'Incredible will to win' - What Huddersfield Town can expect from new head coach Michael Duff

Huddersfield Town have turned to Michael Duff to lead the club into next season’s League One campaign following their relegation from the Championship.

The Terriers moved quickly to appoint the 46-year-old, who penned a three-year deal on Monday to become Town’s head coach, just three days after Andre Breitenreiter’s departure was announced.

Duff is set to embark on his fourth managerial role, having previously been in charge at Cheltenham Town, Barnsley and Swansea City.

Read more: Huddersfield Town appoint Michael Duff as new head coach as Nagle 'excited' by decision

After an impressive four-year spell at Cheltenham, during which his side were crowned League Two champions in 2021, Duff went on to take Barnsley to the League One play-off final in his sole season in charge, before leaving to join Swansea last summer.

Duff departed the Swans in December with the club sitting 18th in the Championship table, but now returns to the dugout after five months out of the game to take on his latest challenge, which is to oversee Town’s first League One campaign since 2012.

So who is the new man at the helm? Yorkshire Live spoke to Gloucestershire Live’s Cheltenham Town reporter Jon Palmer to get an insight into the Terriers’ latest managerial appointment.

What is your reaction to the appointment?

“The ideal choice to lead the club back to the Championship. He was never going to be out of work for long and Huddersfield seems the perfect fit. Things might not have worked out for him at Swansea City, but the jobs he did at both Cheltenham Town and Barnsley were outstanding. He will have learned plenty from Swansea, which was the first time things have not gone smoothly for him and he will be a far better manager for the experience.”

How would you assess his time in charge at Cheltenham Town?

“He took over a team underachieving at the wrong end of League Two and led them to the play-off semi-finals in his first full season in charge, followed by the club’s first EFL title the following year. He then guided them to their highest ever finish of 15th in League One before departing for Barnsley in the summer of 2022, when Blackpool were also interested in him. There was also a memorable FA Cup fourth round tie against Manchester City, when Alfie May gave Cheltenham the lead before a late comeback saw Pep Guardiola’s side run out 3-1 winners. Duff was already a Cheltenham legend from his playing days, winning three promotions between 1997 and 2002, and he has also established himself as one of the club’s best ever managers.”

How would you describe his style of play and what formation does he predominantly use?

“He had a tough start at Cheltenham, failing to win for his first nine League Two games as a manager, but his fortunes changed dramatically after he switched to a 3-5-2 formation and he stuck with that throughout the rest of his reign. The wing-backs were vital and with his captain Ben Tozer a revelation in the middle of the back three, they tried to play out from the back, but also had the ability to win the physical battles presented in the fourth tier.”

How would you describe him as a manager and person?

“Duff climbed from the Hellenic League Premier Division to the Premier League and international football as a player, which takes tenacity and a real dedication to constantly work to improve. He has so far shown the same qualities as a manager, heavily influenced by Sean Dyche and Steve Cotterill. He has an incredible will to win, his coaching ability is superb and his man-management style has also worked wonders at Whaddon Road and Oakwell. He has a calm head and is a clear communicator so he has the ability to spot something in the heat of the action and make a tactical adjustment to change the course of a match.”

What was his approach to recruitment at Cheltenham Town and how successful was it?

“His first signing was experienced forward Luke Varney, who was a free agent. He ended up being an inspired addition, leading the line for Duff’s first couple of seasons before he retired. He could not have wished for a better first recruit. Most of the other transfer business was overseen by Cheltenham’s first director of football Micky Moore, who is now working in the same role at Shrewsbury Town. The two worked extremely closely and effectively together to ensure signings were value for money. Cheltenham won the League Two title with the 17th highest budget in the division, so it clearly paid off. His use of the loan market was also outstanding, with the likes of Jacob Greaves, Mattie Pollock, Callum Wright and Finn Azaz among the stand-out temporary additions. There were certainly not many flops and the club’s record EFL goalscorer May only cost £5,000 from Doncaster Rovers – arguably the best signing the club have ever made.”

What do you think he will be looking to achieve in his time in charge at Huddersfield Town?

“There is no doubt the aim will be an immediate return to the Championship. League One looks highly competitive next season, but having led Barnsley to within a whisker of promotion via the play-offs in 2022/23, he will have full belief that he can lead the Terriers back at the first attempt. I definitely wouldn’t bet against him.”