PREVIEW: ROTHERHAM UNITED (H)

15 September 2023

A look ahead to Huddersfield Town’s next Sky Bet Championship opponent.

- Huddersfield Town vs Rotherham United
- Town host the Millers on Saturday 16 September 2023
- Full preview of what to expect from our next opponents

The international break comes to an end on Saturday when Sky Bet Championship football returns to the John Smith’s Stadium, with Town hosting Rotherham United in a Yorkshire derby!

Town ended the first tranche of fixtures on a high, recording a first win of the season at West Bromwich Albion last time out, and will be hoping to continue the momentum through a pair of home fixtures when play gets back under way.

THE OPPOSITION

Echoing Town, Rotherham recorded their first win of the Sky Bet Championship season in the game before the break, with an impressive 2-1 home victory over Norwich City.

Like us, that puts them on four points from their opening five games, albeit they are one spot ahead of us in the table courtesy of a superior goal difference.

There has been change in the squad in South Yorkshire over the summer. The most notable outgoing has been the transfer of Ben Wiles to Town, who is in line to face his former club for the first ever time this weekend. His place in the side has been taken by new incoming Christ Tiéhi, who made the permanent move to England from Czech side Slovan Liberec having enjoyed a previous loan spell in the division with Wigan Athletic.

Former Nottingham Forest man Cafú joins him in midfield having signed as a free agent this summer, whilst 24-year-old forward Sam Nombe added to the Millers’s forward options alongside the likes of Jordan Hugill and Tom Eaves.

MANAGER

Taylor is managing his first full season with Rotherham, having made the move from Sky Bet League One side Exeter City in October 2022.

Matt Taylor 16_9.jpg

Taylor, who played as a centre back for the Grecians among a fair few other clubs as a player, earned his move to Rotherham on the back of a successful first spell as manager at Exeter, who he led to promotion from Sky Bet League Two inside four seasons.

He came in and successfully led Rotherham to safety in their first season back in the second division last campaign.

LAST TIME OUT

As mentioned, Rotherham recorded an impressive first win of the season in their last game, defeating promotion hopefuls Norwich City 2-1 on home soil.

Young Wolves loanee Dexter Lembikisa, a Jamaica international, scored his first club goal to open the scoring before Jordan Hugill doubled the advantage, with Norwich’s goal proving to be nothing more than a consolation.

FORMATION

Rotherham employed a 4-3-3 formation for their win over the Canaries that boasted real pace and power down both flanks, with full backs Cohen Bramall and the aforementioned Lembikisa able to get up and down the pitch well to support wingers Fred Onyedinma and Andre Green.

Rotherham’s line-up:
Viktor Johansson; Dexter Lembikisa, Cameron Humphreys, Tyler Blackett, Cohen Bramall; Oliver Rathbone, Christ Tiéhi, Cafú; Andre Green (Sam Nombe, 63’), Jordan Hugill (Tom Eaves, 84’), Fred Onyedinma

WHO TO WATCH

Viktor Johansson
The 24-year-old goalkeeper is one of the more highly rated stoppers in the Sky Bet Championship thanks to a consistently high level of performance for the Millers.

He first moved to England from his native Sweden to join the Aston Villa Academy but made the move across the Midlands to join Leicester City in 2018.

It was from the Foxes that he joined Rotherham in September 2020, and he’s made a century of appearances in their shirt since. He was a major part of their side that won promotion back to the Championship in 2022, as well as winning the Papa John’s Trophy, and his form earned him a first call up to the Sweden senior squad for games in 2023.

Viktor Johansson 16_9.jpg

Fred Onyedinma
Now 26, winger Onyedinma broke through at Millwall whilst a teenager, making his debut back in January 2014.

He gained more senior experience through two separate loan spells at Wycombe Wanderers, and he eventually made a permanent move to that club in July 2019. His form there, where he was a major figure in their promotion to the Championship, earned him a move to Luton Town in 2021, which is the club he’s joined Rotherham on loan from this season.

Jordan Hugill
Big striker Hugill started his career in non-league football in the north east, playing for several teams before a move into the league with Port Vale in 2013.

It was at Preston North End that he made his reputation, playing regularly during a four year stay at Deepdale. That earned him a move to Premier League West Ham in 2018, but he spent most of his time there on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough and QPR.

A permanent move to Norwich City, alongside further loans with West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City, preceded his January 2023 move to Rotherham United.

TOWN TEAM NEWS

As usual, Town Manager Neil Warnock will provide a full insight into his squad availability in his latest press conference on Thursday 14 September 2023.

KIT

Town will wear their blue and white stripes for the game on Saturday. Click HERE to get your replica via shop.htafc.com now!

TICKET NEWS

Click HERE to get your ticket for Saturday’s game online now!

iFOLLOW HTAFC

Saturday’s match will be available to listen to on iFollow HTAFC.

Town fans will be able to listen to Saturday’s game through our live audio commentary by purchasing either a Season, Monthly or Audio Match Pass to tune in. You can purchase a Season Pass for £45, a Monthly Pass for £4.49 or an Audio Match Pass for £2.50.

CLICK HERE to sign up to iFollow HTAFC!

Match Reports

REPORT: TOWN 2-0 ROTHERHAM

16 September 2023

Terriers take all three points from Yorkshire derby

- Huddersfield Town 2-0 Rotherham United
- Goals from Josh Koroma and Sorba Thomas
- Lee Nicholls gets his first clean sheet of the season

Town were victorious in the Yorkshire derby against Rotherham United at the John Smith’s Stadium this afternoon, with goals from Josh Koroma and Sorba Thomas!

Koroma and Thomas scored their first goals of the season, whilst assisting each other, as Town recorded back-to-back Sky Bet Championship wins for the first time this season.

Bringing the game to life in the opening minutes, our visitors had the first chance to score with a shot from outside the box from Christ Tiéhi. This chance went across the goal and wide, but our number one was in the right position to make the save if needed.

Rotherham then won a free kick in their attacking half after an adjudged foul by Ben Wiles, which was caught comfortably by Lee Nicholls. Shortly after this, Town were awarded a free kick for a very similar challenge on Jack Rudoni.

Koroma scored the first goal for Town this afternoon in the 18th minute with a brilliant volley into the back of the net from close range, after a sweeping cross to the far post by Thomas.

Needing a goal to get back into the game, there were plenty of long balls being played towards the Town area as Rotherham United tried to equalise.

The Terriers had the chance to double their lead as Thomas used his strength to power through the tackles and take the ball towards the box, before sending a great ball to Ben Wiles, who crossed the ball back to Thomas, but this cross was deflected off Thomas’ boots.

Fancying his chances for a second goal, Koroma shot from outside the box in the lead up the end of normal time in the first half, however this shot was saved comfortably by Viktor Johansson.

In the two added minutes at the end of the first half, Town had a further two chances. The first chance came as Wiles was sent a slick ball by Kian Harratt in the box, but this went wide. Harratt then had the chance to score himself in his first Sky Bet Championship start in the final minute of added time, but this went just wide after Rudoni had found the forward in the middle of the box. Nevertheless, Town went into the break ahead!

Nicholls was put to the test early in the second half with a great save off the crossbar following a bullet header off a corner, the Millers were looking to get their foot back in the game from the restart.

Koroma was determined to try and add to his goal tally with a curling shot from just outside the box, but this was saved by Johansson in the centre of the goal.

Wiles, who we recruited from Rotherham United this summer, slipped a great ball to Delano Burgzorg inside the box; but this shot was deflected over the bar and out for a corner, which set up the header for Michał Helik - which was high.

Town doubled their lead in the 70th minute through Thomas’ shot that was fired into the back of the net, this came after a great low cross across the box from Koroma.

The Millers were close to getting a goal back in the 84th minute from a close-range header, as Tom Eaves was left unmarked following a cross from Sam Clucas - both of these were second half substitutes.

The last chance of the game fell to our second half substitute Brahima Diarra, who skipped past multiple players before his shot went wide.

Town’s Team (3-5-2)
Lee Nicholls; Josh Ruffels, Michał Helik, Matty Pearson; Josh Koroma (Jaheim Headley, 76’), Jack Rudoni, Jonathan Hogg (c) (Rarmani Edmonds-Green, 55’), Ben Wiles, Sorba Thomas (David Kasumu, 90’); Delano Burgzorg (Brahima Diarra, 76’), Kian Harratt (Kyle Hudlin, 76’)

Unused Subs
Chris Maxwell, Pat Jones, Ben Jackson, Yuta Nakayama

Goal Scorers
Josh Koroma (18’), Sorba Thomas (70’)

Bookings
Brahima Diarra (88’)