Comment: Huddersfield Town call quick time on Schofield gamble. Could Wagner 'come home'?

Town took the pragmatic decision to give Schofield, well regarded in the corridors of power at the club and someone who successfully worked with Corberan during his time there, a go back in early July.

However, he was sacked on Wednesday morning after just 68 days at the helm.

The earlier timing of the departure of Corberan as head coach - less than six weeks after Town’s Championship play-off final loss and just 22 days before the club started the 2022-23 campaign - was rotten. Right on the eve of pre-season as well.

Rather than disrupt things further, Town decided to ‘stick’ – with Schofield - as opposed to twist.

They cited, with good sense, the fact that the difference between Corberan and Schofield was not too much in terms of football philosophy. It also pointed to an alignment in thinking.

After appointing a young, emerging head coach to develop and progress in Corberan, here was another. Someone who knew the inner workings of the club as well.

The feeling behind it was well-meaning, but you always got the nagging feeling, right from the time that Schofield was announced, that this would not go smoothly or be straightforward.

Town will have also known full well that if things did not go to plan early on that there was still time in a long season to change course.

Yes, successful assistants have stepped up in the past. Bob Paisley, most memorably. But for every Paisley, there's a John Carver, Brian Kidd, Sammy Lee and Craig Shakespeare and a few more besides.

The Schofield call was on Town's shoulders and it went wrong quickly and it has been duly recognised.

There is culpability regarding the ill-fated decision, but the main issue now is to get the next appointment right to prevent a rough start to the campaign descending into an attritional season-long relegation scrap.

Town will have maybe also been conscious of the situation on the other side of the Emley Moor mast at Barnsley last term.

After reaching the play-offs in 20-21, the Reds saw a successful figure in Valerien Ismael leave and appointed a replacement who was dipping his toes in the Championship for the first time in Markus Schopp.

Despite a poor start to the new season, the Oakwell hierarchy waited. The Austrian was sacked after taking just eight points from the club's opening 15 matches. The rot had set in by then.

In contrast, Town have acted swiftly. Four points from a possible 24 and seven defeats in nine matches in league and cup were worrying numbers which forced their hand.

The warning signs were there for all to see and Schofield, a decent, proud man, had the look of someone who knew what was coming at the end of Tuesday night's game with Wigan.

A new manager 'bounce' might just change the tone of the season at a time when league tables truly start to take shape. The run to the World Cup hiatus will be of seminal importance to the fortunes of Town.

Events did not help Schofield for sure or many ‘moments’ in games as he liked to put it.

The exits of two of their best players and leaders in Lewis O'Brien and Harry Toffolo didn’t either.

The fact that rival teams were looking out for Town more this season, given their stellar achievements last term, was an additional factor. An injury to a key defensive lieutenant in Matty Pearson was not what the doctors ordered too, Nor was as an opening-night injury to midfield enforcer David Kasumu.

There were problems that would test a more experienced figure.

Schofield tried to make his own mark tactically and it did not work, right from the alarming opening night against Burnley. A 1-0 beating.

He also had to contend with form and fitness issues and integrating new signings in double-quick time.

A few hard luck stories did not assist him - Yuta Nakayama's no-goal being the biggest. But as he said in his final act as head coach, his responsibility is results. The Championship is a tough school.With an international break after Saturday - assistants Narcis Pelach and Paul Harsley take charge of the home game with Cardiff - there is time to see what is out there.

The stand-out early name to replace Schofield is a familiar one in David Wagner, guest of honour at the recent game with West Brom.

He is available after leaving Swiss side Young Boys in March. A second coming would be a popular choice among many fans. Even if they say you should never go back. Most would probably take the risk.

Town have also shown an ability to think outside of the box regarding past appointments and don't be surprised if a left-field option or two crops up as well.