Cas's end of season review

The season is over. After last weekends epic end of season finale, with both Town and Barnsley surviving on the final day after a 2-2 draw in which neither team took part in the final two minutes, it's all over. Here I analyse the season and hand out a few awards, have a read and let me know whether you agree or not...

Overall performance - SUCCESS

How anyone can say this season was anything but a success is beyond me. We were promoted via the League One playoffs last May with a poor team which was carried for the most part by Jordan Rhodes, and which improved defensively only when Sean Morrison was brought in on loan. Rhodes left for Blackburn with only three games of the season gone while Morrison stayed at Reading for the entire season. We therefore played pretty much all this past season without our top goalscorer and best defender from last season.

Replacements were brought in with Anthony Gerrard and Joel Lynch signing to add defensive steel, and James Vaughan and Jermaine Beckford to increase our options in attack. Lynch looked like he was the answer to our defensive problems at the beginning of the season but his form dropped off massively, while Gerrard never really impressed. Vaughan and Beckford both proved their worth to the team at the end of the season by scoring the goals that kept us up, but unfortunately they both spent large spells on the sidelines.

Then you have the other signings we made last summer. Paul Dixon, Keith Southern, Adam Clayton, Oliver Norwood and Sean Scannell arrived during Simon Grayson's first and only summer in charge. Of those, only Adam Clayton managed to maintain his place as a regular starter throughout the season. Paul Dixon looked good in spells but never really got a proper run in the team, Norwood impressively but tailed off, Southern added steel in midfield but spent a long time out injured, and Scannell failed to impress until the back end of the season.

Simon Grayson was also sacked during the season. Dean Hoyle took a little too long to act in my opinion, letting us go 12 matches without a win before finally relieving Grayson of his duties. Mark Robins was eventually appointed with the tough task of getting the best out of a depleted squad and turning our season around. The former Barnsley manager did a superb job to make us a much tougher team to beat and secure some massive wins at the back end of the season which eventually ensure survival.

Despite selling our biggest asset (albeit for £8 million), sacking our manager after less than 12 months in charge, and going on a 12 game run without a win, we still achieved our ultimate goal of survival. That's what it all comes down to - our goal at the beginning of the season was to be in The Championship again next season, and we will be. In what was probably the toughest season in English football second tier history, we outfought five teams and eventually finished on a very good 58 points, four vital points above the relegation zone.

Player of the season - JAMES VAUGHAN

Honourable mentions - Alex Smithies, Adam Clayton

There was only ever one candidate for this award. James Vaughan correctly won the award at the end of season ceremony, becoming the first ever loanee to be names Player of the season, and gets the nod from me as well. We've had some good loanes in the past such as Peter Ndlovu, Leon Knight, Robert Page and Sean Morrison, but none even come close to the impact which Vaughan has had this season. He arrived on loan from Norwich at the end of August to a mixed reaction, but by the end of the season he'd cemented his place in Town folklore.

Vaughan finished the season as top goalscorer with 14 goals, and scored the vital goal against Barnsley which secured our Championship status. He had a terrible record before arriving in West Yorkshire so represented a but of a gamble, and he played only two thirds of our games, but that was enough game time for him to make a massive impact on our season. His commitment and workrate is unmatched and has a positive impact on those around him, as well as making him a nuisance to opposition defenders. He scored pivotal goals against Leeds and Barnsley, while netting a hat-trick against Bristol City.

The only player who ever came close to threatening Vaughan was Alex Smithies. The academy product had his best season to date in goals, making some world class saves at vital times and improving his command of the penalty area significantly. Before the season I wasn't convinced that he'd cut it at this level but he's definitely proved me wrong. Adam Clayton deserves a mention for his early season performances and for his all-round good performances whenever he played central.

Best match - BARNSLEY (HOME)

Honourable mentions - Leeds (away), Wolves (away)

This was just as easy as the Player of the season award. There have been some brilliant away days this season, and it's been a pleasure to watch better teams inside better stadiums having suffered so many years away from the second tier. Particular highlights were away wins at Elland Road and Molineux. It's always sweet to beat Leeds but to do so on their own patch with a late winner was extra special. The away win at Wolves was when many people really started to believe Town could stay up, with two second half goals from Jermaine Beckford sending a fantastic away following into raptures.

They were great matches, and Sheffield Wednesday and 'the towel' also deserve special mention, but the winner was always going to be the epic final game of the season. It had everything - the typical nervy Town start, the genuine fear of relegation, the pain of twice going behind, the joy of twice equalising, the ecstasy of final day survival, and the once in a lifetime opportunity to share all those emotions with a fellow set of supporters. Everyone in attendance witnessed something truly unique, and it was the perfect outcome with Peterborough United suffering the heartache of relegation while both Yorkshire clubs survived. 

Worst match - FOREST (AWAY)

Honourable mentions - Peterborough (away), Charlton (home)

It says a lot about how awful we've been at times this season that horrific away defeats at Leicester and Watford don't even make my shortlist for this award. The winner, or loser, of this award, goes to the Tuesday night humiliation away at Nottingham Forest. From a personal perspective the journey to the game was a nightmare, having to rush from work and getting stuck in rush hour traffic on the awful ringroad. Things got even worse once inside the City Ground, as despite going in front we were truly hammered, the game ending 6-1 when it could have easily been double figures. Perhaps what makes this game worse is that it was Mark Robins first league game in charge of Town, and to many it signaled what could be to come.

Leicester and Watford were horrid performances, but decent days out, whereas the two matches I've given honourable mentions to were horrid on both accounts. Peterborough, similar to Forest, was a desperate rush after work only to see Town deliver a terrible performance and lose convincingly in what was to be an omen for future performance after a good start to the season. The Charlton game was a huge missed opportunity at a time when we really needed to start picking up home wins - an early goal for the Addicks was followed by a ridiculously dull game in which we never even threatened to cause them problems.

Goal of the season - BECKFORD V WOLVES

Honourable mentions - Vaughan v Leeds, Hammill v Birmingham

This award went to Sean Scannell for his individual effort at Molineux at the end of season ceremony, but that goal doesn't even make my top three. For a while I considered giving the award for the winner against Leeds, scored by James Vaughan. A great dash down the right by Hunt followed by an inch perfect pass and a calm finish to send the Town fans crazy, brilliant. Adam Hammill also deserves a mention for his solo goal in the dying stages of the home game against Birmingham. Getting the ball out wide, he started a mazy run to the edge of the area where he placed a great finish into the far corner.

The winning goal however belongs to Jermaine Beckford, who could have also been considered for great finished against Wolves away and Millwall at home. His winning goal however came early in the campaign during what I believe was our best performance of the season. Jack Hunt with another run down the right flank before putting a great ball into the box which Beckford finished in stunning fashion. He showed brilliant confidence and technique to hammer a volley into the goal from around ten yards out, showing his clear class which was to become vital at the business end of the season.

Untapped potential - ADAM CLAYTON

Honourable mentions - Sean Scannell, Oliver Norwood

This award goes to Adam Clayton. He was on the shortlist for Player of the season but had he showed a bit more consistency, or just played in the centre of midfield more often, he might have pushed Vaughan a lot harder. The former Leeds midfielder is by a distance our best midfielder, but has spent a large portion of the season playing on the right instead of in a central position where he's much more effective. I genuinely feel that if we sign another wide player and Clayton gets to play in his favoured position more often than we might see one of the best midfielders at Town in many years.

Sean Scannell and Oliver Norwood were the two other contenders for this award. Norwood has undoubted ability on the ball, and can pick a pass as well as anyone in our squad on his day. However, his days became few and far between and he finished the season as a bit-part player. If the Northern Ireland international can regain his form, and importantly his confidence, we could have a real player on our hands. Sean Scannell is another player who impressed at times, especially towards the end of the season, but he needs to work on his end product. If he can deliver better balls into the box, and stop running down so many blind alleys, he might reach the potential everyone saw in him as a youngster at Palace.

Most over-rated - OSCAR GOBERN

Honourable mentions - Jack Hunt, Peter Clarke

Perhaps this award is a bit harsh, but things can't always be positive! I've been very vocal about my thoughts on Jack Hunt and Peter Clarke this season, but neither of them take this award. Hunt looks likely to move to pastures new this summer, and if we can secure a fee of £2 million or more it will be fantastic business - his attacking prowess in my opinion doesn't make up for the liability he is defensively. Club captain Clarke remains over-rated in my opinion as his head goes down much too quickly when things go wrong, and once again he was responsible for more individual errors leading to goals conceded than any other player.

Instead, my most over-rated player award goes to Oscar Gobern. The praise thrown his way upon his return has been nothing short of ridiculous. Our form did turn around when he recovered from injury, but that was more down to Robins getting his messages across than Gobern making any huge contributions. There is a player in there, but for me he's much too slow in possession, gives too many freekicks away, and is way too weak for a man of his size. If he can bulk up over the summer and become a bit less passive on the ball he may play a key part next season, otherwise I feel people might start to see past whatever they currently see in him.

Barnsley (H) - Who's for the drop?

45 games, 4,050 minutes, 243,000 seconds (plus stoppage time). The aim for both Barnsley and Town at the beginning of the season was survival. That never changed for the Tykes while we had a brief dream of more early in the season, but it’s certainly the aim for both clubs this weekend. Both clubs have experienced manager changes during a season that has once again proven the Championship is one of the most competitive and dramatic leagues in the world. With both clubs facing the very real threat of League One football next season, it now comes down to a Yorkshire derby shoot-out on a dramatic final day of the season.

The implications of relegation
The Championship has for my money been the most exciting league in the world this season. At the beginning of April, with only 6 games remaining for most teams, there were still 14 clubs fearing the drop. Peterborough in 23^rd place were only six points behind Millwall in 11^th place, and the Lions, who had two games in hand on most clubs at that time, are now one of seven teams who could end up in one of the last two remaining relegation spots. Bristol City are already consigned to League One football next season, while the other two spots will be taken by two of Wolves, Barnsley, Peterborough, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield.

Not only will the teams relegated miss out on playing in one of the most exciting leagues in the world, but they'll also face a huge financial loss. Barnsley General Manager Dan Rowing last week said "We believe that with the loss of gates and solidarity monies and such that we will lose between five and six million of our turnover". With Tykes owner Patrick Cryne making no secret of his intent to sell the club, it would be a much tougher proposition to do so in League One. While Huddersfield owner Dean Hoyle has already stated he would not be looking to sell the club in the event of relegation, he would certainly feel the financial impact after putting so much of his own money into the clubs promotion efforts in the past few seasons.

Skybet odds for relegation:

Wolves 1/50; Barnsley 4/6; Peterborough 6/4; Sheffield Wednesday 10/1; Millwall 14/1; Huddersfield 20/1

Wolves are favourites for the drop as they need to win away at promotion hopefuls Brighton on the last day while hoping neither Barnsley or Peterborough pick up points. Barnsley will be relegated if they lose, or if they fail to better Peterborough’s result. Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday need to equal or better the results of Barnsley and Peterborough, while Town will be relegated if they lose to Barnsley while the other three teams all win. Blackburn can no longer be relegated because Huddersfield and Barnsley are playing each other while Wolves can't catch them.

How have we ended up here?
Back in September we travelled to promotion favourites Blackpool and won 3-1 to leapfrog them into second place after seven games. At that point we started to dream a little, nobody got carried away but it wasn’t unthinkable that we could perhaps push for a top half finish or even a playoff place. We were still looking good in November as a 1-0 win away at Barnsley kept us in a playoff spot, 14 points clear of the relegation zone. However, after that game at Oakwell we went on a miserable run of 12 games without a win, at the end of which we’d dropped to 18^th place and were only seven points in front of the bottom three.

That win came under the stewardship of Mark Lillis as Simon Grayson was sacked after a 12th consecutive game without a win. Lillis took control of three league games and earned a very respectable four points, but he was never going to be a long-term solution. Instead on Valentines Day we appointed Mark Robins as manager, poaching him from Coventry City where he had done a great job in difficult circumstances. His first task was to shore up a leaky defence, and despite hammerings against Forest and Brighton early into his reign he's managed that as we've conceded one or less in nine of our last 10 games. We've also started scoring more goals, and three wins in our last four matches have seen us move three points clear of the relegation zone at the perfect time.

Barnsley also started the season in decent form. They were favourites to be relegated before the season started but after seven games they were in mid-table with 10 points. At that time Peterborough were rock bottom having lost all seven of their games, showing just how impressive it is that they might yet survive. While Peterborough improved, Barnsley dropped worryingly and by the end of 2012 they were bottom of the league and looking in serious trouble. Keith Hill was sacked on 29 December and an embarrassing couple of weeks followed as potential candidates to replace him publicly stated their preference to reject the job. Hill's assistant manager David Flitcroft had steadied the ship following his departure and was eventually given the job on a permanent basis.

It's difficult to explain just how well Flitcroft has done since taking the reigns at Oakwell. If the league had started when he was appointed Barnsley would be in fifth place, while Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday would both be in the top 10. It's therefore quite hard to understand how all three teams go into the final game of the season facing potential relegation. Barnsley have taken 33 points from 20 games in 2013 yet head into this weekends match taking the final relegation spot despite beating second placed Hull last time out. If they drop into League One this weekend on their current points total then Barnsley will set a new record for the most points in a season for a club relegated from The Championship.

It will be an unwanted record, but one that is certain to be broken this weekend. Each team who could mathematically be relegated on Saturday has already accumulated more points than any relegated team in the last 10 years. This season has been so unpredictable that Town currently have 57 points, a tally that would have seen us finish 17 points above the relegation zone last season. In fact in seven of the last 10 seasons we would have finished at least 10 points clear of the drop zone, with the closest total to 57 in that period being Leicester City's 52 points in the 2007/08 season. Whoever takes that last relegation spot this year will have the unwanted consolation that they've been relegated from the toughest season in English football second tier's history. 

That night in 2006 and Mark Robins

Both teams were promoted to The Championship via the playoffs, and via penalties, with Barnsley beating Swansea City at the Millenium Stadium in 2006 while we beat Sheffield United at Wembley last May. After seven seasons in League One it's unthinkable for Town fans that we might end up there again next season, facing unwanted trips to Crawley and Shrewsbury. However, Barnsley fans don't want to make those journeys either, and the away end is already sold out for this weekends match as the travelling South Yorkshire contingent have far from given up hope that they will be playing Championship football again next season. They will no doubt take hope from the fact that the last time they visited the Galpharm Stadium they overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit to book their place in the playoff final which they went on to win.

That night was Monday 15th May 2006, and until Old Trafford a couple of years ago it was the most painful day in recent memory for Town fans. We did lose a second leg against Millwall in 2010, but that was a game not many expected us to win. We'd already done the hard part in 2006 though, as Gary Taylor-Fletcher had given us a vital 1-0 away win at Oakwell. Things went awry in the second leg as goals from Paul Hayes (from the penalty spot despite a foul clearly outside the area), Paul Reid and Daniel Nardiello were enough to give Barnsley a 3-1 win on the night and 3-2 on aggregate. The hero in the playoff final would be Nick Colgan who is currently employed by Town, and the manager who masterminded that playoff success was Andy Ritchie who would later have an ill-fated spell in West Yorkshire.

Ritchie and Colgan aren't the only ones to end up in Huddersfield after spells at Barnsley. Current Town gaffer Mark Robins was in charge at Oakwell for the better part of two seasons before leaving in exceptional circumstances in 2011. When Robins took over at Barnsley in September 2009 they were bottom of the league and favourites for relegation, but by Christmas they were nine points clear of the drop zone and finished the season safe. He kept them up when most expected them to go down again the following season, but resigned following differences with the board. After rebuilding his reputation at Coventry this season he's transformed our fortunes and is close to keeping us in The Championship which would go down as another great achievement for the former Manchester United striker.

Not many managers get the chance to relegate a former club, but Robins has that chance this weekend. He knows that if he beats his old employers on Saturday then they will be playing League One football next season. The same thing he avoided in his two year stint as manager at Barnsley he could inflict upon them. - relegation. Robins will no doubt feel an affiliation to his old club, but at the same time he will still feel wronged by the board, after all he left in strange circumstances after disagreements with the higher-ups at Oakwell. What a strange twist of fate then that he could now get the ultimate revenge for any perceived wrong doing by condemning Barnsley to League One football next season.

My line-up

Robins opted to play 4-5-1 when he first took charge but since steadying a leaky defence he's reverted to a more offensive 4-4-2 system. Jermaine Beckford and James Vaughan had shown signs of a promising partnership earlier in the season, and again recently having both suffered injuries earlier in the season. Beckford missed out on Saturday due to a thigh strain but it's hoped he could be fit again for this weekend. Oliver Norwood and Oscar Gobern have also developed a good partnership in midfield while Peter Clarke and Anthony Gerrard, despite looking clumsy have overseen our most productive defensive performances in recent months. The team currently picks itself which is a refreshing change from the end of the Grayson era, so my team for our final game of the season, but hopefully not our final game in The Championship, would be as below:

No predictions. No excuses.

I'm not making any predictions for this weekends match. In an ideal world I'd like all three Yorkshire teams to survive with Peterborough going down, but that's just too risky to wish for. Despite being unbearable to watch at times, this season has been one of my favourite following Town. The drama has been unrivalled and it's been great to watch better teams in better stadia compared to the previous seven seasons in League One, and League Two before that. I can simply hope that we are still in The Championship next season, otherwise this summer will be just as depressing as the one that followed the Old Trafford debacle.

Both teams will look at certain moments this season and think they could have gone a different way. Town will look at that 12 game run without a win, penalty appeals at Bolton and Blackburn, and missed opportunities on home soil against Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough and Charlton. Barnsley could rue not sacking Keith Hill earlier than they did given the turnaround since his departure (likewise us with Grayson), Derby's last minute equaliser at Oakwell not long ago, and numerous home defeats against teams they will have expected to take points from. None of those things matter anymore though, and both teams have a chance to secure their Championship status this weekend. It's all come down to this - one game, 90 minutes, 5,400 seconds (plus stoppage time).

Wolves v Huddersfield preview

Town travel to Molineux this weekend for the first of the five games we have left to maintain our Championship status. With Blackburn, Millwall, Bristol City and Barnsley to follow, all our remaining fixtures offer us a great opportunity to take points away from relegation rivals. With only six points seperating Peterborough in 23rd and Birmingham in 13th, it's vital that teams at the bottom start winning games to close the gap on the the teams above them.

Despite being touted as promotion favourites at the beginning of the season, Wolves find themselves firmly in the relegation battle. They started the season well but plummeted alarmingly at the end of 2012, and didn't start 2013 any better as they failed to win a game until March. That run saw them go 12 games without a win, a feat matched only by Town who failed to claim three points between November and the end of January. It's those long spells without a win that leave both clubs sitting precariously above the drop zone and facing the very real possibility of League One football next season.

With both teams desperate to avoid relegation, they decided to change manager earlier in the season. Stale Solbakken was dismissed by Wolves after only six months in charge when they were 18th in the league. Although they were six points above the drop zone at the time of his departure they were dropping quick and had won only three of their last 16 league games. Town sacked Simon Grayson less than 12 months after appointing him as manager having gone 12 games without a win.

Dean Saunders was the man chosen to replace Solbakken, and despite going nine league games without a win upon taking charge he seems to have finally made the desired impact. Wolves have won four out of seven games since March, taking a very good 13 points from a possible 21 in that period. After going 12 games without a win before his appointment, Mark Robins has improved Town's fortunes with three wins in his first 10 games at the helm.

Wolves head into this weekends as favourites as they're third in the current Championship form table and unbeaten in their previous three home games. Town on the other hand have failed to win their last three games, but travel to Molineux in decent spirits having improved for recent matches against Bolton and Peterborough. Both teams currently have 48 points and popular consensus indicates 55 will be needed to guarantee survival, meaning wins will be needed to amass those vital seven points.

The last time Town played Wolves was in October earlier this season at the Galpharm Stadium. Goals from James Vaughan and Jermaine Beckford were enough to earn us three points, with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake getting a consolation for the away team. It's a sign of how much both teams have underperformed since then that a win on that day moved Town above Wolves into third place, just two points behind top of the league with 11 games played. Town had amassed 20 points from 11 games at that point, but have managed only 28 points from 30 games since.

As well as the last meeting between the two teams ending favourably for Town, recent matches at Molineux have also gone the way of the Yorkshire team. The last time we experienced defeat at Wolverhampton was in November 1988. Since that defeat we've visited Molineux six times without defeat, winning two games and drawing four. The most recent game away from Huddersfield saw a solitary Delroy Facey strike earn us a 1-0 win. Recent history is certainly on the side of Town heading into this weekends massive match.

Throughout the years there have been some big scorelines when we've played Wolves, with most of those games going the way of the midlanders. Twice Wolves have won 6-4 at Molineux, and between 1948 and 1951 they thrashed us 7-1 on three occasions. Overall Town have won one less game than Wolves when the two teams have met, with us managing 28 wins, Wolves 29, while there have been 12 stalemates. Despite our recent good form at Molineux, our opponents this weekend have the overall better record as they've won 19 games out of 34, scoring 89 goals in the process.

Although they've averaged 2.62 goals per game against Town at Molineux, Wolves head into this weekends encounter without their leading goalscorer. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who also scored in the meeting between the two teams earlier this season, looks set to miss the rest of the season with a broken leg. It's good news for Town that our opponents are missing their leading goal threat as no team in the Championship has managed to score fewer goals than us - we've managed a paltry 42 goals in 41 games.

With our attack being the least effective in the league, it's even more damning for Town that we also have the worst goal difference in the league. It currently stands at -26 and effectively gives us one less point than everyone else in the Championship, not good when in the middle of a relegation battle. That dire goal difference is largely a result of some large defeats away from home. We've conceded three or more goals on eight different occasions this season, conceding six against Leicester and Nottingham Forest, resulting in the worst away defensive record in the league - 44 goals have been shipped in 20 matches.

Town have also gone seven games without keeping a clean sheet, and haven't scored three in a game since September. Wolves have also failed to stop their opponents from scoring in their last five meetings, so perhaps our low-scoring strikers could cause some damage. However, with both teams fighting for their lives form and statistics could go out of the window on Saturday afternoon. Both sets of supporters will want to see quality, but fight and passion are just as important as the season draws to a close.

Town have no fresh injury worries ahead of this weekend, with Anthony Gerrard, Jack Hunt and Danny Ward all battling to be fit having missed the game against Peterborough. If fit I'd put Hunt and Ward back into the team in place of Woods and Arfield at right back and on the right wing. Even back at full fitness I'd leave Gerrard on the bench as I think Murray Wallace deserves to keep his place after a decent performance on Saturday. The only other change I'd make is to bring Adam Clayton back into the team to replace Norwood, with the former Leeds midfielder having served his two game suspension.

I always favour 4-5-1 away from home, and this weekend is no different. I do think Jermaine Beckford has been harshly criticised by many Town fans during his loan spell, but I'd keep him on the bench again for this game. James Vaughan is capable of scoring and offers us much needed work-rate up front, while Ward and Scannell are the only natural wingers available to Mark Robins. With Keith Southern still not ready to return to first team duties, Gobern and Danns will be the two deep lying midfielders behind the more creative Clayton.

If last weekends game was make or break, the same can certainly be said about this weekend. Things are so close at the bottom of the Championship that a win for either team on Saturday could move them four points clear of the drop zone, while a defeat could see them drop to second bottom. Although I do think these next two games are the easiest we have remaining, we can take nothing for granted and Town will have to be at their best to send another impressive away following home happy.

Peterborough (H) - Make or break

I left the Reebok Stadium on Tuesday night in a strangely optimistic state of mind. It was strange to be so positive when Town had just suffered their second 1-0 defeat in a row. It was even stranger because on Saturday we play Peterborough United, a team who seem to always get the better of us. However, our performance in defeat is what gave me hope for the rest of the season.

Town head into this weekend's crunch relegation battle in 22nd place in The Championship but only three points behind Blackpool in 16th place, with our opponents just one point and one place behind us. The fact that both teams find themselves in this position is a little surprising considering their very different starts to the season. Two months into the season Peterborough seemed doomed having lost all seven of their opening fixtures, while we were flying high in second place.

Peterborough won three of their next six games after that woeful start to the season, with the third of those victories being a 3-1 home win against Town. Our performance that night was our worst of the season at that point by some distance, and Posh took full advantage as they strolled to a comfortable win. Town fans hoped it was just a minor blip, but in reality it turned out to be the beginning of the end of our dream start. We lost the following game 4-0 against Millwall and won only two of our next 16 matches.

The second of those wins, at home to Crystal Palace, was under the stewardship of Mark Lillis as Simon Grayson was sacked on the back of a 12 game winless run. Those 12 games without a win make the record of current manager Mark Robins look brilliant. The former Rotherham, Barnsley and Coventry manager has amassed three wins from nine matches since taking over in February. It's hard to imagine we could have won another game all season under Grayson.

Our most recent match against Bolton in midweek was certainly a million times better than any of the performances served up at the back end of Grayson's tenure. In fact it was the best we've looked in months, despite the scoreline. Only a man of the match display by Andrew Lonergan, the woodwork and a dodgy referee stopped us from scoring and earning a point, which would have been the very least we deserved having dominated for long spells.

However, when you're down at the bottom of the league nothing seems to go right. Sometimes that bit of luck needed never comes, and it's down to the players to make something happen. Hull's goal last weekend came after a clear foul on James Vaughan, while Sean Scannell was denied a blatant penalty on Tuesday night. If refereeing decisions go against us at the weekend the players need to make sure they're insignificant by winning the match over 90 minutes.

It was a horrendous mistake by captain Peter Clarke that gifted Bolton their winner on Tuesday night, and he's one of only three players remaining from THAT day in May 2011. It's definitely the lowest point in recent memory for Huddersfield fans, as a huge following from West Yorkshire travelled to Old Trafford only to see Peterborough score three goals in seven minutes which ended our quest for promotion. When it matters, we just don't seem to be able to beat them.

Posh manager Darren Ferguson has this week stated that he believes this weekend's game is "bigger than Old Trafford", and it's easy to see why considering neither club wants to face relegation back to League One. A defeat for either team in this huge match would make relegation even more of a possibility - Town would remain in the bottom three with by far the worst goal difference in the league, and Peterborough would be four points from safety.

From a Huddersfield perspective this weekend's game really is do or die. It might be a footballing cliché but we have six cup finals remaining starting against a Posh team who are unbeaten in their last seven league games and will be every bit as up for it as we are. If we perform as well as we did on Tuesday night we definitely have a great chance of coming away with the result, and the three points, that we desperately need.

The league as it stands:

The challenge facing Mark Robins

15 minutes into last night's game against Nottingham Forest and Mark Robins would have been satisfied with what he'd seen. Town were 1-0 up and had missed a couple of chances either side of that goal which would have really put us in control. Fast forward a couple of hours and Robins said "it is the most embarrassed that I have been in all my time as a manager".

That statement sums up how many Town fans will have felt as they left The City Ground - embarrassed. It wasn't the lack of quality that left a bad taste in the mouths of those who made the trip last night, it was the lack of effort. Forest had the quality to punish us, but we gave them too much time on the ball and constantly put in half-hearted challenges instead of trying to win the ball. Even Peter Clarke and Lee Novak, loved by so many because they try, looked like the couldn't be bothered.

Norwood and Clayton watch on as Radowslaw Majewski scores his third from distance

The only starting player to really look like he cared last night was loanee James Vaughan. Following each of Forest's first three goals he clapped and screamed at his team-mates in an effort to elicit a response. In sharp contrast, our captain was stood silently on the edge of our area, looking at the floor with his hands on his hips. That's the major worry at the minute, we arguably have the quality to mount a fight against relegation, but it really looks like we don't have the spirit.

Just as we were well in the game last night until Forest scored their first goal, we were also holding our own against Watford and Derby in the early stages of those matches, before capitulating completely after conceding a goal. There is no backbone in our team at the minute, nobody to stand up and drag us through tough times, instead we just surrender timidly to teams who actually want to win football matches. Things become more alarming when you analyse our recent form.

While other teams near the bottom of the table are showing signs of life, Town are in free-fall. We've leaked 20 goals in our last seven league matches, including two 6-1 defeats. In that same period we haven't managed to score more than one goal in any league game, giving us a goal difference of -16 in 2013 and -23 overall, the worst in The Championship and second worst in the Football League. To top it off we've won once in 16 league games, a record dating back to early November.

James Vaughan scored in Town's one and only win since early November

Peterborough went to The New Den last night and won 5-1, their sixth win in 10 league matches. Sheffield Wednesday have lost only one of their last 11 league games. Barnsley have won four league games in a row and five of their last six. Bristol City have won three out of seven league games since Sean O'Driscoll took charge. Mick McCarthy has rejuvenated Ipswich. Of all the teams at the bottom end of the table only Wolves look as poor as Town, failing to win any of their last 10 league games.

It's looking more and more like we're going down without so much as a whimper. Every time Town collapse, another team in the relegation battle wins and moves above us. Our goal difference means we effectively have a point less than what the league table states, and we currently find ourselves one place outside the relegation zone with both Peterborough and Wolves not too far behind us. It's looking bleak, but it was also looking bleak for Coventry City when Mark Robins took over there.

Coventry were second bottom of League One with no wins in their first seven games when Robins got the job in September. By the time he got appointed as new manager of Town last week he'd moved them 15 places up the table to 8th place, 15 points clear of the relegation zone with the Playoffs looking like a real possibility. Combined with his achievements in his time at Barnsley Robins clearly has what it takes to pull teams away from trouble, but surely he's never managed a club looking as hopeless as Town currently do.

Mark Robins has much needed experience of relegation fights

Top of his list of priorities should be putting together a team who have the stomach for a fight. Some of our players are well short of form and belief and need dropping in order to re-ignite their hunger while giving other players an opportunity to impress. The likes of Oliver Norwood and Jack Hunt in particular in recent weeks have had a really tough time, drop them to the bench and give the likes of Paul Dixon and Scott Arfield opportunities, both who have hardly been terrible of late.

Robins has some big decisions to make. He was present for our win against Leicester so he has seen the work-rate we have in the squad, but perhaps it doesn't lie with some of the players who started against Forest. Gerrard, Wallace, Arfield and Dixon all did their jobs well that night, and offer options for Robins should he wish to shuffle his pack. Sean Scannell has yet to be utilised by Robins as well, sacrificed twice in two games despite being the only player we have who can beat a man.

Although Town aren't currently in the bottom three, we're teetering on the edge and are many people's pick to be relegated. Our form is woeful and too many of our players don't seem up for the fight. Mark Robins has pulled teams clear of trouble in the past, but he'll need to do something very special to maintain our Championship status this season.

The Championship - A league that makes no sense and a relegation battle that's impossible to predict

Town's first home game of the season was against Nottingham Forest. It was our first game on home soil in the second tier of English football for 12 years, and the gulf in class between League One and The Championship was obvious. Forest were organised, played it along the deck and attacked at pace. In reality they deserved to win comprehensively, but we managed to sneak a 1-1 draw with a late penalty.

Fast forward six months and a team that looked so good currently lie in mid-table. Although a Playoff push isn't yet out of the question it isn't where I expected them to be. More surprising perhaps is that they haven't just replaced the man who was in charge that night, but they've replaced his replacement as well. Forest have dropped five places and won only once in seven matches since sacking Sean O'Driscoll, and in the same space of time Alex McLeish arrived and departed before Billy Davies returned for a second spell as manager.

Forest might be a special kind of ridiculous, but they represent the unpredictability of The Championship perfectly. To make things even sweeter, O'Driscoll's Bristol City beat Davies' Nottingham Forest this past weekend. In fact, the bottom three teams all won at the weekend against opposition who started the day in the top half of the table. £1 on Peterborough, Bristol City and Barnsley all winning would have brought you at least £50, that's how unpredictable this league is.

Town started the season by performing above all expectations, winning four of our first seven matches and sitting second in the table. However, since we beat Blackpool to go second back in September we've won five of our last 24 matches, and only one in our last 13. That great start is long forgotten, Simon Grayson has been dismissed and Dean Hoyle is currently looking for a new manager. With such dire form and the second worst goal difference in the league it will take something special to turn this sinking ship around.

We're not the only team to have started the season well only to struggle as the season has gone on. Stale Solbakken made a solid enough start to his tenure at Wolves and they were sixth in the league after seven games. This past weekend however they were in the bottom three until a late, late Danny Batth goal earned them a point against Leeds. Wolves are dropping quicker than Town are, having won only one of their last ten and failing to win any of Dean Saunders' five games since he took over following Solbakken's sacking.

So there are teams suddenly picking results up out of nowhere and teams who are seemingly in freefall. That would suggest that Huddersfield and Wolves will go down while Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday will survive because they've hit a purple patch. It's not that simple, in this league anyone can beat anyone and it's consistency that will eventually reap rewards, but that's not to say the form of some teams amidst the relegation struggle isn't impressive.

Sheffield Wednesday would be promotion contenders had they performed throughout the season like they have in the last couple of months. The Owls have lost only one of their last ten matches and have won six of those games. Not only are they getting results, but they've also strengthened, bringing in Leroy Lita and Connor Wickham, while Town have yet to venture into the loan market, although Hoyle has promised he will bring someone in if needed.

Barnsley are another team who not long since were doomed to spending next season in League One. They sacked Keith Hill just before the new year and then suffered the embarrassment of a seemingly endless list of candidates publicly refusing to replace him. In the end assistant manager David Flitcroft took the reigns and he's kick-started their survival effort. The Tykes have won only nine matches all season, and four of those have been in their last five games.

Town will be hoping the new manager effect will work as well for us as it has for Barnsley. Dean Saunders hasn't managed to improve Wolves fortunes but one manager who has breathed new life into a team is Mick McCarthy at Ipswich Town. They started the season in terrible form and had won only one of 13 games before McCarthy took charge, but have since won eight of their last 18 games to give themselves a great chance of maintaining their Championship status.

Three points separate six teams between Bolton in 17th and Barnsley in 22nd. So surely the two teams cut adrift in the bottom two places are certain to be relegated? Not quite. Bristol City have won three of their last four league games with O'Driscoll as manager and Peterborough have won five of their last nine matches, losing only two of those games. Nobody wants to go down, and all the teams down at the bottom are doing everything they can to avoid the drop.

Even Blackpool, Charlton and Birmingham are only six points above the relegation zone. It's incredibly tough to predict who will go down this season because The Championship very rarely makes sense. Some teams are in freefall and some teams are hitting form, but you wouldn't bet against a Wolves win and Barnsley defeat next weekend.

Who wants to be a Huddersfield Town manager?

When Simon Grayson was sacked at the end of January following a run of 12 league games without a win, pretty much every Town fan hoped Nigel Adkins would be the man to replace him. Unemployed after being sacked by Southampton, Adkins has a brilliant record following stints at Scunthorpe and Southampton. We all clearly want him, but the important question is does he want us?

The managerial merry-go-round is in full effect at the minute - Grayson joins the likes of Keith Hill, Stale Solbakken, Derek McInnes, Owen Coyle, Henning Berg and most recently Alex McLeish who have all left Championship clubs this season. Whoever is appointed Town manager will also become the third manager inside a year, presuming they are appointed before 15th February. It therefore has to be questions, how attractive is the Huddersfield Town job to potential candidates, and would they want to come here?

Nigel Adkins

2/1 favourite for the Forest job at the time of writing, Adkins led Scunthorpe United to two promotions in three years and then took Southampton from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons. His CV is by far the most impressive of all those rumoured to be on our shortlist of candidates, meaning he could also be considered the most unlikely of the candidates to want the job. He might be out of work but he also has a solid reputation these days following his heroics at St Mary's, and could more than likely hold out for a higher profile position, like the one that just opened up at the City Ground.

Paolo Di Canio

The Italian led Swindon Town to the League Two title last season and they've continued to progress in League One, currently sitting Fourth in the table. Di Canio is currently 12/1 to get the job and he's never been much higher than third or fourth favourite, perhaps indicating that although people rate him, they don't necessarily see him being appointed. It's thought that Dean Hoyle became fed up with Lee Clark's erratic behaviour and the Georgie can't hold a candle to the antics of Di Canio. A self confessed fascist who is on the front page as much as the back, no matter how good his managerial record is you can certainly see why people don't think Hoyle would want to work with him.

Owen Coyle

Many people see him as a more likely candidate than either of the above, not as erratic as Di Canio and not as high profile as Adkins. However, given that he's apparently already refused to even discuss managerial positions at Ipswich Town and Blackpool, would he see Huddersfield Town as a better option? Coyle built solid foundations at Burnley and got them promoted to the Premier League when nobody gave them a chance, but made a surprise move to rivals Bolton Wanderers just as things were starting to go wrong at Turf Moor. A good first year in charge was followed by a terrible drop in results and performances, leading to relegation and his eventual dismissal.

Mark Robins

On paper the former Robins makes perfect sense. His first managerial job was at Rotherham when the club was going through a period of uncertainty, and he nearly delivered promotion in his first season and then also in his second season despite a 17 point deduction. Robins was then hired by Barnsley and kept them safe in the Championship for two seasons before leaving after a disagreement over transfer funds with the board. Most recently he was appointed manager of Coventry City and has transformed them from relegation fodder to likely promotion candidates. However, having only took charge at the Ricoh Arena in September, would he be willing to move again so soon?

Paul Tisdale

Similar to Robins, current Exeter City manager Tisdale is a young manager with a decent record. Back-to-back promotions into the Football League and then to League One have seen him become a popular candidate for many jobs. Just as popular as his track record for over-performing (consecutive promotions and then keeping Exeter in League One, for a season at least) is the fact that his teams play a short passing style of football. Tisdale seems to fit the mould for matching the long-term ambition of the club that Hoyle, Clibbens and Wilson keep talking about, but having turned down the Swansea City job not too long ago would he be willing to move North to Huddersfield?

Richie Barker

This one seems to have come from nowhere, and Barker is currently third favourite to get the job at 7/1. He did a brilliant job transitioning from youth team manager to full-time manager at Bury, leading them to promotion from League Two and maintaining their League One status. He landed the Crawley Town job in August, citing them as a "club on the up" when he took charge. You therefore have to presume Huddersfield would be a step up from Crawley, so if approached he could be interested if he's as ambitious as he seems. Relatively inexperienced and with a track record not quite as impressive as other candidates, Barker would hardly excite Town fans.

Uwe Rosler

Former Manchester City striker Rosler took temprorary charge of Molde FK in August 2010 and doubled their points in the final eight games of the season, saving them from relegation. Despite this fantastic feat he was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and while the former United striker has been linked with many high profile jobs since, the former City striker is doing a very steady job with Brentford, albeit with much less admiration. Rosler has Brentford sitting Fifth in League One, and playing very good football too. He's not even listed on Skybet but could be a good shout as he should fit the mould described by Clibbens and Brentford to Huddersfield is undoubtedly a step up.

Steven Pressley

Perhaps the most underwhelming of all the managers we've been linked to, Pressley is current manager at Scottish side Falkirk, a club Town know a lot about. Ross Wilson spent 15 months there as Head of Football Development, and we've also signed Scott Arfield, Kallum Higginbotham and Murray Wallace from Falkirk in recent seasons. Having been assistant manager to George Burley in his spell as Scotland manager, Pressley was appointed manager of Falkirk in 2010. They were relegated top the First Division in his first season in charge and as yet they've failed to bounce back, languishing in mid-table.

Gary Megson

Did I say Pressley was the most underwhelming candidate for the job? Perhaps not if the reaction to Gary Megson attending this past weekends match is anything to go by. Sheffield Wednesday sacked him almost a year ago, and upon doing so improved dramatically and achieved promotion under Dave Jones. Although it's argued Megson can get results for teams, and is known for getting 100% commitment from his players which is something we're in desperate need of, the boring style of football he prefers will turn many Town fans off.

Gareth Southgate

The last name on this shortlist of potential managers is former Middlesbrough manager, and current Head of Elite Development at the Football Assocation, Gareth Southgate. Although many view his time at Middlesbrough as a failure he did bring through some players who have gone on to be sold for profit and built a core part of their current team. The former England defender is another candidate who will fit into the long-term vision Hoyle, Clibbens and Wilson are looking to build as he would look to make use of the academy system we already have in place. Hoyle is also a known fan of Southgate, but it's unlikely he could be tempted away from his punditry job as well as his role at the FA.

Although Adkins and Di Canio remain my two preferred candidates to replace Simon Grayson, it's looking more and more likely our eventual new manager could come as a surprise to many. With some potential candidates looking like they won't fit into the vision of our chairman, and with some perhaps not wanting to manage Huddersfield Town, we'll just have to wait and see who is not only ideal but also interested in it.

2 candidates stand above all others

When looking for the right man to replace Simon Grayson, Dean Hoyle could do worse than to look at the the way Swansea have risen from League Two to the Premier League in just seven years. Huw Jenkins became Swans chairman in 2004 and has appointed a string of forward thinking managers such as Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup. In recent years only managers who share Jenkins philosophy of attractive football have been appointed. 

Attractive, possession orientated football. What us Town fans would give to have a manager who shared these ideals. We were promised something similar when Lee Clark was appointed manager in 2008, and things started off well in his first game in charge against Hereford United as we passed the ball out from defence. Town played good football for the next 18 or so months but after the Playoff defeat to Millwall we became much more direct and unattractive, until Clark was eventually dismissed twelve months ago.

It took longer for us to start playing under Simon Grayson, but the most important thing was that he got us promoted to The Championship. Once we arrived in the second tier Grayson seemed to favour an approach which was more pleasant on the eye. Although we went direct when we needed to, Town were playing nice football in particular with Norwood, Clayton and Southern in the middle. As the season went on however Grayson reverted to a much more direct approach that not only led to a 12 game winless run but also some of the worst performances in recent memory.

When looking for our third manager in twelve months Dean Hoyle needs to ensure we bring in somebody who tries to play the right way. First off this will get fans back on side who have been disappointed with the football played in recent months. More importantly, the players we have at the club are suited to playing football on the deck instead of going direct constantly. Good footballers such as Norwood and Clayton, although struggling for form anyway, haven't been helped at all by the style of football we've adopted.

Swansea City have appointed a number of forward-thinking managers in recent years

So who can we turn to in order to ensure we steer clear of relegation but also begin to play a style of football fans can be proud of? I've seen plenty of people saying that we need to appoint a manager with Championship experience but Roberto Martinez had no management experience at all before taking charge of Swansea, and Brendan Rodgers had only a seven month stint at Watford and a further ill-fated seven month spell with Reading before being chosen by Jenkins to take charge at the Swans. Experience for me is therefore unimportant, especially as many of the experienced names available are uninspiring to say the least.

So if experience isn't one of the key things needed from a new manager, what are the things we should be looking for? In my opinion there are three key attributes our new manager will need. They are:

1) The ability to motivate and get the best out of the players at his disposal.
2) Build a team that is solid defensively, as we've been unable to solve our defensive problems in recent years.
3) Play football the right way, and score goals as we've a terrible goalscoring record so far this season.

With those three attributes in mind I did some research into managers who could be available at the current time. After plenty of trawling through managerial records, league tables, fixture lists and anything else the internet has to offer I have come to the conclusion that there are two ideal candidates who could take Huddersfield Town forward from here. Neither are massively experienced, but both have achieved great success in the short time they've been managing in England and are known for the great football their teams play.

The number one candidate for pretty much every Town fan, Nigel Adkins has been out of work since he was inexplicably sacked by Southampton earlier this month. He definitely has the most impressive CV of any potential new manager but the question mark over him is whether we could lure him to Huddersfield. It's rumoured that Dean Hoyle has a good relationship with Adkins, and that he wants to get back into management as soon as possible, but to many he remains a long shot.

It's easy to see though why so many people see Adkins as the right man to turn around our fortunes. He achieved wonders at Scunthorpe, getting a club with average attendances barely over 4,000 and next to no budget promoted to The Championship twice in three seasons (with relegation seperating them). He then worked more wonders at Southampton, taking them from League One to the Premier League in consecutive seasons. If Adkins was to come here we would need to be realistic however, Town don't have the resources Southampton have and it would be a much longer process were we even to dream of top flight football.

Adkins gets the best out of what he has at his disposal, that can't even be debated given his achievements at Scunthorpe and Southampton. He also favours a very attractive style of football, epitomised by his Scunthorpe team scoring the most goals outside the top ten when they were relegated from The Championship. That season they had a defensive record no side would want, but upon becoming Southampton manager Adkins developed a rock solid defence which was the backbone of their success.

The second candidate I feel would be best suited to taking Town forward is a much more controversial individual who would surely split opinion, something he's done throughout his career as a player and manager. Paolo Di Canio has zero experience managing in The Championship but in his short time in charge of Swindon Town he has shown he has what it takes to be a great success as a manager. After winning the League Two title last season Swindon are now competing for their second successive promotion.

His biggest attribute for me is what many see as the reason he shouldn't be appointed. He's a character to say the least, being a self-proclaimed fascista and causing controversy wherever he goes. I won't comment on his fascist tendencies but his controversial nature is no reason for us to not consider him. He is a man who does not suffer ego's and will never accept anything less than 100% from the players who represent his team. People have said he won't get on with Dean Hoyle, but Clark and Grayson were very friendly with our chairman and ended up getting sacked, he's hiring a manager not a new best mate.

Swindons defensive record under Di Canio is ridiculous - they won League Two with the best defence in the league and now sit fourth in League One with the best defence in the league. They also play attractive football and score for fun, as any Town fan who attended our 4-1 FA Cup defeat at The County Ground last season will testify. With Swindon currently in financial uncertainty now could be the perfect time for us to approach Di Canio and let the Italian take the reigns.

There are plenty of candidates other than Adkins and Di Canio

There are obviously more candidates than the two I just mentioned, but after doing plenty of research I don't think any of them come as close to meeting the criteria. Owen Coyle has become one of the favourites for the job with the bookies, while Billy Davies is wanted by many and current caretaker manager Mark Lillis did himself no harm by leading Town to a 1-1 draw against Leicester. I don't think Lillis will be given the job unless he performs miracles in the next few days, but Owen Coyle in particular could be a very real possibility.

Whoever we appoint, Dean Hoyle needs to use Swansea City, and in particular Huw Jenkins, as an example of the way to do things. Town fans want to see attractive football as well as results, and we need to start building a long-term philosophy that will help move the club forward. Play football the right way, build a solid defence, and motivate the players at his disposal to the best of their abilities - I'm not asking for much.

#GraysonOut? Who in?

#GraysonOut was appearing on my Twitter timeline before Saturdays defeat to Watford, but since that 4-0 humbling it is appearing a lot more. The hammering we took at Vicarage Road was our sixth defeat in 12 matches, but more damning is the fact that we haven't won any of the other six matches in that period. It's not the results which have Town fans worried about the potential of relegation, it's more the dreadful performances and lack of any sign of improvement.

Football fans are notoriously fickle - win one week and you're a hero but lose the next week and they'll be baying for blood. However, if you fail to win for two whole months, or more specifically 12 league matches, there is little hope for you. 12 games is a quarter of a season - in no sport would you be able to go a quarter of a season without a win and not be under pressure.

Simon Grayson is a man under pressure. The fans know it, and now he's acknowledged it himself. The most concerning thing about our twelve match winless run is that we've never really looked like winning of those games, and the performances have been nowhere near good enough. Luckily for Grayson his chairman Dean Hoyle seems to tolerate bad performances as Lee Clark was allowed to keep his job for a long time while performances were very poor.

Clark was eventually sacked when Hoyle confirmed he had "lost faith in his ability to win promotion", so it's sensible to think that Grayson will be sacked when his boss loses faith in his ability to avoid relegation. Town currently sit seven points above the relegation zone with 33 points, but with only 6 points and a goal difference of -17 in our last 12 games it's difficult to see where the next win will come from. Our fixtures don't get any easier either, our next six matches are all against teams above us in the league.

If we are still winless after those six matches I don't think Grayson will be afforded any more time to turn things around. We've made huge losses in recent years and promotion to the Championship was part of a long-term vision to make the club self-sustainable - we simply can't afford to get relegated. It will cost Hoyle if he decided to sack his second manager in 12 months, but that cost would be fractional compared to the cost of relegation to England's third tier, where we spent seven consecutive seasons before that Wembley win in May.

So let's say Grayson doesn't turn things around, after all there is currently nothing to suggest he will. When we sacked Clark most fans wanted Warnock but we instead turned to former Leeds manager Grayson, who to his credit got us promoted at the first time of asking, lest we forget. This time around I've picked out three managers who would be popular appointments, to me at least:

The number one choice for pretty much every Town fan would be the man recently sacked in bizarre circumstances by Southampton, Nigel Adkins. He certainly has the most impressive CV out of all the potential candidates. Two League Of Wales titles with Bangor City, two promotions in three years (relegation separated them) with Scunthorpe United, and successive promotions with Southampton which took them from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons (they were also three points above the relegation zone when he was sacked).

His teams are known for playing football the right way, playing attractive possession football whenever possible. This is something that will definitely excite Town fans at the minute given the hoof and hope style of play we've adopted over the past few months. A win record of more than 50% over a ten year managerial career, and four promotions in six seasons managing in England, certainly have him as most Town fans ideal candidate to take up the reigns should Grayson be dismissed. Whether he could be tempted to come here now his stock is so high is open to debate.

Once Adkins is out of the equation it becomes a bit more difficult to find an ideal replacement. I've seen plenty of names mentioned but many to me seem unappealing. For me we have to get someone who has experience at this level, which rules out lower league manager such as Paul Tisdale who many have taken a liking to. For me the next best man for the job would be Billy Davies, who does indeed have plenty of experience managing in the Championship. We need a bit of fight right now and a manager who can motivate the players, Davies could be that man.

After departing Motherwell in 2002 Davies moved south to manage Preston North End, where he overachieved by taking them to the playoffs in consecutive seasons. After leaving Preston for Derby County Davies again overachieved by getting them promoted to the Premier League. Derby had a woeful season in the top flight and Davies left by mutual consent after 14 games before returning to management with Nottingham Forest. Davies was sacked by Forest in 2011 after taking them to the playoffs but failing to win promotion in consecutive seasons.

Okay, I did just say we shouldn't appoint a manager without Championship experience, and Di Canio has only managed in Leagues One and Two, but for him I'll bend the rules. The Italian, who is best known for his playing days in the Premier League (although he also played for Italian giants Juventus and Milan), is doing a very good job currently at Swindon. Although it's hard to see him getting on with businessman and Town chairman Dean Hoyle, there's no denying he's the type who could get a reaction from our players where Grayson is currently failing.

One of the key contributors to our current terrible form is our ability to surrender matches feebly without a fight. We can look okay one minute but as soon as we concede one goal it could end up three, four, five or six. Di Canio wouldn't have that - Swindon won League Two last season with the best defence in the division and currently sit third in League One with the best defence in the division. A win record of 58.2%, a history of keeping things solid at the back, and the ability to motivate - just what Town need.

For Grayson to be dismissed Hoyle will first have to lose faith in his current managers ability to keep us in the Championship, but if performances remain the same it won't be much longer before that happens. If Grayson isn't the man to stop the rot, Dean will have two incredibly tough decisions to make. First dismissing his second manager in 12 months, then finding a replacement.

Why Town should cash in on Jack Hunt

"If we could get £3m for Jack Hunt, I'd sell". Posting this on Twitter the other day I got a response befitting someone who'd just advocated the sale of a star player mid-season for peanuts. Luckily for me the only part of that last statement that's true is that it's the middle of the season, as Jack Hunt is not our star player and £3m is not peanuts.

Hunt has been a fan favourite ever since that lung-busting run on his debut against Arsenal, bombing down the right flank and cutting inside only to be fouled by Sebastien Squillaci who was subsequently sent off. That match was a bit of a prelude for what we'd come to expect from the Town academy graduate - once he got into his stride he was a threat going forward but before Arsenal were reduced to ten men he was a liability defensively, although taking on Andrei Arshavin on your full debut is some task.

Hunt made his debut at The Emirates Stadium in January 2011

It's two years ago now since Hunt made his full Town debut, transitioning from League Two where he'd had a loan spell with Chesterfield to League One reasonably well. We all knew he was a threat going forward and he showed it brilliantly on occasion, such as his superb last minute equaliser against Peterborough in April 2011. Hunt has been a mainstay in the Town team ever since his debut, and in that time he's consistently been our biggest threat going forward, until this season when his role has changed somewhat.

The weakness in Jacks game has always been his defensive abilities. The modern game has evolved and a full-back is now used as an attacking option, but their number one priority remains to be solid defensively. Hunt was exposed regularly in League One, particularly away from home - he must still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about how easily Francois Zoko tore him to pieces at Brunton Park last season. He often falls into the trap of standing off his man too much, allowing crosses to be put into the box, and when he does commit to a challenge he is taken on far too easily by most decent wingers.

Hunts passion has never been questioned

Hunt is a home-grown talent and as such many people jump to his defence much quicker than they would if it were someone we'd signed from elsewhere. There's no doubting his passion for the club, he tries to get things going when we're not playing well and his effort is clear for all to see. However, I can't help but think we might be better off if we sold Hunt, with Swansea rumoured to be sniffing around. I certainly don't rate him as highly as Matthew Lowton who Villa paid £3m for, so if we could get a similar fee for Jack I'd be inclined to accept, assuming the scouting team could find a suitable replacement.

The biggest asset Hunt possesses is his ability to run with the ball from deep or overlap the winger and receive the ball. On occasion he's done it well this season, winning a couple of penalties and claiming a few assists earlier in the season. However as our form has disintegrated so apparently have Jacks runs down the right flank. Whether it's a lack of confidence in himself, the person in front of him, or if he's under orders from the coaching staff, he doesn't get forward as much as many fans would like. So if we're not utilising him properly anyway, why not cash in if a decent offer is on the table?

If we were to sell Hunt, a replacement would need to be brought in

Whether we sell Hunt or not will depend on two things - if the price is right, and whether or not there is a replacement available for us to bring in. I certainly wouldn't want to be left with just Calum Woods and Paul Dixon as the only natural full-backs at our disposal. If there is interest in Hunt I would imagine the scouting team are already looking at potential replacements, but if there is one available I would say Hunt has a price and if Swansea meet it he would be sold. A fee of £3m could potentially enable us to bring in a replacement full-back and strengthen in other areas too.

The losses of £5.7m last season will be fresh in Dean Hoyles mind, and even with the £8m sale of Jordan Rhodes and increased league and television revenue, the long-term sustainability of the club is most important for us to to create solid foundations. £3m for a player who cost us nothing would be great business, and I certainly don't think losing Hunt would show a lack of ambition or leave us more vulnerable to relegation than we are now, assuming a replacement could be found. That's why, in my opinion, if we can get the right fee we should cash in.