Where AI thinks Huddersfield Town will finish in League One with Liam Manning in charge | OneFootball

AI chatbot ChatGPT believes that Huddersfield Town are more likely to improve should they appoint Liam Manning.

Huddersfield Town have endured a frustrating campaign with the big spending and ambitious Terriers thus far failing in their pursuit of a top two finish and automatic promotion from League One.

Following an extremely busy summer transfer window and the appointment of rookie boss Lee Grant, Huddersfield were tipped by many to challenge for the title in the third-tier this season.

However, after a fast start followed by a very difficult autumn, Grant was eventually relieved of his duties this weekend in the aftermath of a 3-1 loss to Burton Albion, backing up a last gasp 1-0 defeat to fellow promotion contenders Stockport County at Edgeley Park.

Their ambitious spending and recruitment has continued into this winter transfer window, too, notably with the addition of Bali Mumba from Plymouth Argyle, and Huddersfield should be quite an exciting opportunity for a manager to come in and propel them forward.

Town currently sit tucked inside the top six and the play-off places, ten points adrift of the top two with 19 games to play, with a very strong squad to build on.

Former Bristol City and Norwich City boss Liam Manning is being linked with a move to the John Smith’s Stadium, having reportedly emerged as the favourite after the departure of Grant.

Manning was the coach of a team in the Championship play-off semi-finals last season and many may view his potential appointment as a coup but FLW has asked AI chatbot ChatGPT what it thinks could happen this season if Manning was to get the Huddersfield job.

AI thinks that Huddersfield will be in a play-off battle under Liam Manning

According to ChatGPT, the most likely finish for Huddersfield under the management of Liam Manning is between fifth and seventh place, and given that they currently sit sixth, that would suggest very little by way of improvement.

The AI chatbot has outlined that his previous record with Oxford United in League One would indicate that he is capable of stabilising and improving results enough to ensure they secure a top six finish and a play-off spot.

The second most likely outcome is between second and fourth, involving a late season dash towards the automatic promotion spots as a result of Huddersfield’s ambition and resources.

ChatGPT suggests that if Manning’s style clicks quickly in West Yorkshire then, with the squad he has at his disposal and any other potential signings, he could propel them towards the top two, albeit there is no talk of challenging Cardiff City for the title.

According to the AI chatbot, a repeat of last season’s capitulation and eventual mid-table finish is the least likely outcome should Manning get the Town job, with the only reason given to why this possibility could happen being if Manning fails to settle into his role quickly.

Liam Manning would be a coup for Huddersfield

Liam Manning has had an up and down managerial career thus far but his highs have been exceptional and capable of producing both brilliant football alongside results, albeit often one or the other.

His first job in England, for example, saw Milton Keynes Dons play a brilliant and expansive style of football that achieved a third place finish in League One before a play-off semi-final loss to Wycombe Wanderers and then a capitulation in the following campaign that led to his sacking.

At Oxford United, Manning managed to achieve both a very impressive and easy on the eye style as well as results that had the U’s sitting tucked inside the top two and the automatic promotion spots in November 2023 before he jumped ship for Bristol City. Oxford eventually went up via the play-offs under Des Buckingham.

With Bristol City, many Robins supporters grew frustrated and disinterested with the quite stodgy, possession-dominant style but an excellent second-half to the 2024/25 season saw them squeeze into the top six, before a 6-0 aggregate demolition at the hands of Sheffield United in the play-offs.

He again jumped ship, this time for Norwich City, last summer, and his stint at Carrow Road, after an ambitious summer transfer window, was more or less an unmitigated disaster and he was sacked in November.

It has been a topsy turvy managerial career for Manning and that is perhaps why ChatGPT has left open the possibilities for basically every scenario, although the fact he has now had very recent relative success at a higher level would lend itself to the AI idea that a steady or potentially rapid improvement for Huddersfield is more likely than a regression.