Huddersfield Town

- Nahki Wells previews Huddersfield Town vs Blackburn Rovers

- Striker says players owe fans a performance

- Bermudian feeling better than ever after pre-season work

Town go into the game on the back of the disappointing Capital One Cup exit at the hands of Notts County at the John Smith’s Stadium and he wants to put that right this weekend in the home league opener.

“Each competition is just as important as the next. The simple fact is we fell up short on the night, myself included,” Nahki told htafc.com.

“We can’t point any fingers at the management staff because they have done everything they can. We’ve gone over how we want to play and what needs to be done, but we are the ones who go onto the pitch to represent the Club. We have to hold our hands up and improve quickly. 

“Without a doubt, it is important we get our season going now. We put up a half decent display at Hull and although it wasn’t good enough, there were still things to take out of that match; they were just slightly better than us on the day. Nobody likes to lose the first fixture, but it was a tough fixture and we couldn’t be too down.

“We fell short on Tuesday night and now we owe the fans a performance, as well as the Club as a whole. I’ve been on the other side of cup upsets and I know that any team can beat another if they are not 100% at it. 

“We need to go out and get off the mark so we can start looking up the table. To do that, we’d like back-to-back home wins. We want points on the board as soon as possible. As soon as we do that, I think it will calm the jitters, help us settle and kick on. 

“I do believe we have the quality. We don’t have the biggest squad in the league, but we have a good team. Our fans won’t ask for anything more than 100% and if we give that, I think our quality will shine through.  

“We have to go into Saturday not worrying about Tuesday. We’re usually very good at home – we put in some of our best performances there last season – and now we have to reproduce it. 

“We’ve set out our targets on what we need to achieve. I’m not going to go into specifics, but we know our home form is vital. Also having good away form turns a 16th placed finish into ninth or tenth.” 

On the plus side, Wells had a good pre-season – netting four goals – and feels he is a better player than ever after putting in the hard yards.

He continued: “I feel the best I ever have. I worked hard over the summer to improve my physical aspects in the gym and during pre-season on different parts of my game. It’s taken a bit of time, but I feel like it’s all come together at an important time for the Club and myself. 

“My emphasis has been getting stronger. Obviously I’m a bit smaller than most defenders, but I’ve done everything I can and I feel like I’m reaping the benefits. 

“Sometimes I’ll have to play up front alone or out wide and even though that’s not my ideal, I know I have to do it for the team. I’m used to playing with somebody, but if I’m told to play as a one I know I can do it. I have to be that battering ram – that focal point – for 90 minutes! You might not get as many chances, but you get to create chances for others. 

“I haven’t got off the mark in the first two fixtures, but once I do I expect to keep going. It’s about staying consistent and scoring goals throughout a season. I know I’m capable of it, but now I need to do it.

“I always like to think I’m a 20 goal striker; if I don’t reach that, like last season, I’m a bit disappointed. For now though, I’m not too focused on my own goals – I’m focused on the team. The better we do as a team, the more successful I’ll be as an individual.”