Danny Schofield on whether Huddersfield Town's season is in an early-season crisis

Beaten play-off finalists last term, Town have started the new season with a trio of defeats, with disappointing Championship losses to Burnley and Birmingham City being followed by a heavy EFL Cup home reverse to Preston on an embarrassing evening on Tuesday.

Schofield pulled no punches in his verdict on Town's showing afterwards, with players seeking to make amends in Saturday's home game with Stoke.

Town could bring in a new loan signing in the shape of Aston Villa right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden in time for the match.

He said: "It is certainly not a crisis. Two games into the Championship, we have not won any. But it is way too early. A win against Stoke and back to back wins can move you up the table really, really quickly.

"But we are not looking at the table, we are looking at what is going on daily and the standards we are implementing daily as to whether they are there consistently to perform and focusing on that process to get a win."

Questioned on whether some players are going through the motions and whether his former positions as first-team coach has made him too 'matey' with the squad, he countered both charges.

He added: "I don't think that is the case. The group of players are great as people and the data shows that they are trying and putting in the full effort.

"It can be really challenging for a football player when the times are hard and the perception maybe watching the game where we are struggling and not doing well, sometimes you see this without seeing the (data) evidence on the pitch.

"Everyone of them wants to try and work hard for this football club and we are going to work hard to turn it around as quickly as possible."

And on whether he is too close to the players, he added: "I don't think that is the case.

"In terms of being too matey or friendly, I don't really understand that. It is all about your unique personality to get the best out of players and all successful coaches do things in different ways.”