EFL pundit takes aim at Andre Breitenreiter and Huddersfield Town hierarchy after relegation

Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff has heavily criticised Andre Breitenreiter and Huddersfield Town’s hierarchy following the club’s relegation from the Championship.

The Terriers’ five-year stay in the second tier came to an end on Saturday, as their relegation was confirmed with a 2-0 final-day defeat at Ipswich Town.

A first campaign in League One since 2012 now awaits the Terriers, who had a two-year stint in the Premier League between 2017 and 2019.

Read more: Huddersfield Town trio's absence vs Ipswich Town explained and Jack Rudoni substitution clarity

With Town’s relegation fate all but sealed heading into their final game, Breitenreiter opened up in his pre-match press conference on the “big problems” that his side have had this season. But ex-Crystal Palace, Watford and Reading winger McAnuff was left unimpressed with what the Terriers’ boss had to say.

“I’ve been absolutely amazed by some of his comments, I’ve got to say,” McAnuff said in the build-up to Saturday’s game at Portman Road, which was broadcast on Sky Sports.

“There may have been some issues going in there for him, but he knew, when he walked through that door, what he would’ve needed to do to turn it around.

“It was a little bit of signs early on that he might be able to do that, [but] it just smacks of me of someone who’s sort of saying ‘look, this is nothing to do with me’. He’s distanced himself.

“Pre-season wasn’t right, players aren’t fit enough, every excuse under the book, they’re not together, and ultimately you as a manager walking in, you have to go and find a way to do that (put things right).

“You look at Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday, a prime example of someone in a similar situation – mess, goes in, and just does absolutely brilliantly.”

McAnuff continued his criticism after the game. He said: “He doesn’t certainly seem like he’s going to be the man who’s going to be there next season with what’s he’s done this week, and that post-match [interview]. If I’m the owners watching that, I’ve got to be asking big questions.

“I think we’ve spoken a lot today about how well run Ipswich Town is, and the end result (promotion to the Premier League). Flip that on its head, and see how badly run Huddersfield Town has been.

“Even you go back to Neil Warnock, fair enough, keeps them up. If he’s not going to be the man to take you forward, make that decision.

“We spoke about emotional decisions, who’s going to take us forward? They let that rumble on, Darren Moore comes in, that doesn’t go well, and then you bring Breitenreiter in, and clearly he hasn’t been the right man for the job.

“Poor recruitment, alignment again, talk about it [being] completely opposite here (at Ipswich Town). I think you’ve got one end of the spectrum, success, and one absolute failure.”

However, ex-Watford and Birmingham City forward and fellow Sky Sports pundit Troy Deeney defended Breitenreiter in the post-match discussion, with the ex-striker sympathising with the head coach after watching his side’s final-day defeat at Portman Road.

“You’re not going to know everything when you walk in the door,” Deeney said. “He’s not talking about whether they run or not, he’s on about their characters, and whether they’re professional day to day. You can’t [know] that until you’re in there.

“He’s coming from another country into this country trying to see it. If he’d been around like us, who’ve been around and know the score, and can phone 15 different people, fair enough, but he’s walked in to what he was told, and when you scratch the surface in any job, it’s never what it said on the tin, but when he’s gone in there [he’s found things out].

“We saw a few of those players today, and we’re questioning their fitness and ability. We’re not going to name names, because it’s not fair, but you question them and you go ‘hold on, you’re playing in the Championship, and you’re not fit and you’re not ready’.

“What he’s saying is, yes he probably could take more accountability, because he could’ve done more in his tenure, but at the same time, you can’t account for people being bad characters.”