Rarely can a club boast that they are a shoe-in for promotion, but with defenders Tom, Nathan and Peter Clarke, not to mention manager Lee Clark, all at the Galpharm, perhaps Huddersfield have one foot in the Championship.
Dreadful footwear-related puns aside, the Galpharm will become a much-feared venue for opposing sides next season as manager Lee Clark sets about building a promotion winning side in his first full season at the club. Commentators are unlikely to enjoy the experience too much either should the former Newcastle player place all of his namesakes in the same back four!
On his arrival in December, Clark immediately expressed a desire to build a squad of young, hungry players who matched his ambitions for the football club. So far he has been true to his word, and despite a slight blip in the middle of the period, has enjoyed a promising first seven months at the helm.
“Clark has done well to buck this retirement home trend”
In recent years, Huddersfield have often looked to experienced heads to play alongside one of the homegrown Clarke brothers (Nathan and Tom), tending to catch ageing centre backs as their careers peter out and they drop down the divisions. Defenders such as Martin McIntosh, Robert Page, Frank Sinclair, Chris Lucketti and David Unsworth have found a contract at the Galpharm despite being well past their best, and Clark has done well to buck this ‘retirement home’ trend by signing 27 year-old Peter Clarke as his senior centre half.
In midfield, things look bright for Town, with Gary Roberts, Anthony Pilkington and Lionel Ainsworth providing flair in the wide areas and Ian Craney scoring goals form the middle of the park. The summer signing of defender-cum-midfielder Anthony Kay from Tranmere looks set to complete the midfield four, giving the team great balance.
Up front Clark has serious issues to address however. Andy Booth was the club’s top scoring striker last season with a fairly paltry eight goals and the creaky-kneed veteran has now hung up his boots. Elsewhere in the striking department Keigan Parker failed to impress last campaign, Danny Cadamarteri has been allowed to join Dundee United and Phil Jevons finished last season on loan at Bury after a disappointing year.
Goals must be a priority for the former Norwich coach now as he looks to create a team capable of competing with Leeds and Norwich for a spot in the Championship and Clark is likely to dip into the transfer kitty to sign a big target man, potentially with the idea of playing one of Pilkington, Roberts or Ainsworth just behind the new face.
The infrastructure is in place at the Galpharm and the ambition has been for some time. Clark’s exciting young breed could bring the fans back to the terraces and Championship football back to West Yorkshire if he gets the final few pieces of the transfer jigsaw right.
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