Huddersfield Town were right to swap dour Cowleys for head coach Carlos Corberan, says former Terriers prospect

Butler, who started his playing career with his local club but is currently manager of Liberia, shed few tears at the departure of Danny Cowley and his “dour” football.

The Terriers replaced their manager with head coach Carlos Corberan, who has a brief to produce livelier football with a greater emphasis on youth. Butler hopes it mainly comes from West Yorkshire.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the Cowleys because I thought some of the football they played was very dour,” said former Botswana manager Butler.

“If you look down the M62 at some of the football Leeds have played at times it’s been outstanding, although saying that they’ve got good players, a big wage bill, huge expectation and pressure on their shoulders.

“I think the Huddersfield scenario, I don’t want to be critical, but I think the problems started a long time ago. (David) Wagner did a great job getting them back to playing some really good football, exciting and the crowd loved it, but he also bought some really, really poor players and I think the downfall started the year they came down (2019).

“I felt a little bit sorry for (Jan) Siewert, who inherited a group of players who probably weren’t good enough to be in the Premier League.”

Even more than 3,000 miles away Butler still has a close affinity with Town and he says: “I think they’re in choppy waters at the moment and I do watch closely because it’s a club close to my heart.

“I grew up as a Leeds fan but I learnt my football at Huddersfield Town. Footballers are very mercenary, they might remember the good times but when you’ve grown up at a club like I did at Huddersfield Town from 13 to 20, that’s where I realised my childhood dream.

“I grew up under Micky Buxton and the coaching staff there and it gives you a better understanding of that club.

“I think Huddersfield have lost their way over the last two years, they’ve gone away from what they were always renowned for.

“It’s a special club, a special place and the supporters are great people. When you’re from West Yorkshire you get a little bit patriotic but their whole philosophy has to change a little bit.”

The appointment of Corberan, from Leeds United, is a sign that they are trying to do that.

“West Yorkshire’s a huge catchment area,” stressed Butler. “I’d love to see him try to recruit local lads and give them an opportunity to play. It’s an appointment that’s come out of left-field but maybe that’s the route they want to go down, a head coach, not a manager involved in transfers.”