“Too sloppy” – Huddersfield Town player ratings following their 2-0 defeat to Watford

Huddersfield Town were beaten by a better opponent in yesterday’s game but it’s hard not to come away from the match wondering what might have happened. What if Deeney had been sent off in the first half? What if Schofield hadn’t misread Vallejo’s backpass? What if we had decent, experienced players on the bench to bring on when we fell behind?

We’ll never know. So instead we’ve just got to mull over this defeat and put it behind us before we entertain Millwall on Wednesday night.

Here are my player ratings.

Ryan Schofield – 3 out of 10

There’s no nice way of saying it, his error cost us the game. I don’t think there’s a lot of benefit in finger pointing or shaming players for mistakes, it’s something to learn from and move on. He completely misjudged the pace of the ball, the speed of the press from Cleverley and his own ability to kick the ball away quickly.

I’ve praised Schofield recently for his safety-first approach to dealing with pressure, so it was a disappointment to see him dither on this ball. All keepers make the odd howler though, so I’m confident this was a one-off aberration rather than the start of anything more concerning. His challenge now is to brush himself off and bounce back from this low point. It’s a shame really, as he was having a good game until that point and had made a few decent saves.

Harry Toffolo – 6 out of 10

Saw plenty of the ball and linked up nicely with Aarons and O’Brien when we managed to get ourselves on the front foot. He also did well up against Sarr, one of the league’s biggest talents. When he wasn’t able to get the better of him defensively he had the experience to use a little elbow or a nudge to make sure he wasn’t beaten.

Romoney Crichlow – 6 out of 10

Not bad to say he’s only played one full Championship game before and was up against a potent attacking force. He’s not as confident on the ball as Naby Sarr and lacks his physical presence at set pieces but on the other hand, he’s more mobile and less likely to throw away possession with aimless longballs.

Alex Vallejo – 7 out of 10

Probably my pick for Man of the Match because he added some experience and confidence to the back line that was otherwise very young. He underhit his backpass in the build up to the first goal but it wasn’t his fault the keeper wasn’t switched on enough to move towards the ball. Being the spare central defender in a back three is a bit of a luxury role so it’s not a huge surprise he looked good as he didn’t have as much work defensively as the two alongside him. But he played well and showed some ability with his long-range passing out to the wings. I’d still rather have Hogg in this role but I think he’s more than capable of filling that gap in the team until Hogg returns to fitness (two to three weeks was the timescale I heard for Hoggy’s recovery).

Rarmani Edmonds-Green – 6 out of 10

Looked assured for most of the game despite often having to wrestle with Troy Deeney. In the absence of Sarr, more of our playing out from the back came down his side of the pitch and he looked comfortable on the ball when we passed it around the back. He also got in a few important tackles and headed clearances. A very steady performance, which is no bad thing for a young player that only recently broke into the first team.

Pipa – 6 out of 10

Our tactics for this game meant that we were less swashbuckling going forward, which meant Pipa spent more of the game turning back towards his own goal and passing in field rather than bursting into the opposition’s half. He still looked tidy and put in plenty of yards but didn’t have the usual penetration down that side. I think he’s built up a good working relationship with Mbenza, who is skilled at covering for Pipa when he forages forward. Rowe doesn’t have the same understanding yet so that could have been a factor in why Pipa was a bit subdued.

Lewis O’Brien – 5 out of 10

Once again let down by misplaced passes and heavy touches despite putting in a phenomenal amount of work in the middle of the park. Five out of ten seems harsh but our control of the game was lost because our midfield couldn’t build up attacks because of the lack of care on the ball. His job was made harder by Hogg not being in the team to do the dirty work, which also meant he wasn’t as free to get forward.

Juninho Bacuna – 5 out of 10

Very similar to O’Brien, lots of hard work and hustle bustle but too sloppy with the ball. He also continues to frustrate by insisting on holding the ball when simple passes would play in a team mate. It feels like some opportunities are too easy for him and he’d rather dither on the ball and attempt the perfect pass instead. I’m aware that Bacuna has become my designated whipping boy for a few games, so I’ll finish by saying I”m actually pretty pleased with how his attitude appears to have improved. The Bacuna of two months ago would almost certainly have gone after Deeney and got sent off for a retaliatory action after getting kicked up in the air.

Rolando Aarons – 6 out of 10

There were signs that we’ve got a decent player on our hands but a mixture of poor luck and a few cobwebs meant he wasn’t quite in full flow. The ball didn’t quite run for him on several occasions but he did manage to get into good positions and his running helped to stretch the game and give our midfielders something to aim for when passing forward. The next step will be to turn possession in promising positions into crosses and shots on target.

Frazier Campbell – 5 out of 10

In his defence, he had almost zero service all afternoon, so was left to have to try and make things happen for himself. The usual work-rate was there but he wasn’t able to create any meaningful chances that I can remember (though the stats say he had one shot that was blocked). His booking was a little bit unfortunate as it looked like a wonderful tackle on the replay but any time you lift your studs up in a tackle you’re likely to see a card these days.

Aaron Rowe – 5 out of 10

He had a few nice moments but didn’t have the composure to make the most of it when he got into decent positions. He’s quick and looks comfortable on the ball but could do with a few tricks to get the better of his man as he often just runs straight at defenders.

Substitutes

Pat Jones – 4 out of 10

Was too easily beaten in the build up to the second goal, which allowed the cross to come in. Also looked like he wanted more time on the ball than he’s going to be allowed in the Championship. It’s obvious he’s got bags of potential but this opportunity in the first team may have come a bit too soon for him. A loan further down the leagues might give him the chance to hone his game a bit more and allow him to develop.

Scott High – 6 out of 10

Could have set up an interesting finish when he attempted to smash in a long range shot following a corner but couldn’t get the connection he wanted. I thought he looked decent in the time he had on the pitch, covering a lot of ground and looking to build up attacks. It wasn’t really enough time to get a good impression of him as a player but his energy and enthusiasm were admirable and he looks like he can pass the ball too.

Danny Ward – 6 out of 10

A lot of Town fans have their minds made up about Danny Ward already after a fairly disappointing and injury-plagued season so far. I’m keeping my mind open about him at this point as he’s not really had chance to get fully fit yet. He looked lively in the few minutes he had in this game and showed he’s maybe a bit better at linking up play than Fraizer Campbell and gives us a different way of playing that role. I’m hopeful he’ll stay fit long enough for us to see a bit more of him in the next few matches.