'Sick of hearing it': How Huddersfield Town's lack of ruthlessness is holding them back
Martin Drury was not messing about in Huddersfield Town's media room on Tuesday night.
It was easy to feel sorry for the Terriers as their two-point gap to the League One play-off places doubled with one Yousef Salech finish 95 minutes into their game at home to Cardiff City.
Drury knew Huddersfield played well against a side whose place in the Championship will soon be confirmed. They deservedly led for 68 minutes through Ryan Ledson's third goal in as many games. Bali Mumba had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside, Marcus Harness hit the crossbar and Nathan Trott brilliantly tipped Marc McGuane's stoppage-time effort onto the woodwork too. Salech’s goal was headed in from an offside position.
But this was two home matches in three days where Huddersfield led with the game all but over, only to have to settle for a draw. Despite substitute McGuane's effort, they were too passive as the second half rolled on.
"I was really open with the players," said Drury afterwards. "I was quite brash with them, where I felt we were at. It's frustrating, really frustrating. I'm struggling to find many different words, really.
"I give the players credit for effort, endeavour, sticking together, their work ethic. I think they produced an entertaining game, yet again, but I'm now at a point where I'll not continue to praise those things.
"Now we need to go to the next level. We need to start putting the ball in the back of the net and we need to have a real maturity about us when it gets to the end of the game.
"That's game-management moments, making decisions."
And then the ominous bit.
Drury, a 40-year-old coach with a fair bit of pedigree having been on the staffs of Brentford and Valencia since managerial stints in Bradford with Park Avenue and as caretaker at City, was asked how he could get that.
"Repetition, repetition, repetition," he repeated. "There's different ways you can do it.
"Every player's different. I should say people, not players - people, human beings respond in different ways. There can be rewards, there can be consequences.
"You have to build an environment where every single thing we're doing has got winning and losing involved in it because if there's no winning and losing, no consequence, no reward, human beings, unless it's ingrained in you, might not hit the levels you're expecting every day in training.
"These players generally do, but we have to become more ruthless. Whether that's from us (the coaches), whether that's from the players dragging that from themselves, whether that's from other players that it's ingrained in them, we have to address that because for all the chances we've created, we need to put more of that in there.
"There's definitely a piece (of coaching to do) around communication and leadership but also I think there's a piece around being really calm in games where there is chaos - trusting your ability in those moments. Marcus Harness' goals on Saturday would be a great representation of that (so was Ledson's volley on Tuesday). But then it's also helping and supporting them in those moments where they have to show that composure because we've got quality in our players."
Drury is only in joint temporary charge, with former favourite Jon Stead, whilst Liam Manning is on compassionate leave. "Supply teachers" do not always get the respect they deserve from players, most of whom are, after all, schoolboys at heart. But Drury's words demanded it.
This is not a free-hit season for Huddersfield.
Hull City were tipped by many for relegation this term, so to be sixth in the Championship is brilliant. Bradford are back in League One after six years away - fourth with four games to play was not on the agenda.
The Terriers have lost huge amounts of money trying to win the title, not scrambling for the play-offs. If, despite the spirit Drury and Stead have engendered, they fall just short, there will be no, 'Oh well, you tried.' That looks more likely after Salech's goal and what looked and apparently sounded like a broken collar bone for Bojan Radulovic.
If it turns out the best thing is for Manning to leave Huddersfield this summer, Drury and Stead have submitted a strong job application.
"We'd like to think the last four games you've seen the representation of the attacking football that we want to play," said Drury. "A month ago we had a shot from Murray Wallace from about 30 yards and rightly we were mocked for it being the first shot after 60 minutes.
"Over four games we've had between 65 and 70 shots.
"I'm just sick of hearing that for some good defending, some good goalkeeping and a lack of real killer instinct from us we've not scored more goals and taken three points."
Terriers fans will be sick of hearing it too, but they will like the harsh sound of Drury's words.