Meet the opposition | Huddersfield Town
As Swansea City get set to head to West Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield this weekend, we take a closer look at the Terriers with our opposition guide.
What’s their story?
A Premier League outfit as recently as 2019, this is the Terriers’ third season back in the second tier.
They will be desperate to improve on two seasons where they have had to look over their shoulders towards the relegation zone, and have been right in the thick of the play-off battle so far this term.
This decade marks a century since the most successful period in the club’s history. FA Cup glory in 1922 was followed by three consecutive First Division titles between 1924 and 1926.
How’s their form?
Strong. The Terriers have not lost in their last seven games in all competitions, and claimed a Premier League scalp when they knocked Burnley out of the FA Cup at Turf Moor last weekend.
They had an inconsistent start to the season, but are now unbeaten since a loss to Middlesbrough at the end of November.
Their home form has been good and they have lost just one of their last eight at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Who’s the boss?
Carlos Corberan. The Spaniard was appointed Huddersfield boss in July 2020 following the departure of Danny Cowley and is now in his second season at the helm.
A former goalkeeper in Valencia’s youth ranks, Corberan opted to retire at the age of 23 and pursue a career in coaching.
His managerial breakthrough came courtesy of a brief spell with Alcoron’s Juvenil A squad in 2013, and he also had stints in charge of Cypriot sides Doxa and Ermis Aradippou.
Corberan joined Leeds in 2017, and was promoted to their first-team staff under Marcelo Bielsa before his move to Huddersfield ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Who’s the captain?
Jonathan Hogg. The abrasive midfielder has been with the Terriers since 2013 and has racked up over 250 appearances since joining from Watford.
He was named the club’s Player of the Year last term, as he was during the 2016-17 season as they were promoted to the Premier League.
His experience and work-rate make him a valuable asset in the middle of the park.
Who are the key men?
Wales international Sorba Thomas is enjoying a superb season as his fairytale rise from playing non-league football as recently as January 2021.
He has three goals and 11 assists to his name, with eight of those coming in the Championship. That’s a figure that can only be bettered by Harry Wilson, John Swift and Ryan Giles.
Striker Danny Ward leads the way in the goalscoring charts for the Terriers with seven goals on the board, as well as two assists, and they will hope he is available to take on the Swans following a recent hip problem.
Ward is in his third spell with the club having had a previous loan stint followed by fully joining the club the following summer and spending four years in West Yorkshire.
Midfielder Lewis O’Brien is a livewire midfield presence, and had been attracting the interest of top-flight clubs including Leeds last summer.
