Town prepared to fight until ‘last minute’ – Helik
STAND-IN captain Michal Helik was at the heart of Huddersfield Town’s acclaimed ‘Great Escape’ from relegation in 2022-23.
The Polish defender has also been regaled with plenty of stories about arguably the most dramatic act of escapology of all time in the EFL as well – at Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, his former club.
If the events of the final few minutes of the 2019-20 season had not transpired, then Helik’s football journey would have taken a different course.
They occurred on July 22, 2020 in Brentford’s final league game at Griffin Park.
Barnsley were on the cusp of relegation from the Championship, only for Clarke Oduor to grab the winner in the 91st minute en route to a remarkable safety in that Covidaffected campaign.
The Reds’ retaining of their second-tier status was ultimately key in Helik heading to Oakwell later that summer.
Those events in West London also showed that at the end of seasons, anything remains possible. It’s never over until it’s over.
Barnsley headed to the home of an automatic promotion-chasing side in Brentford on the last day in 19-20. A win would have taken the Bees up.
This season, Huddersfield are set to visit another top-two candidate in Ipswich Town on May 4.
Helik, preparing for two huge back-to-back home games with Town – starting with the visit of Swansea City on Saturday – said: “Hopefully, we won’t leave it until the last minute of the season, but if it will mean us staying in the league, I will take it.
“I think last year is also helpful as we know how to do it as we have been in a similar position last season.
“We need to do the same as we did last season and show a really good performance like we did in the last few games last season because we finished really good and I really believe we can do the same.
“In these games, it’s not always about football ability and the skills of playing nice. It’s about being clever sometimes and playing responsibly and keeping calm and doing the basics properly, that’s what we need.
“In these games with big emotional things behind them, it’s not about ability, but more about mentality.”
Huddersfield’s character and mindset was tested by some hugely controversial events in the tenth minute of stoppage time at Bristol City on Saturday. On course for a precious three points, a very dubious penalty denied the Terriers and allowed the hosts to level on an emotionallycharged occasion.
It was tough on Town, but their fate still remains in their own hands with three games to go because they host the side just above them in Birmingham on Saturday week. Blues are above Town, who occupy the final relegation place, by a point.
To stay in charge of their own destiny, it’s highly likely that Andre Breitenreiter’s side must beat Swansea first on Saturday. Blues visit relegated Rotherham.
Helik added: “We are still in the game and everything is in our hands and if we win our games, we will be fine. That’s the situation where you want to be.”