New Huddersfield Town midfield option gives Carlos Corberan the right kind of problems

Jon Russell’s selection for the weekend’s game against Sheffield United raised eyebrows when the team sheet was first announced.

For a start it raised a question as to how Huddersfield Town were going to set up during the game. It looked, on paper at least, like a 4-3-3 with a Lewis O’Brien, Jonathan Hogg, and Russell midfield three. In reality it was more of a 3-4-3 with Hogg dropping in, but that ‘4’ in that formation doesn’t really come close to describing his role in the game.

For the most part he sat deep, Hogg in the three, him just ahead and tasked with the out ball more often than not. Whilst this left O’Brien with a lot of real estate to cover as that four became a diamond essentially, the pair seemed to revel in it. Russell played a quarter-backing role, Lewis ate up the ground in front of him.

Russell’s performance did two things. Firstly, it made him the story before, during, and then after the match. Rightly so, he was the game’s pivotal figure and not just for the disallowed goal.

Russell’s inclusion was a surprise to Sheffield United whose analysts will not have been expecting him there. This upset their balance from the off. The adaption in the Terriers’ game – the longer out ball to bypass midfield when possible rather than a slower build up – also caught them cold. Russell’s presence deeper in midfield with a better eye for a 25-yard+ pass allowed O’Brien a safety net to press higher. It worked, another day, another referee, and that game goes Town’s way definitively.

The second thing his display did was raise questions. The fans clearly loved it, and in that game it was perfect for what was required. The big thing now is where does he sit in the current midfield thinking, and can you leave him out