Huddersfield Town can fix big Terriers issue - thanks to Colin Kazim-Richards | OneFootball

Huddersfield won't have any goalkeeper worries next season if Jacob Chapman continues his form shown at Crawley Town

It's been yet another frustrating year in League One for Huddersfield Town this season, with it looking increasingly likely that the Terriers will finish in mid-table once more.

Only four points separate Huddersfield from Reading inside the top six, but they are on a less-than-ideal run of form going into the Easter Weekend, and they have a run-in which sees them take on the Royals on Good Friday alongside other outfits battling near the top.

Liam Manning has been given compassionate leave until the end of the season, with first-team coaches Martin Drury and Jon Stead handed the reins until then, too, so a lack of dugout presence as well means that Terriers fans aren't too confident in their play-off hopes.

So, if Huddersfield do end up staring down the prospect of a third successive year in the third tier, they'll need to be doing everything they can to ensure that they finally secure promotion next May, and certain playing personnel will need to be assessed and improved.

One of which will likely be in goal, as Owen Goodman's loan spell fell flat and 33-year-old Lee Nicholls was left to take the starting spot once more in September. Even then, the Terriers have been poor at keeping the ball out of the net, and should be looking to improve the starting goalkeeper once more.

Huddersfield Town should look at integrating Jacob Chapman back into the fold next season

There's no doubt that the Terriers will be backed once again financially by owner Kevin Nagle in the summer, but when it comes to goalkeeper upgrades, perhaps they should look at bringing Jacob Chapman back into the fold following his successful loan spell at Crawley Town.

The 25-year-old has been contracted with Huddersfield ever since he signed from Marconi Stallions in his native Australia back in 2019, and since then, he's been out on loan five times.

However, Chapman did begin last season as the number two to Nicholls, and when the 33-year-old was sidelined with an elbow injury in September, he stepped in and looked comfortable.

He'd only made a couple of Championship appearances in the past, but the Australian shot stopper quickly began to feel at home, keeping nine clean sheets in 25 games and being the man in between the sticks during their 16-game unbeaten run, which had Michael Duff's side fourth in mid-January.

Unfortunately, a run of three straight defeats saw Chapman benched for a returning Nicholls, and the slide down the table towards an eventual 10th-place finish began.

This season, he picked up an ankle injury in pre-season, so he wasn't involved in the fold under Lee Grant. Upon his recovery, he was then sent on loan to Crawley in January, and he's started to revitalise his career in League Two.

The Red Devils have struggled upon their return to the fourth tier after relegation last season, and the attempts to reignite their love affair with Scott Lindsey didn't work out, with him being sacked in favour of former Derby County forward Colin Kazim-Richards. Under both, Chapman has been exceptional.

He's kept six clean sheets in 14 games for the side battling relegation to the National League, making 3.5 saves per game and preventing six goals when taking into account the xG he's faced in each game. In a short spell, he really helped Crawley stay in touch with safety, and now they are two points clear of Barrow in 23rd, going into the final six games.

Jacob Chapman has shown that he's ready to play in League One

Granted, Chapman didn't have loads to do in goal during Huddersfield's great run of form under Michael Duff in the first half of last season, and Nicholls was always going to retake his place at some point, but there were some arguments to be made that the Australian international should have been given more of a chance.

Now, that argument is stronger, as the 25-year-old has been one of the best shot stoppers in League Two over the past few months.

Huddersfield may look at the position and believe that they can attract someone with a better standing in the game, like they did this past summer with Goodman, but if other positions are going to need improving, too, perhaps trusting one of their returning loan players in goal would allow more of the budget to be used elsewhere.

Either way, Chapman looks destined to be a League One goalkeeper come the start of next season, whether that be at the Accu Stadium or elsewhere.