Huddersfield Town must have ex-Notts County boss on their radar | OneFootball

Luke Williams would be an ideal appointment for Huddersfield Town.

Huddersfield Town made the difficult decision earlier this month to part ways with Michael Duff after a run of four defeats in five.

The 47-year-old's tenure included some promising moments, such as a brilliant start to the season and a 16-game unbeaten run, but was also marred by inconsistent spells of poor form.

It became clear that, if the club had continued under his leadership, they risked slipping out of play-off contention, with seventh position looming ever closer.

Finding the back of the net had also become a major concern, but interim manager until the end of the season, Jonathan Worthington, put that to bed with a 5-1 demolition of Crawley Town last Saturday.

Of course, that was boosted by the full return of the ever-industrious Joe Taylor up front, who managed to net the opener for the Terriers in his first start back since recovering from a hamstring injury.

However, despite Worthington's brilliant start to life, it doesn't appear that he is a major player for the full-time role. Of course, that could change depending on what he achieves between now and May – should they secure promotion, he would undoubtedly have to be in the conversation.

However, if they remain in League One, Huddersfield owner Kevin Nagle should look no further than former Notts County and Swansea City head coach Luke Williams.

Luke Williams could be an ideal Michael Duff replacement at Huddersfield Town

Williams may have been sacked after an indifferent period at Swansea City, but he offers a great option for Huddersfield.

The Terriers will have expectations of promotion next year should they remain in League One, and Williams' brand of football suits a team fighting at the top of the division, who look to play on the front foot.

Previously, during his tenure at Notts County, he took charge of a club with aspirations of returning to the Football League. The manager completely overhauled the club’s culture, and within the space of a single season, County became a side focused on possession with purpose.

It is fair to say that they were a brilliant watch and across the 46-game season they accumulated 107 points, netting 117 goals in the process.

Unfortunately, they were met with their equal in Wrexham and the Red Dragons did surpass them by four points in the end to secure automatic promotion. Luckily, the play-offs were a back-up option and Williams' side got over the line as they saw off Chesterfield on penalties in the final.

Williams followed this up with a solid start to their League Two campaign, but when a Championship opportunity arose in early January, he didn’t hesitate to make the move to Swansea.

This level of dominance would be unlikely at Huddersfield given how competitive League One has been this year and will likely be next year, but he could attempt to provide something of a repeat.

The Terriers are one of the larger sides in the division in terms of budget, as proven with Taylor's move from Luton Town for a reported fee of £3 million, and Nagle could give Williams the players he needs to make his system work.

There are certainly many parallels that can be drawn between Huddersfield in League One and the Magpies in the National League, and for that reason, it could well be an ideal fit.

Luke Williams would require a change in culture at Huddersfield Town

Although Williams is a technically gifted manager, he requires players who are suited to his system.

The current Huddersfield squad is accustomed to the more direct tactics under Duff, meaning they would have to undergo a complete shift in their approach to ball possession and playmaking, as well as formation - Duff preferred a 3-5-2, although Worthington moved to a back four in the thrashing of Crawley.

One advantage with the current squad though is that Williams favoured a three-at-the-back system with Notts County, and if he went back to that after playing with a back four for most of his Swansea tenure, it would provide some continuity in terms of structure, allowing for a smoother transition.

However, the 44-year-old would likely look to bring in new additions, particularly in midfield, to ensure his side can control the game as he intends.

At Swansea, that player was Matt Grimes, while at Meadow Lane, John Bostock and Matt Palmer shared those midfield responsibilities.

Moving forward, Huddersfield will also need a playmaker in the mould of Ruben Rodrigues, someone who can partner with others in midfield and attack and create chances for the likes of Taylor and Callum Marshall, although the latter likely has a future with West Ham, or more immediately perhaps in the Championship.

If Huddersfield were to consider Williams as a potential appointment, they would need to go all out and provide him with the necessary support. However, given their current status in the league, it seems like an ideal fit.