Determined Clark remains confident Town can achieve promotion target

Clark, who celebrates his second anniversary as Town manager next month, came under pressure from supporters, the media, and club chairman Dean Hoyle after recent defeats against Oldham Athletic and Exeter City.

Hoyle, writing in the club's match programme, even questioned the team's 'bottle' and admitted he felt 'physically sick' after watching the defeat at Oldham.

Town returned to winning ways against Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday night and the 4-1 victory has lifted the team back into the League One play-off zone – just three points adrift of the top two.

Clark said: "No-one hurts more than me when we lose. I have created an affinity with this football club and its supporters and, more importantly, the players – and I have a fantastic relationship with them.

"I know that every time they pull on a blue and white shirt they are giving their utmost to try and get a result.

"If they don't, the first person to tell them will be me because I think a team shows what the manager is about. It's an extension of the manager."

According to Clark, there had been 'doom and gloom' around the Galpharm Stadium at the start of the week but he stressed that the team was in a healthy position ahead of this weekend's FA Cup second round tie at home to Macclesfield Town.

"We are three points off second place, seven points off the top, we are in the second round of the most prestigious Cup competition in the world, the (northern) semi-final of the Johnstone's Paints Trophy, and (I have) the fourth highest win percentage of any Huddersfield Town manager – and the place was like a bomb had hit it on Monday.

"I love high expectations and there have been high expectations wherever I have been. I have high expectations of myself and that's why the defeats hit me hard, very hard.

"We lost two games and we didn't deserve to lose (against Exeter) on Saturday," he insisted. "If anyone wants to debate that, they are more than welcome to come to my office to watch the whole game, to see the stats, and I can give you all the stats, and then we go from there.

"This club was the perfect set-up for me with the expectation. And I have got together, what I believe, is one of the best squads in the division – that's why the expectation is there. The players know that and now we have to deliver on a more consistent basis.

"This league is tight," he added. "You lose a game and you might even drop out of the top 10, but you win a game you get yourself closer to the top two.

"We have got to hang in there for the next few months, ready for the kill, in terms of the final few months and the final push, to make sure we can achieve what we want to achieve."

Clark is so confident in the strength of his squad that he has ruled out the need to make any more new signings this season.

He has also poured cold water on rumours that defender Lee Peltier may be sold to Championship big-spenders Leicester City.

"I have never heard the rumour (about Peltier) but any player I want to stay here will not be leaving," he stressed. " We are building a team here that is going to win promotion. And, it's funny, I spent an hour on the phone to (Leicester coach) Derek Fazackerley today – and he never mentioned a thing! I would have thought, with the relationship we have got, he might have mentioned something?"

Clark revealed that Peltier was absent from Tuesday night's game after 'failing a fitness test.'

Reflecting on his side's stylish win over MK Dons, Clark said: "Our performance (against Exeter) on Saturday, for a lot of spells, was probably more fluid and more fluent.

"But what we didn't do on Saturday but did on Tuesday night was get people attacking the crosses in the final third and people pulling the trigger more.

"That just shows you what football is about and I was delighted with the character and the response the players showed."