Huddersfield Town face perfect storm but youngsters provide hope

CARLOS CORBERAN looked the interviewer straight in the eye and his answer was succinct.
Bright hope: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips and Middlesbrough's Marc Bola battle. Pictures: PABright hope: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips and Middlesbrough's Marc Bola battle. Pictures: PA
Bright hope: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips and Middlesbrough's Marc Bola battle. Pictures: PA

When asked if young Huddersfield Town striker Kieran Phillips – who has made just five Championship appearances from the bench in his brief Terriers career – was in his thoughts to start after his strong cameo at Middlesbrough, Corberan provided clarity.

In its own way, it also revealed just what he is currently up against, even if his message was not necessarily an intentionally deliberate one to his superiors.

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The Town head coach matter-of-factly said: “He is in my thoughts because he is the only striker that I have with (Fraizer) Campbell.”

Getting stuck in: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips tackles Middlesbrough's Anfernee Dijksteel.Getting stuck in: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips tackles Middlesbrough's Anfernee Dijksteel.
Getting stuck in: Huddersfield Town's Kieran Phillips tackles Middlesbrough's Anfernee Dijksteel.

When your team are down among the dead men, it never rains, but pours and Corberan is finding that out the hard way.

Huddersfield’s offensive options – which were pretty scant anyway – have potentially diminished even further with the sight of Isaac Mbenza leaving the pitch after half an hour of Tuesday’s 2-1 loss being a deeply worrying one for Corberan.

With Josh Koroma currently sidelined, Mbenza is comfortably the most threatening attacker that Town have at their disposal as his two contrasting strikes in successive games against Boro and Wycombe can testify. He has the best shot conversion of any of the club’s attacking options.

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The promise of Phillips, who impressed on Teesside and was so close to a maiden Town goal when his late shot smacked against the post, is undeniable.

Ideally, Corberan would not wish to thrust a player yet to start a league fixture straight into the deep end of a relegation fight. But sometimes needs must.

An injury to Mbenza is likely to force his hand if things do not change, more especially with question marks regarding the fitness of Danny Ward, whose return to Huddersfield has been beyond frustrating.

There is nothing Corberan can realistically do unless depleted Town bring in another forward in the free agent market fast.

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The club are interested in ex-Hull City striker Omar Niasse. He would need time to assimilate into Corberan’s style of play. Town do not have a lot of that.

On Mbenza, Corberan said: “Isaac is one player who brings the goals that we need. He has in the last week in a counter-attack situation and a free-kick and it is something he did before.

“To miss a player that has an important relationship with the goal is something we (would) need to replace fast.”

Again, another stark message.

The displays of substitutes Phillips and Aaron Rowe provided encouragement at Boro, but there were also those all too familiar mistaken-ridden defensive tendencies from Town.

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They are a team who concede soft goals for fun and give you a chance. It is why teams who have been in the relegation mix all year increasingly view Town as the most vulnerable out there.

Corberan took responsibility for the failings of the defensive structure in the first half at Boro when Lewis O’Brien looked like a fish out of water at left-back before being moved to midfield.

Others now need to take ownership and help Corberan, who needs assistance amid a perfect storm not of his making.

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