Stuart Rayner of the Yorkshire Post has given us the inside track on Huddersfield Town, who are currently managerless but have recently hammered Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 and given Southampton a run for their money...
Huddersfield currently sit in 21st place, two points above the relegation zone. Is that where they expected to be at the start of the season and do you think they’ll stay up?
Having stayed up under Neil Warnock last season they were hopeful of kicking on but the budget he was given in the summer did not really allow them to do so. As for whether they will stay up, a lot will hang on who the next manager is. A good choice should see them safe, but a bad one will leave them vulnerable if Sheffield Wednesday or Queens Park Rangers can continue improving under their newish coaches.
Darren Moore was recently sacked, do you have any idea about who will be his replacement?
There's been talk of Paul Heckingbottom and Michael Duff, both of whom have impressed as managers in Yorkshire football before but whoever it is will need to play more attacking football than Moore was able to coax out of them. That, as much as the poor results, was his undoing. Caretaker manager Jon Worthington overseeing a 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in his first game has bought a bit of time to make the right choice.
How would you review Huddersfield’s business in the January window?
It looks good on paper. Alex Matos has been loaned from Chelsea - an academy Huddersfield have mined well in the past through the loan market - and first impressions are that he looks a very good addition to the midfield. Radinio Balker's skills, in particular his pace, look just what was needed to top off a doughty Huddersfield defence. Up front, Rhys Healey's CV does not blow you away, but Bojan Radulovic looks like the sort of targetman Darren Moore likes to have.
And therein lies the problem: These signings were made to address Moore's needs, hopefully on his say-so, only for the manager to be sacked before he had chance to show he could produce better football with them, and too late for a successor to have any say in who came or went. Bonkers.
Who would you say is Huddersfield’s best player?
Michal Helik. Last season it was Matty Pearson, this season it is Helik who is the defender having a great spell in front of goal at set pieces, as Sunderland have already discovered. But do not let the Pole's eight goals this season distract you from the fact he is a really good defender.
Which Sunderland player will be the main threat to Huddersfield?
With the form Jack Clarke is in right now, any Championship side would be mad not to be worried about him!
Last time out Huddersfield beat Sunderland 2-1, do you think there’s much chance of a repeat of that result?
You cannot rule it out. A couple of weeks ago it looked a long shot but if Worthington can keep the new manager bounce going a while longer, it is quite possible.
What’s your score prediction?
2-1 to Huddersfield. Caretaker manager bounce to continue...
