David Wagner calls on Huddersfield Town to show true identity

A week which started with so much expectancy and promise has so far handed Town cold comfort following successive Championship defeats for the first time this season – to Sheffield Wednesday and Preston.

Wednesday’s 3-1 reverse at Deepdale was particularly galling, with Town – on a night when they could have drawn level on points with leaders Newcastle United – outfought by an imposing Preston side managed by former Terriers chief Simon Grayson.

Next on the immediate horizon is a home game with Derby County tomorrow, with a familiar face to Town fans also in the away dugout in former manager and Rams No 2 Chris Powell.

Admitting that Town need to improve significantly from their poor performance in Lancashire, Wagner said: “We were not at our fighting best and our working attitude was not good enough.

“Now I have to find the right solutions for Saturday as this was not okay. A game that was comparable to this was Shrewsbury away and we must make sure this (Preston) does not happen again on Saturday and we must show the right reaction.

“This is what I said to the lads. Whatever result we get, nobody knows. This is part of the game, but we cannot miss our identity.

“I am sure we can learn from it and it is part of my job to make sure we show the right reaction.”

In refusing to gloss over Town’s failings, head coach Wagner was candid enough to recognise that several players looked mentally jaded. The case for the defence looked particularly damning, with the hosts posing Town’s rearguard all manner of problems in a dominant display.

Wagner says he will monitor his players’ mentality before finalising Saturday’s line-up.

Wagner, who felt the ‘very active’ performance of the recalled Jack Payne was a redeeming feature, added: “Of course, some players looked a little bit tired and had a problem from the mental side to stay in the game after we were two-nil and three-nil down.

“Maybe some players were (also) not in the right shape in the head when the whistle blew. These are three reasons why we under-performed and we must see how everyone looks over the next few days.”