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Huddersfield's move to pin David Wagner down shows intent among the Premier League chaos
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN'S move to pin David Wagner down to a new contract shows which strategy they're going with in the Premier League.
David Wagner signed a new contract with Huddersfield Town today
Huddersfield today announced Wagner has penned fresh terms at the John Smith's Stadium.
The contract is in part a gift to Wagner for hauling the club into the Premier League. He won't be on Championship wages anymore.
It's a warning to clubs like Wolfsburg, who tried to pinch Wagner midway through last season, to stay away.
But it also signifies Huddersfield's commitment to the manager in the way Burnley have stuck with Sean Dyche over the years.
Dyche has gone up, down and up again with the Clarets, who have always stuck by the boss. And he has remained loyal to them.
Burnley have even fended off the advances from Crystal Palace to prise their manager away from Turf Moor.
It is a structure that works, with Burnley all too aware that structural stability - even if that means relegation - is the key to long-term progress.
David Wagner guided Huddersfield into the Premier League
Huddersfield are following the Burnley model
Huddersfield could have gone down the Watford route of hiring one manager per season.
That seems to work for them, although it requires plenty of work to have a settled squad at the start of each season when a new guy comes in.
Southampton have also shown how you can remain a competitive top-flight outfit despite changing managers - albeit begrudgingly in the case of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman.
For years Huddersfield had been changing their manager every season or so, seeking the right formula.
Lou Macari, Mick Wadsworth, Peter Jackson TWICE, Steve Bruce, Andy Ritchie, Lee Clarke. The list seems endless.
In 2015 the club was staring at nothing but a relegation scrap with Chris Powell in charge.
Finally, finally along came Wagner and with chairman Dean Hoyle they set about bedding the club into a proper structure.
Chris Powell had Huddersfield staring at relegation
That meant changing everything from the management hierarchy to team tactics and ethos.
Promotion was not on the table - certainly not within the time frame it has been achieved.
But now Huddersfield are in the Premier League Hoyle had a decision to make.
Did he stick with the man who got his beloved club there, or did he axe him in search of a 'seasoned' boss?
It seems as though the Burnley survival guide has been well thumbed in West Yorkshire over the past few weeks.
Wagner, a wanted man at many Bundesliga clubs, is here for the long run.
Stick with and have faith in what you know.