Huddersfield Town backed for Liam Manning appointment - he has the 'sort of thing' that Carlos Corberan, David Wagner did | OneFootball

Liam Manning is set to become Huddersfield Town boss following stints with Norwich City, Bristol City, and Oxford United.

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...

Huddersfield Town are closing in on the appointment of former Norwich City and Bristol City boss Liam Manning following the sacking of Lee Grant.

Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Burton Albion marked the last straw for Grant, even though the Terriers remain in a League One play-off spot with 19 games left to play.

The Accu Stadium club face West Yorkshire rivals Bradford City in their next game, and the Bantams will be keen to bounce back from their defeat to promotion rivals Cardiff City.

Manning's Huddersfield appointment is imminent, meaning that he should be in the dugout when the Terriers take on Bradford in a high-profile clash this weekend.

Huddersfield Town backed for Liam Manning appointment

Manning began the season in charge of Norwich, but he was sacked by the Canaries in November, amid the Norfolk side's Championship relegation concerns.

Football League World asked our Huddersfield fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, if he was happy with the news that the 40-year-old is set to take charge of his club.

Rayner said: "Liam Manning is one that, if you only look at his most recent job, is a bit underwhelming. But if you look at his career at League One level, he's someone who has some pedigree.

"Of the people who are likely to be available to us at the moment, he's certainly up there, and it seems like the style of football he likes to play — high-press, aggressive, quick turnaround of possession — is the sort of thing that's brought us success in the past under the likes of (Carlos) Corberan and (David) Wagner, the two most recent successful managers at the club.

"It's not a big name, it's not someone that a lot of Town fans would necessarily know a lot about instantly, in the way that they might with someone like Gary Rowett, Tony Mowbray or, heaven forbid, bringing Neil Warnock back, and he gets another spell.

"But it would be someone who has a clear structure, a clear way of playing football, a clear plan that has felt like what we've been lacking. If he's appointed, which it looks like he is, then we've got to get behind him.

"He's got half a season to prove his worth, hasn't he? We're in a good position for someone to come in and have an impact. If we can get that new manager bounce, starting with a win over Bradford on Saturday, then who knows what he could achieve this season?

"All the tools are in place for him, all the building blocks are in place for him, and we've still got a couple more weeks of the window left as well. It's not one that's going to really whet the appetite, but it's certainly not one that's going to be hugely disappointing either. Let's see what he can do."

Liam Manning has the credentials to lead Huddersfield to success

Some Huddersfield supporters may be worried by the fact that Manning oversaw a poor stint in charge of Norwich earlier this term, as he earned just three wins in 17 attempts.

However, the 40-year-old proved his worth in the Championship last season by steering his former club, Bristol City, to the play-off places on a weaker budget than many of their promotion-chasing counterparts.

Manning's exploits with the Robins should give Terriers fans belief that he can perform in League One, while he oversaw successful stints in the third tier with both Oxford and MK Dons.

While the appointment does represent something of a gamble - as any managerial hire does - Manning's credentials suggest it is indeed a risk worth taking, and he should prove to be an astute upgrade on Grant.