Stats expert, Naked Football Show contributor and new TWTD columnist Chris Rand compares Jim Magilton's record with those of his most recent predecessors.
If we were going to compare our three most recent managers, it's probably fair to select this season (Jim's second) and compare it to Burley's 1995/96 and Royle's 2003/04 campaigns, which were both their first full seasons, each having had half a season's warm-up. So how do they compare? Here are the headline figures:
Burley 1995/96 - 7th (69 points)
Royle 2003/04 - 5th (73 points)
Magilton 2007/08 - 8th (69 points)
Chalk one up to BFJ then. It's the home-versus-away stats which really distinguish them though. All three teams scored a similar number of goals at home (Burley 45, Royle 49, Magilton 44) but the goals conceded at home this season has been the real anomaly (Burley 30, Royle 36, Magilton 14).
Away, this season is the odd one out more terms of goals scored (Burley 34, Royle 35, Magilton 21) than conceded (Burley 39, Royle 36, Magilton 42).
So, whilst all three sides are comparable in terms of overall performance, Jim's comparison season is distinguished by an extraordinary home defence and an appalling away strike-rate.
Looking at the overall records of their seasons in charge, Royle's first three seasons are first, second and third in the goals scored table, which is what we probably remember the era for most, but Burley's average of 73 goals a season isn't far behind Royle's 76, and well ahead of Magilton's 65.
Burley also had the best defence by far (averaging 47 goals conceded) compared to Magilton's 58 and Royle's 65. The reason Royle's teams didn't sweep all before them was probably that the defence was nearly as inept as the attack was lethal, but Magilton's defensive record is, sadly, closer to Royle's than Burley's. The average goal differences read Burley +27, Royle +11, Magilton +7.
When it comes to points, Burley had the most successful era by far, averaging 80 points per season over his five seasons. Royle averaged 71, a figure pulled down by a poor final season, but Magilton has managed to average just 66 so far.
Chris's previous column comparing Town's 2007/08 campaign with each club's performance in the Championship in all seasons since 1992 can be found here.