Huddersfield Town star told to 'up his game' - Preston North End fans may be confused | OneFootball

FLW's Terriers Fan Pundit has raised concerns on captain Ryan Ledson

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There is Huddersfield Town concern for one summer signing who’s claimed to have been a failed replacement for former star Jonathan Hogg, and it may suprise some Preston North End fans.

The Terriers embarked on an ambitious summer recruitment drive that saw manager Lee Grant bring in 14 new faces as he looked to transform the Kirklees club's fortunes following a disappointing 24/25 campaign.

And in all fairness, it's not exactly working as well as everyone imagined. As exclusively revealed by FLW, Grant is under pressure to save his job already.

Town have only won one of their last eight games in all competitions - losing all three of their most recent League One fixtures.

Given Grant was backed heavily by owner Kevin Hagle this past transfer window - and hasn't reciprocated it on the pitch - we asked a familiar voice who he thinks has been the most disappointing of the lot.

Ryan Ledson hasn't "shown what he should be showing" at Huddersfield Town

FLW's Terriers Fan Pundit, Graeme Rayner, has become increasingly concerned about the impact of Ryan Ledson since his arrival at the John Smith's Stadium.

Ledson, of course, joined from Preston North End on a free transfer, and was quickly appointed as the club’s captain by Grant during pre-season.

"It’s difficult because a lot of the new signings - whether they’re on loan or permanent - have had injury issues," Rayner first exclaimed.

"I think Marcus McGuane would be one I'd highlight for that, but he could well be an answer to some of our problems," he added. McGuane has only played 18 minutes of third tier football for Town due to injury, and that was in August against Blackpool, which is why Rayner went on to Ledson.

"I think actually, probably the captain Ryan Ledson, I don’t think he’s quite shown what he should be showing as a footballer, and I really don’t think he’s shown what he should be showing as a leader," Rayner continued.

The captaincy situation at Huddersfield perhaps holds more weight than elsewhere, given that it was previously Jonathan Hogg’s responsibility - who departed after 12 years of service at the end of 24/25.

Rayner then went on to note, "The hope was that he (Ledson) would come in and really replace kind of Jonathan Hogg, but he hasn’t done, either as a leader or as a player."

Given that he made 215 appearances across all competitions for the Lilywhites since 2018, Preston fans may be confused to learn of his 'leadership' struggles in West Yorkshire. When he left Lancashire his farewell interview on Youtube was 25 minutes long - that's not something the average Championship player gets.

Rallying cry for Ryan Ledson to "up his game" under Lee Grant

Upon naming him the West Yorkshire club's captain, Grant told their website that, "Ryan's leadership qualities speak for themselves."

Ledson himself said it was a "huge honour to be named captain of the club, and being the leader of this group means a great deal", before going on to add he'll "wear the armband with pride on each and every occasion."

By Rayner's account, Ledson has failed to live up to this apparent hype that the club secured a somewhat like-for-like Hogg replacement.

"So, he needs to up his game, I think, for Town fans to be won over by him," Rayner concluded.

The 28-year-old midfielder has started every single one of the Terriers' 13 league games so far this season, and has come under subsequent backlash from fans on social media - with one saying he's "entitled."

For Rayner, there remains hope that Ledson can turn his Huddersfield career around. After all, he did sign a three-year contract and was appointed captain - suggesting the club's long-term faith in his abilities.