Wagner lauds ´totally important´ Huddersfield wins

David Wagner feels the importance of Huddersfield Town securing two prompt Premier League victories cannot be understated following their 1-0 home win over Newcastle.

The promoted Terriers boast a 100 per cent record after their early taste of life back in the top flight, having also thumped Crystal Palace 3-0 away from home in the opening round of the campaign last weekend.

It is Huddersfield’s first ever foray into the Premier League and they have not appeared among England’s elite since their relegation in 1971-72.

Given his squad’s collective lack of experience at this level, Wagner knows it was vital for his players to quickly prove they are capable of mixing it with the best.  

“This is totally important, we are totally unexperienced in the Premier League,” he told the BBC when asked about the impact of the consecutive positive results.

“Of course, we know what we have to do but we did not know if it would work in the Premier League. 

“Now we have seen it worked in the first two games, with two clean sheets. Everybody knows how difficult it is to get a clean sheet in the Premier League. We are delighted.

“We wanted to keep them away from our goal, be on the front foot and in their face and be brave enough to press them high over a good period of the game. We gave not a lot of clear chances away. I think it was a deserved result.”

Of Huddersfield’s vocal home fans, he added: “If we like to play our high, intense style then you need this support from the stands. They’ve done this today. I’m very happy for them that we were able to deliver this early home victory.

“It was a special day, a successful day as well. I think we’ve seen a day where both teams were very strong in defence, [well] organised.

“I think we gave more or less no clear-cut chance away. I was very happy with the performance in the defence. And then had one great moment from Aaron Mooy where we scored the winner. And this was enough today.”

Quizzed on the qualities of the Australia international midfielder, Wagner said: “He is a very good footballer, a nice person as well. And even if he is such a good technical footballer, he likes the working side of the game as well and this is why I love him.”

14 – Aaron Mooy’s opener featured the most passes in the build-up of any goal scored in the @premierleague so far this season. Style. pic.twitter.com/RowoOHPvoR

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 20, 2017

Newcastle, meanwhile, remain winless and without a point from their first two matches, having lost 2-0 at home to Tottenham last weekend.

Manager Rafael Benitez told the BBC: “We are at the beginning, we have to keep going. It’s the only way to improve, training harder.”

When it was suggested his team always faced a tough task tackling Huddersfield in the Terriers’ first Premier League home game, the Spanish boss replied: “It depends how you come. It’s too early for every team. For us, obviously, it’s too early.”