New signings ‘change the dynamic’ for Town’s squad
DANNY Cowley is delighted with the renewed vigour, experience, quality and competition his four January signings have already brought to the Town training pitch.
Arsenal playmaker Emile Smith Rowe and Leicester City midfielder Andy King have come in on loan from the Premier League, while Sheffield United centre-back Richard Stearman and Lincoln City left-back Harry Toffolo have arrived as permanent signings.
All four made their debuts in Town’s 0-0 draw against Brentford last Saturday and helped the side put in a much-improved performance and Cowley is expecting that to carry over into the rest of the season if the evidence of their effect on the training pitch is anything to go by.
Asked how well the quartet are settling in, Cowley said: “Good. It’s been great to have Andy and Richard bringing with them a wealth of experience.
“They’ve played a million games of football and bring character and a real substance in terms of their personality. Already they’ve had an influence both in the changing room and on the grass.
“They come from winning cultures, which is important - they know what the behaviours and the actions on a day-to-day basis are of a winning team - and they’ve already started to influence the younger players and that’s been great.
“Harry Toffolo comes in with an unbelievable energy and enthusiasm for life, which I like. I always like to see people’s teeth in the morning - when you see him smiling it makes the world a better place.
“He loves his work and wants to get better and the thing I love about Harry is his desire to be the best he can be.
“I rest easy knowing he’s going to do all he can to reach the potential that he has at his disposal.
“Young Emile has been a pleasure. It’s never easy when you’re young and move out of mum and dad’s house to another part of the country so we’ve tried to put the pastoral care in place to look after him and help him in that transition.
“He obviously this time last year went to Germany, to Leipzig and has already experienced that to some degree. The boys have looked after him well and he’s a top player, he’s everything we thought he was. He’s got that ability to speed up training and make your drills look better so from a coaching perspective he’s been a dream.
“They’ve been good and there’s been a shift, with the four coming in: competition for places, the quality of training has gone up.
“You have to remember we had a period when we had low numbers on the training pitch and we were having to look after and protect some because of the amount of football they had to play - we were nervous of injuring them.
“We’ve had all these challenges to overcome pre-Christmas and pre-January transfer window, so to have four senior players in the building has been a positive. It’s created competition for places, there’s been a shift in the dynamic.”
DANNY Cowley would still like to bring one more player into his Town squad before the transfer window closes – but still needs one or two more players to leave the club before it can happen.
Cowley last week revealed that players would need to leave the club to free up part of the wage bill before a fifth player could be brought in this January to supplement Emile Smith Rowe, Richard Stearman, Andy King and Harry Toffolo.
Since then Adama Diakhaby has departed on loan to Nottingham Forest and Aaron Mooy’s loan move has been made permanent - though it is unlikely Mooy figured on the wage bill as he has been paid by Brighton since joining them in August.
Asked whether that was sufficient to allow for another signing, Cowley said: “We would all really like for one more player to come into the building, Phil more than anyone but all of us are the same, we want the best for Huddersfield Town.
“We know that we would really benefit from having another player in the building but again we have got to make the finances work. Potentially there will be one, maybe two going out on loans before the end of the window and if that happens then we can hopefully be able to bring someone in ourselves.
“There’s a potential that if we can move one or two things that would allow us to bring one in. We’re all working really hard relentlessly day in day out to try to make that happen.
“It’s never straightforward. You’ll all respect that we inherited a squad and we’re trying to get a better balance to the group.
“We’re pleased with the business that we’ve done so far and there’s another week to go. The window shuts 11pm on Friday evening and it would be a brilliant window if we can get those final pieces of the jigsaw solved.”
On those finances, Cowley said: “I think what we’re all respectful of is trying to ensure the sustainability of the football club.
“Phil inherited a club that was a Premier League club with a significant wage bill and we’ve got to make sure the wage bill going forward is one that we can sustain. Football managers are no different from football supporters, let me tell you, you want the finance to be able to improve the team, of course. “But we understand the situation and what we’re trying to do. I think for us it’s more than the size of the budget, it’s about getting value for the budget, that’s what my focus is.
“I think my job as a football manager is to tell you what’s good value and the board and Phil’s decision to tell me what’s affordable.
“That’s their role and we have a relationship that works for everyone and works for the football club and, most importantly, the supporters.”
If we can move one or two things that would allow us to bring one in