Huddersfield manager Jan Siewert has revealed the reason Australian international Aaron Mooy wasn't selected in his starting XI against Spurs on Saturday.
As Siewert's team were defeated 4-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, regular starter Mooy was left on the bench to the surprise of many, making a substitute appearance in the 82nd minute.
🗣️ "This is hard to take" admitted Head Coach Jan Siewert following #htafc's @premierleague defeat to @SpursOfficial.
— Huddersfield Town (@htafcdotcom) April 13, 2019
➡️ https://t.co/x3T73eyAzd #TOTHUD (AT) pic.twitter.com/9gKuTeamFf
As quoted by Examiner Live however, Siewert supported his decision and said that Mooy offered a clearer threat coming off the bench.
"He directly gave everything."
Having scored three times this season, and with Huddersfield already relegated from the top flight, perhaps Siewert simply wanted to give some other players an opportunity.
"He is a great guy and he directly helped that we had our chances."
As the scoreline reflects however, Siewert had to make frequent changes throughout Saturday's game as his team struggled to create chances.
Jan Siewert explains why he left Aaron Mooy out of Town starting line-up at Tottenhamhttps://t.co/951zPCJXd0#htafc
— ExaminerLive HTAFC (@ExaminerHTAFC) April 15, 2019
Adding to his explanation, the German said:
"We brought Jon [Stankovic] a bit forward and changed to 4-3-3, and they also changed, and we directly had possibilities.
"Each player who came on the pitch responded with what I want from my team."
Huddersfield are currently rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with 14 points, and with their relegation already confirmed, Terriers fans may start to fear the looming transfer window as clubs look to entice Mooy away from the John Smith's stadium.
Source: 90min