Wagner feeling at home with ambitious Terriers

DAVID WAGNER has reiterated a desire to finish what he started at Huddersfield Town after an international break that saw the German strongly linked with two big vacancies in the Championship.
Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner.Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner.
Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner.

The 44-year-old is approaching the first anniversary of a reign that has transformed the Terriers from perennial strugglers in the second tier into genuine promotion challengers.

Town head into the weekend at the summit after taking 25 points from the opening 11 games. Last season, the Yorkshire club took 24 games to reach the same tally.

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Wagner’s huge impact at the John Smith’s Stadium has alerted other clubs. Derby County were the first to look at the Town head coach following the suspension of Nigel Pearson, closely followed by Aston Villa.

As reported by The Yorkshire Post last week, however, the Huddersfield hierarchy were relaxed about both the Rams and Villa casting their eye over someone who had been in charge of Borussia Dortmund’s second team before being the surprise choice of chairman Dean Hoyle in November last year.

Yesterday, Wagner revealed just why Town were so confident that their head coach would not be lured away during the international break.

“I feel responsibility for what I started 10 months ago,” said the Terriers chief ahead of Sunday’s derby clash with Sheffield Wednesday. “Everyone knows I am very ambitious, that I always have the feeling of taking steps. That we don’t stand still. But I have the feeling this club, especially Dean and the board, they don’t stand still. They want to improve as well.

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“They like to take steps forward. This is what gives me such a positive feeling, that everyone at this club has ambitions. Not just me.

“I don’t have to catch the first train (out of Huddersfield) because of money. Or because of the size of a club. Or the history. If I feel I am in the right place, I don’t have to do that. And I feel to be in the right place at this moment with this club.”

A reflection of the excitement that Wagner has created in Huddersfield is that Sunday is set to bring the club’s largest home league crowd since moving from Leeds Road in 1994.

Despite cutting in half the visitors’ allocation from the usual 4,000 to allow home fans to be on all four sides of the John Smith’s, the Terriers expect to comfortably eclipse the previous record of 21,764 that was set in 2010 when Leeds United were the visitors.

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Judging by social media during the first few days of the recent international break, many of those home supporters expected to pack the stadium on Sunday were very concerned about Villa’s interest in Wagner. The man himself, though, was more philosophical.

Asked for his thoughts when the links first emerged with both Villa and Derby, Wagner replied: “To be fair, I have no problems with this. It is part of our business. Speculation, sometimes true and sometimes not, is what we all face.

“If you are successful, there is speculation. If you are unsuccessful, there is speculation as well. What I can say is that the future for me is only the next game and for me that has been Sheffield Wednesday.

“Everyone knows I am really happy here. And that we have taken some good steps in the right direction. But we have only taken those first steps.

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“In my career, I have always found the right moment when I have to do something new. I have always found the right moment (to move) in the past. Hopefully, I can do the same here in the future – if I have the feeling that the people are sick of me. And I don’t have that feeling here at Huddersfield. So, I can handle these situations because it is part of the business.”

Asked if this meant he was determined to stay and finish what he started by succeeding Chris Powell, Wagner replied: “Yes. Though no-one knows where the finish will be. But that is what makes it so exciting. No-one knows where we will all be in three years or five years.”

Pressed further as to whether this might be Premier League football coming to Huddersfield, possible as early as next season, Wagner added: “Maybe. But we have to also be realistic.

“For me, it is totally unrealistic that Huddersfield Town will be in the Premier League next season. If you see where we have come from and where we are, it is totally unrealistic. It cannot be when you compare us to the big clubs in this division.

“But this is football and that makes this possible.”

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Town, in keeping with how Wagner prepares for games, trained at noon yesterday in readiness for Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off. It will be the same today and tomorrow.

Aaron Mooy, given yesterday off after flying back from international duty with Australia, will be assessed by Wagner today but Joe Lolley will not return until January at the earliest after undergoing surgery on his troublesome shin injury.