Town need a fast start in promotion bid

BACK to reality was the reaction to Huddersfield Town’s result at Brighton, but it was always going to be a tough task to follow up the performance against Wolves.

I think we all have to accept this is new head coach Jan Siewert’s chance to see which players he trusts and which ones are going to spill blood for him next season.

Because anybody in the Town dressing room who isn’t fully committed to bouncing straight back up from the Championship might as well leave now.

It is the cold, harsh reality of professional sport, but after enjoying the excitement of two years in the Premier League that is where Town fans now set the standard of the football they want to watch.

They have competed with the very best and taken points off the elite - so it can be done.

Nobody will pretend it’s easy, but that single-minded demand is that we must hit the ground running at the beginning of next season.

That may be fresh players - in fact I’m pretty sure it will be - as Town balance a full-on assault for a quick return against the background of not wanting to break the bank.

That will never happen under Dean Hoyle’s guardianship, and that’s a good thing.

It is great to see so many Town fans renewing their season-cards for next year.

I have been watching the push on line and it does already feel like the fans are committed.

So it’s now just a matter of being patient and seeing how the players and new boss react to their new challenges.

First of all, let’s hope we can get back on track against Bournemouth today.

The one thing we have learned from the Premier League is that our home ground has to be a fortress - it has to be a place where visiting players realise they are not just taking on the team but the crowd as well.

If you are going to the game, make sure that happens against Bournemouth and it can only help Town with their chances of extending the visitors’ miserable away run.

At this time of year, I would normally have started by talking about horse racing and the Cheltenham Festival next week, four of my favourite days of the year, but Town always really have to take centre stage.

This is my 17th year at the Festival and if you have never been, my recommendation is to get yourself down there!

I would say particularly on Tuesday, which is one of the best days of racing in the year.

Sky Bet had a preview evening at Doncaster featuring T V presenters Ed Chamberlin and Oli Bell, jockey

Town must balance a

full-on assault for a quick return against the background of not wanting to break

the bank