
Huddersfield Town head coach Michael Duff believes the key to recovering from their 3-1 defeat to Northampton Town lies in something simple: his players need to “run more.”
Huddersfield entered their clash at John Smith’s Stadium on the back of a dominant 4-0 win over Bolton, but their performance against Northampton was a shadow of that display. The Cobblers took an early lead through a Michal Helik own goal after 18 minutes, followed swiftly by Cameron McGeehan’s strike, set up by Tariqe Fosu, putting the visitors in firm control.
Fosu himself added a third goal before the hour mark, bursting through Huddersfield’s defence to slot the ball past goalkeeper Lee Nicholls. Josh Koroma managed to pull one back for Huddersfield, and shortly after, the Terriers were handed a lifeline when Northampton’s Akinwale Odimayo was shown a second yellow card, leaving them down to ten men. However, Koroma’s subsequent penalty was saved, and Huddersfield were unable to capitalize, succumbing to their second defeat of the season.
Despite the loss, results elsewhere in League One ensured the damage to Huddersfield’s position in the table was minimal, with the Terriers slipping to sixth. Charlton Athletic, Lincoln City, and Stockport County all failed to take full advantage of Huddersfield’s slip-up, leaving them just inside the play-off spots.
Looking ahead to their upcoming fixture against Blackpool, Duff is eager for his team to respond positively. Reflecting on the Northampton match, he said, “It was quite a simple fix – run more,” in an interview with the Yorkshire Post. He explained that Huddersfield’s problems weren’t tactical but rather a lack of intensity. “The players just needed to run around a little bit more. I don’t think Lee (Nicholls) has had anything to do, which sounds strange when we’ve conceded three goals but we’ve only conceded three goals in the previous five games.”
Duff also acknowledged the frustration felt by the fans, saying, “You can handle getting beaten but there’s a way to get beaten, and that wasn’t it.” He stressed the importance of staying level-headed, remarking, “It’s just trying to flatline it a little bit – not get too up, too down, too emotional – and not make rash decisions.”
With Blackpool, who have been revitalized under Steve Bruce, next on the fixture list, Duff hopes to see a significant improvement in effort and performance. He noted the lethargic display against Northampton, despite a strong week of training. “Hopefully it’s a bad day at the office and they react properly,” he said, highlighting the contributions of midfielder Hodge as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing match.
Our View: Simple Fix
Michael Duff’s call for more intensity from his players points to a straightforward solution, but it’s also a reminder of the fine margins in football. After a blistering start to the season, Huddersfield’s recent struggles indicate that complacency may be creeping in. Duff is right to downplay any overreactions, yet the underlying concern remains: Huddersfield cannot afford many more lacklustre performances, especially with Blackpool looking formidable.
The real test for Duff and his squad will be how they respond to this setback. Huddersfield still find themselves in a promising position, but a few more slips, and they could quickly lose ground on their rivals. This next game is a crucial opportunity for Huddersfield to prove that the Northampton loss was indeed just “a bad day at the office.”
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