Why evolution not confusion can help Huddersfield Town avoid being ‘this season’s Barnsley FC’ - Leon Wobschall

Ex-Prime Minister Harold MacMillan was once asked what was the most difficult thing about his job and he replied ‘Events, my dear boy, events’.

How everyone connected with the Terriers will know what he meant as they are forced to cope with the fall-out of that cruel, bitter defeat in the capital.

It is highly likely that when Town start off the new season in the EFL curtain-riser against Burnley in 10 days time, they will be minus six of the starters who lined up against Forest in that showpiece on May 29.

Levi Colwill and Danel Sinani have returned to their parent clubs, Pipa has joined Olympiacos and Naby Sarr has also left West Yorkshire.

In a quirk of fate which is not a delicious one from a Town perspective, Lewis O’Brien and Harry Toffolo are close to sealing a move to the team who killed their dreams in Forest.

The fact both were at the centre of the big moments which went against Town – when Jon Moss rejected two huge penalty appeals – adds to the sting.

All this is without even mentioning that the figurehead who orchestrated Town’s mesmeric rise in Carlos Corberan has also upped sticks.

For the club, it is a testing time, while for supporters, there is a growing amount of angst. Some are even citing events over the past year on the other side of the Emley Moor mast at Oakwell amid some fears that Town could be ‘this season’s Barnsley.’

Fortunately, Huddersfield appear on much firmer ground.

While Town’s summer has been testing, Barnsley’s was thoroughly chaotic in 2021.

They lost an outstanding head coach, like Town, and a couple of star players in Alex Mowatt and Daryl Dike also departed along with Valerien Ismael following the Reds’ outstanding feats in reaching the play-offs in 2020-21.

Just as importantly, they also lost their chief executive in Dane Murphy, with some catastrophic recruitment decisions made ahead of last season, allied to the disastrous appointment of Markus Schopp, who players struggled to identity with.

The thinking at Town is more joined up. A head coaching appointment has come from within in Danny Schofield and while he is unquestionably a ‘rookie’ at Championship level, it does at least provide continuity.

Sure, he will have his own ideas and ‘tweaks’ as he puts it, but it will be evolution and not revolution. Or in the case of Schopp, confusion.

Town also have a head of football operations in Leigh Bromby, rightly praised for some smart recruitment last year in particular and a ‘football man’ in charge in Dean Hoyle.

Barnsley, who endured a pitiful 2021-22 which culminated in relegation, had no off-pitch leadership this time last year. Town are in a much better place.

The exits of O’Brien and Toffolo would be far from ideal, but there’s a pragmatic acceptance in the case of the former that he’ll go sooner rather than later. His stock is high.

The trick now is for Town to pacify any disquiet by using some of the proceeds from any dual sales to display their levels of ambition they have referenced.

Beating off interest from the likes of Sunderland and Luton to sign one of the most talented young midfielders in the EFL in Jack Rudoni was a start.

The key decision-makers at Town will not need to be told twice of the need for more if Huddersfield are going to give themselves the best chance of building upon last season.

Beaten in the play-offs by Town, Luton missed out on Rudoni, but they have recruited two good operators at this level in ex-Barnsley duo Cauley Woodrow and Carlton Morris, the calibre of players who would have added to Huddersfield’s attacking options.

The recruitment of Japan international Yuta Nakayama will hopefully mitigate for any loss of Toffolo. Replacing a dynamic force in O’Brien – Town’s heartbeat – would be harder.

Bromby and the recruitment team have earned the right to be trusted and most of their decisions have been sound ones over the past year or so.

Speaking recently, he said: “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.

“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.”

Town fans are anxious they prove as good as their word.