The Jordan Rhodes impact that no Huddersfield Town or Blackpool fan surely expected: View | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town’s struggles towards the bottom of the Championship are continuing under Darren Moore.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has won just two of his 14 Championship matches in charge of the Terriers which sees the club firmly in a relegation battle, with fears League One football could be on the horizon next season due to such a poor run of form.

The 49-year-old inherited a Huddersfield squad in September that had made just four signings in the summer, with Moore still looking for a system which will get the best out of his current crop.

The Yorkshire-based outfit have struggled at times to put the ball in the back of the net, with just 20 strikes from 21 league outings a significant factor to their slump down the second tier table.

With the forward department failing to find their shooting boots on a consistent basis, one forward doing so away from the club is Jordan Rhodes, who joined Blackpool on a season-long loan deal this summer.

The Tangerines find themselves just three points outside of the play-off places due to a run of three wins from their last four League One matches, with 12 goals scored in that time.

A key component to their success has been Rhodes, with the experienced EFL forward starting to showcase his talents after a stagnant stint at Huddersfield over the last two terms.

While Blackpool consider making Rhodes’ stay a permanent one during the January transfer window, the Terriers need to decide whether to stick or twist with the frontman given their recent struggles.

Jordan Rhodes’ performances for Blackpool

The 33-year-old has been a revelation at Bloomfield Road since his arrival which has pushed the Tangerines to the periphery of the play-off places.

Rhodes has become a first-team mainstay since arriving to Lancashire with the forward starting every game and completing 1,464 minutes.

Such regular game time has seen an impressive rise in contributions from Rhodes, with 13 goals notched from 17 League One appearances, including a brace in their most recent 3-0 victory over Carlisle United.

A standout highlight from his spell so far has been a hat-trick against Reading while registering a goal and an assist in games against Stevenage and Cheltenham Town.

With such a consistent run of goalscoring on show, Moore may be tempted to consider recalling the EFL veteran, with a replication of this form surely pushing Huddersfield out of the current danger they face.

Equally, Blackpool will not want to let their promotion hopes slip, and the possibility of fighting towards the top-six will be a much more daunting prospect without Rhodes rather than keeping hold of him, which has his future hanging in the balance as the new year approaches.

Jordan Rhodes’ Huddersfield Town future

The Oldham-born man has so far delivered exactly what Blackpool have expected from him, and the Tangerines CEO Julian Winter has reiterated their ambition to keep hold of the star forward for the remainder of the campaign.

Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette Winter said: "We don’t know what Huddersfield are thinking at this stage. He’ll concentrate with us and we’ll see what happens- hopefully it’s a positive outcome for us.

"He’s such an intelligent footballer, and his ability to be in the right place at the right time is second to none. He’s shown he can score all kinds of goals in this league. What’s not to like about him? He’s also a fabulous guy.

"Everyone that meets him will see he’s a fantastic fella, and he’s done what it says on the tin. He’s come in and scored goals.”

Huddersfield are believed to have a recall option to use in January for Rhodes, and Terriers boss Moore is reportedly weighing up his options as he enters his first transfer window with the club.

Huddersfield Town decision on Jordan Rhodes

With the forward department failing to fire, the best decision as far as Huddersfield are concerned is to recall Rhodes as quickly as possible.

After two poor campaigns at the club, Rhodes has the opportunity to settle himself back down with the Terriers under a new regime and begin to enjoy life in Yorkshire again with regular minutes under his belt.

While it will be a step-up in class moving back to the Championship, the 33-year-old has proven he still knows where the back of the net is, and the club will need all of his experience and nous to fight their way out of such a challenging period.

Funds at Huddersfield are sure to be tight heading into January, so the club should make use of the position of power they have over Blackpool that they are fortunate to have, and this key decision could be the difference to them retaining their second tier status.