Huddersfield Town’s self-belief key to Premier League bid

The Terriers face Nottingham Forest in tomorrow’s Championship play-off final.

Not every member of the Corberan family deals with pressure well, but he is thriving in his second season at Huddersfield.

Although the 39-year-old had managed first teams before, in Cyprus, his development since leaving Leeds United’s coaching staff in 2020 has been impressive with his boss then, Marcelo Bielsa, still a big influence.

The players have made great strides too in a season which saw them consistently at the top end of the table before finishing third, two points above Forest.

“To get here we have passed through different moments,” stressed Corberan.

“There have been games that have been complicated for the team, games where we have been comfortable on the pitch, and it’s created a real mindset for the players to be able to face any context or scenario.

“In the semi-final we went ahead away, then (Luton Town) equalised and we had to manage the second half. At home they started the first half better and we had to react in the second half, then manage the last minutes (once Huddersfield scored).

“Just playing the semi-final gave us a little bit of the feeling of a game where the consequence of defeat is to be knocked out.

“I’m completely sure as soon as the referee blows the whistle and we are playing a football game they will just be focused on the game. Maybe at the beginning we’ll be excited because you see all the people in the stadium but as soon as they are playing, I think they will just be focused on that.”

Because of that, he will not be treating the build-up to his first trip to Wembley – in any capacity – any differently.

“If I have to teach the players now to manage the pressure, I am late!” he joked.

“I won’t be making any big speeches or managing the situation in a different way.

“We always try to win. This biggest difference is the consequence of winning.

“One of the calmer games I have had as Huddersfield coach was the second leg of the play-off semi-final. When you’re a coach you’re worried when you don’t see things working well in your team and you’re calm if they are.”

Corberan will have some relatives in the stadium, but others at home in Spain.

“My mother cannot watch my games because she gets too nervous – I don’t know what she thinks can happen! – and my father does not like to fly, so both will watch the game like they have done all season, praying a lot but always giving me support,” he said.

He has also had the support of Bielsa, Leeds’s head coach in his last two years at Elland Road.

“In the last week I spent good time talking to him because Marcelo has always given me the best support from the first day I started to manage Huddersfield,” he revealed. “He hasn’t watched all the games but he’s watched enough and he watched the play-off games.

“I learnt of a lot from two years (working) with him in similar situations and from his behaviour. We talk about the team, how we see things, the players – that’s all, but that’s a lot!”

This has been a tremendous season for Town which has seen Corberan grow as a coach and his team turn around four consecutive seasons of relegation battles, despite most pundits and bookmakers expecting another.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned is it’s one thing to have the game you want to play and another to have the game that is possible,” reflected Corberan. “Sometimes the more you insist on the game you want, the more frustration you create. So adaptability can be one of the keys. I didn’t feel we were one of the favourites to go down.

“I had a squad with players I believed a lot in and many possibilities. The number of professionals we had (available), especially after Christmas (2020) was the opposite of this season.

“We signed players with experience and minutes in their legs and very good character in good time so I knew I had a competitive squad from the first day of pre-season.

“It’s been difficult for us to be perfect in 90 minutes of every game but they have a very competitive mentality that allows us to always be in games.”

That will be their biggest strength tomorrow.

Final preview: Pages 2-3