The January transfer window is open and the opportunity arises for further reinforcements.
I said before the start of the season that Huddersfield Town’s great chance to stay in the Premier League resulted from the fact the system wouldn’t change.
David Wagner was always going to play the way he has since he arrived at the club, the only difference being that better-quality players would slowly be drafted in to create the competition for places that will ultimately earn Town more points.
All research and statistics show that player salary levels equal points. It’s the cold, hard fact of the modern game.
But at least with Town now on 24 points and with a serious chance of becoming Premier League regulars. chairman Dean Hoyle and his board can have confidence to allow the head coach to bring in some new faces.
They may not be household names, of course, but let’s be honest, who had heard of many of the current Town regulars before Wagner introduced them to the club?
He has made an encouraging start to the window already, by bringing in Dutch international Terence Kongolo on loan from AS Monaco for the rest of the season.
With the very specific way that Wagner plays, it’s not for just anyone to turn up and slot in.
Players have to learn the team set-up, formation and what the various responsibilities are, and the key thing which caught my eye from the Kongolo signing is that Wagner has identified him as a player who will suit the system.
That’s excellent work and, if anyone is ready to slot straight into the team at Bolton this weekend then it’s Terence Kongolo.
Talking of the FA Cup tie, it’s a competition the fans just love but I wouldn’t be surprised to see wholesale changes from Town, with the opportunity to rest Aaron Mooy, Christopher Schindler, Jonas Lossl and the other regulars.
Punters will therefore be looking at Bolton, if they allowed to play all their loan players, as a reasonable chance, especially as Phil Parkinson has them in good form (three wins out of four).
But Cup competitions of any sort are no longer Town’s priority, so please don’t be moaning if the club are one of those knocked out come Saturday night.
It showed in the Leicester game how difficult it is to maintain the high intensity needed at top level when you are playing your third match in seven days.
The fine margins in professional sport mean it can happen, even if you have done everything you can do to rest up and focus inbetween times.
The only thing that matters for Town is the next league game, and that’s against West Ham at home on the 13th, so don’t be surprised to see changes in the line-up over at Bolton.
I am a huge fan of the FA Cup and always enjoyed playing in it, and while potential magic is a little muted for this third round because not a single non-league team have made it through, there will be a few giantkillings to get us excited about the fourth-round draw.
Don’t be surprised if one of those is at the Macron Stadium but, as I have already said, please no moaning Town fans because the club’s priority is very much elsewhere.
Mentioning fine margins, the Arsenal v Chelsea match on Wednesday night was a fantastic game of football between two very open sides.
But the main thing highlighted for me is something Town fans should also be keeping their eye on - the upcoming use of the Video Assistant Referee system, where major decisions can be reviewed.
Gary Neville raised the issue after the Arsenal v Chelsea game and he was 100% correct by asking: Would the VAR have awarded Hazard’s penalty or not?
If you were to put 1,000 fans in a room, the answer would be 500 one way and 500 the other!
It’s an argument which will run and run as VAR becomes increasingly used – starting with Monday’s FA Cup tie between Brighton and Crystal Palace and followed up when Arsenal and Chelsea meet again in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
It will be used to potentially review goals, penalties and straight red cards and can also flag-up cases of mistaken identity by referees.
So as supporters, I suggest people first learn the laws of the game – and I am not being condescending, because most fans don’t know the laws – and secondly I recommend they monitor exactly how the VAR system is going to work.
It is an enthralling change to the modern game, especially as at the moment we have no idea exactly what difference it will make and what impact it will have.
One thing I am certain of is that as this column develops through 2018, VAR is likely to be a very regular talking point.
