Huddersfield Town should turn to the ex-Barnsley boss to replace Neil Warnock: Opinion
Gerhard Struber has recently been linked with Sunderland, but he could also be a good fit for the Terriers who are in need of a new head coach
Despite not being the official owner of the club just yet, Kevin Nagle will be itching to get going as the new custodian of Huddersfield Town.
The American businessman is just waiting for EFL approval some two months after agreeing on a deal to purchase 100 percent of the Terriers from Dean Hoyle but he has been in and around the West Yorkshire town for a while whilst confirmation comes from the powers that be.
Nagle most importantly is buying into a Championship club and not a League One outfit when for a long time in the 2022-23 season it looked like it was going to be the opposite, but the veteran that is Neil Warnock returned to save the day and guided Town to safety.
As he promised though, Warnock only wants to manage three months a season in his semi-retirement, meaning that Nagle has the responsibility of selecting a new full-time head coach going forward.
There are plenty of options out there that would probably be willing to work under a new owner that wants to make an impression, and one name that should really be in the frame is Gerhard Struber.
What is Gerhard Struber’s current situation?
Former Barnsley manager Struber is currently a free agent, having departed New York Red Bulls of the MLS earlier this month after two-and-a-half years in the United States.
The Red Bulls headhunted Struber from the Tykes in 2020 months after he saved the club from relegation to League One, but he was never able to lead the franchise to any form of MLS Cup glory in his two full seasons there and after a poor start to the 2023 season, he was relieved of his duties.
Recently, Struber was linked to the Sunderland hot-seat with Tony Mowbray’s future in doubt, and back in November he was even pictured at a Black Cats match with owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, but Mowbray is set to stay on at the Stadium of Light.
Why would Gerhard Struber be a good appointment for Huddersfield?
If this past season proved anything with the failures of Danny Schofield and Mark Fotheringham, it’s that Huddersfield needs to appoint someone who knows what Championship management is like a little bit.
It doesn’t have to be a veteran figure like Warnock but at least someone exciting who has been there and seen it, and Struber has done that – albeit briefly.
Barnsley took a great risk in appointing him from Wolfsberger in November 2019, although he did have a 52.38 percent win record which suggested good things at the time, and even though he was helped by Wigan Athletic’s points deduction, Struber did indeed keep the Tykes in the Championship with his efforts from the touchline.
He is known for a high-pressing game and with Huddersfield having a core of young players such as Brahima Diarra, Jack Rudoni, and others waiting to flourish, that could suit a team that has potential in the final third.
The strike force would need to be worked on with the likes of Danny Ward and Jordan Rhodes no spring chickens anymore, but they’d still have their uses under Struber for sure.
The fact that the 46-year-old was headhunted by the Red Bull hierarchy is a testament to the kind of coach he is and whilst it may not have worked out overall in the USA, Nagle will surely be well aware of him as he is an owner in American football himself with the Sacramento Republic, albeit not in the MLS.
English management may just suit Struber and his style a little better, and whilst he’s clearly available Huddersfield and Nagle should make their move.
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