Town have shown England the way
A YOUNG coach managing a seemingly uninspiring side given no chance of success, miraculously defying all the odds to claim unimaginable glory.
For most supporters it would seem like an unrealistic set of permutations to overcome but for Huddersfield Town fans it’s a well-trodden narrative.
With the national team’s performance this summer appearing to follow the same trajectory, it could eventually result in football finally coming home ....
Of course, Gareth Southgate’s side will have to navigate their way through trickier tests than those that Tunisia, Panama and Colombia have posed his Young Lions but so far the dream is still very much on.
And wouldn’t it be nice to think as Huddersfield Town continue their latest chapter of mission impossible away to Accrington Stanley on Saturday July 14th, England will be getting set to complete their own a day later.
This summer’s World Cup has seen so many similarities between Town and England there could be a suspicion Southgate’s fleeting visits to the John Smith’s Stadium last season was less about player scouting and more about footballing philosophies.
Because it appears the blueprint for this summer’s achievements are a carbon-copy of David Wagner’s very own manual for success.
With just over a year separating their birthdays, both Southgate and Wagner arrived in their current roles as not the most obvious candidates but have gone about re-branding unfashionable sides into something more than the sum of its parts.
Both club and country are a close-knit team of young and hungry players with something to prove, no big-name individuals or egos, with no-one other than themselves expecting anything spectacular.
From that starting point a ‘No Limits’ mantra has been developed to broadcast to the outside world, ultimately meaning both have not only been able to compete as underdogs but with no real pressure whatsoever to succeed.
Whereas Wagner’s style of play involves gegenpressing and playing out from the back in a trusted 4-2-3-1 formation, Southgate’s 3-5-2 has provided similar defensive qualities but with more pace and potency upfront. Yet it is still integral players subscribe to the preferred style of play and have complete trust and belief in it to create a real identity that had been lacking by both sides under previous managers.
Even from the opening Group G encounter against Tunisia when the African nation attempted to frustrate England, Southgate’s men stuck hard and fast to their philosophy and belief in the right way to play.
Harry Kane’s injury-time winner was rewards for that resolve – just as it is when Huddersfield Town’s unwavering commitment to their own principles regardless of previous results finally pays dividends.
The way Southgate and Wagner conduct themselves is also similarly commendable – both with intelligence, dignity and humbleness whatever the situation and it is this approach, coupled with their sides own likeable qualities, that has seen a real bond develop between the teams and fans.
With a number of pre-tournament favourites failing to find form and ignite this summer, resulting in a number of shock exits, this World Cup is wide-open for England to snatch the ultimate victory that initially appeared as unlikely as the Terriers’ own Wembley promotion success just over a year ago.
That clash saw Huddersfield Town endure an emotion-sapping 120 minutes of football tied at deadlock with Reading before eventually triumphing on penalties to reach the Premier League for the first time in their history.
After experiencing a similarly dramatic shoot-out win over Colombia on Tuesday night, Gareth Southgate’s side clearly have the same mental strength to cope with whatever trials and tribulations that may come in the next week or so.
Here’s hoping the weekend of July 14th15th is a celebration for fans of both club and country...