On the 9th of March 2025, Huddersfield Town relieved former manager Michael Duff from his position as Head Coach. This came off the back of a bad run of form for the Terriers, only picking up 3 points in their last 5 games. The club obviously don’t see a future with Michael Duff at the helm and has instead granted interim charge of the team to Academy Manager Jon Worthington, until the end of the season.
This article will explore the three reasons that Jon Worthington could be a good replacement in the wake of Michael Duff’s dismissal. These being the affinity Worthington has with Huddersfield; the switch in tactical style and the fan’s perspective of what’s really the issue at Huddersfield Town.
Worthington and Huddersfield:
Jon Worthington and Huddersfield hold strong sentiments with one another, and they are the place where Worthington started his career. He eventually became club captain and made 195 appearances for the Terriers between 2002 and 2009. In his first statement to the press following the announcement of his tenure as manager, Worthington acknowledged that,
“Huddersfield Town is my Club”
He stated his aim was to, “give the supporters pride in their team and Club and do whatever I possibly can to help our club be the best version of itself”.
It is clear Worthington wants the supporter’s trust and through these pledges is looking to reassure that the trajectory of the club will not be punished due to his interim charge. Of course, this isn’t Worthington’s first time being a first-team coach as he took charge of 4 games between January and February 2024 gaining 6 points from a possible 12. So Worthington has already had a taste of what it’s like to be the manager of a club that has resided in the top division and would love to be there again, yet with his status as a ‘local lad’ and his affinity towards the club it would be expected that Worthington will get a fair chance to display his Huddersfield Town without fans calling for his head as they approach the run into the end of the season.
Terriers to change Tactics?
As previously stated, Worthington has previously had charge of the first team during the relegation season of 24/25, after the dismissal of current Port Vale manager Darren Moore. To get an indication of how Worthington will potentially set up we must look to the four games he took charge of during that season between January and February. In three out of four of his games as Head Coach, Worthington opted to utilise the 4231 formations, which led to a 4-0 over Sheffield Wednesday. The only time he chose to switch from his favoured style was when they travelled to the yet-to-be-promoted Southampton, and he chose to deploy a back five. Therefore, it is likely Worthington will use a back four with two sitting midfielders, one advanced midfielder in a sort of pivot number 10 esc role then two wingers and a standard number 9 to make up his outfield players. This is a stark shift from Duff’s beloved ‘5 at the back’ formations as his style of play looked to employ a ‘smash and grab’ approach. This could result in being a good switch for Huddersfield as under the tenure of Worthington, fans should expect to see more goal-mouth action with 9 goals coming in 4 games, especially 3 against a very strong Southampton team in the Championship. Compare this to Duff’s last 4 games as Head Coach, Town only managed 2 goals. Therefore, a tactical adjustment at this point could just be what The Terriers need to sneak into the playoff spots.
The Fans and a potential elephant in the room?
Whilst doing some extensive research surrounding the current situation at Huddersfield Town and after speaking to some fans, it has come to light that a lot of fans have a distasteful opinion of the man who is in essence running the show at Huddersfield Town, Mark Cartwright. Cartwright currently holds the position of sporting director since joining in the summer of 2023. During his tenure as Sporting Director, Cartwright has overseen three managers (Neil Warnock, Darren Moore and Michael Duff) and the popular opinion seems to be that he has continued to fail in the transfer market, with players he has pushed for the club to sign underperforming or being prone to injury. It is the opinion of many that ultimately the manager is irrelevant if Cartwright is calling the shots for American owner Kevin Nagle. This isn’t necessarily a way in which Worthington will improve things at the club, but it would feel a disservice to the club and its fans if this article weren’t to highlight what a large portion of the fan base feels is really preventing Town from reaching the heights it has previously occupied.
Overall, the future of Huddersfield Town is uncertain and will most likely depend on how well Worthington does in these remaining ten games of the regular season. However, hopefully, Worthington can push the club in an upward trajectory and Town can regain their status as a Championship club soon and maybe even make a push back to the Premier League.
