Huddersfield Town

- David Wagner previews Fulham game

- Head Coach urges HTAFC players to refocus

- German praises role of Town supporters

“We cannot compare what happened on Tuesday with what will happen on Saturday. It’s a new game against a new opponent and we have a new idea of what they will do against us. We just find solutions against them. It is very important that we focus,” David told htafc.com.

“On Tuesday the key moments went in our direction in the right moments and if this happens on Saturday as well, we will have a very good opportunity to beat them (Fulham). This is our target, as it is in every single game. 

“We know that we’ll have to work very hard and be at our maximum limit in every single part - speed, fitness, patience and in the idea of our game – to be able to beat them. 

“It is also very important that we are open to hard work, but after 10 weeks I can trust my squad to do everything they are able to do. Hopefully we will get the right result.” 

David believes that Saturday’s opponents are showing signs of replicating Town’s brand of ‘full throttle’ football under new Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic:

“I never focus on one player from our opponent; I focus on the idea of their game. The new Head Coach has changed something and, at the moment, their style reminds me of ours. They play with good reactive pressure, they are aggressive and play with a lot of speed. They are dangerous from central set pieces through (Ross) McCormack. After three weeks it is not perfect, but you are able to see the idea is very good. 

“We have to keep them away from our goal and hurt them in the right areas. We want to make it as hard as possible for them and we will find the right solution, because we have our own weapons to beat them.” 

Wagner has shown he is not scared to make changes to a winning line-up during his relatively short tenure and hinted he may do the same again at the weekend.

“As well, we have to make sure we are as fresh as can be. I think everybody knows that I don’t change the squad depending on the last result – I change it depending on our idea of how we can beat the next opponent. 

“We have another training session (on Friday afternoon) so I have to speak with the lads again and make the right decisions on who will start and who will help us from the bench, which has always given us a positive influence.” 

David is obviously delighted to see his side winning games and climbing the league table, but explained that his main barometer of success is his team’s level of performance.

“Of course it feels good if you win games; this is why we do this. Every win shows you that you did a good job. However, our confidence doesn’t just depend on the result; we believe and trust in the work that we do together in the training and games. 

“My only target for the end of the season is that everyone is healthy and can enjoy their holidays! My only football target is tomorrow.”

The Head Coach also praised the role that Town supporters have played in the recent upturn in form:

“We feel very well supported. The supporters in Huddersfield have the same feeling for work as the supporters in Dortmund; they can see the difference between the result and how the players work. We got good feedback in the game against Middlesbrough that we lost, as we did in Brentford after showing a good reaction in the second half. I think this is something special and is very important to all of us.

“Support is one of the points that can influence the game. In the right moment, supporters can push and help you if the game is not going in the right direction. That’s especially in our game, where we try to bring passion and to our game at ‘full throttle’. If we had silent supporters, this would not be possible.” 

David believes he will have the same squad to choose from on Saturday that he had against Charlton on Tuesday:

“’Scanz’ isn’t available for tomorrow. He had some light problems with his knee since QPR, so we’ve made the decision to bring him out of training and playing for maybe two weeks to rest it. After that, we will build him up again.

“’Deano’ (Whitehead) will be with us again today. I think tomorrow will be too early, but I will make this decision after training. Hopefully he will be a part of our squad on Tuesday. 

“I haven’t spoken with Emyr (Huws) yet today, but everything I have heard from my medical staff is that he feels better. At the moment I think he will start again and hopefully he will play longer; maybe the whole game. That depends on his feeling and fitness. 

“Everybody else is healthy, fit and with us.”