Huddersfield Town head coach Andre Breitenreiter's view on the importance of goal difference in Championship fight against relegation

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN head coach Andre Breitenreiter admits that goal difference could be a factor in their Championship survival fight - but insists that adopting a positive approach to win games will be of paramount importance.
Leon Wobschall
By Leon Wobschall
Published 25th Mar 2024, 15:27 BST

With eight matches of their season to go, Town currently occupy the third and final relegation place - heading into the Easter programme.

The Terriers host play-off candidates Coventry on Good Friday and visit relegation rivals Stoke in a crunch fixture on Easter Monday.

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As it stands, just five points separate eight clubs from second-from-bottom Sheffield Wednesday to 16th-placed Millwall.

Huddersfield Town boss André Breitenreiter on the touchline during the recent Championship game at Rotherham United. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeHuddersfield Town boss André Breitenreiter on the touchline during the recent Championship game at Rotherham United. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Huddersfield Town boss André Breitenreiter on the touchline during the recent Championship game at Rotherham United. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Of those sides, the Owls currently have the worst goal difference on minus 31, followed by Town at minus 19.

Stoke (-18), Birmingham (-17), QPR and Millwall (-14), Blackburn (-13) and Plymouth (-8) are the other current goal difference levels for the sides who are in immediate relegation danger. Doomed Rotherham’s goal difference in minus 47.

On the potential for goal difference to come into play, Breitenreiter said: "Yes, maybe. But I’m sure we can win games, so hopefully it is not the most important thing.

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"It is not a lot to give up. It is never good to lose, but 1-2 is better than 1-8. But we think positive for the games and we prepare to create thoughts about positive things and a winning mentality."

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Each of Town's remaining fixtures will constitute mini 'cup finals' and the demands will be intense - with the international break very much representing the calm before the storm.

Breitenreiter continued: "At the end of the season, I can say 46 games is a lot. But I am fresh for more games. When you play with 24 teams in the league for 46 games, it’s really a lot with two cups.

"You have to recover, but every team, head coach and manager knows about this and it’s part of the game.

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"We can speak about tactical things, build-ups and goalkeepers. But without intensity and playing as a team, you never have a chance. I’m sure everyone understands this.

"The only time I will look at the table is (after) when the last game is played. There are reasons why we are where we are in the table.

“We have to change little things, it’s not possible to change everything, but there are reasons. We have to go step by step.”

Related topics:StokeMillwallCoventryTerriersSheffield