After Monday’s SkyBet Championship Play-Off final win over Reading FC, Huddersfield Town have returned to the top-flight of English football for the first-time since 1972.
While few gave David Wagner’s side any chance of achieving the impossible of promotion to the Premier League this campaign, the odds will be stacked even more against them next season.
Preparing for their PL debut has already begun this morning with owner Dean Hoyle and boss David Wagner sitting down to assess how best to tackle the challenge.
Below the Examiner identifies five key points the pair must look at in order to give the club the best possible chance of staying in the league.
1. Keep hold of David Wagner
Huddersfield Town’s boss has been turning heads both in England and Germany after totally transforming the club.
Before his arrival in November 2015, Town were perennial Championship strugglers with the revolution to promotion winners taking under two years to achieve under the German’s tutelage.
The 45-year-old’s stock could never be higher with Dean Hoyle desperate to keep him at the club while similarly acknowledging it was his club that has given Wagner the opportunity to cut his teeth in the British game in the first place.
2. Continue to exploit the loan market
Wagner’s shrewd acquisitions in the loan market were a fundamental factor in the club’s promotion this campaign.
Goalkeeper Danny Ward, on loan from Liverpool, featured 46 times in all competitions and saved penalties in both Play-Off shoot-out wins.
Manchester City loanee Aaron Mooy was named in the PFA Championship team of the year for his influential midfield performances, while Chelsea FC pair Kasey Palmer and Izzy Brown were also key.
Promotion may mean some, if not all, of these may return to the John Smith’s Stadium either permanently or on another similar season-long loan deal.
If this is not possible, scouring the loan market for more shrewd signings is imperative, utilising his close ties and good reputation with some of the Premier League’s biggest giants.
3. Improve their goal ratio
Town’s achievement is even more miraculous given they finished the season with a negative goal difference.
The only side in the top 10 of the SkyBet Championship to do so, with 13th-placed Barnsley the next side with a worse record than Town.
Although a repeat of a negative goal difference will not necessarily mean relegation (only the top seven in this season’s Premier League managed to record a positive goal difference), it does not usually lead to success.
4. Find a prolific goalscorer
Going in tandem with the previous point, a consistent goal-threat is a vital component for Premier League sides; it’s easier said than done though and forwards often cost a vast array of money.
Town only have to look at relegated Middlesbrough as a prime example - Boro managed only 27 strikes in 38 games - a third of which came from on-loan striker Alvaro Negredo.
Nahki Wells scored just 10 league goals from 43 outings this season, while top-scorer Elias Kachunga, who was mainly deployed in a wide position, contributed 12 in 41 starts.
Too often in the Championship Town came unstuck with their inability to take their chances while dominating with opportunities often few and far between in the top-flight.
5. Bring in some Premier League experience
The average age of Town’s Wembley starting 11 was less than 26 and the line-up contained only two players who have started a Premier League game.
While some recently-promoted clubs - notably AFC Bournemouth, Burnley and Southampton - have demonstrated players can make the step up from the Football League, Huddersfield will need to supplement their young stars with some older heads with Premier League know-how.
