We know we have the 12 biggest games of our lives, says Cowley
sense that Swansea were probably there for the taking made this feel like a huge missed opportunity.
The fact that Town looked so much better when those obvious changes were made only heightened that sense – and the results elsewhere doubly so.
Was the line-up wrong? Yes. Were the decisions to omit Mounie and Smith Rowe eyebrow
West Brom Leeds
Fulham Brentford Nottm Forest Preston
Bristol City Blackburn Swansea Cardiff
Millwall
Sheff Wed Derby Birmingham QPR
Reading
Hull
Charlton
Stoke Middlesbrough raising when the team was announced? Yes.
Were there other factors at play that make it at least explicable? In my view, yes.
I know that will be a hugely unpopular view but ultimately I think we can only come to a final judgement on those decisions at 5pm next Saturday.
If Town take at least four points from the Bristol City and
P 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34
W 18 18 16 16 15 16 15 14 13 12 12 12 11 12 12 11 11 10 11 8
D 12 8 9 8 11 8 8 9 12 14 13 9 12 9 7 9 8 9 4 13
L F A Pts 4 62 36 66 8 49 30 62 9 48 37 57 10 56 29 56 8 45 33 56 10 49 38 56 11 48 49 53 11 50 40 51 9 44 42 51 8 48 47 50 9 40 39 49 13 44 41 45 11 42 46 45 13 45 52 45 15 51 58 43 14 41 38 42 15 48 53 41 15 44 48 39 19 43 53 37 13 34 44 37
Charlton games then they will still be on target to reach 52 points. Take six, and this game will be all but forgotten, particularly if Wigan slip up in either or both of their games.
But anything less than four points for Town will quite rightly leave a very sour taste in everyone’s mouths – not to mention raising the extremely real spectre of relegation to League One.
TOWN manager Danny Cowley is adamant he and everyone else at the club will find a way to make sure they retain their Championship status into next season - but says their remaining 12 fixtures are ‘the biggest games of our lives’.
The Terriers boss was left dejected by his side throwing a point away in Swansea as they found a long-awaited equaliser to seemingly neutralise a poor performance, only to go back behind to a terribly-defended corner ball within two minutes.
Wigan Athletic’s victory over Millwall means Town now only have a two-point gap to the relegation zone.
But Cowley insists there is still plenty of fight in him and in his players, saying: “I genuinely don’t think they they’re too complacent.
“We talk about relegation, we talk about the effect it would have on ourselves and most importantly the football club and our supporters.
We’re really clear on that, we never hide away from it.
“When you only have one point after eight games you know what the season is going to hold: it’s going to be a really long season and a really tough battle and a tough challenge.
“We know we have 12 games and they’re the 12 biggest games of our lives. We all have to fight, for the club, for our supporters, for one another and ourselves.
“I’ve worked really hard to get to this level and nobody would know how hard we’ve had to fight to get here. I’m a determined man and we’ll find a way. Trust me, we will.”