Danny Cowley relaxed about Huddersfield Town firing blanks

Victory in the televised 6pm kick-off would put the Terriers onto 50 points for the season and to all intents and purposes out of the reach of the bottom-placed Hatters. The gap to the relegation zone would technically be five points but if Wigan Athletic's 12-point deduction for going into administration comes into force, it will effectively be eight.

After tonight's match, Huddersfield and Luton will have three to play, the rest four.

There is no doubting the importance of the match, and while Cowley's men go into it on the back of three consecutive clean sheets, they have not found the net themselves in the last two games.

“We never worry about our forwards missing chances, we only worry about not creating them,” said the manager. “We created the second most chances we had away from home all season at Nottingham Forest (their second game after the resumption), we then created the most at Birmingham. At Reading we were happy with the amount of chances we created and we have confidence in our players.

“You could definitely criticise our attacking play in the Preston game.

“It's always the balance you're trying to find. We don't always achieve it but we're always striving for it.”

Town have scored 49 goals in 42 league games this season, the third best of the bottom seven. They showed in last week's 3-0 win at Birmingham that when they are at their best, with top-scorer Karlan Grant and on-loan Arsenal No 10 Emile Smith Rowe linking up, they can be a vibrant attacking team.

“I think we go into every game trying to win,” said Cowley. “There are different approaches to it.

“On Tuesday (in a 0-0 draw at Reading) we were pleased with a lot of our approach play. There were a couple of areas we can improve in tactically.

“In terms of our finishing and the final action, I'm never scared of the forwards missing chances, I only worry when we don't get chances. We didn't get as many in the Preston game (which preceded it) and I was more worried about that than Tuesday.

“At times on Tuesday we could have got our shots off a bit quicker and at times we were trying to be a bit too precise and perfect maybe but we've looked at it and most of the work we've done since has been off the field. We've put ourselves in a good position to try to improve against Luton.”

Of more concern to Cowley has been shoring his team up defensively.

“Over the 13 years I've been a manager our successes have always come from a good defence,” he said. “It's much easier to win games 1-0 and 2-1 than it is 3-2 and 4-3.

“It's the foundations of any successful team.

“The first couple of games after lockdown were not easy for us without our No 9s and we had to rely on certain aspects that can open you up defensively so to get Steve Mounie and Fraizer Campbell back was big for us.”

Wigan, who went into administration earlier this month, are appealing their points deduction which would put them above Luton only on goal difference. The penalty is only due to be applied at the end of the campaign, or next season if it does not affect the Latics' league status.

Barnsley have 42 points, Hull City 45 and Middlesbrough are also a win away from the 50-point mark which has been Cowley's long-term target this season.

In the last 15 years, only four teams have gone down having reached 50 points, compared to 19 who have stayed up with fewer.

Mounie is fit and Cowley is hopeful Campbell might be too, having come off at half-time against Preston.

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