Huddersfield Town out to rekindle automatic play-off hopes against stuttering Hull City

Carlos Corberan will hope that his Huddersfield Town side can inject further momentum into their season as they still chase a Championship automatic promotion spot.

On Friday evening, the Terriers will travel across Yorkshire to face Hull City, a side very much in limbo as they adjust to new ownership and leadership under Georgian coach Shota Arveladze.

Despite being six points behind second-placed Bournemouth, Huddersfield have played three more games than the Dorset club and chalking up points on the board are vital going into their final seven fixtures of the season.

Following a disappointing 3-0 defeat on the South Coast to Scott Parker’s side, Town will be looking to arrest a run that has seen them without a win in four games (inclusive of FA Cup defeat at Forest).

Successive defeats to Millwall and Bournemouth had put a considerable dent in their automatic credentials, particularly after surrendering a two-goal lead in their televised draw at West Brom.

However, Corberan is well aware that the focus has to be on the here and now with Town entering a crucial run of games to decide the fate of a very positive season.

“My focus is the same: I’m looking game by game because the final table is the result of the game by game results.

“But it’s true that we are at the end of the season and we know we are in a position where if we go game by game and have the right mentality we can get a positive reward. But our only focus now is Hull and it doesn’t make sense to think about play-offs or anything beyond the next game.”

“Huddersfield have not been at their best recently and tough opposition has proven Town are beatable. We need to get back on track whilst Hull are down at the bottom fighting to not slip into a last-minute relegation battle. This game comes down to who gets the basics right and is organised as a unit. I’ll predict Hull City Vs Huddersfield 1-2” – Brad Barber – Huddersfield Town supporter

“Huddersfield were a team bang in form and I still think that they will give City a lesson in counter-attacking football as they will sit back and let the hosts try to break down their back five. The Tigers play better with less of the ball and they are bottom of the form table at home – they struggle to break teams down and their away form is what will keep them up if they are to get a couple more wins.

The home crowd expect City to attack all the time and that plays into the away teams hands. Should be a close encounter but I think Huddersfield will win 0-2.” Luke Flanagan – Hull City supporter

Huddersfield will be encouraged, though, by their host’s disappointing home form in recent months. Since beating Swansea City in Arveladze’s first game in charge in late January, Hull City have struggled to spark the footballing imagination of the fanbase, with many returning through the turnstiles having been left isolated under the previous regime of the Allam family.

While the Tigers look set to retain their Championship status, City’s players are still adjusting to life under their new coach with indifferent results since his arrival. City has lost their last five games at home after Arveladze’s initial win and have scored just a solitary goal in over 7.5 hours of football at The MKM Stadium through Tom Eaves’ 92nd-minute consolation in their 3-1 defeat to Luton Town.

City hope to be boosted by returning players from international duty, including Finnish striker Marcus Forss, Iranian forward Ali Sayyadmanesh and Keane Lewis-Potter, who made his England Under-21 debut on Tuesday evening as a late substitute in their 3-0 against Albania.

Arveladze spoke of his pride from a club perspective but also discussed how his players will need to adapt to the additional demands of international football.

“It’s always great but they have to realise that it is just the beginning. They will have to play the next 15 years in these national teams; to make us proud, make themselves, their families, their own countries proud which is a great feeling.

“On the other hand, we have to accept and they have to understand that when you are an international player, you will have such a set schedule. Everybody gets to rest, ‘you’re not, you’re going to the national team.’

“But you get so much energy. You get so much positivity, seeing and being around the best players from your own country, which must compensate for this.

“I know they have to travel, they have to be away but that’s the way it is for every top, international player. This is the experience they have to get used to; so we hope that they understand and realise it. We will see how they react (Friday).”

Further to the returning forward options, City have received an extra boost that Lewie Coyle will be available for selection following initial concerns that he would miss the rest of the season. Arveladze will also have a nice dilemma in the goalkeeping area, with Nathan Baxter and Matt Ingram available following injuries.

“It’s good for competition with each other; to give them the pressure to perform better. And okay, that’s sometimes a headache for the coaches but it’s a good headache, which you have to solve and make the best choices. Every coach and every manager is looking for a group who are faithful, who want to play, and this is why we are looking forward.”

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