Doomed Terriers are barking up wrong tree

Huddersfield will make sure they enjoy their Premier League debut campaign as the Terriers return to the top flight for the first time since 1972 but staying in the division looks a tall order.

The playoff winners defied financial logic to beat bigger-spending clubs to a Premier League spot and in doing so became the first side to be promoted from a Football League division with a negative goal difference thanks to a shootout success over Reading.

Charismatic coach David Wagner, who was best man at Jurgen Klopp's wedding, has proved wrong those who believed nepotism played a part in his appointment from Borussia Dortmund's reserves and former Sky Sports pundit Ian Holloway admits he will never live down his prediction for Huddersfield to be relegated under the feisty German.

In fairness to Holloway, he did nail the Newcastle-Brighton straight forecast, although for a period it seemed as if Huddersfield would split the top two before slipping to fifth following a sloppy finish.

Wagner has totally lifted the club and the bond between fans and supporters could hardly be greater, thanks in part to owner Dean Hoyle, the founder of Card Factory, keeping season tickets cheap.

The players use a public gym and are ordered to live nearby, but Wagner is no gimmicky character like his namesake from the 2010 series of X Factor.

This Wagner has his own X Factor and his philosophy on pressing and touchline antics are right out of the Klopp handbook.

However, for all that positivity there is no getting away from Huddersfield's minus-two goal difference, which was the worst in the top half of last season's Sky Bet Championship.

The Terriers conceded more goals than relegated Wigan and were outscored by 21st-placed Nottingham Forest.

Wagner understood improvement was needed and as well as making deals permanent for last season's influential loan performers Aaron Mooy and Elias Kachunga, he has attempted to significantly bolster the team thanks to the arrivals of Steve Mounie, Tom Ince, Scott Malone, Danny Williams, Laurent Depoitre and Mathias Jorgensen.

Record signing Mounie is an aerial penalty box threat, scoring 14 times for Montpellier in Ligue 1 last term, but Huddersfield look a decent Championship side and that is unlikely to be good enough for top-flight survival.

Key stat
Huddersfield won 25 league matches last season and 22 of those were by one goal.