David happy despite reversal at hands of Boro
- David Wagner reviews defeat to Middlesbrough
- Head Coach happy with performance
- Wagner 'positive about the future' of the team
Despite today’s 0-2 score line against visitors Middlesbrough, David Wagner was happy and proud with the performance from his Huddersfield Town side on what was his home debut as Head Coach.
The Terriers bossed possession in a notably new style of play with and without the ball and Wagner rated it as a step forward from the good first 70 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough last weekend:
“I was very pleased with how we played this game, especially in the first half. The result is ridiculous, but the way our team played today was another step in the right direction.
“If I was confident about the future of this team after the first two weeks and the Sheffield game, now I am sure that the team will have a good future.
“We will go in the right direction and today was the next step in how we try to build up the game and how fit the squad was.
“At the end, Middlesbrough used the two chances they had in this game; that was better than we did. However, you could see which team today was better, which team was more active with and without the ball and which team was able to create more chances. That was my team and I’m very proud of how the team performed today.
“Again, the result was ridiculous. Sometimes in football you don’t get what you deserve for your work and today the squad worked unbelievably well. We have our heads up, because everyone in the dressing room knows this was the next step in the right direction, excluding the result.
“In the next week, we will work to make the next step and get better results.”
Town’s day even started differently, with Wagner convening the team early and taking them to a local hotel before the squad arrived together to the John Smith’s Stadium.
David explained: “In Europe, this is normal. When you have a home game, you go in the hotel the night before. I think it is right for the team to get together earlier. If we have lunch together, we know the players eat something good and then we can have meetings before going to the Stadium. It also allows me to speak to some players before the game one on one, or with the group. We use this time.
“I’m not sure if the players enjoy it, but in the end they have to do it as I think it will be the best for us. If this is one part of why we played so well today, we will do it in the future for sure.”
In the end, the difference between the two sides was Boro’s clinical edge in front of goal – with Town’s best chances coming in the first half. Wagner put a lot of this down to the rub of the green on the afternoon:
“In football, sometimes goals happen and sometimes not. In a few situations we were a bit unlucky; when Nahki hit the free kick; the situation when Nahki was one on one with the goalkeeper and, in my opinion, the goalkeeper did very well and the chance from Scannell that got a very good block from the defender.
“How we created these chances and how we tried to play on the pitch; how we played on the wings and the fact we were present in the box. This was very good.”
Despite the defeat, the Town faithful liked what they saw and applauded the team off the pitch at the final whistle; something the Head Coach appreciated.
“I recognised this, but I don’t know what is was like in the past; maybe it was always so!
“It was nice for us to feel this and get something back for our work, because today was hard work. It’s very good that the supporters are able to split the result from the performance, as this is something we have to do today.”
Wagner finished by praising the performance of Ben Chilwell, who looked right at home on his Football League debut following his recent loan move from Leicester City.
“In my opinion, he did excellently today. For an 18 year-old, he is unbelievably good; better than I expected. He is a very good talent, so congratulations to the English FA to have such a good 18 year-old left back! He did a very good job today.
“Players need to have quality. If they do and they are either young or old, we will take them! Ben has that quality and he showed it today. This was a first step for him and now he has to show it again and again. He is a character that likes to work, just like the whole group; that is why I am so positive about the future.”
