Huddersfield host Fulham in bonfire night basement battle

At the beginning of the season both David Wagner and Slavisa Jokanovic will have circled their meeting in early November as a chance to grab three points. Now, all three points feel like an absolute necessity.

Jokanovic is under heavy fire after a 4-2 hammering by Cardiff, followed by a 3-0 home thrashing against Bournemouth.

Wagner is still chasing his first win of the season ten games in, and his side has found the net just four times during this league campaign.

Monday night’s game is a big opportunity for the West Yorkshire side to finally register a win this term. Their opponents have shipped 12 goals in their last three Premier League matches.

The Huddersfield Town boss has acknowledged the magnitude of the match in West Yorkshire on Monday night. Speaking at his pre-game press conference he said,

“We play at home, we have our supporters at our back – this has to be the atmosphere which a six-pointer deserves, even if it is early on in the season.”

A first victory of the season would see the Terriers climb above Monday’s opponents and also Cardiff City into 18th place – behind 17th positioned Newcastle on only goal difference.

Wagner stressed that while the results have not been ideal their performances are cause for encouragement,

“For us, it is important to make sure that we are on our best and that we show exactly the performances which we have shown in the last home game and it away games against Burnley, for example.”

Their London visitors meanwhile enter the game with significant question marks surrounding their manager. Many believe a negative result against Huddersfield could spell the end of Jokanovic’s reign at Craven Cottage.

The Serbian manager has overseen the bringing in of 12 new signings in the summer with the total cost over £100 million. Although the recruitment has been heavy the 50-year-old has urged the Fulham fans to be realistic,

“Miracles don’t exist. We need some kind of time,

“Time doesn’t exist and we have to accept that we are going to make it immediately some kind of reaction.”

Fulham are looking to claim their first win since August’s 4-2 triumph over Burnley at Craven Cottage and with fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United on the horizon the three points on offer at the John Smith’s Stadium are vital.

An away victory for Jokanovic would not only ease the tension around the club but also see them climb out of the relegation zone, dropping Newcastle back into the bottom three, and only behind Crystal Palace and Burnley on goal difference.

Huddersfield have a more forgiving but nonetheless testing run of games. Wagner’s men will face teams in the bottom half of the table in their next three clashes (West Ham, Wolves and Brighton).

With the bottom of the Premier League table tightly bunched this both managers will see this as a fixture which could have huge repercussions come May.

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