Six points to ponder for our clubs

No victories arrived for our West Yorkshire contingent of Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, while the only supporters smiling ‘south of the border’ were those at Sheffield Wednesday.

Over in the East Riding, there was an enjoyable post-match pint for the amber-and-back faithful at Hull, while up the coast at Middlesbrough, a relieving victory at Wolverhampton was also well received.

Here’s six observations from the weekend:

1: Sheffield Wednesday, on the way back maybe...

The roars of defiance from Wednesdayites who packed out the away end at Rotherham on Friday night was loud and clear for large tracts of proceedings - ‘We’re Sheffield Wednesday, we’re on our way back.’

Let’s be fair, false dawns have come before at S6, but given the investment at Hillsborough and the plentiful squad options and the way in which a number of the club’s summer signings have integrated over the past month, optimism is justified at the moment.

Across the pitch, Wednesday look proficient. Defensively diligent at the back and with tenacity and energy in midfield, the Owls also possess a code-breaker up front in Fernando Forestieri, who is rapidly emerging as a big fans’ favourite. Eight games unbeaten and with a juicy cup tie against Arsenal on Tuesday night, it’s a good time to be a Wednesdayite all right.

2: Hull City - providing the perfect template in how to react following relegation from the Premier League.

After Saturday’s win, Steve Bruce commented that the smiles are coming back to the KC - and it is thanks in no small part to the transfusion of energy and a more youthful imprint that he has stamped upon his Tigers line-up.

Sam Clucas, who has just turned 25, is proving a real wow, while Chuka Akpom is 20 and Moses Odubajo is 22. Add to that the likes of Abel Hernandez, Jake Livermore and Andrew Robertson, all ‘good ages’ at 25 or under and City look vibrant across the pitch, albeit with a sprinkling of experience in the likes of Michael Dawson and Allan McGregor. Meanwhile, other seasoned players such as Tom Huddlestone and Shaun Maloney are currently having to bide their time.

It is a much-changed Tigers line-up from the one who surrendered their top-flight status at the end of last term and Bruce has to be commended.

The salvation job is only part-way through, but in anyone’s language, it has been an uplifting reaction to relegation all the same. Hull might just be onto something.

3: Leeds need to find a clinical edge and start sharing the goals around - and stop some wretched concessions.

Aside from Chris Wood and Mirco Antenucci, just three Leeds players have found the net in the league so far this season in Tom Adeyemi, Liam Cooper and Charlie Taylor, who have struck one goal apiece. It does not take a rocket scientist to deduce that Leeds are struggling to create in open play, with their final ball letting them down at Bolton. The supply line needs to improve, which would greatly aid messrs Wood and Antenucci too. Time for a fresh option or two.

At the back, problems are also abound. Marco Silvestri may have produced a stunning save to deny Stephen Dobbie just prior to United’s leveller on Saturday, but his general all-round game was poor. He looked hesitant at dealing with crosses, his kicking is wayward and his communication with his defence seems an issue, along with his indecision when coming off his line. His shot-stopping is up there with the best in the Championship, but many other elements of his game are found wanting.

4: Welcome to the job, Mr Ferguson.

After leading Rovers to an uplifting ‘Fergie time’ victory at Shrewsbury, Darren Ferguson was displayed with firm evidence as to just why the South Yorkshire outfit are down among the dead men at the bottom of League One.

Rovers were the architects of their own downfall against an attack-minded Posh side who require no second invitation to pour forward and who go for the jugular when they sense weakness. Again, Doncaster conceded from a set-piece and possessed the softest of centres in the heart of the back four with Andy Butler and Luke McCullough having torrid afternoons.

Ferguson has already witnessed the good and bad of Donny in the space of four days. You sense he will now start to make lasting judgements as to who will be part of his brave new world.

5: Another autumn, another manager for York City - with homesickness proving crippling.

The Minstermen are looking for another manager after parting company with Russ Wilcox and assistant John Schofield, with the duo paying the price for presiding over a wretched nine-match winless streak.

The disquiet among fans, not for the first time this season, was self-evident at the final whistle of Saturday’s 3-1 home loss to AFC Wimbledon, with home form again proving City’s Achilles heel. York are without a home win in League Two since August 18 and have won just once in seven at Bootham Crescent - one of the biggest reasons in the decision to axe Wilcox for sure. Sorting out the home form will be the first issue in the in-tray for whoever takes over from Wilcox.

6: Desperate times at Barnsley, with Lee Johnson doing it tough.

A poor afternoon against Fleetwood on Saturday saw the Reds slump to their fifth straight league loss, with Lee Johnson making no bones about the fact that it is currently the most difficult spell on his embryonic managerial career by far.

Johnson, who cares passionately about his project at Barnsley, has commendably fronted up, but will not need to be told twice of the importance of stopping the rot, with successive away dates coming up at Scunthorpe and Coventry. Lose those two and the ramifications surely do not need spelling out.

Every manager, even the very best, have rough spells in their careers. Think of Alex Ferguson in his early days at Manchester United and the late Howard Kendall at Everton, where a famous back-pass from Oxford’s Kevin Brock changed the course of mid-eighties history for the Merseysiders.

Johnson will be learning a fair bit at the minute and many will be hoping that he comes through the other side still as Barnsley manager.