WATCH - Winning mentality must come before thoughts of a Premier League return, insists Huddersfield Town boss Jan Siewert
The Terriers were relegated from the top flight last season and begin their 2019/20 Championship campaign on Monday night against Derby County.
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Hide AdHuddersfield ended last season unbeaten, securing a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United in their penultimate Premier League game, before earning another draw at Southampton on the final day of the campaign.
They have carried that form into their pre-season preparations, going unbeaten in all six of their friendly games.
"It is very hard to bounce back [from relegation]," said Siewert.
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Hide Ad"For us, it is important to have a plan to get back into the Premier League. We don't know how long it will take.
"But it is important that we, first of all, stabilise ourselves.
"We had an experience of losing matches, which isn't a nice one. It is important for us to get back into the habit of winning matches.
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Hide Ad"I know that we can't win all our matches. I know there will be defeats, I know that there will be draws.
"But the important thing for us is to bring forward a winning mentality, and with a winning mentality - you will win games."
Huddersfield won four and drew two of their warm-up games, but Siewert insists he isn't getting carried away by those results.
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Hide AdFollowing their opener with Derby County on Monday night, Town face tests against QPR, Fulham and Cardiff City.
And the Terriers boss says his side will have a better idea of what they can achieve this season come September time.
He added: "I never get over-excited because pre-season is there to prepare yourself.
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Hide Ad"The following games will show where we are and I am really excited going forward."
Derby have gone through a summer of transition, with Phillip Cocu coming in as manager following Frank Lampard's departure.
"A different manager brings a different style," said Siewert.
"But the game is more about what we can do against them. We don't want to focus too much on what they do but on our own qualities."