"He seemed to suggest" - New claim made on Jonathan Hogg after big Huddersfield Town decision | OneFootball

FLW's Huddersfield Town fan pundit has given his reaction to the club's lengthy released and retained list.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Huddersfield Town have released nine first-team players following a nightmare second half of the season in League One.

Huddersfield were firmly in promotion contention under former manager Michael Duff, but owner Kevin Nagle made the controversial decision to part company with him following a poor run of form in March, despite sitting just one point outside the play-off places at the time.

Nagle opted against bringing in a permanent manager to replace Duff, instead sticking with Jon Worthington on an interim basis until the end of the season, but that proved to be a huge mistake.

Worthington won just two and lost eight of his 10 games in charge, and after ending the season with a horror run of six consecutive defeats, the Terriers eventually finished in 10th place, a huge 14 points adrift of the top six.

Just two days after the conclusion of the season, Huddersfield announced that Jonathan Hogg, Danny Ward, Tom Lees, Matty Pearson, Ollie Turton, Josh Ruffels, Josh Koroma, Scott High, Loick Ayina and Conor Falls will all leave the club at the end of their contracts this summer, while goalkeeper Chris Maxwell has retired and a further eight academy players will also depart.

Huddersfield Town told to rethink bold Jonathan Hogg decision

Of all the players that are heading out of the exit door at Huddersfield, the decision to release captain Hogg, who made 410 appearances during a 12-year spell at the John Smith's Stadium, has sparked the most debate among supporters.

When asked if he disagreed with any of the club's lengthy released and retained list, FLW's Huddersfield Town fan pundit Graeme Rayner admitted that a big rebuild is needed after an underwhelming season, but given his legacy at the club, he urged the Terriers to consider offering Hogg a player-coach role.

"The only person from that list who I feel disappointed to see go is Jonathan Hogg," Graeme said.

"He hinted in last week's press conference that he was trying to keep his options open pending the club announcing a new director of football and/or manager.

"He seemed to suggest that if they offered him some kind of deal to stay, he would be open to that.

"He's very much part of the fabric of the club in a positive way and I believe that his long service at the club and the attitude he has displayed throughout means he deserves the opportunity for something like a player-coach deal.

"He mentioned about wanting to help develop youngsters, and if the new incoming management and recruitment staff are so inclined, they should offer him that kind of deal and empower him to become a coach because his standing at the club has always been pretty positive and he's rightly respected and regarded as something of a modern legend.

"Other than that, I think it's probably the right time for most of the other players listed to move on.

"The only one you might argue against is Josh Koroma, who did get among the goals this year, but most objective observers would say he has been inconsistent and it's perhaps time for something new in that position.

"Perhaps Loick Ayina, a youth prospect, could have been given an extension, but, interestingly, earlier in the season when defenders were injured, players were played out of position at centre-half when he was available, so perhaps the club do not fully rate him.

"On the whole, none of them are hugely surprising and none of them are massively disappointing, other than Jonathan Hogg who deserves to stay, he's earned that right I think.

"Most Town fans ultimately want as much of a fresh start as possible.

"Perhaps in the past when we've changed management, we haven't really cleared the decks enough.

"I suspect that some clearing of the decks will take place behind the scenes in the backroom areas as well, and hopefully the malaise that has affected us can lift with new faces and excitement about the future."

Huddersfield Town may benefit from controversial Jonathan Hogg call

After such a long spell at the club that has included promotion to the Premier League and two top flight seasons, Huddersfield supporters are understandably feeling emotional about waving farewell to Hogg, and that was reflected by the heartfelt scenes during his final game against Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Hogg has been an excellent servant to the Terriers over the years, but he was not always a guaranteed starter this season, and that raises question marks about how much he would have featured next term, particularly as he enters the latter stages of his career.

While it would be unfair to pin the blame on Hogg for Town's failures, the 36-year-old has also captained the club during two incredibly disappointing seasons over the past two years, and there is an argument to suggest that, as the club prepare for a big rebuild under a new manager, it is the right time for him to move on.