QPR v Huddersfield Town: Players totally focused on task facing Town

David Wagner: Huddersfield Town head coach preparing for two tough road trips ahead of the FA Cup.

The Terriers head to Queens Park Rangers today looking to bolster their push for the Premier League.

Huddersfield will again be on the road on Tuesday, though this time it is the much shorter hop to Rotherham United that awaits Wagner’s promotion hopefuls.

On paper, taking on sides sitting 19th and 24th, respectively, in the table hardly sounds comparable to the task that awaited Town a week ago, when a tricky FA Cup trip to Rochdale was due to be followed by back-to-back home games against leaders Brighton & Hove Albion and neighbours Leeds United.

Three victories amply illustrated just how well the Terriers rose to that challenge and Wagner insists there will be no let-up in the next two fixtures.

“It does not feel like that, I cannot agree,” said Wagner when asked if there was a danger that the trips to Loftus Road and the New York Stadium could struggle to match the excitement and anticipation generated by last week’s trio of fixtures.

“The biggest step this group has made in the last eight weeks is that it is now able to be totally independent about what is around them.

“It isn’t important if we are playing at home or away. It isn’t important if it is a team at the top or the bottom. It isn’t important if the game is at 12pm or in the evening.

“That is a big step for us to have taken, to be totally independent of the circumstances around us. The players are totally focused on this.

“They trust 100 per cent in themselves and what they are doing. That is why I cannot agree that this week is less exciting than the week we had in the past.

“We had three great results and three great performances and now we have another big, big week.”

The back-to-back away games kick-start a busy time for the Terriers, who have the tantalising prospect of taking on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City a week today in fifth round of the FA Cup.

“We have a very busy period,” added Wagner.

“Everyone speaks about Christmas and the New Year but the busiest time is now right in front of us.

“In the next four or five weeks, we have a midweek game every week. For us, we must use only players who are 100 per cent healthy and fit.”