Centre-back Christopher Schindler spoke to the media to discuss Huddersfield Town’s next Premier League fixture, David Wagner’s new signings, VAR, and overall performances from him and the team.
Huddersfield travel to the bet365 stadium on Saturday to face a struggling Stoke City. The Terriers and The Potters last faced each other on Boxing Day where they played out an entertaining 1–1 draw.
“Very important game” for Huddersfield
When speaking about the previous encounter with Stoke, the German defender commented that the signing of new head – coach, Paul Lambert, could make this game entirely different.
“It’s hard to take any solutions out of the last game because we don’t know if we can compare them with a new manager now.”
However, on the other hand, he said that having a managerial change, where they are required to alter things, can mean that the team aren’t always ready to perform, and this could be the case on Saturday.
Schindler has identified that this is “a very important game” for Town, as they “have a lot to win but also a lot to lose.”
With only 10 points separating ninth place Everton and 20th place Swansea, the bottom half of the table is very congested, and a win, along with other results going in Huddersfield’s favour, could move them up to 10th this weekend.
“Togetherness” is a huge advantage for Town
When reflecting on the 4–1 defeat against West Ham, the 27-year-old said that they gave the first two goals away two easily, and further commented; “We can’t afford to do that when we do not score two or three goals a game.
“After the games we have to be honest with ourselves about what went wrong, but we also have to move on.”
Moving on is exactly what Town will want to do, as Schindler spoke about how they will hope to cause Stoke problems by being strong and solid.
He also believes that the tight-knit squad is a huge advantage for the Yorkshire Club: “We have to stay focused on the plan, believe in it and believe in each other as well. I think our togetherness is our biggest strength.”
When asked about VAR, Schindler said: “I think it’s a good idea because it makes the game ore correct but its still not long enough in practice for it to be the right solution."
New signings have already shown their “quality”
With the January transfer window open, the Terriers have already welcomed Terence Kongolo and Alex Pritchard to the squad.
“They didn’t take long to show their quality and get in touch with the way we like to play football.”
On Pritchard, the defender said; “He brings something we needed in our attacking game. A bit of unpredictability.”