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Manager Andre Breytenreiter has accused some Huddersfield players of lacking “heart and passion” after the club's relegation to League One became virtually certain.
The Terriers' draw with struggling Birmingham meant they were on the back foot, and in order to stay in the Championship they needed to win their final game, with Plymouth losing and leaving them at a 15 goal difference disadvantage. We need to recover.
Asked about the atmosphere in the dressing room on BBC Radio Leeds, he didn't hesitate to criticize some of the squad. He said: “All the players are disappointed, obviously some are more disappointed than others.
“We had some players who left early, but they left early every day, so for me it was also a matter of heart and passion and the desire to be with the team.
'Big problem'
“I think this is also a big issue for the team throughout the season, but definitely while I'm here.”
Breitenreiter also clarified that some players were only selected due to injuries.
He said: “I’m not here to find excuses, I’m strong enough as a person.
“Everyone makes mistakes and I'm no different. Maybe the mistake of suspending some players or waiting too long to find the right players to play with heart and passion. I think there were, but we had a lot of injuries and didn't have many options.”
Coach Breitenreiter was pleased with his team's performance against Birmingham and named two players who showed the right attitude.
He said: “We played a lot of risk and Ollie Turton has been out injured for a long time and like Rhys Healy he can't play normally for 20 minutes as a starter.”
“They showed us that if you play with heart and passion it's possible. By the end of the game they were dead, I'm sure after 60 minutes. But they did it for Huddersfield Town. This is what the club needs: a culture, the right players, wanting to perform at their best and shine as individuals in every game for Huddersfield. do not have.”
When asked about the future, he said: “We have to analyze the whole season, we have to talk about the future and then we decide what happens after the season.
“It's really too early now. There were too many mistakes throughout the season, including when I joined.”
