Neil Warnock: Huddersfield Town defender Tom Lees backs new boss' experience
- Published
Neil Warnock is back for a second spell at Huddersfield, 28 years after guiding the Terriers to promotion
Newly appointed boss Neil Warnock has all the necessary attributes and know-how to improve Huddersfield Town's fortunes, says defender Tom Lees.
Warnock, 74, has managed 1,603 games, a record figure since his first game in 1980, and has eight promotions to his name in that time.
Town are currently 23rd in the Championship, a point away from safety.
"You're not going to get anybody that's more experienced and knows what it's all about," Lees told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It's not an experiment in any way, you know what you're going to get exactly and he's been there and done it. It's an experienced pair of hands.
"I think he'll simplify everything, go back to basics and get us to start doing the fundamentals properly that it takes to win a game."
Warnock's first spell at the Terriers was a huge success, winning the Division Two play-off final in 1994-95 and reaching the old Autoglass Trophy final the previous season.
He later took boyhood team Sheffield United into the top flight, along with QPR and Cardiff City, and helped other second-tier sides such as Rotherham and Middlesbrough avoid the drop.
Part of the secret of Warnock's success over the years has been down to the dressing room culture, and Lees expects the new boss and his assistant Ronnie Jepson - a former Town striker - to come to the fore.
"He does a lot for that, in terms of his personality, in the way he is with the players and the way he man-manages people," Lees added.
"He knows what it takes for different players to get the best out of them, and there are different ways of doing that.
"I'm sure people have seen the videos of him in dressing rooms but, equally, he can put an arm round you and make you feel a million dollars."
Pelach 'excited' by Warnock arrival
In the wake of Mark Fotheringham's exit, Narcis Pelach has been handed the interim reins until Warnock takes over following Wednesday's trip to Stoke.
Pelach was brought in by former boss Carlos Corberan, and has been part of the coaching staff under his successors Danny Schofield and Fotheringham since that time.
"I'm very excited to work with legends of the club like Neil and Ronnie - I'm happy, because I think it's something we need right now," Pelach said.
"I'm looking forward to helping from my role and achieving our target for the season."
There was a less happy note about defender Ollie Turton, who has been ruled out for a significant period with an anterior cruciate ligament tear and will miss the rest of the season.
"He has a big injury in the knee, he'll be out for about six or seven months," Pelach added.
"We feel sorry for him because he is a great human being and a very good player who is massive to us. He's very important for the dressing room."