Huddersfield Town may be left to rue transfer decision involving Michal Helik | OneFootball

The Pole left for Oxford United last month, with the Terriers failing to bring in a replacement

There will have been more than a few Huddersfield Town supporters questioning the decision to allow Michal Helik to depart the club for Oxford United this winter, and even more would have been scratching their heads at the lack of replacement brought in before the transfer window drew to a close.

The Polish colossus had been a mainstay over the past two-and-a-half years at the John Smith’s Stadium, with his class at the centre of the backline proving dividends time and time against while he called Yorkshire home.

Not only was the 29-year-old well-versed in keeping the opposition at bay, but his gargantuan frame was often a threat at the other end of the pitch, having been the club’s top scorer in the 23/24 campaign with nine league goals, as he profited from the pinpoint delivery of Sorba Thomas from dead-ball situations.

But after sanctioning his departure back to the Championship, Town could be left ruing that decision in the second-half of the campaign, with recent results proving there is still work to do from a defensive point of view.

Michal Helik departure leaves Huddersfield Town and Michael Duff with a problem to solve

Helik had continued in the heart of the Terriers’ defence following relegation from the Championship last season, and played a huge part in Town’s resurgence after a slow start to put themselves within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots.

After returning from a hamstring injury in November, the Pole was unbeaten in all ten of his appearances between then and the time his departure for the Kassam Stadium was confirmed, with just four goals conceded in his last eight starts for the club.

His organisation of the backline, and ability to repel any aerial threats into the box is a level above anything else that Town have, and while no one can begrudge him a return to the second tier, the feeling around Yorkshire is that a replacement should have been sought before the end of the winter transfer window.

The numbers speak for themselves in terms of defensive performances since losing their main defender, with seven goals conceded in their last four league outings, with a 3-2 defeat at Northampton Town at the weekend the nadir of 2025 so far, with the Cobblers three goals to the good within an hour.

Blackpool also managed to find the back of the net twice, while home games against Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City also ended in slender 1-0 defeats, with clean sheets suddenly proving hard to come by.

The top two automatic promotion spots - which seemed within touching distance just a matter of weeks ago - are now eleven points off as we head into the final third of the campaign, and if Town don’t find an extra steeliness soon, even a play-off place could be out of the equation.

Huddersfield Town got much-needed striker in January, but perhaps they needed a defender more

With the evidence mounting that Town needed extra bodies up top during January, the Terriers seemingly turned a blind eye to the fact they may need extra reinforcements in the backline after Helik’s departure in the middle of the transfer window.

Joe Taylor and Dion Charles have been brought in to score the goals, with the former getting his first for the club in the aforementioned Blackpool draw, but with things taking a turn for the worse at the other end right now, Town could be left with egg on their face between now and the end of the season.

Radinio Balker, Matty Pearson and Brodie Spencer comprised the back three last time out at Sixfields, with all three constantly being bullied by Tom Eaves in a miserly opening 45 minutes, with the forward setting one up and scoring one to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage before the interval.

Once again in the second stanza, Northampton cut through the Terriers’ backline with worrying ease before Liam Shaw curled home the third, with the statuesque defending a worrying trait to have to deal with for Duff and his management staff.

You can’t help but think that sort of performance wouldn’t have been allowed with Helik in the backline, with the Pole able to deal with the physical threat that comes his way, while also offering a commanding and vocal presence to organise his fellow teammates.

Tom Lees’ return from a broken nose can’t come soon enough, but even with the former Leeds United man back in the fold, the loss of Helik, and lack of replacement, could be cause for concern for Huddersfield going forward.