Can Jason Puncheon inspire Huddersfield Town to survival?
Jason Puncheon, 32, has officially joined Huddersfield Town on loan from Crystal Palace (h/t Sky Sports). With the Terriers struggling at the bottom of the Premier League, they need to inject some creativity into their side and it looks like Puncheon could be their man to do just that.
With Huddersfield struggling to find the back of the net, having scored only 12 times in 20 games this season, manager David Wagner believes that the former Southampton winger could be his answer. Not to mention, with Puncheon’s contract expiring at the end of the season with Crystal Palace, if he performs well, he could earn a permanent move, according to Daily Mail.
The 32-year-old has made only eight appearances all season which does include five in the Premier League but all of them came off the bench for a grand total of 11 minutes. This combined with his expiring contract does give Huddersfield a solid chance to eye a permanent move for the richly experienced player as the season becomes tougher.
However, questions do arise about whether or not Jason Puncheon is actually the man to solve all their problems, especially given the Englishman’s lack of form and injury issues over the last few seasons with Crystal Palace. He finished the previous term with neither a goal nor an assist, making just 12 appearances all completions.
In fact, the last time a Jason Puncheon shot hit the back of the net was in the 2015/16 FA Cup final against Manchester United. His last assist came against Hull City in the second last game of the 2016/17 season, with the 32-year-old spending most of last season on the physio’s table with a crucial ligament injury.
Even now that he’s back fit and ready for a full 90 minutes, that kind of long-term injury takes a toll on anybody, let alone a football star who needs his pace and agility to beat players. Now that Huddersfield have signed Jason Puncheon, Wagner must work hard to help him get back to being the player he once was. In return, Puncheon should give everything he has to help them in their war to avoid relegation this season.
