Staying up is comparable to promotion
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN may be Premier League newcomers, but manager David Wagner has no plans on curbing their ambition.
Having defied the odds last season to win promotion from the Championship, they are favourites to go straight back down.
But they showed their intent last Saturday with a thumping 3-0 win at Crystal Palace.
Now the Terriers are gearing up for their first home game in the top flight since 1972, as they welcome Newcastle.
And Wagner is trying to steer a fine line between optimism and realism.
“I would not take 17th,” says the German. “It means we rule out our chances of finishing 14th or 12th for example.
“We should not have any limits. But if you ask me if staying up is success, then yes it is.
“For a club with our budget compared to others, and the history of how difficult it is for promoted teams to stay up, then it would be success comparable to promotion.”
Once promoted via the play-offs, Huddersfield were swift and active in the transfer market.
There were eight permanent signings and two loans, and all were done by mid-July.
Yet only one of those, Tom Ince, has any experience of England’s top division as Wagner admits he has had to shop differently.
“At Huddersfield, it’s never easy to convince players to join us, but it is possible,” he affirms.
“Because of our budget, we didn’t go for a lot of Premier League experienced players. We are not able to pay them.
“That’s why we searched for players who are not experienced, but we have seen their talent and they are hungry and greedy to play in the Premier League.
“The whole group is excited and sometimes with that excitement you are able to perform or over-perform. That was our idea.
“I did not expect we would perform as well as we did in the first game, but I hoped we would.
“To expect something, you have to sign experience and we can’t because we don’t have the money. You have the doubt, but you also have trust and belief and they have to be higher than the doubt.”
It’s hard not to make comparisons between Wagner and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, with the pair having worked together at Borussia Dortmund.
But Klopp’s best man thinks it’s unfair to compare what is expected of the two managers.
“The two clubs are totally different,” he says. “For sure, we’ll speak about different opponents to give advice.
“But you can’t compare us to Liverpool. That is why Jurgen hasn’t said anything to me about the Premier League.”