Schindler may have said final farewell to JSS
moment, with either young heads, old legs or square pegs constantly required to fill in the gaps.
That Town got their goal from a corner taken by a substitute and finished by another substitute helps tell that story, because the Terriers just haven’t done that enough.
That was, incredibly, only the second goal scored by a Town substitute this season, following on from Pipa’s effort back in October.
The always-brilliant Harry Toffolo may have got everything wrong in the build-up to
Coventry’s goal, but we can only hope he got it spot on when he said this is not a system you can dip your toe into, but one that required wholehearted commitment and, preferably, plenty of time working on the training ground to get used to it.
Town have the opportunity to bring in players who are ready and willing to put in those hard yards.
That does not have to mean going and signing five players straight from the Premier League. The likes of Josh Koroma, Lewis O’Brien and
The drop-off from first XI to subs’ bench is too severe at the moment for
the Terriers
Toffolo himself have shown that those who have come through the lower leagues can turn out to be of better utility than more recognisable names or exotic foreign signings.
Even at their best, way back when at the start of the season, Corberan’s Town have had a touch of class but a soft underbelly.
They are currently neck-andneck with bottom side Wycombe in the goals against table.
They unquestionably need to add goals of their own, but the recruitment team must lay the foundations and trust in Corberan’s methods - hopefully honed by the benefit of a year’s vital experience of how to manage a squad without the budget of his previous employers - to provide the stylish casa they want to build.
TERRIERS skipper Christopher Schindler may have paid his final matchday visit to the John Smith’s Stadium after watching his teammates play out a 1-1 draw with Coventry City.
The Huddersfield Town centreback sat with the substitutes behind Carlos Corberan’s dugout for the last home game of the Championship season, but was unable to play a part having been sidelined with a knee injury since December.
Schindler had a long and affectionate conversation with former Town chairman Dean Hoyle after the club’s safety from relegation was ensured, and you would be forgiven for thinking the two were saying their goodbyes to one another.
It was under Hoyle’s stewardship that Schindler scored the winning penalty in the play-off final shoot-out against Reading that fired Town to the Premier League in 2017, and the defender was subsequently voted the fans’ player of the year during both seasons in the top flight.
He played every minute of every Championship game last season before dropping out ill in the warm-up for the final match of the season, but his place on the teamsheet was no longer automatic prior to his injury.
Corberan left Schindler out of his starting line-up for five of Town’s first 12 league games this season before an injury to Richard Stearman allowed him to reclaim his place.
But Schindler himself then fell awkwardly while challenging for the ball in the 2-0 win over Queens
Park Rangers on December 5 and underwent knee surgery in
February after a setback in his recovery.
Corberan confirmed last month that it was ‘close to impossible’ that Schindler would be able to play a part again this season.
With just one game left in the Championship season - away to Reading next Saturday - and with the captain’s contract set to expire this summer, it would now appear that Schindler has played his last game for the club.
It seems unlikely at this stage that Schindler’s deal will be renewed or his one-year extension triggered.
He is one of the club’s highest earners and reports from the German press have suggested he is the subject of interest from FC Nurnberg, who play in the 2. Bundesliga.
Regardless of if and when Schindler does leave the club, he is already well and truly assured an esteemed place in Huddersfield Town history.
It seems unlikely Schindler’s deal will be renewed or his one-year extension
triggered