‘No time for discussions’ but Wiles has impressed boss Breitenreiter
IT’S fair to say that Ben Wiles’ maiden season at Huddersfield Town has not gone in the way he would have hoped so far.
The midfielder, who returns to former club Rotherham United on Saturday for the first time since his move last summer, has been pitted into his second successive relegation fight.
Injury and form issues have ensured that he is yet to truly make his mark in West Yorkshire, but Terriers head coach Andre Breitenreiter is keeping the faith.
He said: “First of all, when I see him in the training and the substitution when he came on against Sheffield Wednesday, he is a player with technical quality – 100 per cent.
“Maybe he is not really (fully) fit as he has not played so often. Sometimes, you can think ‘okay, he (certain player) is not good enough’. But he has quality and high potential.
“It was not easy for him because I heard he had a lot of pressure because of a lot of money for the signing.
“When you play on this level, you know about this and there’s so many things in his head.”
Wiles cut a frustrated figure for spells in the first half of last Wednesday’s
game at Cardiff City – when he was substituted at the interval – and while Breitenreiter understood his disappointment, he also had a message.
The German, whose side slumped to a second successive loss in Sunday’s 4-1 home reverse to West Brom, added: “He’s a good character and he was extremely disappointed last Wednesday when he was off.
“But there is no time for discussions.
“You have to accept the decisions of the head coach and he did and in the training, he has shown me a very good reaction. This is really important.
“To stay in the league, we need a team with a good character and when we spend too much time to discuss a decision and when the body language is bad and terrible, you cannot win and stay in the league 100 per cent.
“This must be clear. You have to stay together as a team and when we think like this, I am totally clear we have the quality and structure to stay in this league.
“If not, it will be extremely hard until the last game.”