Not to oversimplify things at all, but practice makes perfect has been a mantra central to how Huddersfield Town's ideology has evolved since David Wagner was brought in almost two years ago.
While what has been achieved on the field has obviously - and rightly - captured the most attention, there's a growing appreciation for just how influential the manner in which the management team and squad conduct themselves in training and preparation has been. You can draw a straight line from Town's newfound ultra-professional approach to off-field life and their sudden upturn in form on it and, regardless of Premier League status, that doesn't appear to have changed.
One of the only - if not the only - top flight side in England to travel abroad in search of a decent friendly, the majority of sides elsewhere have taken the international break as a welcome opportunity to fit in one final summer holiday before the season really gets in to the swing of things.
Huddersfield though, knowing how to play to their strengths, have been training as usual, maximising the amount of time David Wagner and his coaching team have to reinforce ideas, fine-tune tactics and ensure their brand of football isn't just known, but instinct and muscle memory.
It's no surprise, either, that both Abdelhamid Sabiri and Florent Hadergjonaj were the standout players against Altona 93, either. Brought in to improve the depth of the squad and increase the competition of places internally, the new signings both impressed when given the chance, showing the manager, the fans and those who's place in the team they're looking to take just how good they are.
While it's true that the standard of opposition wasn't the highest, that's actually beyond the point - it would've been far easier for Town to stroll through such a match knowing the gulf in class, but their outlook on the game forced them perform with a level of intensity far beyond what most sides would exert in your average friendly.
Funnily enough, David Wagner doesn't actually call these 'friendly' fixtures, preferring to call them 'test matches' instead. You get the impression that, with Wagner in the dugout, Town would run, hassle and harry in the same manner if they were playing AFC Emley in a behind-closed-doors game at Canalside or Manchester United away - and that couldn't be more admirable.
Fans of West Ham, who Town visit this coming Monday, haven't been blind to this either, asking online why their side - yet to win a Premier League fixture this season - is currently enjoying a break, while high-flying Huddersfield are being put through their paces regardless. It's not often that football fans seek to pay their opposition compliments, either, so it's no small thing to be publicly envied in such a transparent fashion.
By keeping the wider squad sharp and giving them minutes they've missed otherwise, Wagner is ensuring that his entire team is there to be called on when needed, free from the perils of disinterest and ring rust. This time last season, Town played a strong side away to Liverpool in a training ground game at Melwood, with both Wagner and Klopp clearly sharing the same thinking where work ethic is concerned.
While there are a multitude of factors keeping Huddersfield from being the most attractive, talented or popular side in the Premier League, nothing is obstructing them from being the best prepared and one of the fittest, which are important factors in their own right.
With all the talk of ideology and identity surrounding the club, it's important to remember that those haven't been allowed to become hollow phrases - this attitude towards training, the hunger to improve and the collective will to push themselves beyond what is expected of them is all part of what is making this current incarnation of Huddersfield Town so successful.
Modern football is full of inbuilt disadvantages where smaller clubs are concerned, and on occasion, clubs unsure of themselves can fall face first in to those pitfalls - where Huddersfield fans should take heart, and where the club can be afforded time to pat themselves on the back (not that they would) is that they're doing everything in their power to ensure they have the maximum amount of a fighting chance than they can manage, and that's not something that can be taken away from them.
You can follow Raj Bains on Twitter over on @BainsXIII , and his Huddersfield Town book Underdog is being published in October 2017. It is available to order now, with the opportunity to have the name of your choice printed in a fans list at the back of the book. Please visit www.gnbooks.co.uk or call 01274 735056.
