Strong defence, a vibrant crowd and tenacity all round the pitch provided the club with the perfect mix over the past decade. Those will need to be on show again in their next three games, all potentially winnable fixtures against fellow strugglers Watford, Bournemouth and Brighton. "The impact of the manager made a huge difference -- and the fans right behind us like the old days," he said. Even Shawcross drew criticism, notably for one sub-standard display at Crystal Palace last November when his two defensive lapses led to goals. Back to the future seems the only way forward.

Source: The Star January 20, 2018 21:00 UTC