Opposition Analysis: A Huddersfield fan spills all about their success and how to beat them

So Huddersfield are great. Who knew? OK well anyone who was paying attention to the Championship last season knew.

An unlikely promotion charge under Klopp-a-like David Wanger means they're currently enjoying their debut Premier League campaign. And enjoying it they are. 3 games, 3 clean sheets, 0 losses.

To find out just what's going on in West Yorkshire and to get their perspective ahead of Monday Night's match, we spoke to vitalhtafc.

1) With a smaller budget than most and pundits tipping Huddersfield for relegation, the improbable happened and last season ended with a play off final victory at Wembley. How?

The pundits tipping Huddersfield for relegation last season clearly paid no attention to what Wagner was doing at the club. Having implemented a new style of play and then introducing all of his own signings last summer the #WagnerRevolution as it was dubbed in Huddersfield was only seemingly a surprise to those from outside of West Yorkshire.

Huddersfield were up at the top end of the table all season long and even entering the play-offs were written off as no-hopers but we proved everyone wrong holding our nerve to win the penalty shoot out vs Reading.

2) What style have you been playing since Jurgen Klopp's Best Man took over? Has he adapted it for Premier League football?

The style is very much the same, it’s quite a media phrase to call Wagner Klopp’s best man, which he maybe but his interpretation of gegenpressing is slightly different to Klopp’s. Huddersfield are very fluid but solid defensively with the players pressing as a unit over the entire pitch. We have Steve Mounie this season which allows us to put a few more direct balls into the striker and we have added height making us more of a threat at set-pieces but other than that the style is still largely the same as last years successful recipe.

3) What are your biggest strengths as a team? Which players should we be keeping an eye on?

We have a lot of characters in the team and skilful players, one thats underrated by most is Rajiv Van La Parra. A very tricky customer who is often critiqued for his lack of end product but on his day he is as dangerous as the best.

Aaron Mooy has caught the media attention with his goal against Newcastle and already linked with a big money move in January if he keeps up this form and of course the new striker Steve Mounie looks a real find showing his aerial presence and goal scoring ability but the pick of the bunch is perhaps Christopher Schindler an absolute rock at the back and generally the one to start all of the play off, as well as reading the game and making key interceptions at the back, a bargain as last summers record signing at 1.8million and netting the winning penalty at Wembley.

4) What about your weaknesses? Is there anything we can exploit to get the win we need?

Last season when conceding first that really hurt the team as the style we play really suits us going ahead first, so if you get the first goal it will open the game up for sure.

5) Finally, what do you think the Huddersfield's starting 11 will be and predict the score?

I expect an almost unchanged team after the International break although Collin Quaner is expected to miss out on the bench with injury picked up in training. I expect Kasey Palmer will regain his staring spot after a goal in the international break at the expense of Rajiv Van La Parra.

Lossl

Smith

Zanka

Schindler

Lowe

Mooy

Billing

Kachunga

Ince

Palmer

Mounie

3-3 or 0-2. Tough game to call.

Big thank you to vitalhtafc for speaking to us. We did the same thing over there so make sure to go and check it out. I also do opposition Q&A’s with Hammers Chat. Over there I spoke with Huddersfield’s biggest vlogger, TerriersTV Vlogs. Definitely have a gander!