Meet the opposition | Huddersfield
As Swansea City travel to West Yorkshire to face Huddersfield on Tuesday night (7.45pm), we take a closer look at the Terriers.
What’s their story?
Huddersfield are back in the Championship this season after relegation ended their two-season stint in the Premier League.
That marked their first top-flight appearance since 1972, and they confounded predictions their Premier League stay would just be for a solitary season even though the drop would follow a year later.
David Wagner was the man to guide them to the top tier, thanks to a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against Reading in the 2017 play-off final.
But the Terriers golden period came nearly a century earlier, when they won three-straight league titles between 1924 and 1926, while they were FA Cup winners in 1922.
How’s their form?
On the upturn. Huddersfield endured a horrendous start to the season as they took just one point from their first eight games.
Jan Siewert departed as boss during that time and was replaced by Danny Cowley. It has not taken him long to bring about an improvement.
Indeed, the Terriers have now lost just one of their last eight games – winning four - to climb from the foot of the table to 19th.
Who’s the boss?
Danny Cowley. The 41-year-old started his coaching career as an assistant at Concord Rangers, but has quickly risen to Championship level on the back of impressive spells with Braintree and Lincoln.
A midfielder during his playing days, Cowley was in the Wimbledon academy as a youngster but spent his career with a series of non-league clubs before retiring in 2007.
He led Braintree to their best-ever finish of third in the National League in 2016 and moved on to Lincoln after they were knocked out in the play-offs.
His success at Sincil Bank in a three-year stint was remarkable, taking the Imps from non-league to League One, securing EFL Trophy glory and embarking on a memorable run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
He made the move to the John Smith’s Stadium when Jan Siewert left the club earlier this season.
Who are the key men?
Striker Karlan Grant has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, with the former Charlton forward netting nine goals in 16 appearances this season.
Summer signing Tommy Elphick has settled quickly in defence and been part of the greater solidity being shown under Cowley’s guidance, while Premier League title winner Danny Simpson is finding his feet after joining as a free agent in September.
Chelsea’s Trevor Chalobah has proved an astute loan signing in midfield, while Juninho Bacuna has weighed in with four goals from the centre of the park.
Liverpool youngster Kamil Grabara has been the preferred choice between the sticks.
