Grant Holt today paid tribute to manager Chris Powell for the feel-good factor behind Huddersfield Town’s six-match unbeaten run.
The 33-year-old striker has yet to finish on the losing side in Town colours in a loan spell from Wigan Athletic which he’s delighted to have extended to the end of the year.
It means Holt is available for another 10 Championship matches, starting with Nottingham Forest at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday and including a December 13 trip to face Norwich City at Carrow Road, where he is still a cult hero.
Holt is relishing his chance under Powell – he netted his first Town goal in the 4-2 home victory over Blackpool – and played a significant part in Saturday’s 2-2 fightback draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
“The manager [Powell] has come in and given people belief,” said Holt.
“He wants smiley faces and he wants you to enjoy your football – and he has done that.
“He tells us to be together, talk to each other, do it as a team and you can see the results.
“If anything, we have been a bit unlucky with a couple of draws which might have been wins.”
As an ex-Norwich player, Holt was booed at Portman Road, but he earned the penalty (scored by Nahki Wells) which started Town’s revival, being brought down by Ipswich skipper Luke Chambers. Wells got the equaliser, too.
“I expected that warm reception from Ipswich fans, although they weren’t too bad in the first half,” reflected Holt.
“They gave it to me second half, but I don’t mind, that’s all part of football.
“I bet a lot of them went home wishing they hadn’t chanted ‘Grant Holt what’s the score?’ because I can tell them now it was 2-2.”
Some at Ipswich were livid with the penalty decision, but Holt had no doubt the referee got it right.
“The ref didn’t give us much all afternoon, so if Ipswich want to start being picky I’m sure we can point to a lot of things too, especially on Nahki on the edge of the box,” he explained.
“I have gone for the ball, Chambers has brought me down. He said he didn’t, I said he did. The ref has given it and booked him, so that says it all.”
Holt added: “We were disappointed with the first half. We didn’t get the rub of the green even though we dominated a lot of the game and we had chances.
“We gave away a sloppy goal and then conceded another which was poor, but we came back and that is now six games without a loss, which shows what sort of character we have.
“We played better second half and even had chances to win the game. Bunny and Scannell came on and made a difference for us.”
Holt scored 78 goals in 168 appearances for Norwich during a productive four-year spell that included a double promotion from the Football League and Premier League survival.
The Hall of Famer is the only player in the club’s history to have won three consecutive player-of-the-year awards.
