Earlier in the day, it was announced that Huddersfield Town had parted ways with manager Darren Moore.
The decision came after the Terriers drew 1-1 with fellow relegation-threatened QPR on Sunday in a must-win match.
A win would have moved Huddersfield six points clear of the relegation zone, but QPR’s Kenneth Paul equalized in the 95th minute, canceling out Jack Rudoni’s goal 10 minutes earlier. The result leaves the Yorkshire side just three points above the drop zone, with the following three teams having caught up in recent weeks.
With just one win in their last 11 championship games, it’s easy to understand the reasoning behind this decision. Moore only took over on September 21, the same day Neil Warnock left as manager, and is unlikely to look back on that period fondly.
During that time, Moore managed 23 games, but won only three of them. During his tenure, the team has drawn 11 times, but at the bottom of the table a draw doesn’t matter and the club needs a win to boost its hopes of survival.
Huddersfield fans will be hoping that a change in management could do just that and spark a win.
There is no doubt that the job is an attractive offer given the club’s size and standing, and whoever takes over will reap the rewards if he can keep the Terriers in the division this season.
With that in mind, here are five potential candidates for the Huddersfield job.
paul heckingbottom
Mr. Heckingbottom is currently the overwhelming favorite for the job, which is not too surprising given his qualifications. The 46-year-old has already proven himself more than capable at that level, having led Sheffield United to promotion to the Premier League last season.
He was sacked in early December by the Blades, who were in the relegation zone and faced an almost impossible task to keep the team afloat this year, given their budget compared to top-flight teams.
It’s very likely Heckingbottom will return to work soon, and if he can keep the Terriers alive this season, he could be able to lead them into a positive future.
michael duff
Duff, who missed out on the Shrewsbury job, remains on the market after being released by Swansea in December. He has also been linked with Charlton Athletic, who are struggling in League One, but the manager may have higher ambitions.
Duff has the ability to energize teams, as we saw during his time at both Cheltenham Town and Barnsley. He may not have had the time at Swansea, but he has plenty of potential at this level.
If Duff were to join, it would certainly be a long-term project, but he is also easily capable of keeping the club afloat this season.
John Eustace
One man who could be linked with all the vacant Championship and even League One jobs this season is John Eustace, which comes as no surprise given his job at Birmingham.
Eustace was controversially sacked despite the Blues’ hopes of making the play-offs, and Eustace has been out of work ever since. Replacing him with Wayne Rooney was one of the worst managerial decisions in the history of a second-tier side, and one that backfired badly on the club.
Eustace is certain to get another chance at this level and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to work.
Sam Allardyce
Helping clubs survive difficult situations is what Allardyce is best known for, with breaking balls that could be included on the list. He could have his sights set on a job in the Premier League, but a number of teams could be put off by his Leeds United tenure.
It would mean the former West Ham and Bolton Wanderers manager would fall down the ranks among many other teams, but it could be an opportunity for Allardyce to get back into the game.
If he were to take over, it would seem to be more focused on surviving this season than on the future, but he could still be a good option for the club.
Pete Wilde
If you thought Allardyce was a curve ball, think again as the Wild could end up with an even riskier appointment. Wild, who has no previous managerial experience at Barrow above League Two, will take the job without experience at that level.
That said, the job he has done at Barrow has been incredible, with the club currently sitting fourth in League Two, just one point off the automatic places. His one of the smallest budgets in the department makes this feat even more impressive.
It would certainly be an ambitious choice given his previous experience, but with the future in mind, Huddersfield may choose to pursue. We have already seen Swansea enter League Two to sign Luke Williams from Notts County, and the Terriers could follow in that move.
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