How do we stop the rot?

Just over three months ago I travelled to Blackpool, more in hope than expectation, to watch what was probably Towns best performance of the season. We thoroughly deserved the 3-1 victory and with it being live on Sky rightly received praise from many. Some even questioned if we could follow in the footsteps of Norwich and Southampton and achieve back to back promotions.

Three wins from the next 18 matches, and more worryingly no wins in our last 10, have seen any thoughts of promotion firmly quashed. That win against Blackpool saw us move into second place, but we now find ourselves in 17^th place and dropping fast. Two points per game was our ratio after we beat Blackpool, but since then we've averaged less than a point a game.

What has gone wrong?

Many people are saying there is a lack of quality in the team. However, ten of the players who started that game against Blackpool were present in the matchday squad this past weekend as we were thumped 6-1 by Leicester. They were good enough to visit then promotion favourites Blackpool and turn them over but it was a foregone conclusion that they would be hammered at the Walkers Stadium, that’s how bad we're currently performing.

Town haven't won in 10 and having lost 6-1 yesterday don't look like improving

Oliver Norwood was pivotal to that win at Blackpool, pulling the strings in the middle of the park and looking dangerous every time he stood over a set piece. However, the summer signing from Manchester United has suffered the biggest dip in form I can remember witnessing – he’s literally digressed as a footballer before our very eyes. He struggles to have any impact on a game whatsoever when he is trusted to start, which isn't often recently.

A good defence was also key to our great start to the season. In six of our first seven games we conceded one or less. Peter Clarke surprised many by looking up to the task of Championship football while Joel Lynch was lauded as an outstanding signing. Recently we’re leaking goals much easier – Peterborough, Millwall, Middlesbrough and Leeds each put at least three past us while Leicester grabbed six yesterday.

Our early season defensive stability allowed us to get a few narrow victories under our belt but now we've started leaking goals we can’t score enough to bridge the gap. The Championships top scorer has 22 goals, our top scorer has four (Clayton, Novak and Vaughan). Beckford and Vaughan on paper is a brilliant strike force, but at the minute even with the two together we don’t look like scoring.

However, that’s not exactly down to those two. Vaughan remains one of our better players when fit and Beckford has looked dangerous, but we’re giving him very few chances. Our wingers haven’t hit their stride and with Norwood playing like a Northern Irish Joey Gudjonsson we have no creativity from the middle of the park. No matter how good our strikers are if we don’t give them the service they need they won’t score goals.

Beckford and Vaughan aren't getting the service to allow them to cause damage

What about the manager?

Grayson did brilliantly to get us promoted. He tinkered with the team leading up to the playoffs to find our best team, and then he had faith in that team when it mattered to see us over the finishing line, which they did. We knew reinforcements were needed and we got them in Dixon, Lynch, Gerrard, Clayton, Southern, Norwood, Scannell and Vaughan, and then later Hammill and Beckford.

His team started well, playing attractive football in a losing effort against Cardiff on the opening night of the season and continuing throughout the first couple of months. Norwood, Clayton and Southern looked like the midfield we’d always wanted and we didn't seem to be missing Jordan Rhodes. Dixon solved the problem we've always had at left back and in defence as previously mentioned we looked okay.

Not now though. The defence is changing every week, with the most surprising decision Grayson makes every week being to not play Dixon. Woods, Lynch and more recently Wallace have all been played at left back instead of a left back with senior international experience this season. Team selections have become baffling, with changes every week, people playing out of position and no consistency whatsoever which certainly can’t help the team.

That’s before we even get to the style of football we’re currently playing. The nice little triangles in the middle of the park have disappeared. Adam Clayton has for me been our player of the season so far but his job these days is mostly to look overhead as the ball flies over him from defence to attack. Hoof the ball forward to their defence and then prepare for them to come at us, that’s all we do at the minute.

Graysons team selections are becoming more baffling by the week

What is the answer?

There isn't a straight forward answer. I think Grayson deserves time, but does he deserve money to spend? The team we have now was good enough earlier this season so should really still be good enough now. The fact that they’re not performing, and the dire brand of football they’re putting on display, comes down to the manager. It doesn't matter how much we spend, if Grayson makes them play the way we are currently new players won’t make any difference.

If we stick with Grayson, which I think we should, then we have to go back to playing football. Get the ball on the deck, down the wings and into the feet of our strikers. We got results when we tried to play the right way, we’re not getting results now we've resorted to a long ball game – that’s all the evidence you need. If we have to sign a more creative midfielder to allow us to do this then let’s sign him, but the key thing is that we start playing football again.

Grayson also has to trust his players. Pick a winger and give him a run of games, stop playing Ward one week then Scannell the next, play one or both of them, but let them have a run in the team to show what they can do. Same with the defence - pick a back five, preferably with Dixon at left back, and let them play together – consistency is massively important at the back.

Whatever happens from here it won’t be easy. 10 games without a win and performances are getting worse not better, there isn't a simple way to stop the rot. We have a brilliant opportunity to get things back on track next Saturday when we play Birmingham. Play football and win the game and we can start thinking about pulling clear of the dog fight, lose and Grayson could well be on his way out while we’ll be in the thick of it.