Chris Markham lands Huddersfield Town major boost | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town's decision to appoint Alan Knill as part of Martin Drury's backroom team could turn out to be a shrewd one.

Huddersfield Town are preparing for a third consecutive year in League One, with the club hoping the latest off-field changes can trigger an upturn in performances on the pitch.

Whilst nobody can doubt the commitment of owner Kevin Nagle, who has regularly put money into the Terriers since he bought the Yorkshire outfit, it’s fair to say things haven’t gone to plan with the decisions he has made.

From Darren Moore to Andre Breitenreiter, to Michael Duff and Lee Grant, Huddersfield have gone for all different types of managers in the past few years, and nobody has been able to deliver the success the club craves.

So, it’s perhaps no surprise that the club decided to go down another route this summer, with Martin Drury named as head coach, having briefly had a spell as caretaker following Liam Manning’s decision to step back from the game last season.

Alan Knill can help Martin Drury and Jon Stead at Huddersfield Town

This is Drury’s first job in the professional game, and he will be assisted by former player Jon Stead, who is also a relative rookie when it comes to coaching.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean the duo couldn’t succeed, and there were positive signs from how they worked together during the run-in last season.

Despite that, the lack of experience was a major concern, so many Huddersfield fans were delighted when it was announced that Alan Knill would be joining as part of Drury’s backroom team.

Bringing the 61-year-old to the club has to be considered a real coup, with sporting director Chris Markham, and Drury, deserving credit for making it happen, especially as Knill had only recently become available following his surprise exit from Sheffield United.

Even though he boasts plenty of his own managerial experience, having led Rotherham, Bury, Scunthorpe and Torquay, Knill has developed a reputation as a fine coach in the past decade or so, largely down to his work with Chris Wilder.

He was an influential figure as the Blades went from League One to the Premier League, and having previously worked with Wilder at Northampton, he also followed him to Middlesbrough, Watford and back to Bramall Lane.

So, to get someone with that know-how is vital for Drury, and Knill will provide an excellent voice for him to listen to, as well as bounce ideas off.

Huddersfield Town will fancy their chances of promotion this season

There was a lot of frustration at Huddersfield after they had once again failed to make the play-offs last season, as the level of players, and investment, meant that was an underachievement.

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Naturally, that was putting pressure on those making the decisions, so a huge summer was on the cards for Nagle and Markham.

However, whilst it’s far too soon to judge properly, the early signs are encouraging for the Terriers, who will be targeting a return to the Championship.

In Ashley Fletcher, they have already secured a deal for a proven League One goalscorer, whilst the deal to bring in Ilias Bronckhorst looks a real statement signing considering he was a regular in the Eredivisie last season, and Matty Young could be a big player in goal. Of course, more work is needed when it comes to recruitment, but it’s a very positive start.

There’s no denying there is quality for this level in the Huddersfield squad, but they need the right coaching team to make it work - something which hasn’t happened for years.

The decision to turn to Drury was undoubtedly a risk, but he is regarded as an exciting young coach, along with Stead. Now, with Knill also part of the group, it looks like Huddersfield have given the head coach the sort of figure he can lean on to navigate his first full season in charge.

It remains to be seen how it all plays out, but securing the former Sheffield United coach could make all the difference in what is a demanding season.

Knill knows all about League One, and he has a promotion on his CV as Wilder’s number two in the past - and Huddersfield will hope his appointment can help them start a similar journey under Drury.