Huddersfield Town v Stoke City: No substitute for team’s character, hails Carlos Corberan

It came when Danny Ward scored his first goal en route to his hat-trick at Reading – with the reaction of the substitutes on the Terriers’ bench catching the eye of Corberan as opposed to the strike.

It spoke of a squad rich in togetherness and of a team who are a team in the truest sense of the word. A team who are greater than the sum of their parts.

That is further showcased by the fact that 13 different Huddersfield players who found the net in league matches already this term. In their glorious 2016-17 promotion campaign, it was 15.

Town head into tonight’s home game on a nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions. A win would move them into fifth spot and move their points tally up to an eye-catching 47.

That is just two points fewer than they managed in the whole of last season. Back in 2019-20 – memorable only for the fact that the Terriers managed to avoid relegation – the club’s final points tally was just 51.

You will not find anyone at the club talking up their play-off prospects. That is eminently sensible after a couple of hard seasons with Town just grateful to have stabilised matters on the pitch.

Off it, they are the subject of takeover rumours with the club in advanced talks with ex-Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans regarding the purchasing of a majority shareholding.

Corberan said: “The other day, I was talking to my players about how pleased I was watching the celebrations of the first goal Danny Ward scored.

“I was watching the substitute players and I was so pleased because I saw players who have not had the minutes they deserved to have and they were celebrating like they had scored the goal.

“It’s really important to have that healthy environment and when you have that team mentality, it’s positive.

“For me, character is important because it’s a team sport and you need the character to manage the different situations.

“If you only think of yourself, then it’s going to be negative. You need to be thinking of the team, and that helps the dynamic in the medium and long term.

“It’s not just the celebration: it’s that you are giving your best in training and have a lot of commitment and dedication to the club.”

In Corberan, they also have a head coach who can now say that his education at a Championship level is fairly broad and extensive.

Working alongside Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa at this level for a couple of seasons was an experience that money cannot buy.

Coming out the other side following a tough baptism at Town was just as key, probably moreso.

He commented: “It helped me learn the specific things of the league (under Bielsa). But I was an assistant coach and was learning in that role.

“Does it give me an advantage? It gave me more knowledge. You can go to the cinema sleeping or you can go to the cinema and watch the film. When I was there, I tried to use my time to learn everything that I could.

“Now it’s my time to show I have learned. I think it’s impossible to work with Marcelo and not.

“But I can’t find a more demanding season than the season we just played (last year) because we had the same number of games in a shorter period of time (than now)”

It may have very much been a team effort at the John Smith’s Stadium this term, but in terms of individual contributions, few have surpassed those of Ward, who is now into double figures for the season in terms of goal.

Given his well-chronicled injury issues last term, when Town struggled to get him out on the pitch consistently, it is no mean feat and there have been few better strikers, of his type, in the Championship this term.

Corberan, hoping to bring in a couple of players ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, continued: “I was excited when we brought in Danny. Watching him at Cardiff, I understood he could offer many things to the team.

“He can link play and has an instinct with movements in the box. But at Cardiff, he did not achieve 3,000 minutes (per season) as at (previous club) Rotherham. To get him ready and fit was one challenge we would have. Unfortunately, last year, he got an injury before the first game against Norwich and then he got other injuries.

“But the player knows his body and he has been adapting better to prevent his injuries (this year). He is adapting much better to playing more games.”

Town welcome back Duane Holmes this evening, but will be without Levi Colwill (knee) for the next ‘two to three weeks.’

Last six games: Huddersfield WWDWDW; Stoke LLWWLL.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).

Last time: Huddersfield 1 Stoke 1, January 30, 2021; Championship.