Huddersfield Town, the issues facing Michael Duff and his previous record for dealing with them

Southgate’s eight-year reign in charge of the Three Lions – which recently ended – saw him take the nation to two major finals.

Results on the pitch were just part of the story in truth.

A cultural reboot of Team England and building the right working environment for success was something that Southgate painstakingly attended to out of necessity.

All the time, it had to go hand in hand with results whenever England got together.

When Southgate took over England, the playing side was a mess and was in need of work – just as Huddersfield Town were when Duff was appointed in May.

It was a similar sketch which greeted him on the other side of the Emley Moor mast at Barnsley two summers ago.

Close seasons can be difficult at clubs who have been relegated. At Barnsley, Duff recalls players who did not want to be there. On three separate occasions in pre-season he had to stop training due to a lack of intensity.

Forewarned is forearmed.

The Huddersfield squad he inherited had their own issues in a torrid end to last season – another relegation campaign like at Barnsley – when several unnamed players were called out by former head coach Andre Breitenreiter for their daily standards and behaviour.

The German stated that he had seen some things he had not witnessed in three decades in football. His short-lived tenure will not be remembered for much of what happened on the pitch, but his incendiary comments in April certainly will be. It alluded to a toxic culture.

Finding out who he can trust, who wants to be here and who wants away will have been Duff’s first observational exercise in pre-season. Sussing out the good professionals from the cheaters and bluffers.

Bringing in some early signings with pedigree at League One level represented a shrewd thing to do in the circumstances and that is exactly what Town have done after bringing in Lasse Sorensen, Mickel Miller, Herbie Kane and Antony Evans.

It helps in any cultural shift.

As for promises, Duff has never been one for outlandish predictions. What he has pledged is that his players will be 'fit, strong and organised’ – his core principles – by the time they take the field against Peterborough United on August 10.

Don’t overthink it, hard work pays you back is another of his mantras.

Defensively, Town look to have players whom Duff can work with and characters he can rely on. Radinio Balker’s ankle fracture is unfortunate – moreso for the player who has had a luckless time of it since arriving from Dutch football – but Duff's rearguard options look pretty strong at this level.

Matty Pearson, Tom Lees and Ollie Turton have been around the block and can be counted upon. Michal Helik, if he stays put, would undoubtedly be another in that category. Josh Ruffels is also available again.

Brodie Spencer, the one crumb of comfort in the second half of last season, is a player who has the tantalising potential to be one of the division’s leading players in 2024-25 if all goes well and he also sticks around. Neo Eccleston might be a player to watch as well.

The arrival of Evans – a player whose goals and assists record was impressive at Bristol Rovers – and Kane, who worked well under Duff at Oakwell, should help assuage matters in the midfield following the sale of Jack Rudoni to Coventry City. The ubiquitous Jonathan Hogg will also be around as well.

On the flanks, Miller is a player whom Plymouth wanted to retain and Sorensen marked himself out to be one of the most eye-catching – and certainly athletic – wing-backs in League One during his time at Lincoln City.

For Duff, perhaps the biggest on-pitch issue is one that several of his predecessors have also wrestled with. Goals from his striking department.

In several recent seasons, the number that Town followers have fixated upon from a pretty early stage in proceedings has been 50. Namely in reaching a half-century of points which is usually enough to ensure Championship safety the following May.

In last season's relegation season and two previous close shaves in 2022-23 and 2020-21, the fact that the Terriers did not surpass 50 goals was also a significant concern. In each of these seasons, no player reached double figures either, which is pretty damning.

All this helps to explain why Duff was so keen on a reunion with a player whom he knows well from his Cheltenham Town days in Al

fie May, with Huddersfield poised to land League One’s reigning Golden Boot holder until they were gazumped by Birmingham City. May would have brought a priceless guarantee of goals.

Duff’s current strikers will not be short of motivation in the new season.

Rhys Healey has shown one or two flashes but his progress was stymied by an early injury following his arrival from Watford in January. Fully fit and afforded some overdue luck on the injury front, expect him to fare better in 2024-25.

Bojan Radulovic has struggled to adapt to English football so far in truth, while Danny Ward will be seeking to vanquish memories of a difficult season.