The Huddersfield fiasco

[Luke_1884]

I must have missed the initial reaction due to being in a boozy haze this weekend but all I've heard tonight at work from colleagues, Sky Sports News and Talksport is criticism for Wagner and Huddersfield due to their team selection at the weekend.

Did he have every right to make those changes and field a weakened team or is there a case for this criticism of Huddersfield's integrity this weekend?

I'll throw a poll in for good measure, this section (even forum recently) needs a bit of football related action and debate.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I don't see the problem, if Huddersfield played their full strength team, got a ton of injuries and missed out on promotion would any of the people taking swings at them be remotely bothered? It'd just be a "hard luck", should we punish teams who do play their senior players who then shirk tackle and try less to keep fresh for the play offs or is that ok because they played the "first team"?

 

[hodge]

Over 44 games Huddersfield earned the right to prepare for the play offs as they see fit.

 

[Nuttall]

They've got a squad to choose from and it should be the managers choice who he picks, if that's 10 different to the week before then that's his choice. FA shouldn't be getting involved in this, if they fine Huddersfield you've got to ask at what point do they draw the line in terms of making changes to a team?

 

[Veggie Legs]

Over 44 games Huddersfield earned the right to prepare for the play offs as they see fit.

Exactly this. And equally for, say, Blackburn who are adversely affected, they've had a whole season to win enough points to stay up, it doesn't all come down to the last couple of games.

 

[markwwfc1992]

We got fined a few years ago for this. Basically we played a weak team in the league against Man Utd away (as we knew we were unlikely to get anything there). A few days later we had a midweek league game vs someone like Wigan, played our first team and won.

I presume Huddersfield will get a fine like the rest of us.

 

[AnkleBiter]

That team had over 200 appearances between them this season, it wasn't the youth team, it's a total farce. We played a similar team against Wigan in January, and Burton last year, why weren't we ever investigated for that? Because we won that's why

Which 2 melts voted no?!

What a season for us though, it's such a shock when we lose that the EFL write to us to ask what the fuck's going on!

 

[markwwfc1992]

That team had over 200 appearances between them this season, it wasn't the youth team, it's a total farce. We played a similar team against Wigan in January, and Burton last year, why weren't we ever investigated for that?

So did we. Not saying it's fair but it didn't stop us getting fined though.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

It's interesting because the week before Ipswich made multiple changes to their game at Rotherham, as it was a dead rubber it seems the FA were happy for them to do so, Mick reverted to his strongest team when they played us as to preserve the integrity of the league.

That team drew with Man City in the FA Cup this season too apparently so hardly 'weak'

 

[Ciderup]

I guess it's their choice and rightly so but if my team were one of the teams in competition with Brum to stay up, I wouldn't be too happy about it.
I guess it's morally wrong but I can understand why they did it and it hasn't broken any rules so no problem for me.

 

[joethegill]

Walsall played a weak team against Port Vale a couple of weeks ago in what was a pretty important match at the bottom of League One, which Vale won. Haven't seen anything from the EFL about asking Walsall why they did that. Nor should there be, it's the managers' decision, otherwise what's the point in having a squad? Bit of a kick in the teeth for the players that played in that game too, being referred to as weak and somehow not competitive.

Load of bollocks.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Excellent point re the Walsall v Vale game

 

[El Guapo]

Huddersfield looked like a side that were there just to go through the motions – expected them to step up a level in the second half when they brought on Wells, Mooy and Scannell but looked disinterested. Was funny listening to Moany Towbray talking about the integrity of Huddersfield playing a ‘weakened’ side and not comment on Villa’s performance who clearly threw the match against them to appease their supporters. You have to take care of your own business and not rely on other clubs to help you out.

 

[tiltontrev]

If he'd picked 11 players from the Under 18's squad then I'd say they have a case to answer, picking 11 registered professionals from his first team squad that give his club the best chance of victory in the play offs is his prerogative and absolutely no business whatsoever of the FA.

They've got themselves in the enviable position where they've secured their place in the Play Offs and can utilise the squad to ensure the fitness of the better players, it's not their problem that the clubs at the bottom (ourselves included) have got to this stage in the season where we still haven't amassed enough points to secure safety.

As an aside I see the red card for Che Adams has been rescinded, a decision which could easily have seen us lose the game and be pushed ever closer to the trap door, will the Ref in question also face the same level of scrutiny? I wonder....

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Its wrong.........but it happens, fixture lists can be pot luck on just getting the right or wrong side at right time.

But I personally feel it may backfire big time for Huddersfield in the play offs who will head into them in crap form and no momentum from this approach

 

[AnkleBiter]

Its wrong.........but it happens, fixture lists can be pot luck on just getting the right or wrong side at right time.

But I personally feel it may backfire big time for Huddersfield in the play offs who will head into them in crap form and no momentum from this approach

Overrated.

In our last 4 play off campaigns, we've entered 2 in brilliant form, and lost both (2010 & 2011). The only 2 we were in pretty poor form, and won both (2004 & 2012).

A big part of our game is our pressing so it's crucial that our best XI is as fresh as possible, they were shot to pieces after the Wolves game where we sealed it.

 

[Luke_1884]

Agree with the momentum bit, it doesn't really matter if you're in form if the other team turn up on the day more so than you. 3 big games that will all be different to each other and are completely different to the 46 games we play within the season.

As for the resting of players, we've fell foul of not resting them in the past, last year especially when we lost one of our best players, George Thorne, to a double leg break against Ipswich right before the play offs. I'm not saying if we had him we would have gone up but we'd have given it a better go. I'm sure the same goes for Huddersfield or any team if they were to lose such an important player.

 

[roversfan2001]

They broke the rules. That is all the league care about. If they didn't think the same they'd have said nothing.

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[Walkley_Owl]

They broke the rules. That is all the league care about. If they didn't think the same they'd have said nothing.

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They didn't say anything when Ipswich made 9 changes v Rotherham or when Walsall changed loads v Port Vale so they've not broken any rules bitch.

 

[roversfan2001]

"24 Requirement to Play Full Strength Sides in League Matches

24.1 Each Club shall play its full strength in all Matches played under the auspices of The League unless some satisfactory reason is given. In the event of the explanation not being deemed satisfactory the Board shall refer the matter to a Disciplinary Commission which has the power to impose such penalties as it shall think fit."

Clearly not their full strength team. Frankly I don't care whether they didn't take action in previous instances, two wrongs don't make a right. "Bitch".

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[joethegill]

I will 100% guarantee to you right now that every single club in the country has rested a player at some point this season and are therefore contravening the above 'rule'. Why should some panel of suits determine who the manager selects? Should we stop teams signing players as squad players, because it seems as if when they play those players in the first team then they're breaking a rule? The Port Vale issue is pertinent to me as it directly affected my club, but am I bleating about Walsall cheating? Am I bollocks.

 

[hodge]

It's near impossible for the FA to define a 'full strength' team, why do teams who don't make 4 or 5 changes get punished then? Really all Huddersfield need to do is say the 10 players looked 'out of form', 'needed a rest' or 'wanted to play a certain way' etc and there should be no issue, the FA can't monitor player fitness like clubs, can't know tactics they wanted to use etc. Would love for Huddersfield to challenge the FA on this.

 

[JustinQPR]

"24 Requirement to Play Full Strength Sides in League Matches

24.1 Each Club shall play its full strength in all Matches played under the auspices of The League unless some satisfactory reason is given. In the event of the explanation not being deemed satisfactory the Board shall refer the matter to a Disciplinary Commission which has the power to impose such penalties as it shall think fit."

Clearly not their full strength team. Frankly I don't care whether they didn't take action in previous instances, two wrongs don't make a right. "Bitch".

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What's the point in a manager then? Going by those rules "The League" should pick the teams every week.

What a load of shit.

 

[AnkleBiter]

"24 Requirement to Play Full Strength Sides in League Matches

24.1 Each Club shall play its full strength in all Matches played under the auspices of The League unless some satisfactory reason is given. In the event of the explanation not being deemed satisfactory the Board shall refer the matter to a Disciplinary Commission which has the power to impose such penalties as it shall think fit."

Clearly not their full strength team. Frankly I don't care whether they didn't take action in previous instances, two wrongs don't make a right. "Bitch".

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That's such a vague rule it's laughable, I can't believe a group as important as the EFL has printed that. As it's been said, if you take that quote literally, then every single club has been guilty at some point.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

How can the FA determine what is Huddersfield's strongest team and reserve team? They can't, what's the point in having a squad if you're not allowed to use it.

 

[roversfan2001]

An important line in that being "unless some satisfactory reason is given". 2 or 3 changes can easily be explained by a change in tactics or a slight injury. 10 changes is excessive and clearly undermines the integrity of the league.

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[joethegill]

A satisfactory reason could be that Huddersfield don't want to risk their key players getting injured/burnt out just before their best chance of setting the club up as financially secure for a LONG time comes along in a few weeks? Pretty satisfactory to me.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

An important line in that being "unless some satisfactory reason is given". 2 or 3 changes can easily be explained by a change in tactics or a slight injury. 10 changes is excessive and clearly undermines the integrity of the league.

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But they've not pulled up Walsall or Ipswich


You are where you are cos you've been fucking shit all season.

 

[roversfan2001]

But they've not pulled up Walsall or Ipswich


You are where you are cos you've been fucking shit all season.

You're making the mistake of thinking I'm blaming where we are because of Huddersfield. I'm not. The fact is that they broke the rules.

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[TomPNE94]

The rules are bullshit and need changing. If they punish them for that I'd love to see Huddersfield refuse to play in the play offs and see how that affects the "integrity of the league"