'Live and learn': Huddersfield Town boss Michael Duff's Barnsley admission ahead of derby day in League One

Barnsley supporters, who he comes into contact with on Saturday for the first time since his Oakwell departure in June 2023, recalled that comment with a fair degree of cynicism. Duff had previously spoken of being at Barnsley for the long haul at his press unveiling in the 2022 close season. Just over a year later, he upped sticks for Swansea.

The 46-year-old is big enough to admit that his decision to jump ship for South Wales was a mistake in hindsight.

In his defence, it was not a move that was purely down to ambition at the time in joining a Championship club just 24 days after Barnsley were agonisingly thwarted in their quest to make an instant return to the second tier following relegation in 2021-22 - in heartbreaking fashion at Wembley.

Concerns over structural aspects regarding the club also played its part in the decision.

It was a time when Barnsley were operating without a head of football operations, for example. In early 2024, significant changes in the daily running of the club saw the Oakwell outfit make some key appointments. Mladen Sormaz was sworn in as the club’s first-ever sporting director, responsible for overseeing the playing side of the club, while Jon Flatman was appointed as chief executive officer. The experienced Ann Hough also came in as club secretary. The operational side at Huddersfield was already firmly established and in situ when Duff arrived in late spring. It was not like what greeted him at Barnsley.

Duff said: "I wish Darrell (Clarke) and them (Barnsley) all the best.

"They have got Martin Devaney (assistant), who I am really close to. I went for some food with Martin a couple of weeks ago.

"It’s not that I cut all ties with the football club and the owners have been great with me as well.

"But my focus now is Huddersfield and to turn it around. Because I believe I am in a privileged position and I’ve learnt from previous mistakes.

"I feel I have got an opportunity here to build something and grow with it, which is possibly what I didn’t think at Barnsley.

"But you need to win games along the way and no-one is more determined than I am to win some games.”

Football is such that there will be little bonhomie on show from the sell-out Barnsley contingent towards Duff on Saturday, regardless of the fact that the 2022-23 season was a memorable and uplifting one, even accounting for the painful denouement.

Should the travails of Town, who head into the derby on the back of seven losses in their past eight competitive outings, continue, there will be a sense of schadenfreude from those in the away end.

Duff, for his part, is philosophical as to the reception he might receive.

"If you just want to be liked, don’t get involved in football, he added.

"Supporters are either really with you or against you. I don’t know what reception I’ll get, (or) whether I get any reception.

"Some might have forgotten who I was. All I can say is that my time at the football club was really positive. Leaving was a mistake, but you live and you learn and I am not going to live in the past.

"I’ve moved on and am at a different club now and my focus is fully on here.”

It’s fair to say that given Town’s recent run, Duff has much more to worry about any negative reaction from those who follow a former club in any case.

As for any critics out there among those who back his current club, Duff is also phlegmatic.

He said: “Part of the job is keeping the noise out and trust in the work you are doing and I believe that the (coaching staff) work we do has been good over quite a long period of time and has been successful.

"The key is improving the players and having an emotional connection with them, which I think we have. I think we care and they know we care.

"I think they care and I don’t think we have got any ‘zappers’ in the group, people that are here just to ruin everything.

"I don’t think we have got that, but there are challenges within this football club that I think we need to get to the bottom of.”

Ex-Reds midfielder Herbie Kane, who has had a difficult start at Town, could be involved after not being involved in Town’s last two games.

Duff added: “Herbie had a really difficult pre-season. He came back in not the condition we wanted him to (be), put it that way.

"Then, he broke down twice. You talk about frustration, but I know what a good player Herbie Kane is.

"We just need to give him an opportunity to be the best version of himself. He comes back into the thinking, definitely.”