Pressure is on rivals, says David Wagner

HEAD COACH David Wagner believes Huddersfield Town appreciating before a ball was kicked that this season would be a scrap for survival will be a big advantage during the run-in.
Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner: Determined to get over the line.Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner: Determined to get over the line.
Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner: Determined to get over the line.

The Terriers head to Newcastle United today sitting three points above the relegation zone, a position few outside Huddersfield expected with seven games remaining.

“More or less every team fighting for survival at the minute did not expect to be in this position,” said Wagner. “The only one who expected to be where they are is us.

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“For sure this is an advantage because since the first day of pre-season we knew why we were doing our job: to try and secure another Premier League season. This is why, for us, there have been no surprises.

“Nothing extraordinary has happened, apart from perhaps we have achieved more so far than people expected. For a lot of other teams with the big money invested and with the big history in the Premier League the heat is much more on them than on our club.

“That is an advantage. It makes it much easier to go out and perform at your best as you do not have this backpack of what will happen if relegated. We knew this year was all about survival.”

With West Bromwich Albion looking doomed the fight is on to avoid the two final relegation positions that are currently filled by Southampton and Stoke City.

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“This shows how tight and competitive the Premier League, is” added Wagner when asked about a table that has last season’s trio of promoted sides sitting 12th, 13th and 15th. “Plus how good the Championship was last season. All three teams that got promoted, even if we went up in different ways, made enough good decisions to be competitive in the top division. So far, that is. We have to still get over the line.”