Club: Huddersfield Town Last season’s position: 4th, League One
History: Years ago Huddersfield won league titles and played in a large football ground that had character. About 20 years ago they moved to a soulless soccer stadium and more recently became mired in the third tier of English football.
Backed by the largess of a wealthy benefactor, Lee Clarke managed Huddersfield Town on an unbeaten sequence (excluding apparently inconsequential playoff fixtures) that seemingly lasted forever. Unfortunately for Town fans, too many of these games were drawn. Clarke went and was replaced by Simon Grayson. Under Grayson, Town fell away from last years League One title contenders.
Huddersfield went into the playoffs and backed by most football fans won their playoff semi- final. In the final they met a Sheffield United team that had lost it’s way shorn of it’s star striker. No Town fan will care that the final was dull, as they went up after previous playoff failures.
Manager profile: Simon Grayson took over in February of this year, and as stated above guided the club to promotion. Grayson has previously managed Blackpool and Leeds. At Blackpool, Grayson kept the club in the third tier of English football in his first season, got them promoted in his second, and kept them in the second tier in his third season. This equated to Blackpool’s best season for 30 years.
In the middle of the following season Grayson left Blackpool and joined Leeds United, guiding them into the playoffs. The following season saw them promoted as runners up. Despite finishing seventh in the second tier in 2011 and playoffs being a possibility Grayson was sacked in early 2012.
Summer transfer activity: In:
Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace), Paul Dixon (Dundee United), Oliver Norwood (Manchester United), Adam Clayton (Leeds United), Joel Lynch (Nottingham Forest), Keith Southern (Blackpool), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff City)
Out:
Jamie McCombe, Anthony Kay, Gary Naismith (Aberdeen), Nathan Clarke, Aiden Chippendale (Accrington Stanley), Tommy Miller, Danny Cadamarteri (Carlisle United), Gary Roberts (Swindon Town), Joey Gudjonsson and Kallum Higginbotham
Expected Tactics/Formation Probably 4–5-1. However this may change should there be significant further incomings or outgoings. Goals may be an issue even if Rhodes remains.
What are the fans saying? They expect to stay up, although defeat at Deepdale in the cup has seen some panic. As to how well they will do, well it depends on whether Rhodes stays or goes, and if he stays, whether he’ll score as prolifically as last year. Some view playoffs as possible.
Odds: 33/1 Champions
12/1 Promoted
4/1 Relegation
Paddy Power
Verdict: Nearer the bottom than the top. If Rhodes stays and scores, then they will be safe. If he goes and is not adequately replaced then relegation may follow.
Compiled by: Sheffield Red
Comments
I think they'll be in the lower half of the table but probably have enough to stay up.
Keeping Rhodes is key though.
Seemed 'well up for it' last time I went...hardly souless.