Huddersfield Remain Pointless After Two

It’s fair to say that Huddersfield’s plans for the season were thrown into chaos when Carlos Corberan decided he wasn’t the right man to lead the Terriers forward with the new campaign just around the corner. Danny Schofield was thrust into the hot seat as the Spaniard’s replacement, but last season’s Championship playoff finalists have yet to pick up a point.

On the opening day, it was always going to prove tough against recently relegated Burnley, especially with Huddersfield having lost key men Harry Toffolo and Lewis O’Brien to Nottingham Forest. But Vincent Kompany’s side strolled into town and dominated the game from start to finish, recording 69% possession and registering 16 shots. On the other hand, Huddersfield only fashioned two shots across the entire ninety minutes. The Clarets won by a solitary goal which came via on-loan Man City player Ian Maatsen.

Next up for the Terriers were John Eustace’s Birmingham City, a club in disarray due to takeover strife. On the new campaign's opening day, they earned a respectable draw against the team Huddersfield beat in last season’s playoffs, Luton. But, for many, this was the perfect opportunity for Schofield and his players to get some points on the board by getting a result at St Andrew's.

This time, you could suggest that roles were very much reversed, as it was the Terriers who dominated the ball, having 61% of possession. But, in terms of creating the all-important chances, it was Birmingham who registered double the amount of shots, with 18 to Huddersfield’s 9. The Blues ran out 2-1 winners, with goals from Scott Hogan and Przemyslaw Placheta before halftime being enough, with Danny Ward halving the deficit on 61mins but to no avail. 

The only other side yet to pick up a point in the second-tier are Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City. After leading against Hull City on the opening day through an Andreas Weimann goal, they ended up losing after Ozan Tufan levelled things up on 72 minutes before Jean Michael Seri notched the winner in the 93rd.

And it was a similar story against Sunderland as Bristol City returned to Ashton Gate for the first time this season. After falling behind to an Ellis Simms goal, Andreas Weimann and Chris Martin had the Robins looking good for the win on 51 minutes. But, Simms levelled things up just two minutes later before Ross Stewart headed home the winner to record a 3-2 victory for Sunderland.

It may be early days of the new Championship campaign, but the pressure is already beginning to mount on several managers, with Schofield and Pearson very much in the firing line. Next up for Huddersfield are Stoke at home, while Bristol City travel to newly promoted Wigan. And, you could say it’s becoming crucial for both teams to get some points on the table, or managerial positions could quickly become under threat.