“It’s who wants to be here and who doesn’t and who we think can move forward with us, Don’t just think you are going to come in and win the league”-Michael Duff sends clear message to dissenting Huddersfield players as he plots League One course and reveals plans for players

WHEN Huddersfield Town players return to pre-season training on June 24, Michael Duff will be watching intently.

The new Terriers head coach has been busy gleaning as much information as he can about the players he will inherit – but will ultimately make his own assessments regarding who will be part of the club’s journey in 2024-25 with his own eyes.

He will not be guided by phone conversations he has with them before they reconvene in late June either but largely by his own first-hand observations.

Fortunately, Duff has been here before, having realigned – and revived – a demoralised squad in the aftermath of a relegation at Barnsley. That wasn’t straightforward and he will be ready for whatever he is greeted with at Town.

Duff said: “I think you are always on high alert when you first walk into any football club, you don’t want to be influenced by other people’s opinions, you want to make your own assessments and gather as much information as you can.

“You want to watch the players and see what they really want. Talk is cheap, you can have a conversation with a player over the phone and he could be saying what you want, get off the phone and then talk to his agent and say: ‘I didn’t mean a word of that.’

Duff expects to quickly find out who truly wants to be at the club and who doesn’t from day one of pre-season, but he also has a message for those who will be seeking to get out at the earliest juncture.

His predecessor Andre Breitenreiter was heavily critical of the attitude of a number of unnamed players during his short time with the club.

The new Town chief added: “It’s who wants to be here and who doesn’t and who we think can move forward with us.

“But) It’s not just a case of a player saying: ‘well, I don’t want to be here – you’ve got to sell me.’ That isn’t the case.

“We’re always on high alert in my job as the moment you don’t you are out of the door pretty quick. I’ve just discovered that.

“The (existing) players need to have that understanding as well. Don’t just think you are going to come in and win the league, it doesn’t happen.”