Reading v Huddersfield Town: Plane talking making perfect sense to Wagner

IN football parlance, Huddersfield Town are '˜flying' at the moment. Six games unbeaten and for the first time in a few years looking up the Championship table rather than nervously over their shoulders, the Terriers bear the look of a team in good shape after a little over two months under the charge of head coach David Wagner.
Huddersfield Town are on a six-match unbeaten run under their new head coach David Wagner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).Huddersfield Town are on a six-match unbeaten run under their new head coach David Wagner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).
Huddersfield Town are on a six-match unbeaten run under their new head coach David Wagner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).

A safe passage to the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight would, of course, add to the feel-good factor being felt at the John Smith’s Stadium.

In the hope of doing just that, Huddersfield are taking to the skies ahead of tonight’s replay at Reading as part of Wagner’s revolutionary approach to preparing for games that includes training as close as possible to kick-off time during the build-up.

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“It is a busy week for us, but the club is making it as comfortable as possible,” explained the German to The Yorkshire Post when asked why Town will twice be foregoing their usual transport of the team coach during a week that also involves a clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on the south coast this Saturday.

“We fly to Reading on the day of the game, stay overnight and then have training and lunch in Reading before travelling back to Huddersfield.

“Also, on Friday we will fly to Brighton and travel back after the game on the bus. This will help the players recover as quickly as possible and I believe the players deserve this.

“It will help us in the games. I think fitness will be a very important point in the Cup game.

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“For both teams, this is the fourth game in 12 days. Reading are a good team, but one we can beat if we bring on to the pitch what we are able to.

“If fitness is the thing that decides the game, I am very confident we will be the team that takes the game. I think we have developed in fitness in a very good way over the last 11 weeks and we have rotated in the past to make sure everyone has the opportunity to rest and be fresh.”

For clubs outside the Premier League, flying is a rare mode of transport due to the costs involved, which is why most squads stay overnight on the eve of a game, no matter what the distance involved.

Pressed on the benefits to Town of flying to Farnborough Airport today before being picked up by the team coach, and then Biggin Hill on Friday, Wagner added: “The first benefit to me is that we are able to have training on Monday at the usual evening time.

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“If we had gone by bus, we would have had to train in the morning in Huddersfield before spending the whole day on the bus.

“We would also then spend the entire Tuesday waiting for the game in Reading. This way, everyone was able to sleep at home after having dinner together at the club.

“The other point is it will be very late after the game when we would have got back to Huddersfield. It would be 4am and that means everyone is tired the next day as well – and the day after that, when we have to travel to Brighton.

“Now, the players can go to bed the normal time on Tuesday, sleep well, have breakfast and then train in Reading. After lunch, we then travel back and should be in Huddersfield during the afternoon. That allows everyone to go home to their families.

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“Training will be normal on Thursday and Friday, though maybe an hour earlier on Friday. Then, in the afternoon we fly to Brighton and be there for 6.30-7pm, which is our normal time to have dinner in the hotel for an away game.

“This is a very good solution we have found to all the travelling.

“After Brighton, we drive back with the coach and then next week is normal when we have two days off. That is something we need after this very busy period of the last two weeks.”

Town will be hoping to spend those couple of days off basking in the glow of two positive results.

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The prize for tonight’s winner is a home tie with League One Walsall in the next round, something that would surely leave Huddersfield with a great chance of reaching the fifth round for the first time in eight years.

Dean Whitehead, who has been out for six weeks, is back in the squad along with Kyle Dempsey, but Sean Scannell remains out with a knee injury.

“I feel excited,” added Wagner. “That is just like I did before the first game 10 days ago.

“We are prepared, maybe a little bit more than 10 days ago because we have played them already and now know what to expect. We will go to Reading to beat them and get in the next round.

“This game is very important to us. We can play this game without any pressure from the league table and think positively that we can be in the next round.”