Mark Robins has a history of spurring relegation tipped sides into promotion contenders, albeit only at League One level. I thought it was inevitable that he would emulate something similar to his season with Barnsley, however he managed to survive despite earning 5 less points than the 2012/13 season. Yet still, this began to spur doubts in my mind as a two place improvement is nothing to shout about on the grand scheme of things, plus 2 wins in 22 games highlights a clear lack of ambition.
However, what provoked the jeers at the end of Saturday’s 4-0 loss at home to Bournemouth was much due to Robins insistence on playing a 3-5-2 formation, without playing players in their natural positions.
Take our 4-0 loss to Bournemouth as a shining example – 5 of our starting 11 were playing out of position, if not slightly, in addition to seeing a pacey finisher, Nakhi Wells, playing considerably deep. It’s unfortunate that we are wasting the talent of such a capable goalscorer by using wingers in the first place. He’s the smallest, weediest guy on the pitch yet our wingers will still waste attempts at goal by crossing it into a much bigger defender, leaving him isolated and practically out of the game. Also, personally, I found it slightly insulting to see Danny Ward up front, as nothing about the player screams striker in my opinion.
The fact that Robins continued to believe that the players fit the formation is a huge concern. Three at the back especially has to be avoided when the club doesn’t have natural wing backs, all it does is expose the defence as we all saw on Saturday. Bournemouth destroyed us. Peltier is a right-back playing at in the central of defence, Crooks is a central midfield player but he was also thrown into a centre-back role, Hammill is a winger playing wing-back, Dixon is a left-back playing a wing-back role and Ward is a winger playing up top.
Now I have to feel sorry for Dean Hoyle, our chairman. He has his sights set on bigger things and the fact that Mark Robins agreed to leave shows that he had no idea what he could do to put things right, so now Hoyle is left to sort it out. However, with Eyre (first-team coach) taking a promotion at the end of the year and with Thompson’s (assistant manager) arrival at the club, the pair will between them seek to repair the damage done by the 4-0 defeat.
I personally doubt Dean Hoyle will look for an external face to fill the void with the club’s current set up, but it would be interesting to see who would step up to the plate and share the visions of future glory, rather than consolidate 17th.
By Ryan Loben – Huddersfield Town fan – @_passtotheleft