Huddersfield Get Summer Recruitment Underway!
After a slow start to the transfer window, with murmurings of Huddersfield struggling to attract targets to the club, the optimism has been restored with the completion of our first two signings of the summer. Attacker Sean Scannell has made the switch from Championship rivals, Crystal Palace, whilst full back Paul Dixon has agreed terms, having left Dundee United at the end of last season.
Scannell, a fans favourite at Palace, prefers to play as a striker, despite spending the majority of his career on the wing. The reviews from Palace fans have been positive, the majority being disappointed in their club for allowing him to leave, as he has the potential to become a top player, and displays a down to earth attitude, characterised by him regularly being spotted walking to the ground in his tracksuit before home games!
The statistics don’t represent Scannell in a particularly positive light; 12 goals in 130 appearances doesn’t represent a particularly prolific attacker. However, statistics seldom tell the whole story, as shown by the debate over the sacking of Lee Clark re-emerging after his employment at Birmingham City; many opposition fans are citing statistics displaying Clark in a positive light, whereas Town fans maintain that we simply didn’t look like being promoted with him in charge.
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This week Paul Dixon became Town’s second capture of the summer. The natural left back will offer a more natural balance in defence; last season Town were largely reliant on playing Calum Woods at left back, despite his natural position being on the right hand side of the defence. Woods was an able left back at League One level, and will be a good deputy in full back positions in the Championship, however, it is likely he would have struggled with the better right wingers in the division, had he been our first choice left back.
Like Scannell, Dixon arrives in Huddersfield on the back of positive reviews from his former employers. From reviews, Dixon appears to provide good support going forwards, whilst maintaining solidity at the back. Given that our full back on the opposite side, Jack Hunt, is also an attacking full back, Dixon providing a similar option on the opposite side should offer Town a good attacking threat from deep positions.
Whilst further signings are still very much a necessity in order for us to be competitive at this level, these two signings are a positive start to our summer spending. A few more additions of similar calibre should see us able to do ourselves justice at Championship level.