Brighton v Huddersfield: Town '˜will never be favourites in any game' says David Wagner

Chris Hughton’s side had 16 points from six games and led the chasing pack by four points – an identical position to the one Huddersfield Town find themselves in ahead of tonight’s trip to the Amex Stadium.

Like the Terriers this time around, few pundits or opposition fans expected the Seagulls to last the pace but, come the season’s end in May, the division’s surprise package had collected 89 points and only missed out on automatic promotion to Middlesbrough on goal difference.

For Town, this has to be a huge source of encouragement that the best start in the club’s history can be the foundation for a concerted push for the Premier League.

Not that head coach David Wagner is getting carried away.

The German does not take much interest in the league table until the halfway stage when every team has faced each other and such a scintillating start represents new ground for him.

“I have never had a start as good as this in my career,” admitted Wagner to The Yorkshire Post.

“When I won promotion with the second team of (Borussia) Dortmund, we finished the season as strongly as this. We had 18 wins from 20 games, only one draw and one defeat.

“But I have not had a start like this. All I can say is we are enjoying this and enjoying focusing on ourselves.

“Favourite or not, I think we have to just focus on ourselves, and if we do, we are able to be a competitor.”

Wagner arrived at Huddersfield last November as an unknown quantity in this country.

Born in former West Germany, but an American international through his father, the 44-year-old had spent the past four or so years in charge of Dortmund’s reserve team, but the only time he had popped up on the radar over here was when mentioned as a possible addition to Jurgen Klopp’s backroom team at Liverpool.

Nine months on, however, and Wagner’s profile is soaring as high as Huddersfield’s league position. The gegenpressing approach he and best friend Klopp advocate has won the Terriers’ chief many admirers, as has his single-minded devotion to the job in the absence of his wife and family, left behind in Germany.

“The uncomfortable part of my job is being separate from my family,” said Wagner. “But it is only until next year when my youngest daughter finishes school. They will be able to come to England then.

“What it means is most of my time I spend here at the club. I have been to the centre of Leeds twice, to York twice and to Liverpool, on Anfield Road, three times.

“That has been my life in England up to now. But I have settled in here very quickly.”

Last season, Brighton’s unbeaten run lasted until the final Saturday before Christmas. Middlesbrough triumphed 3-0 at the Amex to elicit a slight wobble that by mid-January had turned into the new year shakes as the Seagulls took just one point from a possible 15.

The doom-mongers who had been predicting the club would not last the pace ever since the early days of their season had a field day.

Hughton and his men, however, refused to be fazed and had they won at Boro on the final day rather than drawn then the south coast would be hosting Premier League football this season. Wagner is a big fan of the Seagulls.

“Brighton are maybe the strongest team we have faced in this competition so far,” added the German. “I like their style and their manager. They play good football so this will be tough.

“We have self-belief and are confident. We will make it uncomfortable for Brighton. But, again, we are (playing) Brighton away and I think it is totally clear who is the favourite. It is Brighton.”

Pressed on why a team who are four points clear at the top cannot be considered favourites against a club sitting 13th, Wagner replied: “They had a great last season and kept the whole group together. They have a harmony and togetherness, everyone knows each other.

“Brighton are a high quality team in this division. It will be an interesting, tough test for us. But we are happy because we like to test ourselves against the best.

“In the whole season, we will never be the favourites. Never. No game for us will have us as favourite. We know exactly who we are and where we have come from.

“We have quality and are ambitious. But we cannot claim to be favourites. Why should we be?”

Wagner plans to take a squad of 20 players to cover for knocks suffered by Christopher Schindler, Chris Lowe and Rajiv van La Parra during the win at Leeds.

Last six games: Brighton & Hove Albion WWDWLL, Huddersfield Town LWDWWW.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire).

Last time: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Huddersfield Town 1; January 23, 2016; Championship.