Huddersfield Town v Derby County - Ambition enabling Terriers to turn the corner

An outstanding weekend win at Swansea City provided Carlos Corberan with his most memorable moment yet as Town head coach – at a venue where his old club Leeds United took a giant step to promotion in mid-July.

The steps that the Terriers are making might be baby ones in comparison, but they are significant all the same in a season when the ‘work in progress’ sign at their Canalside training ground is not all to do with the major overhaul there in terms of new facilities.

After a low-key start to the 2020-21 campaign, Town are starting to grow on the pitch under Corberan in terms of what he expects from them physically, tactically and technically.

The sight of last season’s star turn in Lewis O’Brien making his first appearance of the season from the substitutes’ bench on Saturday has further added to the cautious optimism.

An adaptable player with a thirst for footballing knowledge, O’Brien is a figure who everyone connected with the club thinks the world of.

He is a player who carries the ‘DNA’ of what Huddersfield Town should be about, according to former Terriers manager Danny Cowley. His successor will be inclined to agree.

Other young players are coming along nicely as well including Josh Koroma – who scored his first goal in Town colours at the weekend – Demeaco Duhaney and Romoney Crichlow-Noble and there is also the revitalised Isaac Mbenza.

Specifically on the return of O’Brien and the impact of Koroma, Corberan, whose side host a Derby side who will be without Wayne Rooney tonight, said: “There is no doubt for me that he (O’Brien) was one of the most important players in the last year and that is why the fans recognised this when they nominated him as the player of the year.

“I was not surprised as he performed really well.

“Unfortunately, he’s missed a lot of training, but this is the third week he is working with us and it’s important he adds minutes into his body and adds to the ideas of the team.

“If he keeps improving his levels, he is going to be one very important player for us, without any doubt.”

And on the promise shown by Koroma, on the periphery in his first season at Huddersfield and who spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Rotherham United, the Spaniard added: “It is very important that he realised what his role was in the team.

“A player needs to know when they have the opportunity to be in the first 11 in the team what they need to do to continue being an important player.

“He is a young player, but at the same time, he is playing for the team and making a lot of effort and sacrifices for the team. Then, you are growing as a team-mate and a player.

“This is a message I want him to understand and the other day, he showed very clearly that he understood that he needed to defend one position to help his team-mates.”

A return of seven points from the last nine available represents a start for Huddersfield.

But fully replenishing reservoirs of confidence drained by two tough seasons when losing games being a debilitating norm will take longer.

Town’s resolve and resources will certainly be tested in the weeks ahead amid a congested run of games before the next international break.

Championship demands in mid-autumn and winter will be ultra-intense.

A healthy return in a six-game period which features four home matches should further aid in the development process.

But Corberan – who says that new defensive midfield recruit Alex Vallejo will not be involved this evening – is not getting ahead of himself and that is a wise philosophy.

This time last year, Town started to move in the right direction under Cowley. But they would ultimately veer off course again.

Corberan continued: “We are in a period which is very different with playing so many games in a row and we have to show we can play with intensity and ideas after 72 hours from the last time.

“Then, it is the next and next and the next. Three games in a row is different to once in a week.

“In the previous end to last season, we had five options to use from the bench and now it is three. It is a live challenge and we continue to fight to keep this mentality in the team and that is a big challenge for me as a coach.

“I have always said since I have been here that I found a group of players with a lot of ambition to change the situation that they were in before.

“Players are ready to help the team and continue to develop and this is the feeling I found with the majority of the squad.”

Last six games: Huddersfield LLLWDW; Derby LLLLWL.

Referee: D Webb (Co.Durham).

Last time: Huddersfield 1 Derby 2, August 5, 2019; Championship.

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Thank you, James Mitchinson. Editor.