Huddersfield Town manager Martin Drury has warned his players they have 'achieved nothing so far' despite their strong start to the League One season. The Terriers sit second in the table with 12 points from six games, but the 40-year-old boss is keeping his squad grounded ahead of a trip to the Accu Stadium to face Mansfield Town.
Drury, who was named the division's manager of the month for August, referenced a painful 4-1 home defeat to the same opponents at the end of last season as a driving force. That match, which was the final home game under interim boss Jon Stead, has stayed with him. "I think we've achieved nothing so far," Drury told reporters. He presented statistics to his squad showing how they have transformed from being the league's worst performers in the final 15 minutes of matches last season to being among the best this term.
Squad news ahead of Mansfield test
Defenders Jack Whatmough and Sean Roughan have returned to training, providing a boost. Recent signing Samson Tovide is progressing well but remains unavailable for the weekend's fixture. Drury emphasised the collective spirit within the group at the John Smith's Stadium. "I feel there is a togetherness about the club and group, about the way that we train, the way that we work every day," he said.
He described the upcoming match as a 'real test' for his team, who are unbeaten in their last five outings. That run includes a goalless draw at Mansfield just days ago on September 12th. The sequence of results reads DWDWW, with notable wins at Doncaster and Cambridge United.
Huddersfield's position, just one point behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday, is built on a solid defence that has conceded only four goals. They have scored ten, giving them a healthy goal difference of plus six. The next challenge is to turn draws into wins against promotion rivals. Drury said he loves how his players go about their work and is looking forward to the contest.
