What a turnaround. From that toxic atmosphere against Luton (twice) to where we are now the change has been swift and remarkable.
Five points in little over a week with only one goal conceded has been a fantastic start to life under Shaun Maloney.
We’re not out of this by any stretch of the imagination but if someone had suggested we would have seen this sort of pick up in form three short weeks ago you would have absolutely snatched their hand off (whilst at the same time questioning their sanity).
Maloney has been as good as his word, we’ve seen improvements in each of his three games in charge now and against Bristol City on Wednesday evening played some lovely stuff against one of more in form sides in the league.
To go behind as we did but battle back to take an important point in my eyes was just as pleasing as the win we got against Huddersfield on Saturday.
Players that looked out on their feet a few weeks ago are now turning in some of their best performances of the season.
Stalwarts such as James McClean Tendayi Darikwa and the unfairly targeted Max Power have been hugely impressive in the last three games.
Power in particular seems to have rediscovered his form of last season and looks to be thriving in the role he’s been given under the regime.
It won’t surprise anyone who knows the relationship that Graham Barrow has with players like McClean, Power and Lang. They will run through walls for the man and that’s exactly what we’re seeing now.
Maloney doesn’t seem afraid to mix it up either, I’m not sure many managers would have made the triple change that he did at half-time against Bristol City.
We hadn’t played badly, in fact in a lot of ways the goal apart we had been the side more in control. But those three changes changed the face of the game and got us back level.
One is left to ponder just what we may have achieved this season if we had appointed Maloney back in November when he originally applied for the job instead of the failed Toure appointment, but then again perhaps the adversity we faced in those few awful weeks will help to spur the players on now.
Sin Miedo and all that.
We’re not out of the woods yet but the skies are getting brighter.
Get down to the DW on Saturday against Norwich if you can, get that place bouncing.
Sean Livesey
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