A bit about you:
Name: Jim Chisem
Current home town: Huddersfield Birthplace: Huddersfield
How long have you supported your team? Since I was a wee lad, so I’d say about 24 years now.
Overview of your club:
Favourite thing about your home ground: I like the fact that it’s unique. Most modern stadia are relatively soulless affairs, situated in out-of-town retail parks and defined by identikit rectilinear stands. The John Smith’s, or whatever it is they’re calling it these days, is set against the backdrop of a forested embankment, while the stands are semi-circular structures that sit beneath two rows of criss-crossed white steel tubing. I’m reliably informed that it won RIBA building of the year in 1995, so I think it’s fair to say that my opinion has some objective weight behind it.
Favourite match played by your team & why: The 1994/95 Division 2 Playoff Final against Bristol Rovers, which we won 2-1. I was six-years-old at the time and I remember being completely overawed by the whole occasion.
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Andy Booth. He’s Huddersfield’s answer to Gary Lineker.
About our forthcoming match against you:
Your favourite current player in your squad and why? After last season’s heroics, it’s hard to choose. But if I had to pick one, I’d go for Christopher Schindler. He’s such a cool customer, and he’s adapted to the pace and quality of the Premier League with aplomb.
Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Aaron Mooy, hands down. He’s a footballing metronome, breaking up play, recycling possession, and dictating the tempo of the game. If you can keep Mooy quiet, you’ve got a very good chance of beating us.
Player in our squad you most fear and why? Jamie Vardy. If we play a high-line, which we usually do at home, I can see him causing all sorts of bother.
Up and coming prospect in your squad? Our very own slice of ‘Danish Dynamite’, Philip Billing. He has all the attributes required of a modern-day central midfielder. He’s technically gifted, has a good passing range, has excellent positional sense, and covers a lot of ground. He’s also very tall, which is a bonus at set-pieces.
How do you think you’ll do against us? I think there’ll be goals in this game, so I’m going to predict that someone will win 3-2.
General Questions:
What did you think to the summer transfer activity both in and out of your club? We’ve managed to tie down most of last season’s loanees (Mooy, Kachunga, Palmer), improve squad depth (Lössl, Green, Zanka, Malone, Hadergjonaj, Williams, Sabiri), and add attacking talent (Mounie, Ince, Depoitre), so I’d say that our dealings in the transfer market have been impressive. In terms of outgoings, it’s a shame to see Wells and Bunn leave, but life goes on!
Where do you think you’ll finish this season? I’m going to be optimistic and say 17th.
Who do you think will win the league? One of the Manchester teams.
Which three teams do you think will get relegated from the Premiership? Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Swansea.
Any other comments? I’m looking forward to seeing how we’ll set up against you. We struggled against counter-attacking teams last season, and if we press high-up the pitch as a unit, it’s going to leave a lot of space for the likes of Vardy and Mahrez to run into. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if we play a slightly more cautious, withdrawn game than usual.
James is General Secretary of Huddersfield Town Supporters Association – please go to https://htsa-web.com/ for more information