen obscene money wasted on inferior players at QPR and as a result you have been the recent laughing stock of the English game. The pressure is firmly on Harry to deliver in this “small pond” and clearly R’s fans expect to simply turn up at places like Huddersfield and win.

    Whilst your millionaires had more shots on goal, a draw was a fair result to both teams.

    Arrogance very often leaves egg firmly on faces and the fact that Mr Bond was dispatched to the post match press conference instead of Harry speaks volumes!!!

    I like watching a team that isn’t full of failed stars, a team who’s owner is actually English (and one who was a season ticket holder until he made his fortune and took over the ownership). There are no gutless money grabbers in our “rough stuff” line up – that’s not our style.

    Perhaps QPR fans should be lambasting their team this weekend, when you put things into perspective it wasn’t a “difference in class ” on the playing field but an obsene difference in earnings.
    Remember this is 11 v’s 11 in the same division!

    Will Rangers be visiting this part of West Yorks next season – Forest, Bolton and Wigan amongst others will be doing their very best to make that a possibility!
    As Town claimed a point yesterday against the leagues “big fish”, then there is every reason to believe that we will be here waiting next season – question is will R’s be good enough to avoid a repeat fixture?!!

    Oh and on a last note – you need to erase close to 500 off your claimed away following too (Premiership support I think not), perhaps look at Town’s away followings last season before you retort!

  4. i am not speaking for Steve here but we are a big fish in this league.
    Not down to the size of our club or our support but down to how the media have seen us.
    As also the fact we have spent millions and change the ethos of the club and also have signed a media headline manager in Redknapp.

    As for the away numbers well we took more the year that you sent us down to Div2 when it was not about the money and we were skint and one of our darkest days.

    So we do not see our self as a big fish or think we have a right to be in the premier or think we are a big club.

    Now back to the game people forget that last season we took waving a white flag at away games to a new level.
    So when away now it is nice to last the game without looking like a team about to be hammerhead at will.

    How i seen the game was that Town played really well a team well drilled once Vaughan and Norwood get an understanding going they will do teams a lot of damage.

    And for us we showed more passion and craft in that one game than we did away from home than most games last season.
    The last ditch attack you had last season would have ended in a goal which is why i took pride in coming away from the game with a point as a positive.

    I hope Town do well this season they deserve too good bunch of players and hope a lot of you come down to London.

    As for deluded i will be pleased at the end of the season if we finish anywhere above 10th yes our owners will spend money but i was there as i say when we had none as was many of Saturday.

    One huge plus for me on Saturday was the link play of Austin and Johnson as for Defense Ned was class again strong solid and no fear.

    As for Barton credit when it is due whatever his reasons for playing well who cares hes doing a grand one at the moment i think he will move on and if we get Parker in as expected then i can not see a role for him.
    But he has almost made up for some of the things he said and is showing that he can play.
    And now we can say goodbye to him and shake his hand and wish him well.

  5. Finney – very well balanced and thoughtful reply, well said fella. Good luck for the season, it’s not as much fun as people imagine when you are expected to win every week. We found that out in L1 when we just failed two years running when expectations were sky-high, then actually got promoted at the third attempt twith a team which was much inferior to the teams which failed.
    Most Terrier fans will be happy with a mid to lower position finish after the heart-stopping end to last season, so getting a point from one of the red-hot promotion favourites is a good result for us. We were even happy(ish) to lose 1-0 at Forest last week, as it represents a vast improvement on last year’s 6-1 gubbing! Funny old game,as someone once said…

  6. I was at the game and there were some positives. In the main our passing was very good.We were clearly the better team. and Huddersfield did not get many chances to score…but our finishing and play in the last third was not good enough and we were up against opposition that is certainly not the best in that division!

    We have played two very mediocre teams so far this season and quite frankly we have huffed and puffed in both matches.

    I reckon if Remy had been on the pitch he would have scored a hat trick but thats all history now.

    One amusing footnote..At the final whistle the Huddersfield Keeper leapt about in celebration as if his team had just won a Cup Final..Hmm are we really that highly rated.

  7. Cheers Sam for me it is not about the premier or ever will be it is about Queen’s Park Rangers.
    By the way that keeper is bloody decent if he plays like that all season he will do you lot proud.
    Also if you come down to London try and avoid the away pubs they are shite email me near the time.
    Good luck for the rest of the season

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