Why are Huddersfield Town genuine promotion contenders in the Championship this season?
Well, there’s one easy way to find out.
Just watch a replay of Elias Katchunga’s winning goal against Norwich City at Carrow Road and you will discover there were 18 passes in the build-up.
Yes, 18!
If that had been a Premier League side being analysed on Match of the Day, the pundits would have been raving about the side who had scored, praising their patience, accuracy, movement and finally cutting edge.
No Norwich player touched the ball after Jonny Howson fouled Rajiv van La Parra just inside the home side’s half with 38 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.
Play restarted eight seconds later and Kachunga’s shot crossed the line on 39 minutes and 47 seconds.
In between times, from Jonathan Hogg taking the free kick and playing the first of the 18 passes to Christopher Schindler, the ball went to Jon Gorenc Stankovic, back to Schindler and then to keeper Danny Ward.
Stankovic then took the ball back before finding Tommy Smith further up the right flank, from where he passed inside and back to Hogg, in much more space.
Aaron Mooy then received a short pass before returning possession to Hogg, who played it wide on the left to Schindler, who clipped the ball up the line to Van La Parra.
Having failed to find an opening, he sensibly played the ball back to Schindler, who found Kasey Palmer inside to supply Hogg.
The No6 then found Stankovic to play the killer ball, forward and into space for Kachunga, who had Smith in support on his right.
Kachunga played only a simple pass to Smith, took the return and fired in his ninth goal of the season, earning Town a first win at Norwich since 1969.
It summed up pretty much every element of head coach David Wagner’s approach to football and the 2-1 win made it three wins in seven days to ensure a very happy Christmas for supporters before the Boxing Day clash with Nottingham Forest, which is set to attract a record December 26 crowd to the John Smith’s Stadium.
