‘Trust us’ to deliver success at Huddersfield Town – Leigh Bromby

Fresh from a second testing ‘nearly relegation’ season in a row, there were grave fears that 2021-22 would not be a case of third time lucky in the Championship for Town, who flirted with the drop during an awful second half of 2020-21, having sailed even closer to the wind in 2019-20.

Many viewed last summer’s recruitment with an underwhelming eye, at the outset at least.

The rest is history. Town’s supposed ‘journeyman’ brigade combined with what was already in the building – allied to a couple of astute loan additions and project signings – and the chemistry produced one of the most intoxicating EFL stories of last season.

Fast forward to now and there is angst again among fans after a week which has seen a young and talented head coach in Carlos Corberan resign.

The Spaniard spoke of his ‘difficult decision’ to leave, but did briefly allude to issues about the direction and ‘alignment’ of the club. The comments set off a fair few alarm bells.

The deep concern was encapsulated in a statement from Town’s Cowshed Loyal band of hardcore followers.

The departure of Corberan had left them ‘deeply frustrated’ due to a ‘lack of ambition’ in failing to keep hold of the club’s prized asset, as they put it.

Honesty and direct transparency was called for alongside clarification on Town’s ambitions.

Head of football operations Bromby sought to address those concerns in the wake of Corberan’s exit. He also aimed to provide some perspective in the process.

The club message is a simple one. Trust us, with the Town hierarchy electing to follow a policy of continuity in handing the head coaching reins to an individual who knows the workings of the club well in Danny Schofield.

Bromby said: “We have to remember the feelings this time last year.

“Actions speak louder than words and ultimately we’ve had to show at this club that this (recruitment strategy) works. A lot of people doubted that this would work.

“There was a lot of conversations this time last year about Carlos not being able to take this club forward.

“The message to the supporters is, we want the right type of player, we want to progress next year, we want to play in the Premier League and we’re going to do everything we can.

“The supporters have to be behind us and I think we’ve shown over the past 12 months we can do that (achieve things).

“They have to believe in the process and the people here: myself, Dean (Hoyle), the board.

“We’re trying 24/7 to bring the right players to the club. Dean is supportive and making funds available. We have to make sure the players who come in improve on what we did last season, which is a challenge.”

Last season’s events brought Town deserved kudos, but also a degree of vulnerability.

If things have gone differently on a late spring day in north-west London, Lewis O’Brien and Harry Toffolo would have now been looking forward to the forthcoming Premier League season – in the blue and white of Town.

They might still end up there, quite possibly in the red of Nottingham Forest – the team who vanquished Town in the Championship play-off final which was staged just under six weeks ago.

The pair are being strongly linked with high-summer moves to Forest, armed with a significant transfer kitty at their disposal after winning the £170m jackpot ticket at Town’s expense on May 29. Them’s the breaks as Boris Johnson said this week.

Unlike Forest, Town received nothing tangible for a golden season which ended at the final hurdle. Just kind words, but little else and a pragmatic realisation that their best players have put themselves in the shop window.

Bromby insists that the duo – two of the club’s core group leaders whose influence extends beyond the pitch – remain committed and happy too. They are not the sort to be side-tracked.

Bromby continued: “Both players are contracted and in training at the minute. Those two players had fantastic seasons. For me, it shows what the players have done and how they have developed that there’s interest.

“Now, if we can keep those players – fantastic. But there’s a reality to the situation: if there’s Premier League interest, I’m sure the players have ambitions to play there. We have to respect and understand that. But both players are happy at Huddersfield Town. They love the experiences they are having here. They have been a big part in what we do. For us to have interest shows we are doing something right.”