Victory for Huddersfield Town at Millwall puts them seventh in a Championship table compiled over the last five matches.

And they have, in fact, been showing top-half form over a prolonged period of time – ninth over the last 20 matches to be precise.

That’s solid stuff after a disastrous start and having to search for a new manager in the opening weeks of the campaign.

Yet reports that owner-chairman Dean Hoyle could be considering selling the club, and that respected director and head of football operations Ross Wilson is a hot target for Premier League Southampton, refuse to go away.

Either or both of those scenarios should be a sobering reality check to people who accuse the club of lacking ambition and believe Hoyle should still splash the cash despite the £37.2m he has already sunk into Town.

Hoyle has repeatedly made it clear Town have to work within a tight budget, getting every ounce of value out of a leaner squad – 10 were released in the transfer window with two being brought in – and even in the early weeks of the season, he spelled out to all fans they needed to support his blueprint for the future and get behind Chris Powell and the club.

Since then, perhaps many critics have forgotten the warning – and one wonders if the drip, drip effect may start to take effect behind the scenes?

One insider described to me the potential loss of Wilson as a “bitter blow” which would “rock” the club, as he is a trusted ally of Hoyle and chief executive Nigel Clibbens on all football matters.

The former Falkirk and Watford man has had plenty of criticism of his role since he’s been at the John Smith’s Stadium (since August 2012), but perhaps his value should be judged in the fact he is being head-hunted by a team in the top four of the Premier League?

I’m told he has been an immense help to Hoyle and the board and played a key role in moving the club to where it is now, becoming established in the Championship against much bigger-spending clubs.

Town are above Leeds United, with all their support and commercial power, despite losing to them twice this term, and they are also above Cardiff City, Fulham, Brighton, Bolton and Wigan Athletic – all clubs who have massively bigger budgets than themselves.

Nottingham Forest and Reading, who have spent hugely, are on the same number of points as Town while Birmingham would appear the only club in the division right now who are ahead of Town on a lower budget (and that by only a point).

Town are as close to seventh as they are to the bottom three, yet I believe constant talk of relegation battles, criticism of signings and club policy are having a draining effect on those at the heart of what’s become known as the Hoyle Era.

It should be noted Town had been at this level for only nine of the previous 39 years before they won promotion under Hoyle – and three of the nine ended in relegation. This is a third season in a row and could easily be the best, with consistent progress being made despite the odd painful result.

Town are in as good a place as they’ve been for a long time under Hoyle and his board and it’s to be hoped it doesn’t take the end of that era to prove the point.

You don’t have to use too much imagination or memory to think what it might have been like had Hoyle not come in or, indeed, were he to follow Wilson out of the club.