Huddersfield's £14m man Alex Pritchard should have started in West Ham thrashing... the adrenaline would have carried him through his debut
- Alex Pritchard joined Huddersfield from Norwich for £14million on Friday
- He played 25 minutes on his debut as his new side were thrashed by West Ham
- Joe Lolley's equaliser doesn't make up for his error at the start of the game
- Lolley couldn't keep up while Pritchard's recycling of the ball was efficient
Two moments, 15 minutes apart, offered the obvious pros and cons of showing faith in those unfamiliar with these surroundings.
Joe Lolley had started just once in the Premier League for Huddersfield before this, the New Year's Day defeat at Leicester.
He has largely watched rather than participated under David Wagner but recently has come his unlikely big break - even with new signing Alex Pritchard having arrived from Norwich.
New signing Alex Pritchard played only 25 minutes on his Huddersfield debut
Joe Lolley was preferred and scored the equaliser after costing the Terriers early on
It was no great surprise to see the midfielder, dropping deep to collect a 25th-minute Jonas Lossl pass, hunted down by West Ham's Mark Noble deep in Huddersfield territory. The game was too quick for Lolley, who dithered in possession and had his pocket picked.
Seconds later Lossl was fetching the ball from his net, Huddersfield a goal down and Lolley with his head down too. For him, the game was too quick. Up a notch from what he is used to in the Championship.
The midfielder bent the ball past goalkeeper Adrian to level the Premier League tie at 1-1
Yet his equaliser just before half-time was the product of a man playing without fear, without the familiarity of disappointment. He sold Noble, sauntered towards goal and wonderfully bent past Adrian.
A real class finish and you wonder if some of Huddersfield's other attacking players would have had that same gumption to try their luck. Lolley certainly has something to offer in what is becoming a proper relegation scrap given it is now only two wins since the start of November.
Lolley was dispossessed by Mark Noble who scored West Ham's first of four goals
Wagner wanted new faces and he has got some already. Pritchard, who replaced Lolley, was given 25 minutes to impress and it does beg the question of why, if managers truly believe these signings will benefit their side, he was not on from the start.
Yes, he has not been in Yorkshire long, but adrenaline ought to carry him through a debut. Can a team like Huddersfield really afford to leave a £14million man on the bench for such an important afternoon? The fee is second only to Steve Mounie in the summer.
The £14million man Pritchard could have started the game despite signing on Friday
Lolley struggled to retain the ball when Huddersfield needed somebody to get their foot on it in midfield and seems he could act as an impact player for the remainder of this campaign.
Pritchard, meanwhile, has proven adept at recycling possession nicely - something Huddersfield have not done enough of this year. That is partly why West Ham got away from them after the break on Saturday. This hammering may not feel like a seismic result now but Wagner really needs the best of what he owns playing.
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