Huddersfield Town took the football world by surprise with their decision to sack manager Chris Powell.
On Tuesday night, they produced a gritty performance and were within minutes of becoming only the second side after Derby County to win at Reading this season.
Within 12 hours, ex-Charlton Athletic chief Powell and his assistant Alex Dyer were departing the club
Football Writer Doug Thomson scratches below the surface to analyse Town’s decision...
Perceived lack of positivity
Chris Powell calling his squad “threadbare” in the wake of recent defeats didn’t go down well with Town’s powers that be.
It was pointed out that two players, Murray Wallace and Joe Lolley, had been loaned out rather than retained for home use .
And there has been the belief that recent Town managers, not just Powell, have failed to get the most out of the players at their disposal.
Too few wins
Town say the decision to dispense with Powell wasn’t solely down to results.
But it could be argued that there were occasions, like Tuesday’s game at Reading, where it was worth taking a bolder approach in the pursuit of victory.
After all, one win and two defeats brings the same reward as three draws.
Failure to play a more exciting brand of football
There is concern at Town’s falling attendances.
This season’s average is 11,799, the third lowest in the division behind Brentford and Rotherham United.
It means the stadium is only half full, with what many see as a conservative style of play not seen to be helping bring in the punters.
A liking for older-end operators rather than young prospects
It’s no secret Huddersfield Town are all about player development.
There is an acceptance that some Championship know how is necessary, but a belief that Powell went too far in that direction.
It was compounded by taking Shola Ameobi and Leon Best on trial.
Lack of a knockout punch
He led Charlton Athletic to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 2014, beating Town en route.
But Powell suffered defeats in his two ties while at the John Smith’s Stadium (Reading in the FA Cup and Notts County in the Capital One).
That ended the chance of money-spinning runs and being at home in both matches made the defeats even more disappointing.
