Personally I think criticism of him last season was at times justified. He took over with us about 6 points clear of the drop and then didn't win any of his first 11 games in charges. It was only 2 wins away from home in the last 3 games at Leeds and Leicester that got us home and they were the definition of backs to the wall nick a goal wins. We massively struggled against teams around us at home and going forward we looked very much pump it long and hope szmodics can find a goal (which he did enough to keep us up).
That's not to say he didn't have to deal with massive massive problems and deal with a team and a club heading in one direction. The squad was lacking any depth at all, we'd sold our best player in adam wharton who our whole style of play under jdt flowed. We also were haemorraging goals.
However he did keep us last season, so job done but with big question marks. Some of his approach from last season has really paid dividends in this. The switch to 4-2-3-1, the building of a solid base, the pragmatic approach. The players appeared to warm to him quickly and work for him.
He got handed a fairly bad hand in the summer too. Szmodics gone, little of it reinvested in terms of transfer fees. When the transfers came, they came very late in the day and still the squad lacked a certain firepower.
What he's done this season has been incredibly impressive with the hand he's been dealt. He's integrated the new signings well along with the reintegration of former captain lewis Travis. With Travis he's given the team a proper captain back and is getting the best out of him. We're a hard working, very well organised side that often lacks a touch of firepower. But we've reintroduced some of the build up and passing we saw when things went well under jdt. Some of the goals we've scored this season have been extremely well crafted. This difference is we pick our moments and aren't fundamentalist about playing out from the back resulting in a mixed style. Put simply he's good at finding different ways to win, largely based on a solid defensive structure.
Bar back to back away defeats away at Coventry and Plymouth it's hard to fault him this season and he's quickly becoming our best manager post relegation from the prem in 2012.