Former Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant believes the squad he left behind are still more than capable of earning promotion from League One this season.
The 43-year-old was given his first senior management role last summer when he was handed the reins at the Accu Stadium. After a disappointing first campaign in the third tier, the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper was tasked with launching a serious assault on the top two.
The early stages looked promising. A busy summer and four wins from their opening five matches were cause for optimism but inconsistency soon became the order of the day.
The Terriers picked up just two victories from their next eight, which was a sense of what was to come. Despite spending much of the season in and around the play-off positions, Grant was dismissed in January after a four-game winless start to 2026.
Inconsistencies Continue Under Manning
Huddersfield swooped quickly to bring in Liam Manning, who was unattached following a disastrous spell at Norwich City. It looked to be a masterstroke of a move when the 40-year-old picked up a maximum points haul from his first three games.
February saw old habits return though. A 2-2 draw with Blackpool kicked off the month before back-to-back defeats at Stevenage and Doncaster Rovers.
A return to winning ways against Barnsley last weekend was a welcome respite and the West Yorkshire-based side are still clinging on to sixth place. However, they have played at least one game more than the majority of the chasing pack.
Grant Sure Huddersfield Can Achieve Goals
Former boss Grant appeared as a pundit over the weekend, where he was asked about his first managerial spell. Responding, he admitted he would have liked to have seen through the job he started:
“I’ve loved every minute of being a manager that’s for sure.
“Of course the challenges are vast, and I would love to have been given the opportunity to have continued the job that myself and the players set out on at the beginning of the season.”
Continuing, the ex-Ipswich Town coach remained adamant that the Terriers can still reach the Championship this season:
“Of course that’s not the case, but I’ve got full confidence that group of players, despite the fact that the form perhaps isn’t quite where they want it to be at this moment in time, can go on and achieve the things that they want to do this season.”
Huddersfield return to action this weekend when they travel to relegation candidates Wigan Athletic.
