An in-depth look at Friday's return to the Sky Bet Championship as Town face Coventry City
- Huddersfield Town vs Coventry City
- Friday 29 March 2024; 3pm
- Preview ahead of our Good Friday fixture
Huddersfield Town kick off their final block of Sky Bet Championship fixtures – and a busy Easter weekend – when they host Coventry City on Good Friday.
With Coventry pushing for a play-off place and André Breitenreiter’s Terriers hoping to move out of the bottom three, this head-to-head encounter will make for a fascinating encounter.
THE OPPOSITION
After suffering the heartbreak of a play-off final penalty shootout defeat to Luton Town last year, Coventry initially struggled to keep their fine form going into the new season.
Going into the November international break with 16 games played and just three wins to their name, they sat down in 20th place, just one point ahead of Town, and five clear of the bottom three.
Coventry have pulled off a dramatic improvement since returning to action later that month, though, claiming 41 points from their past 21 league games as well as booking themselves another trip to Wembley to take on Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals.
That has put the eighth-placed Sky Blues just four points and a game in hand away from claiming a play-off spot once again.
THEIR MANAGER
Mark Robins would need no introduction even if he weren’t a familiar face at the John Smith’s Stadium from his time as Town boss between 2013 and 2014.
The Coventry boss was something of a household name during his playing career too. A striker by trade, Robins came through the youth system at Manchester United and became forever known as the man who saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s job in 1990 by scoring the winning goal against Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup.
Robins’ journeyman career took him to a variety of English clubs including Norwich, Leicester, and Rotherham United, as well as brief spells playing in Denmark, Spain, and Greece.
After hanging up his boots with Burton Albion in 2005, Robins returned to Rotherham as assistant manager to Alan Knill and got his first break in management as a successful caretaker boss who ended up taking over full time and staying in the post for two-and-a-half years.
After two unhappy years at Barnsley, Robins took the reins at then-League One Coventry in September 2012. His immediate impact quickly caught the attention of the Terriers, who appointed him as Simon Grayson’s successor just five months later.
Robins was twice able to steer Town away from the drop, but left by mutual consent after a 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth on the opening day of the 2014-15 season.
After a spell with Scunthorpe United, Robins returned to Coventry in March 2017 – too late to steer them away from relegation to League Two, but just in time to immediately lead the side to EFL Trophy glory at Wembley.
It’s been almost non-stop success for Robins and Coventry since then as they have risen back up from the depths of League Two to the brink of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2001.
Now over seven years into the job, Robins is the fourth longest-serving manager in the top four divisions of English football behind Harrogate’s Simon Weaver, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
LAST TIME OUT
Coventry were in FA Cup quarter-final action last time out and pulled off a sensational late shock against in-form Premier League side Wolves.
Ellis Simms opened the scoring for Coventry at Molineux eight minutes after half-time, but Wolves thought they had won it in the last seven minutes of the game with a quick-fire double from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo-Bueno.
There was another twist in the tale, though, with Simms scoring again in the 97th minute before Haji Wright won it for Coventry three minutes later.
Coventry were drawn against Manchester United in the semis, with Robins saying: "To draw United is certainly special, but to draw any one of those teams would have been special.
"I was there as a kid and came through there at United, but my loyalties are certainly now with Coventry City.
"It's at Wembley. It's a brilliant occasion. We've got to come up with a plan that's going to give us an opportunity to compete in the game and see where it takes us."
Previous Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Collins; Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell; Sheaf, Eccles; van Ewijk, Palmer, Wright; Simms.
FORMATION
Coventry have generally lined up in one of two formations this season - either a 3-4-1-2 or a 4-2-3-1.
That means Ellis Simms usually plays either as a lone striker or alongside Matty Godden or Haji Wright, with Callum O’Hare or Kasey Palmer just behind them while Josh Eccles and Ben Sheaf hold the fort in deeper midfield roles.
WHO TO WATCH
Haji Wright
The nine-cap United States international tops Coventry’s charts for both goals (13) and assists (6) in the Championship this season and comes into this game hot on the heels of grabbing the headlines with that late goal against Wolves.
Capable of playing anywhere across the front line, well-travelled Wright came through the youth system at LA Galaxy and Schalke and has since had spells in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Turkey.
Wright arrived at Coventry last summer from Antalyaspor for a club-record transfer fee.
Ellis Simms
Simms can count Blackburn, Manchester City, and Everton among his youth clubs, eventually settling in Merseyside and making a dozen Premier League appearances for the club.
The centre-forward had three loan spells away from Goodison Park, helping Blackpool earn promotion from League One in 2020/21 and then - after a spell in Scotland with Hearts - repeating the feat with Sunderland two seasons later – though he was recalled to Everton midway through his season in the north-east.
Simms joined Coventry in a permanent move last summer and has enjoyed a positive start to life at the club with 14 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions.
Callum O’Hare
One of the leading lights in Coventry’s gradual rise from League One to Championship promotion contenders, playmaker O’Hare was forced to watch the side’s run to Wembley from the sidelines last season after suffering a ruptured ACL on Boxing Day in 2022.
O’Hare soon hit his stride again after his ten-month lay-off, though, gradually working his way back into the starting line-up.
His brilliant run after getting back to full fitness was critical in Coventry’s return to form towards the end of last year and included match-winning turns against Birmingham and Leicester. O’Hare has nine goals and four assists to his name in 16 starts this season.
TOWN TEAM NEWS
Huddersfield Town Head Coach André Breitenreiter will update the press on team news from 1pm on Wednesday 27 March - and supporters can watch along live via HTTV on YouTube.
KIT
Returning to the John Smith's Stadium on Friday, the Terriers will be back in their traditional blue and white stripes when we face Coventry City in the Sky Bet Championship.
CLICK HERE to get yours online!
iFOLLOW HTAFC
Available to stream live on iFollow HTAFC via both match passes and audio match passes, Town supporters can CLICK HERE to watch along from home.
