[madsteve]

Mattock wasn't good enough for a promotion chasing side.  He was a headless chicken and offered virtually nothing going forward.

He was good enough for West Brom when they got promoted.

Evidence over the years shows that you can get away with average players at full back. You need a good keeper, CBs, CM & Strikers to get promoted & need pace throughout the side. We had a match winner in Antonio but SG sold him, preferring May, So far, that looks to be a foolish decision.

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October

September had shown that we had inadequacies. October showed that something needed to be done or else we would soon be setting unwanted records for low goalscoring.

We started the month at Leeds. We actually played quite well here in parts but were still indebted to Westwood for a MOTM performance to earn us a point. May missed a good chance just before half time after Westwood had kept us in the match with three great saves.

Everything changed in the second half after Madine replaced Nuhiu. Suddenly we looked more cohesive. We took the lead when Maguire smashed in Maghoma's clever cross. Westwood saved again as the match threatened to boil over. Leeds equalised with 11 minutes remaining but Madine was denied a winner by a neat save at the death.

This was disappointing because although our football hadn't been great, we had shown an ability to close out matches when we took the lead.

Leeds 1-1 WEDNESDAY

Next up was Watford. SG pulled a surprise by giving Madine his first league start (and last as it turned out) under his management. Also, he gave Hallam Hope his first start but still no start for Drenthe. When I heard the team, I was gobsmacked. He had to give Madine a start after a good 45 minutes at Leeds but Hallam Hope? Really?

Sadly, this proved to be correct. Hope was.... well hopeless. Worse still, it convinced me that SG had little clue about players. How could he think Hope was a better option than Drenthe? In my mind, I thought for a moment that he had done this to intentionally make Madine look bad by playing him against possibly the best team in the division with the worst support we could muster - my machiavellian side.

Inevitably we lost 3-0. Westwood made a complete howler and just to prove that SG got it horribly wrong, Drenthe came on at half time after the match was lost and had our best two efforts.

This was so depressing. We lacked creation and our manager appeared to have terrible judgement.

WEDNESDAY 0-3 Watford

We went to Brentford next. Surely Drenthe would now get a start? No, SG preferred Helan this time. Inevitably we created little. May hit a post and Drenthe (an 84th minute substitute) forced their keeper into his only save of note with a late free kick. We were fortunate that Brentford had a good goal ruled out incorrectly for offside.

Brentford 0-0 WEDNESDAY

Next was Norwich at home. Drenthe had to start now because we needed goals. No, Helan preferred again. Another blank game with Westwood an absolute hero with a string of brilliant saves to earn a point. SG brought on Drenthe after an hour with our latest loan signing, Gary Taylor Fletcher. I already thought that SG had lost it with Hallam Hope but shag me sideways - Taylor Fletcher. When I first heard, I thought it was a joke. Everyone knows that he is a busted flush - one that was never very flush anyway. Except SG of course.

Only good things to be said about this game were that we got a point somehow and Westwood confirmed his class.

WEDNESDAY 0-0 Norwich

P4 W0 D3 L1 F1 A4 Pts3

A terrible month where all we learned is that Hope & Taylor Fletcher aren't good enough, that SG is stubborn and a poor judge of what is required and that we should stay up because we have the best keeper in the division.

Guess we already knew but this confirmed it.