Nobody Asked For Promotion - Huddersfield Town

[Coganp]

Introduction

This story will follow the progression of the tactical system and football philosophy that I am developing at Huddersfield town, following a successful period from the start of the season, to the end of February 2021. That's where you join me, as we enter March, with 13 fixtures left to play. But before we finish the campaign, let's take a look at how we got here. 

Football Values

I have a set of core values for when I approach any new save. This is ideally the type of football that I want my team to play. These values don't tie me to a specific formation, allowing me to fit it around the squad that I have available to me.

• Be defensively solid - knowing you can see out a 1-0 win is essential to getting points on the board.
• Play out from the back with an emphasis on possession. The more we have the ball, the harder it is for the opponent to score. 
• Short passes with a quick tempo. Short passing helps to maintain possession, but the higher tempo keeps players moving and helps to create pockets of space.
• Pace. The hardest thing to defend against is pace. 

The Tactic 

Screenshot 1.

Taking some inspiration from the Brazilian setup of the 1982 world cup campaign, I looked to develop a narrow system that would control the half spaces, rather than the wide areas, by over loading the centre of the pitch. Defensively, a four man box would sit at the base of the system, offering more protection against the counter attack than the usual, single holding midfielder. To achieve this, I used inverted wing backs. The theory being, it would keep my midfielders free to affect the game further up the field. The fullbacks I had weren't exactly great going forward, so why not hold them back in a more defensive role, and let the better players effect the game in the attacking third.

Depending on the opposition, or the stage of the game, I would change between defend and support duties for the inverted fullbacks. When tucked inside and forming the defensive box, these players operate more as deep lying playmakers, remaining a passing option whilst we are in possession.

Further forward, the two central midfielders were on attack and support duties, with a shadow striker ahead of them. This formed the midfield three, with the shadow striker looking to make runs in behind from a deeper position, whilst the playmaker and Mezzalla roamed around the final third, knowing they had protection behind them from the defensive box. A winger with a support duty operated on the right flank, with a pressing forward up top and an inverted winger to the left. We would focus play toward the right hand side, with the winger set to hit early crosses to the far post. The inverted winger had alot of joy in front of goal, getting in-between the fullback and centre half. The Mezzalla would help us to create overloads on the right hand side, pulling wide with his movement.

The attacking mentality was used the majority of the season, though would naturally change as I would look to see out games. The reason behind this was simply because it’s description most represented the style of football that I wanted to play. Quick interchanges of the ball with an emphasis on moving players into advance areas of the pitch. 

When out of possession, we defend narrow, high and compact, forcing the opposition outside. Our defensive press doesn't start too high up the pitch, allowing the opposition to play out from the back before being met with a wall of 5 midfielders. The full backs are pressed aggressively however, and the pressing forward ensures that the centre backs don't have all the time in the world. The midfield set up never quite performed as I had intended, with teams able to play through my midfield at times when players pressed individually, rather than as a unit. For the most part however, teams were forced wide or into long balls, and shots from distance.  

The Results

For the first half of the season this system worked very well, with my team pushing up the league to second place, where we remained as we entered the new year. Gradually though, we conceded more and more goals, to the point where we were simply relying on outscoring our opponents. Not quite the defensively solid system I had hoped to build. In particular, we conceded alot of goals late on in games, losing points in the dying moments from winning positions. Is the system failing, or is the squad finally finding its level after a demanding campaign.

Screenshot 2.

After a quick look at the team report, and the squad comparison charts, it was clear to see where the issue lied. Second in the league, but our defensive player attributes rated as relegation candidates at best, with our marking actually rated as the worst in the league. Stamina and natural fitness were also ranked at the lower end of the charts, and again, leadership in the squad was the lowest in the league. No wonder this squad was failing to see games out, with a lack of leadership, fitness and general quality in the art of defending. The players simply weren't good enough. These findings did however, demonstrate just how well the tactic was working, and how well our forward players were performing. 

With little to spend in January, we opted not to strengthen until the summer. With promotion now a strong possibility, the quality of player we required might change significantly. For a team with little to offer financially, and promotion to the premier League now a possibility, a squad overhaul could be required. The squad, the club, and myself, are not prepared for promotion. 

Screenshot 3.

February was a reality check, as a team that had only lost twice in the league to date, lost 3 games in 10 days. Despite this run however, we made it through February, still second in the league, with the team's around us also feeling the strain. Well, kind of. Brentford actually pulled 10 points clear at the top, in what has been a brilliant season for them. 

March 2021

Now you are up to date with our season so far, it's time to plan out the remainder. We may as well try and get promoted now, we really do have nothing to loose. In order to do that, I think we need to address the tactic and sure up our defence. We also need to come up with a recruitment plan. A good one. Half the starting 11 are in on loan, with many other squad players on expiring contracts or average championship players at best.

[smplfc123]

Good post @Coganp and nice to see something different.

Huddersfield are one of the teams on my maybe list, so enjoyed this and looking forward to see how the season finishes for you.

[Coganp]

 

33 minutes ago, smplfc123 said:

Good post @Coganp and nice to see something different.

Huddersfield are one of the teams on my maybe list, so enjoyed this and looking forward to see how the season finishes for you.

Thankyou, I appreciate the comment, more updates coming soon. 

[adamco]

Great post @Coganp. Looking forward to how the season ends, fingers crossed for promotion.

[Coganp]

As much as you can plan for promotion when you are one of the relegation favourites, I began to think about putting my scouts to good use. It's got to the stage now where the play offs are almost guaranteed, and should we go up, this squad is nowhere near good enough. Though I can't predict the budgets for the new season, should we achieve promotion, it won't be a war chest. We are operating with the 15th largest wage budget in the championship, with no room for movement, and I don't envisage raising much funds from player sales. For new players coming into this club, they are going to have to be cheap, and improvements on what we currently have. This gives us limited options:

• Loan signings

• Free agents

• Young, unproven talent

With loan signings, and free agents something I can't delve into until the new season, my scouting assignments are going to revolve around identifying young, unproven talents, with small price tags. One of the club's philosophies is to sign young talents, from whom the club can also profit if they develop well, so this ties in.

Reviewing the system

The current tactical set up has seen the team over perform this season, as we have already seen in part 1, but I feel as though some changes to the formation and player roles may simplify our recruitment process. Inverted wing backs, require good passing and vision attributes in this system. These players reside in a niche market, which I don't believe we can compete in. Retraining holding midfielders is an option. Using two holding midfielders to form the defensive box is another, meaning we use a traditional style fullback. They are easier and cheaper to come by.

A couple of no thrills, holding midfielders shouldn't be too hard to find, and again, fairly cheap. 

Further forward, we lack any sort of depth in the attacking areas. Our best forward players are on loan, so we need to strengthen here. Strikers tend to come at a premium, so perhaps we could alter the attacking end to get more goals from our wide men, and look for some quick, inside forwards.

Maintaining our brand of football, I altered the formation and the player duties. Hopefully a shake up in system would get us back on track in what has been a great season for us so far, yet in danger of achieving absolutely nothing. The system would certainly be more defensively sound, and the player roles simplified, making it easier for us to find new players to fit this system. Here is our new look formation, though still subject to change. 

Screenshot 4.

At a later date I will provide a write up of the final tactic. For now we will see if this can get us through the remainder of the season. 

The Club DNA

Now we have our new look system in place (well, kind of) it's time to find some players to fit it. To aid our search for young, talented players, I looked to include a set of key attributes that would be required from a player. These key attributes would form the club DNA. Players will have to score well in these areas to be considered as potential transfer targets. The first set of attributes relate to a players mentality, and will be the same for every player, regardless of their playing position.

• Determination

• Decisions

• Team work

• Composure

Following on from these attributes will be more role specific ones, as seen in the defence, midfield and attacking graphs on the squad comparison page of the team report, shown below.

Screenshot 5,6,7.

Using the attributes from the squad comparison screen will make it easier for me to compare how my squad is shaping up in line with my opponents. The break down of attributes will be as follows:

Defenders: Tackling, heading, marking, jumping reach, pace.

Midfielders: tackling, passing, vision, technique, stamina.

Attackers: finishing, anticipation, acceleration, pace, off the ball. 

We will look and see how our squad ranks in comparison to our opponents, following the closing of the transfer window, so keep an eye out for that. Naturally, certain positions within the defence, midfield and attack, operate very differently, so certain other attributes will be required.

Wingbacks: crossing, stamina

Holding midfielders: strength, bravery

Playmaker: flair, agility

Inside Forwards: dribbling, first touch

Now we have our system and our club DNA, we can begin our search for those hidden gems. Several hidden gems to be exact. We will start by scouting in the UK and Ireland, before branching out into Europe.

[Coganp]

Well, we were promoted. We finished the season pretty strong, with the new system helping us over the line with some big wins. In truth though, we were constantly chopping and changing the system to help us through. Still, we did the impossible, leaving us with no time to spare as we prepare ourselves for the new season. 

Putting together a squad befitting of the premier League would be a difficult task. Naturally, we are the favourites for relegation, and £37million isn't going to stretch too far, despite being more than I had anticipated. But the funds available weren't my biggest challenge. Brexit. The cheaper players available to me throughout Europe, were often unable to get a work permit due to lack of playing time. Those who did have sufficient games under their belt, felt that Huddersfield Town couldn't match their ambitions. Failed transfer after failed transfer was the story of the summer, with my scouts working tirelessly to come up with plan b, c, d all the way through to Z. 

And when plan Z failed, we found ourselves approaching our opening fixture against the premier Leagues most unpredictable side, Arsenal. With no recognised left back in the squad, no money in the bank, and a couple of injuries away from a genuine crisis, the stage was set for an upset. The full time score, Arsenal 6, Huddersfield 3. Atleast we can score goals. Our next fixture at home gives us an opportunity to defend the fortress. Welcome Premier League title buyers, Manchester city, still yet to enter the elite group of teams to win the top division three times in a row. Yes, we have. Check the history books. Huddersfield 0, Manchester City 1. Swiftly followed by a stalemate away at Burnley, and a 5-0 thumping at Anfield, we sit rock bottom, with a -9 goal difference.

Still, it's not all doom and gloom. We actually managed to sign a left back on deadline day, alongside some decent prospects. I say prospects, these guys are all required for the first team this season, in what I would imagine is going to be the youngest squad in the league. We also managed to sign players that fit our club DNA, for the most part atleast. Unfortunately, we weren't in a position to be picky, but still, I'm pleased with the additions. 

So, welcome to the squad of Huddersfield Town 21/22, tasked with retaining our premier League status.

 

[Northernpilgrim]

Good luck with the relegation fight!

[smplfc123]

Congratulations on Promotion @Coganp and good luck with the relegation fight.

Do you have anymore experienced heads in the squad? Not a criticism at all, just seems a very young team which could maybe do with 1 or 2 old, wise heads to help guide them in tricky situations?

[Coganp]

6 hours ago, smplfc123 said:

Congratulations on Promotion @Coganp and good luck with the relegation fight.

Do you have anymore experienced heads in the squad? Not a criticism at all, just seems a very young team which could maybe do with 1 or 2 old, wise heads to help guide them in tricky situations

Unfortunately not! It's something that I wanted to do. Naturally, the younger players are cheap, with smaller wages, and we are able to develop them and potentially sell them on, so I have targeted them (our wage budget is very tight). But I have really struggled with signings. Alot of the more experienced players I had approached would not even enter contract negotiations, siting the fact that they felt the clubs ambitions didn't align with their own. Improving the clubs stature is something I have tried to improve upon over the course of the season, in the hope that this can improve our situation for the following season. I am completing the season this evening and will hopefully have my end of season update out tomorrow - I will mention the club improvements that we have made and explore if they have helped at all. Thanks for your continued interest, it's much appreciated.

[smplfc123]

Good luck and I look forward to the update 

[Coganp]

After what was a difficult start to the season, its fair to say that we grew into the Premier League. Our tactical system, coupled with the youth and athletisim of our young team, and a regular seven day period between fixtures, propelled us into the top half of the table. We picked up confident wins against the sides that regularly feature at the lower end of the league, and made life difficult for teams when we played at home. We were confident in our goal scoring,
and took advantage of set pieces, including long throws, which proved to be the deciding factor in a few fixtures.

By Christmas, and the January transfer window, we were no longer considered relegation candidates. Unfortunately, we didn't have the funds to add to our squad, and we remained unable to sell Issac Mbenza. The media regularly commented on the low release clause (11.25m) and the risk of losing him so cheap. If only. Regardless, our form continued to improve, as we battled with Southampton, Leicester and Everton for the Europa League spots. A 1-0 win against Manchester United, and confirmation that the Europa League spot from the league cup would go to the league places, ensured that Huddersfield Town would be involved in European football next season. In truth, it was a fantastic season for us. We didn't progress particularly far in the cups, so our
squad was fresh for the majority of the season. In fact, we used fewer players than any other side in the division. With so many young player in our squad, and our starting 11, we did see alot of attribute improvements, which was pleasing. In terms of results, and the way that we played, well we were nowhere near as defensively solid as I would have liked. We relied on our goal scoring ability, and more than our fair share of wonder goals to out score our opponents. Clean sheets were a rarity, though our Goalkeeper, Sportiello, proved to be a fantastic acquisition at less than £1million.

With the lure of European football, my hope is for an easier transfer window. We have the money to add to our young squad, with a healthy £47million, and a few players who I expect to move on (Please somebody just buy Mbenza). We have made efforts over the course of the season to improve the club as a whole, hopefully making us a more appealing prospect for the new season. We have introduced 2 club affiliates, improved the training facilities, the youth facilities, junior coaching and youth recruitment budget, increased the number of coaches and scouts available, and ensured that all our coaching categories have a minimum of 4 stars. The club has wiped its debt, with just the loan owed to the chairman now remaining, payable upon the sale of the club.

But most interestingly, the club have announced plans to build a new stadium…..

[smplfc123]

Great season @Coganp and interested to see what moves you make in the transfer market to ensure you don't suffer the dreaded 'Second season syndrome' especially with the added fixtures in Europe!