Cardiff City v Huddersfield Town: Tommy Elphick eyes Terriers response after Jan Siewert exit

The defender’s sole motivation is controlling the controllables and addressing the Terriers’ difficult start to the campaign which has seen them take just one point from a possible nine heading into this evening’s encounter in South Wales.

Former Bluebirds defender Mark Hudson is in temporary charge of Town on his return to the Principality and Elphick and his team-mates are concentrating all their energies on arresting the club’s worrying opening to 2019-20 and nothing else.

He said: “As players we got a job to do. We have to buy in to what Mark is about now. He has been clear and precise on what he wants leading into Cardiff, and obviously we’re going to take it game by game, but we cannot keep waiting for the next one.

“If we are going to be a force in this league, we cannot let this go 10, 11, 12 games in, because I have been in that position where it is 11 or 12 games down the road and then you are making the change and then all of a sudden you are out of sight and you have got no chance.”

Meanwhile, Elphick has addressed his sympathy for sacked head coach Jan Siewert, but believes that the timing of the decision at such an early juncture at least affords the club plenty of time to cast aside their disappointing start.

He added: “Jan was a passionate guy. He invested a lot of time and energy in to us over the summer and brought players like me to the club.

“I felt that we were nearly there, but unfortunately the way football is, the chairman has made the decision. But I think that the timing of the decision gives us a lot of hope going forward in terms of still being able to do something this season.”

Last six games: Cardiff LLWLWL; Huddersfield DDLDLL

Referee:J Gillett (Australia).

Last time: Cardiff 0 Huddersfield 0, January 12, 2019; Premier League.