Trust at the top makes it work for Town

Ranieri was seen as a risky option at the time, but compared with Wagner, the Italian boss had a wealth of experience to call upon.

Mauricio Pochettino may be the closest comparison to the appointment of Wagner, with the now-Tottenham Hotspur boss joining a struggling Southampton who were fighting to remain in the Premier.

The Argentine was boss of RCD Espanyol when the Saints came calling, with the Catalan side in La Liga relegation zone after 18 games.

Pochettino had a 32.9 per cent win rate as the Periquitos’ boss similar to Wagner’s 34.8 per cent win rate at Borussia Dortmund II, although the German had experienced both promotion and relegation with the BVB.

And Wagner had never overseen a first team, while Pochettino had completed four years in the hot seat of a top-division side.

So what made Hoyle’s “risky” strategy work? In one simple word - trust. Trust between Hoyle and Wagner and the belief the owner had in the talent of the head coach - the trust to allow him the freedom to bring in the players he chose and make changes to the training complex to further develop the club.

The players’ trust in the littleknown boss from Germany who brought a playing style and training regimes never seen at Town before.

And the trust between the fans and all of the parties mentioned above that the club was in capable hands, allowing both Wagner and Hoyle to get down to business, while the fans could lift the players with their support on matchdays.

Hoyle and his board would have carefully assessed Wagner before making such a decision, but research can only take you so far in football.

At some point you have to take a leap of faith, and Hoyle’s willingness to trust in Wagner has brought one of the most successful spells any Town fans can remember.

Long may it continue.