3 Liam Manning replacements Huddersfield Town must consider ASAP | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town are on the lookout for a new head coach after confirming that Liam Manning had left the club.

Huddersfield Town have confirmed that Liam Manning has left the club by mutual consent.

The former Norwich City chief was named as the Terriers’ head coach back in January, but it was announced in March that he would be taking compassionate leave.

That meant Jon Stead and Martin Drury took charge for the final seven games of the season, and whilst Huddersfield couldn’t force their way into the play-off places, the side did only lose once in that period.

Huddersfield Town start search for next boss

Now there is clarity over Manning’s situation, all connected to Huddersfield, and the wider football world, will wish him well moving forward given what he has been through.

From Huddersfield’s perspective, they will now start preparations ahead of the 2026/27 season, and, clearly, a huge decision looms for owner Kevin Nagle.

It’s fair to say that the US businessman has made plenty of mistakes since his arrival, even if he has been willing to put funds into the club.

So, the spotlight is on the hierarchy to get this appointment right, and here we look at THREE names that should be under consideration…

Jon Stead and Martin Drury

This may not be the most popular option, and you can understand why, as it would be a risk to turn to the duo considering their lack of managerial experience.

Nevertheless, they did a decent job over the final seven games, as they made the team hard to beat, they scored a lot of goals, and they picked up points against some of the better teams in League One.

From the outside, it appeared as though the duo got a lot out of the group, and they had everyone pulling in the same direction.

It’s worth mentioning that they took over in difficult circumstances, and they had little time to properly get their ideas across to the squad. So, with more time, a few new signings, then Stead and Drury have shown enough to suggest they could get Huddersfield firing and competing near the top of League One.

David Wagner

Wagner is a firm favourite at Huddersfield, as he did the unthinkable by leading the club to the Premier League, so he will always have a place in the heart of the fans.

Whilst he has had a mixed time of things since departing the Yorkshire club, there’s no doubt his CV is hugely impressive for any third tier side, so to convince him to come back to Huddersfield would be a major coup.

It was reported that the Terriers tried that 12 months ago, but Wagner turned down the opportunity, and he is currently Head of Youth Development at RB Leipzig.

A chance to return to the dugout in the senior game may appeal more now, and given his emotional connection to the club, it’s surely something Wagner could consider.

Marti Cifuentes

The Spaniard is well-known to fans of English football after time in charge of QPR and most recently Leicester.

Cifuentes’ struggles with the Foxes damaged his reputation somewhat, but, with the benefit of hindsight, leaving Leicester in 14th place when he was sacked doesn’t look as bad now!

Prior to his time in charge, Cifuentes had developed a good reputation as a head coach in Scandinavia, and he will be eager to prove himself in England after some highs and lows over the past few years.

If Nagle can present the right project and provide financial backing, this could be the ideal fit for both, and you would expect Cifuentes to have Huddersfield in the mix for promotion next season.