Cowley ready to tough it out as difficult run of games looms

THERE are no easy games in the Championship, as the old cliché goes, but there is no escaping the fact Saturday’s trip to Brentford is the turning point at which Town go from their easiest run of games this season to arguably their hardest.

This weekend’s fixture is followed by an away trip to Preston (second), home games against Birmingham (11th) and Swansea (fourth), a trip to Bristol City (sixth), a derby at home to Leeds (third), and a midweek away game at Charlton (ninth).

That run of six games after Brentford comes against sides with an average of 1.70 points per game.

By comparison, at the start of the last run of six that Town faced – and went unbeaten in – the opposition had taken just 0.96 points per game.

All of which only makes it even more important that they at least put in a positive performance against Brentford despite the odds being heavily against them.

And strangely, regardless of potential difficulty of the game and the fact Town are away from home, this is the kind of game that might suit the current incarnation of Danny Cowley’s Town.

By the manager’s own admission, Cowley’s Town side have generally struggled to break down obstinate defences, even those in the bottom half of the table – they have simply been too slow moving the ball in the final third to get through crowded penalty boxes.

But give Town space in behind – even if that requires a penetrative dribble to unlock the defence – and Town can do the business.

If you include the build-up to the penalty they were awarded against Blackburn, seven of the 11 goals Cowley’s side have scored have started in their own half, and three of those that originated in the opposition half have come from tackles or interceptions made about 35 yards from goal.

That leaves only one – Christopher Schindler’s tap-in against Barnsley – that came from a Town attacking set piece in the opposition half.

Despite that, the longest chain of passes on any of Town’s goals under Cowley is just seven (in the buildup to Elias Kachunga’s goal against Hull), and nine have come from moves of four passes or fewer.

On paper, it adds up to a side that has potential to get in behind a set of teams who are more likely to take the game to Town, in contrast to the recent run against sides who in truth would largely have accepted a point against the Terriers.

Town can also take reassurance from the fact that they have not been solely reliant on

P

West Brom Preston NE Leeds 14 Swansea 14 Sheff Wed Bristol City 14 Fulham 14

QPR 14 Charlton 14 Nottm Forest Birmingham 14 Brentford

Hull 14

Cardiff Millwall 14 Derby 14 Blackburn 14 Wigan 14

Luton 14

These are the kind of games which might suit Town’s current

incarnation

W D L FA Pts 14 7 6 1 2 6 17 27 14 7 4 3 27 1 6 25 743 17 8 25 7 43 18 13 25 14 7 3 4 18 10 24 6 6 2 22 19 2 4 6 5 3 23 14 23 7 2 5 24 2 6 23 6 4 4 21 16 22 13 6 4 3 17 12 22

7 16 14 16 22 14 6 3 5 18 12 21

5 4 5 20 20 19 14 4 6 4 19 20 18 4 64 16 19 18 4 6 4 16 20 18 4 37 17 21 15 4 3 7 12 19 15 4 2 8 21 2 5 14

Karlan Grant for goals since Cowley arrived, with Lewis O’Brien, Fraizer Campbell, Juninho Bacuna, Elias Kachunga, and even Schindler all getting in on the act. It is surely only a matter of time before Adama Diakhaby adds his name to that list, too.

But that’s only the attacking side of things.

Now more than ever, Town need to make sure they keep things tight at the back.

We saw against West Brom that Town are capable of getting goals against dangerous teams even away from home, but also that they are